[IC] The Task Force - V:tM

[Trenchfoot]

*~~THE TASK FORCE~~*


[Warehouse Headquarters]

It's been raining constantly for weeks now. Ever since the Downfall a month ago, the water has been falling from the sky daily; a constant backdrop of static-like sound to the nightlife of the city streets.

We find ourselves in an empty warehouse, an all-too-common setting for the kind of story we're about to tell. This one is empty, save for a single wooden table and two chairs. The main floor is wide, illuminated by conical lights hanging from the rafters. There are several rooms along one wall of the warehouse, eight to be exact, with a single door leading into each. There is a simple door that leads to the outside, and two massive sliding doors wide enough to permit a semi-truck. There are, of course, no windows.

Aside from these features, the warehouse is barren. The only sound to be heard is the drumbeat of rain on the roof.


Each of you has been sent to this warehouse tonight. You'll be receiving a speech from the Prince himself, and from then on out you'll be under the direct supervision of the Sheriff, Guy Montague. This scene gives you a chance to meet the other characters. If you've decided that you know each other already, go for it. If you aren't ready to introduce your character just yet, that's fine too. The Prince won't come in and give his speech until everyone is ready both IC and OOC. Have fun!

[Horatio@Bridge]

The door next to the bay creaks open and a wan light spills into the room from the street-lights outside. Guy Montague walks in, rain dripping from the plastic poncho he'd purchased from the Army surplus store. He looks carefully around the empty room, a slight bulge under the poncho indicating where a hand tightly gripped a gun. A small movement camouflages the bulge, the gun disappearing into the plastic folds of the parka. Satisfied that he was the first to arrive, Guy moves to the wall behind the table, leaning half in, half out of the shadows: a position where he can survey all of the entrances, but where he is not immediately visible from any of them.

[Entregan]

Outside the warehouse in a lofty tree some distance away, the shadows and rain further mask the presence of a stout if altogether small figure some distance away. The figure is soaked even to dull the normally fiery hair atop his brow to a vivid burnt crimson. Darren Trakan waits in the blackness of the night, listening to the voices of those spirits around him. He remains vigilant, learning of those who enter the warehouse, without ever revealing his presence. Biding his time, he lies in wait for the rest of the "guests" to arrive.

[ace_cipher_zero]

With a brisk stride, Taylor Galt kept walking towards the warehouse, without fixating upon it. he thought silently to himself, this is going to be like three years ago all over again....

He didn't pay attention to the rain as he walked. His raincoat was decent... as insane as he may be, his Sire sure knew quality stuff. Even though the clothes he wore weren't all that fancy, he did have a good deal of cash too, and that great labtop too... if only such things could come directly tunneled into the internet....

He reached the door, and took in a breath. He knew this was the path to what he wanted, so he had to take it.

He pushed open the door, and was somewhat surprised to be alone. He quickly stepped to the side and shut the door, looking for somewhere as to not be surprised if someone had followed him in.

[Partysan]

Having spent most of the last few nights inside the warehouse, Arash is waiting and watching. Leaning against the wall he stands motionless, cloaked by the shadows as it is the Assamite's custom and talent.
Calmly he sees one after another entering and ponders on what kind of role any of them might have.

[ace_cipher_zero]

After getting about 15 feet away from the door (far enough so that he can't easily be struck with a blow, but close enough so that he would have the jump on anyone with a gun [Pun intended]), He turned, and looked back. Nobody had followed him -- that was the good news. What wasn't good news was that there was a vampire who he had missed standing behind the table, mostly obscured by shadows. His master would be disappointed, especially after how much time he had spent teaching him how to hone his senses. Now, it was time to see if it such a vampire was friend, or foe....

"Hey there." he called out to the stranger.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Evenin'" Guy drawls, a slight Southern accent evident in his voice. "You're...Galt, right? Out from Virginia?"

[Entregan]

"What do ye make of them? Can they be trusted?" Darren speaks with a low Irish accent. After a moment of listening to seemingly nothing. "Are they armed well then?" he asks somberly. After a moment he turns to look beside him, in his perch on the limb. "How many are there?" He gives a subtle nod of thanks. "I suppose my entrance should be made then. I doubt the Prince will be much longer." He sighs, climbing down the back side of the tree. Standing at the base, he looks to the warehouse through the sheets of cool rain. He pauses for a long moment of thought, as though listening.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Yes sir, guess I am. And guess I'm one of the first ones too. And from a 50-50 guess, you're the sheriff-Guy?"

[Jesse Drake]

"Hm... this warehouse is a perfect place to study various diptera species-" Jake hums interestedly at the flies buzzing around. "And I'm sure there are bound to be roaches around here." He looks for a box or something to overturn to check for evidence. When he entered, he seemed to ignore everyone. But he stops. The Sheriff was the only face he recognized. "Hello Deputy." He says in a casual tone, straightening out his clothes. "How are things?" His tone and demeanor would suggest he has no idea why he's here... "What's with the party guests? I'm afraid I don't have a gift, but I could whip up a card with some cash in it if you'd like."

[Horatio@Bridge]

"That's right," Guy says, nodding as Jacob enters the room. "Guy Montague, pleasure to make your acquaintance, and this here is Jacob Harmon. Jake, this is Taylor Galt. He's new in town. 'Course, so're the rest of us." He cracks what might generously be described as a smile.

[Erad]

A young man, about 25 years old, enters the warehouse. At least he seems so. But something in him looks... out of place.

The man wears a long coat, covering him from neck to legs. He is calm, maybe even too calm for a man who meets a few possibly dangerous strangers in the middle of nowhere. As he enters, he looks around stopping his eyes of every person inside, as if he is trying to scan the deepest parts of their souls.

Then he speaks.

- I am Juan. Nickolay said that one of you needs my services and have a good offer. What's it about?


As you guessed, Juan is using Obfuscate 3. If I need to roll please tell me how I make rolls in this system.

[ace_cipher_zero]

{Interesting.} Thought Taylor, {we have a sherif who at least looks sane... I'm not even sure what's quite wrong with the other one... and a sellsword. That last one just is troubling. Might be honest, but might also be a trap. It might be a good time to make sure that if its the second, we know its coming.... probabbly best to listen for it to not give away too much....}

Right now I'm using Auspex 1 to enhance hearing, not quite sure what to do either. :/

[Jesse Drake]

Jake waves at the Sheriff and his "posse". "Hello Mr. Galt- hello Juan." He continues to scour the room for bugs. He even passes by the assamite, cloaked in shadows, and merely smiles at him. "Some bugs like to hide in corners, but I always find'em." He reaches around past Arash, and grabs a tiny fly out of the air. "Look at this guy- blue tint, blue wings, that's very nice." He studies the bug, and buzzes at it, then sends it on it's way.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"I believe that's going to be explained here shortly," Guy responds to Juan. "But the short of it is that you'll be working for me, helping to get this town in some semblance of order. Guy Montague." He extends a hand.

"And if you're Nickolay's boy, then we should be getting one more." He glances around the room. "Wouldn't surprise me if he's already here, taking his measure of the lot of us."



I think that Darren will be a surprise to Guy. He's got one Tremere on his team, he wasn't expecting a second.

[Entregan]

Darren nods silently as the rest converge on the meeting place. "Thank you. It seems I should have been more patient." He seems to speak to a counterpart not present. His words directed, but seemingly to no one. He gives a once over to the warehouse. "Anything else you think I should know about them?" He listens a moment longer, before heading silently towards the building. His brown eyes reflecting the depth of the night as he passes to one of the doors furthest from any one in particular. The ambient light floods out of the warehouse briefly as he enters, water pooling about his feet. He looks directly towards each of the occupants, whether visible to him or not, then walks up and squats next to the table, with a silent nod.


Not your ordinary Tremere. lol.

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy stiffens slightly when Darren walks in.

"Now this ain't exactly what I was expectin'. A bit too pale to be our fourth deputy." His Southern accent had become dramatically more pronounced. "Who are you, an' who sent you?"

Under the poncho, his hand moves towards a weapon.

[Entregan]

Speaks with a highly pronounced northern Irish accent. "Name's Trakan. Clan Tremere. I was sent here to meet with the rest of you. I'd be the fourth you're speakin' of, alright. We are what we are. Age and a lack there of is accounted for. Most of ye'r lot are younger than I would expect for a task like this." He shrugs with minute effort, and keeps his eyes to the table, his ears perked lightly as though listening to some distant noise.

[Partysan]

"Well," a voice comes from one place at the walls where the shadows uncloak the outline of a young man leaning against the wall, "since there's no one else to wait for, we might as well begin the briefing."
Slowly he starts to walk towards the table in the middle of the room, pulls a chair towards him and takes a seat. As he steps into the dim light he reveals the appearance of a man in his early twenties of unmistakably middle eastern descent. He does not carry any visible weapon and might as well have walked out of some campus.

[Entregan]

"As may be." He glances to Montague, with a mixture of deference and disdain. "I would like to begin work as peaceably as possible, if it's alright with you."

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy lets go of the weapon and crosses his arms in front of him, a slight frown creasing his forehead. He nods to the Middle Eastern fellow.

"You must be the one Abdullah sent. Which makes you," he looks to Trakan, "the extra. I didn't expect the Tremere to send two agents for this mission. The Doctor must be highly interested in how things turn out here." He pauses to give Trakan the chance to correct him.



Or the Prince, whoever gets to it first. :-p

[Entregan]

Darren offers a light nod. "Not the extra. I'm fresh into the country. I'll leave that to the Prince to explain though." His Irish lilt comes through thickly. His deep brown eyes return to the table. "I wouldn't want to give away more than my share."

[ace_cipher_zero]

"And I hate to barge in, but you are right in that the Doctor is very interested in what happens here. I mean, its only a 4 hours drive here, and that means half a summer's night if the Sabbat take over the City. But anyways, that's a bit irrelevant, and we're all here to do a job, so lets not stop unexpected circumstances from doing that, I must say."

[Erad]

- It'll take me some time to remember names of you all, - says Juan and shakes Guy's hand.

As new people arrive, he looks around again.

- Quite a company. Why there always has to be a Malkavian? As I understand we'll need to work as a team? I prefer to work alone. But if the offer is good... How good it is actually? I still haven't heard it.

[Jesse Drake]

"The Malkavian," Begins Jake, walking around. "Is here on personal request. It seems our Lawman has gone broke, and he needs my help. Besides, I like you guys. You look like a fun group." He bursts a bit of laughter. "Another thing- I need to get out of my mansion every now and then. It's nice, but all the bugs in there I've already met."

[Horatio@Bridge]

"The Prince will detail more fully the specifics of your various contracts," Guy says, glancing at Trakan, about who's contract he can say even less than those of the others. "The short of it is, though, that we're here to reclaim this city in the name of the Camarilla. The place just went nuts a few months back, and we've lost contact with most of the establishment players. What reports we have gotten indicate a near complete collapse of both Camarilla and Sabbat influence. That leaves a pretty big power vacuum, and the men upstairs figured it'd be bad business to leave it open for too long. There's no telling what'd come to fill it if we don't.

That said, this is a pretty big opportunity for you all. Openings in city government don't come along very often, and if you do well here you'll be in a position to be quite influential in the reformed structures. Your future's in your own hands, boys, and that's not something that everyone can say."

[Entregan]

Trakan dips his head silently, and waits. His ears perk up every now and then, with an occasional glance to any given direction as he continues to rest on his haunches.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Uhhh, Don't mean to be rude, but are there any power outlets around here? My labtops low on charge, and I'd like to work some more on my sillicate bonding simulation.... And if there's internet here too that would be really wonderful...."

[Partysan]

"My first suggestion anyway would be to arrange for an adequate base, be it by upgrading the warehouse or switching place."

[Erad]

Juan scratches his chin.

So, you offer a position in a future government. Hm, I wonder... I prefer not to belong to powerful groups, I work for the highest offer. I used to be a loner and the only power figure I respect is Nickolay - who is a loner too. But I like challenges, I must admit. So I guess I am ready to wait for whoever is going to give further details.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake begins to laugh. "Well, I am afraid that I'm gonna have to turn down the office." He looks at Guy straight on. "It'd probably just be a trap anyways." He claps his hands and moves on, continuing his pace around the warehouse. "But as long as you guys are regular undead citizens, I could let you guys set up shop in part of my mansion-"

Jake pauses for a moment, scooping up a flea. "Ah- this guy's just like one of us. He's really fast, agile- sucks blood. Dark as the night." He puts the creature down, and turns to the rest of the group. "I can look at some sites, but I might be able to pick up some walkie talkies or some night vision goggles or something- whatever you might need."

[Erad]

Do you now? - asks Juan, - I can need such things. I guess after we finish here, we can make a little trade.

[Entregan]

"Before anyone goes and starts making any grand plans, we should probably wait to find out the finer details. Such as what we're up against," Darren offers in his thick Irish lilt. "If whatever caused the fall, was potent enough to remove all Kindred influence in the City, it wouldn't do well to find each other partners just to be targeted because of it. I've been keeping tabs on people in the vicinity. Risks are all fine and great. But, only when you know what you're risking. Otherwise it's a fight the whole way." He pauses a moment, "No. I just thought it better to tell them my view, so maybe they won't get me killed later." He continues on, "Keep to yourselves for now . . . If you want to ensure what life you have left." He shrugs, and returns to silence as he continues waiting for the Prince.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Well, if we're going to be going to a new place, just make sure its got a few more well-visible power outlets than here, ethernet or wifi would be really, really good too. And if I have it in my lair then I could work even when the sun's up...."

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

The door opens to permit two individuals. The first is a man, remarkably tall and muscular, wrapped in a jet-black Hugo Boss suit with a sheening silver tie and a magnificent Patek Philippe watch. Close behind him is a hunched, unassuming man with a combover. His brown tweed suit and simple office shoes make him look pathetic next to the suited man, though it doesn't take much for this one to appear as no threat.

It is the tall man who speaks first.

"Assembled Kindred, good to see that you have all arrived. I am your Prince, William Lytton. My time is short, but there is much that you all need to do... Much that your Sires or superiors may not have told you. I will start from the beginning. "

He pauses ostentatiously as you all come toward him, gathering together as if it were natural. The little man shuts the door and locks it quietly, and turns back to observe the group. The Prince continues.

"Two weeks ago, this city existed under our rule much as any other. The Camarilla upheld the Masquerade, the Sabbat opposed it, the Anarchs grumbled and groveled in the streets, and the Giovanni existed quietly on its outskirts. This balance was obliterated on one fateful night, which for the sake of brevity we refer to as the Downfall. During the Downfall, the Sabbat enacted a massive, assault, unprecedented by any in recent history across our American holdings. Nearly every member of the Camarilla establishment, Kindred, ghouls and even unaware mortal contacts alike were slaughtered during the Downfall. The Sabbat showed an incredible level of awareness during that night, striking at safehouses and headquarters the previous Camarilla had though secret for decades. Every Kindred, from the Prince to the members of the Primogen, from the Sheriff to the most recently Embraced, were either butchered or lost."

He pauses once more, to let the effect of the statements sink in. There was no exaggeration in his words.

"The so-called investigation team that was sent only a few nights after the Downfall discovered all of this. They were shocked to find that the entire chain of command and the infrastructure of the previous establishment had been so thoroughly eradicated. It only took a few days for the greater heads of the Camarilla dispatched myself and a few others to this City. My task is to restore order to the Camarilla, and to that end, I have created this group."

He begins moving back and forth, his hands clasped formally behind his back.

"In established Cities, there is both a Sheriff and a Scourge. One is a peacekeeper and investigator. The other is a hunter and an executioner. I have fused both to create this group. Under the command of Guy Montague here, who officially holds the rank of Sheriff, you are each a part of this task force. You hold the full authority to conduct investigations, take on missions and tasks as you see fit, and eradicate any Kindred you may find. There is no need for any Blood Hunts, as there are no Camarilla Vampires left that we know of; you are given free reign to kill any who are not one of us. It remains that I will not allow any Embracing, Diablerizing, or even the creation of Ghouls without my express permission."

He looks up and around the empty warehouse.

"This building will serve as your headquarters, such as it is. You may do with it as you wish. I regret that we do not have the funds to properly supply your group. You must use your ingenuity to provide for yourselves until such time as our infrastructure is back up and running. That is my task."

His head turns sharply to Guy.

"Your task, as the leader of these Kindred, is to do as you see fit. I will not be holding direct oversight of your activities; I trust you to do what must be done. How you restore order is in your hands. There is no requirement that you report to me, though I prefer that you keep me updated as best you can on current developments."

The piercing gray eyes now scan the group once more.

"Myself and the other Kindred will be working to re-establish everything that was lost in the Downfall. I have commanded that no Kindred will have authority over any member of this group, regardless of Generation or position. No one but myself will pass down orders or directions. Each of you will follow Guy's direction. Loyalty is not requested; it is demanded. In short, do as he says."

The Prince moves toward the door then, and looks to the man with the combover as if noticing him for the first time. He looks over his shoulder.

"This is a ghoul of mine, Carl. He can answer your questions, and give you a more in-depth brief of this City, and what we know of it. He is at your disposal for the time being. Treat him with respect. I take my leave of you."

Without another word, the Prince quickly and unceremoniously unlocks the door and exits, shutting it behind him. Clearly, he is in a hurry for something more important than instructing the Task Force he himself created!

Carl, as he was named, shuffles a bit in place, and sets the briefcase down next to him. He looks to be no more than a glorified accountant, though the Prince did say he could answer any question. For now, he says nothing, content to wait until asked.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake fidgeted through the Prince's speech, barely stopping from collecting bugs. Then, when he leaves, Jake begins to laugh wickedly. "Well, I'm quite interested in what we'll be doing." He says to Carl or Guy, though not facing anyone or speaking directly to anyone. "And frankly, who I'll be working with. Fear not, I have the nets, and it's good connection. But I can't let anyone just walk in my house. It could be dangerous..."

[Erad]

- So the Camarilla wants the city under her control and plans to use us for that.

Says Juan and lets out a little laugh.

- There are few missions I reject and this one is not one of them. But my main question remains - what about the pay?

[Trenchfoot]

Carl straigthens a bit as he prepares to answer Juan's question.

"Sadly, Mr. Aranesti, financial backing from the greater Camarilla support network has been a bit slow. Mr. Lytton has used a significant amount of his own personal funds to establish our basic operations in this City, and many of the Primogen have yet to even arrive, so we are without their money as well. With the entire support network that existed here destroyed, we have nothing to build on."

He shuffles a bit, rubbing his shoes agaisnt eachother.

"To put it simply, there is no pay. Mr. Lytton intends for this Task Force to, essentially, pay for itself. Any resources gained in your operations is yours to keep and support all of you. You are given free reign to develop as you wish, as long as you follow the guidelines set down by our Prince. I am an Accountant and an expert in Finances, so for the time that I am assigned to your group, I can help you get on your feet with logistics and money issues."

[Erad]

Juan is silent, but it seems that he is thinking if it is good enough for him. After about a minute he smiles to his thoughts.

- That better bring profits, - he says finally.

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor faces Jake, even though he wasn't being spoken directly to. "Alright, that's fine, perfectly understandable, and I'd like a place of my own anyways." Then he turns to the ghoul in front of him.

"So you're an accountant?" queeries Taylor. "Well... if so, none of us (save Jake) have lairs yet I think, and we all shouldn't probably stay in the warehouse for too long, so knowing how much rent or housing costs around here would be grand. And if we're ever going to get better logistics, what we should expect for gas prices would be good to know, and how much another warehouse might cost, so that we could start working towards that. And since I didn't have one I could bring here, since the Doc favored a minor provider, any good places to get a cell phone, especially disposable ones? Also hate to be a nag, but... power anywhere in here? and internet?"

"And Juan, don't worry, for the time being we have almost free reign of looting the city for our side, so money should be big."

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy nods. "Glad that's settled. Harper, I've paid the contract with Abdullah personally, so there's no need to worry about that. The rest of you, you've got your own reasons for being here.

There's a lot to get done in this city. Most of you have received a report on the situation, but let's review. We've got a fair idea of what happened to most of the Camarilla, but the Nosferatu were left behind in their caves. At some point we've got to find out what happened to them, because for starters they're our best source of information about the surviving Sabbat. We do know that the Sabbat made their havens east of 495, so until we've got a better idea of what they have left that area of town is off limits. We'll get to it eventually, but that will be a reconnaissance in force. I don't want to find out the Sabbat's remaining strength by examining your smoking corpses. We've also got a few pretty strong independent groups counting the Giovanni, some Caribbeans, probably Setites, and an anarch group led by a Lasombra. Don't trust any of them as far as you can throw them, especially the Lasombra. Odds are that one of them is the rat that let the Sabbat into the henhouse. Presume they're guilty until proven innocent.

There are also two mysteries from before the city collapsed, and I'm not fond of mysteries. There's a diablerist that may still be on the loose, plus several vamps suffered unexplainable deaths just before the Downfall. Watch your backs. Oh, plus there's a werewolf pack running around town. Normally we'd have them pretty heavily outnumbered, but as things stand we don't have the strength to keep them down anymore. These things can tear apart entire covens with their bare hands, so do not mess with them! You see one, you go the other way.

With all of that, though, we're not going to start with the supernatural threats. There's been a lot of trouble between the police and some drug cartels in town, and with the Downfall we've also seen a lot of high profile murders. That sort of thing gets the mortal's attention, and we cannot afford that kind of attention. Mortals are the nuclear bomb of the supernatural world. We do not want them to get involved! So, that's going to be our first priority. The Masquerade has gotten pretty tattered lately, and it's our job to patch it up. There are two ways to do this: misdirection or a cover up. These cartels give us a chance to do both. This is what we're going to do -- the cops are going to make a high profile series of busts. They're going to get all the information they need to arrest a whole mess of those scumbags, and in the process they're going to turn up a pile of evidence that links the cartels to the murders that occurred during the Downfall. That means we need to find a bunch of real evidence that will take these cartels down, and at the same time we need to manufacture some evidence so they'll take the blame for our problems. Remember, though, don't be too thorough. Gangs are a great cover, and we want to make sure we can use them again if we need to. Everyone on the same page?"



The report is from the OOC thread.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Yessuh, I've got you sir. But I just have one thing... if we need information on them, might it help if we got back at least some of the Nos? I mean, they've been here longer than us, and even if they're underground they can probably tell us far more than we would be able to find out in a similar time searching for them, and even then they could be useful to us later."

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Heading down to the sewers ain't trivial. We're going to need a bit more prep work before taking that job on, and that's going to be hard enough without having some cop getting suspicious because we're stocking up on night-vision gear and assault rifle ammo. Good question, though."

[Trenchfoot]

Carl is respectfully silent as Guy speaks to his team. Once there is a pause, he speaks up to offer an answer to Taylor's earlier question.

"I would be pleased to help you select an apartment of some kind, Mr. Gaultt, preferably one that suits your financial status. Cell phones might be an issue... Depending on how long Mr. Lytton bids me work with you all, I can make some purchases during the day, as long as they are legitimate. Otherwise, some 24-hour establishments sell low-quality disposable phones this time of night."

Carl points around the warehouse then, indicating each individual room and the manager's office.

"Each individual room has two sockets for electricity. Only the manager's office, however, has an internet drop, though internet service to that point hasn't been set up. Service would have to be purchased, or otherwise acquired. It would also be completely unsecure, though I don't know much about hacking and the like."

Someone can plug into the port, but without an actual internet provider giving service to the port, there's nothing. An experienced hacker might be able to steal internet somehow, or leech off of a nearby unsecured wireless source. Of course, someone awake during the day could also just order internet service installed.

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor looks away from the Sherrif, feeling a little bit humbled. "Yessuh, I see sir. I... I dindn't think of it that way. Sometimes I'm still used to a life where I'm not some undead wizard."

He then turns back to the Ghoul to adress his queery. "OK, thanks for the offer. The apt's a long term idea, and anyways I'd rather get a disposable cell phone first, and if someone not undead purchases it that would be best I think. And its fine if the port isn't all that secured, I could set up a SSH2 connection to a chain of proxy servers that would be secured and encrypted, and so long as we don't have anything in here setting up some kind of port direct monitoring device that would be fine. And if it's not connected to anything, that's even better, since then we could set up a direct connection with the proxy.... but that's not quite needed yet, so long as I can occasionally get online if I need to. Oh, and any extension cords so I don't have to get cut out of the loop?"

[Erad]

- It won't be the first gang I make contact with, - said Juan.

- Maybe even my old friends are somehow linked with them. I think I can get in one of those gangs relatively easy and as soon as I am in, I can start investigating them. Maybe... maybe we should kidnap one of them and interrogate him good enough, so I could impersonate him. That will be much easier then building all relations anew.

[Entregan]

Rustles lightly, from the silence of his observations, raising to his proper stature. "While Nosferatu are likely to be the source you'll want in the end for information, we didn't always have to rely on them. Grease a few palms if you have to. I'm sure we aren't entirely without our own value. Money isn't the only way to pay for information after all." He walks up, and steps beside Guy Montague with a touch of deference to his posture.

[Jesse Drake]

"You shouldn't have to pay for information." Mumbles Jake, nearly inaudible. "Knowledge is public property. And it's ridiculous for the government to keep it from us..." He continues to ramble on with his off tangent mutterings.

[Partysan]

Arash, who had been sitting still and listening, now speaks up the first time.
"Alright, no formalities. As far as I understand we're going to investigate a bunch of drug cartels, turning over the evidence to the police and slipping in some hints of our own making. That means we'll need the files of all the people whose deaths we need to hide in there, so we can work it into the real stuff. Then, we'll have a part of them arrested for their and our crimes, but leave some for future use. All this while turning this barrack into an operating base and not getting ourselves killed. Then, we'll turn over to the real problems." He throws back his hair, then continues. Well, I guess I'm better suited for the investigation and infiltration part of this game. Who else is in? I'd rather not sit here idle for another few nights." Then he turns over to Carl. "Now, what about these files? Who's supposed to have been killed by the dealers?"

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy nods. "That sounds like a good plan, though I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to sit around for a few more nights, Arash. You and Juan should stake out the gangs, identify a target for replacement, and learn everything you can about him. Juan, then you take over his life. Arash, I want you to stay nearby to give Juan backup.

Taylor, you and Jacob should get this place wired and secured. Don't forget physical security. Jacob, it seems you've got a thing for bugs. Any chance you've got a way to get them on lookout duty for us?"

[Jesse Drake]

"I could ask around, see what they're up to. Hard guys to command, much easier to work with if you treat them well..." Jake looks around. "Well, I suppose I could make a store run- some honey and a few steaks ought to work for payment." He looks at Taylor. "I'm not a professional driver, but I could probably get us where we need to go. I figure we can hit up a super market, and discuss the other issue, of wired security."

[Horatio@Bridge]

"I think we can spare a few steaks for a good cause," Guy grins. "It's not like we'll be eating them!" He chuckles.

"So, that leaves me and you," Guy turns to Derren. "I figure we oughtta go find some palms to grease."

[Trenchfoot]

Carl waits politely for a moment to speak up.

"Sadly, we know very little about the active gangs. There was a group of latinos who were under the control of a Gangrel in nights past, but during the downfall, they were obliterated by rivals. It's likely that the Sabbat guided this attack, so we know that at least one of the gangs are influenced by them. The Giovanni as well have their hands in a measure of organized crime, primarily a Russian Mafia-backed people smuggling ring. According to some of our initial studies, cocaine is big in this city, and is more or less ignored by the police force."

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Alright alright, sounds good to me. Just hope you've got some kind of car.... I came here by bus, so I'm effectively stranded for now (though that hopefully will start changing soon..."

[Entregan]

Darren offers a simple nod, "Of course, Sheriff."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake laughs as Taylor finishes. "Oh, you're in for a treat. If ever there was something I loved it's this thing." He turns towards Guy. "Shall we be leaving immediately?"

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy nods. "Sooner started, sooner finished. Carl, if you could come with us. I have a feeling we'll be needing your services again before the night is through."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake nods and motions for Taylor to follow him.

As soon as Jake leaves the warehouse, he will be activating enhanced hearing and sight for the drive, as well as using his powers to check Taylor's aura.

[Erad]

Juan waits for others to decide what to do.

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor follows, and on his way out, checks out the door lock and the lock on the loading bay doors. "Alright, lets get this done with, it's been a long trip here."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake leads Taylor out of the warehouse and to his car, and smiles. "This is Angela." There's a Porsche Panamera, black with some blood red detailing on the side doors. "Come on in, she won't bite." He opens the door and hops in the driver's seat.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Nice..." Taylor says, impressed. "Rather conspicuous, won't ever be good for any missions, but nice nonetheless.... So where are we off to first? Whatever supermarket's open at night?"

[Jesse Drake]

"Right-O, little man." In the back seat are a few jars full of bugs. Jake grinned, pulling out in a wild and outlandish manner. "Oh, by the way, I've never had a license- but I gave my driver the night off."

[Trenchfoot]

Arash and Juan, Corona District

The Nosferatu and the Assamite begin their journey by walking, easily keeping to the shadows and understanding the area surrounding the warehouse headquarters. They learn they are in the Corona District, a portion of the city close to the sea and the Docks. It is primarily warehouses and storage yards, all large buildings full of boxes and crates and locked up loading equipment. The Corona District is perfect for their operatons; with so few people moving about, they'd hardly be noticed.

The district links up with the following locations:

Hamilton Heights: a low-income residential area.
Bolkor's Row: a long row of townhouses and packed with parked vehicles
Hughes Hill: middle-class residential, houses stacked on the hill like milk crates
The Docks: Part of a major shipping stop for this coast.

As far as these two can tell, they'd be better off heading to Hamilton Heights in search of the City's gang activity...

The Streetwise skill for you two characters is pretty low. In your next posts, tell me which area you want to go to, and describe how you get there. Juan can't be seen as he is, considering his appearance, so if Erad wants to use Obfuscate to move around, or just use Dex + Stealth to stick to the shadows, make your rolls in your next post. For Partysan's Assamite, you too can walk in the darkness as you follow Juan. Once you start moving in a direction, I'll give you the scene.


Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Circle K

It's a short ride for our Malkavian and Tremere to a Circle K at the end of Bolkor's row. Driving past the three-story residential buildings, you see few lights on this time of night. The Circle K appears empty, and was only three minutes away from the warehouse by car. There is only one vehicle parked in its parking lot.

You guys are free to do as you like right now, no rolls required for driving this short distance. You can search farther for a larger convenience store open this late, if you like.


Guy, Darren and Carl, Corona District, Warehouse Headquarters

Carl nods and gathers up his briefcase nervously. He owns a small white SUV parked outside that he drove in, and he's willing to let Guy or Darren drive to whatever location they might need to go. He can also provide directions if necessary.

Let me know what kind of places or people you're lookin for, and I can take you there whenever you are ready.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Alright, This looks like it would have what we need for the bugs, and its never a bad thing to not go too far away from what we know is secure. Wanna stop here?"

[Jesse Drake]

"I don't suppose common warehouse bugs are too picky. Let's pick up some hotdogs and slurpies and be on our way. Alright..." Jake leaves his car where it is, and lock up.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Alright... know of any Home Depots near here or something similar? We're gonna need some kinda locks on those doors, and I don't think we have the keys to the current ones. And a spare set is never a bad thing to have.... Also if we're to get the place wired to the internet we'll need a lot more CAT5 Cable. A lot. And a Router too, one that does WPA2 encryption for wireless (WEP's jsut crap)."

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Circle K

The streetlights outside the Circle K illuminate the small parking lot quite well; there is no one else here. The cashier inside can be seen inside at the counter, a man, lazily reading a magazine of some kind.

There appears to be closed circuit cameras inside the building as in most city convenience stores, but it's hard to tell from here.

Jake might know of a hardware store nearby that he's seen. Most Home Depots are open until 8:00 pm. For the convenience of this story, the sun sets at 5:00pm every day regularly, and it is now 6:00 pm. Feel free to enter the store at your convenience. Remember that if you decide to do something special with the clerk, or steal something, make some appropriate rolls.

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy smiles as his two teams head out. They were showing some initiative and confidence. A good start.

He settles into the drivers seat of the white SUV and turns to Trakan.

"City hall's closed already, so we won't be able to start there. I figure we can find a kid who works there, meet up with them at a bar, and use them to get into the inside. Sadly, I don't know who all works at city hall around here. The police, though, they're open all night. We should go make a few friends."



Guy should really be referring to your characters by their last names, being ex-military and all. I'll fix that in future posts.

[Jesse Drake]

Before going in, Jacob will turn to Taylor. "Hey man, there's probably a Home Depot around here- I think I remember that much. They should be open for a bit longer- so let's make this count. Um... I don't think I've ever been to a Circle K- or any other gas station for a really long time. I don't exactly know the way things work."

Jake will approach the cashier and ask for a bit of assistance. "How much junk food could I get for this?" He waves a fifty in front of the man, and then grasps it tight. "I'm looking for candy, hot dogs, drinks, whatever I can get, as much as I can get."

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor follows Jason in, but stays a few feet behind, looking for something that would attract insects, but not kill them with preservatives. He grabs a half dozen hot dogs and five liters of sports drinks, and heads to the register and puts it down on the counter. "What my friend here is saying is, we want this...."

[Jesse Drake]

Nodding in agreement, Jake will smile wide. "That looks good- uh- though let me get some of these." He will look for candy- either plenty of Bits- O- Honey, or a few plain chocolate bars.

[Entregan]

Darren takes a seat in the back of the vehicle, with a nod of respect to Carl. Before responding to Guy. "As it stands, City hall will likely be closed most times by sundown. If you're intending to get anything done, you'll likely need to do some foot work on the streets, to find out who is dirty. The dirtier they are, the easier to grease. Leverage can be obtained many ways, Sheriff. Perhaps an intern would be able to share such information. If nothing else that is. If not, then we'll have to stick to the easy answer. Which will hurt the pocket book, as it stands." He offers with his higher pitched voice.

[Erad]

First things first. Before rushing anywhere, it's better to do some research. Criminal gangs usually have some information on each other, and the one from the city where Juan lives until now, can probably help him.

Juan takes his cell phone and calls Tayler, one of the power figures in a gang Juan knows. The hour is late, but Juan helped Tayler's gang before, so he can expect an answer.

If he is answered:

- Hello Tayler, - says Juan, - I have something to ask. Money is good if you help.


Using one of contacts.

[Trenchfoot]

Arash and Juan, Corona District

On the phone, Tayler answers Juan's call quickly.

"Hey hey man! Good to hear from ya! What's kickin?"

You can have a full conversation with him, or just write what you want to know, and he'll answer to the best of his ability.

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Circle K

The cashier relaxes as the two men buy the junk food. There was something definitively tough about each one, but they seemed innocent enough. He rings up the grub, sliding 18 dollars in change back to Jake.

"There's a Home Depot up the street about a mile or so. It's on the right, should still be open."

He looks up as headlights shine outside, then shut off as the car parks.


Guy, Darren and Carl, Corona District, Warehouse Headquarters

"There's a Precint Station on the north end of Hughes Hill. That's right on the edge of our area of control, if memory serves. They're the ones wrestling with some of the people smugglers in the dock areas, and they're on the south end of territory we believe is controlled by the Anarchs. During the Downfall, their precint only lost the three police members who were on our payroll. We don't know if the Anarchs have any control over them. If you'd like to go there, I can give you directions to the best of my ability."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake's heart would have skipped a beat, had it still a beat left in it. "Aw crap, they've found me." He thinks. Then, he calms a bit. "Okay, let's go." He says to Taylor. Then, looking at the man, he says "The Guys are waiting- we're in charge of snacks."

Jake will squint out the window, trying to see who's in the car, if possible, as he makes his way to his car. Also, he'll have his ears perked to hear any suspicious sounds. I still have my enhanced senses on those senses.

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor sees the car from outside. He picks up their bagged snacks, but hesitates to go outside prior to knowing who pulled up in front of him--He had no idea if they were in the suburbia he was used to or one of the slums where the gangs came from. He walks towards the door, but overshoots to behind a magazine rack and acts like he's checking through the purchases before he leaves while attempting to see just who gets out of the car.

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Circle K

Moving to a superior vantage point inside the Circle K, both Taylor and Jake can better see the vehicle and its occupants. The car is an ancient 1987 black Cadillac, and it'd be a classic except for the excessive rust damage and... bullet holes? In the two front seats are a pair of younger men, latin american in descent, and both with slicked-back, dark hair. One is wearing a red button-down and black t-shirt, and the other a black t-shirt with purple trim. They are both smoking cigarettes, and are waiting to finish their smokes before going inside.

Taylor, who at least has an inkling of what human emotions are really like, believes they look a little stressed, but not too much so.

The cashier notices the men as well, but doesn't seem to ruffled. Maybe a flash of recognition there in his eyes?

You two are so nervous! Due to your lack of dots in certain areas, I'm not revealing any more. The only reason Taylor noticed anything is because of his single dot in Empathy. Jake hears nothing suspicious.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"That would be a good start, thanks," Guy nods.

"If memory serves, there's four kind of civies that spend much time around cops," he says, looking to Trakan. "Private eyes, lawyers, reporters, and bounty hunters. You got a preference on how we present ourselves?"

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Hughes Hill, 5th Precinct

The white SUV lumbers along the streets. Only a few mortals are still out driving or walking, most of them ending their work shifts or filtering into bars and nightclubs. They're seeking a temporary release from the daily pains and pitiful stresses of normal life...

But at the police station, the work has only just begun. Only a few patrol cars are parked in the lot ahead, indicating that the rest are out in the city. Still, the buildings lights are on.

Not moving you guys inside or anything, just setting the scene for you whenever you're ready with your cover story and plan to enter.

[Entregan]

I leave that to your choosing. I'm good at gathering information. But, this particular kind isn't my strong suit. I will remain the silent type short of information directed to me. But, the short of it, is a that this is your field of expertise.

*He offers a simple nod of affirmation as he finishes.*

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor saw them nice and clear; he took advantage of their inhuman perception to whisper some messages to Jake. "Hmmm... well, looks like gang members, but they don't look too bad. Let's get out before they can stop us, and If you really wouldn't mind not crashing your car if things get tricky, let me drive."

[Jesse Drake]

"No way- only Eric and I drive the car. But if we can make it there, I've got some bugs in there most people find- disgusting. No one wants a car full of roaches." Jake whispers back. He'd sigh, if he believed it was just gang bangers. But he has a feeling it's some sort of governmental black out squad- in which case, a few bugs wouldn't bother them.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"That seems like it would attract unusual attention... might be best to just get out of here now. OK? I'll be the first one out the door, if you insist."

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Circle K

The two men take note of Jake and Taylor, and shift slighty in their seats, as if getting ready to come in once they leave...

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Bounty hunters, then, or better yet, aspiring bounty hunters. We can see about picking up an application here."

With that, Montague pulls into a parking space and steps out of the car. Upon entering the building, he approaches the desk officer.

"Good evening, sir. I am Mr. Croupe, and this is my associate Mr. Vandemar. We're new to town and in need of employment. We heard about the local crime problems and thought that there might be an opportunity."

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Hughes Hill, 5th Precinct

The station is well-managed, but there are signs that it is a hectic time for the place. Dirt and dust on the floor says there hasn't been time to sleep or mop, and fliers on the posterboards are dated for a week ago. To the left and right of the central desk are the doors leading into the back of the Precinct. In this room, however, is only the main desk and a payphone. Though there are several chairs at the desk, only the desk officer is there.

The officer manning the desk is a Master Deputy, an appears to be about 35 years of age. His nameplate says 'Bernfeld'. He answers with a thick Brooklyn accent, revealing his background slightly.

"Well what're your qualifications Mr. Croupe? It ain't so bad that we're deputizing civilians just yet, but ahh.... I'm thinkin you ain't lookin for a uniform."

[Erad]

- I have some ideas how to expand our influence. I am currently in (names the city) and I got some business with our local... competition. I need to get into their organization and hopefully get it under our control. I of course have another business with them, but that's my own. I have other customers, but we are those who will get the cherry of the cream, if you let me deal with it. I hate acting blindfolded and as far as I know you have some connections with them. Can you share some of the details about them? Like, were to find them in the first place and all the info.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake watches the men as he gets in the car. "Ha- I bet they're gonna rob the guy. Alright, let's go." Jake pulls out and heads towards the Home Depot.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Oh, no, my associate and I don't really work well in strict hierarchies. We were thinking more...bounty hunters. Tracking down folks who's skipped bail, escaped convicts, things like that. It gives us the freedom to operate in a way we're more comfortable with, brings in a steady income, and helps deal with the local crime wave. Can we pick up an application here?"

[Trenchfoot]

Arash and Juan, Corona District

Tayler is silent for a moment.

"Yeah man, I owe you more than a few favors. We used to run cocaina with some of the Puerto Rican boys over there. They call themselves the Sharks. They're not too bad, but they took a big hit from somebody about a year ago and stopped buyin. They took another hit recently, or so I hear, they put in an order for some guns with us about... I dunno, a week ago maybe? Lemme pull up my old papers on them..."

The phone is quiet as he rustles about on the other end of the line.

"Alright man, these Shark guys hang out in some ****ty municipal district a few steps over from the docks. They've pretty much taken over a whole tenement building, converted some of the rooms into storehouses, and they've got a guy who's good with paperwork and makes sure nobody comes by to inspect the place. They used to be connected pretty good with a courthouse over there, but I dunno about that anymore. I don't know who's in charge of them now, but I can give you directions to get you there once I pull up a map."


Guy, Darren and Carl, Hughes Hill, 5th Precinct

The officer rubs at his chin thoughtfully. A call comes in, and he looks at the receiver for a moment before putting it on hold.

"Hrmm... Well unless you two are just skiptracers, you'd have to register. Y'know, get an official sanction from a bail bondsman... unless you happen to be a bail bondsman yourself. You'd have to get some kind of paperwork from the courts to become one, probably over in Julian Heights where the County Courthouse is."

Bernfeld shifts in his seat slightly. "Bail bonds are strictly commercial in this state, we don't handle those. There's a guy with an office on Ice Street over in the Dover district, but he's an ass. We cooperate, sure, you guys help us out, but ahh..."

Another call comes in, and a fax machine starts printing things out, with the classic whirring noise of old technology. It's a bit grating on the ears, and Bernfeld winces, though it's impossible to tell if it's from the noise or the stressful situation.


Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

The vehicle speeds down the streets, heading toward Home Depot. It's still only an hour or so before closing, and there is a trio of young punks in dark leather jackets hanging out in the parking lot, sitting on the concrete base of a lightpole and smoking something that isn't a cigarette. They squint and try to look tough as Jake and Talor drive up, probably because both men in the car appear to be around their age... and thus possible targets.

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor looks at the thugs, then turns his head forward with a piqued look on his face. "Why this new life must be populated with people from some kind of cop movie I will never know. But if its all right with you, lets try not to pick a fight. At least until we get out out with our purchases. "

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Ice Street, Dover disctrict, got it. Thank you very much, officer," Guy says, tipping his head politely. With that, he turns and walks out of the precinct.

"Carl, can you tell us how to get to the bail bondsman on Ice Street?"

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Ice Street

Carl adjusts his glasses with a free hand, the other still clutching the handle of his ever-present briefcase.

"Ahh, I have no idea sir, but Ice Street is easy enough to find. Head south here and turn right on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, follow it until the intersection, and you'll be on Ice. There's a few loan institutions and a credit union there as well, the bail bondsman is likely nearby..."

It's a very short drive, only a few minutes away. The group leaves Hughes Hill, and driving along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, finds the small neighborhood to be remarkably filthy. Barely half-way down it, they find the street blocked by a group of men standing in the center. There appear to be at least a dozen of them, most in matching white t-shirts or wife beaters. They are exlusively white males. An older couple sitting on their porch watching the group are the only other mortals out this time of night.

The men are gathered in a circle, and there appears to be something going on in the center. They are unconcerned with the distant approach of the White suburban.

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy brings the suburban to a halt. "Hmm...I can see how the lawlessness around here is making it difficult to get around. I'll handle this. Trakan, be ready to back me up." With that he steps out of the car.

"Excuse me," he addresses the band of hooligans in the road. "But can you tell me where the bail bondsman is around here?"

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Ice Street

The commotion, which appeared to be a street fight, halts suddenly. The two men, who didn't seem to be fighting out of anger and instead just for the sake of fighting, stop mid-swing as the stranger approaches.

As the group turns to Guy, it is clear that they are all of Italian descent.

"What did that guy just say?"

"Hey Chachi, what'd that guy just say?"

"Friggin bail bondsman? Maybe he wants to put you back in Johnny! Haha!"

Similar comments are thrown around, with various vulgarities aimed at Guy's intrusion of their street fight. Finally, two of the men step forward, dressed so similarly it's almost comical.

"Hey, we got somethin goin on here, and you're interruptin. Get back in your car and take another street."

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Something going on? Huh, it seems to me that you just finished. Maybe you should go home." There's a slight emphasis on the last two words as Guy locks eyes with the man who'd spoken to him last.



Dominate 1 for the win!

[Jesse Drake]

"The world's a dark, dark place." Jake muses, realizing how cold he must have sounded back there. "Yes, I do suppose it's best if we avoid being part of the bloodshed. I'll tell you what, if they ask for money, make sure you have some ready in your pocket." He takes two hundred and shoves the rest in his underpants. "If they want it, they can have it. Just don't give them any lip and we should be fine."

If Taylor has nothing else to say, Jake will head for the Home Depot as quick as possible, making sure to lock up tight.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"I don't like it... I really don't... but you are right, in this case. Here, lock my wallet in the glovebox, it would mean baaaaad news. Just lead the way."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake walks casually, and pays no mind to the thugs.

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Ice Street

The man straightens slightly and begins walking immediately, his face expressing little. He speaks as he moves."You know what? I ain't ****in with this guy. Bad idea."

His companions seemed shocked. He was a rather muscular fellow, and many of them were too stupid to recognize the latent predatorial power Guy possessed... But with him going home, some of the others were starting to see it. A pair of the youngest ones begin to step forward, but one man in particular pulls them back. He is look at Guy, and there is a kind of distant recognition in his eyes.

"Yeah, not this one boys. Back off."

One of them begins to protest. "What, is he a cop or some-"

"What did I just say?! Step off. All of you. Night's over."

Slowly, the group begins to part like a tide. Whoever the one who had spoken was, he had command over the others. He seems to intend to stay behind while the others leave, moving over to the sidewalk so the vehicle can drive past.


Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

One of the jacketed punks pulls a pink comb from his pocket and starts combing back his hair. Another, cigarette in his lips, moves to stand in the way of Jake, his hands in his pockets.

"Hang on a second there, cool guy. Who you with?"

His partners chuckle like hyenas, as if the speaker's statement was some kind of joke.

[Jesse Drake]

"I'm just with this guy." Jake points to Taylor. "What can we do for you, gentlemen?"

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy can't resist cracking a slight smile as the thugs slink off into the night. He gets back into the car and drives the two blocks to the bail bondsman. When he gets out, he notices that one of the thugs had stayed behind.

"Heh," he chuckles. "Seems there's one of those guys that's got a pair. Keep an eye on him, Trakan. I'm heading inside."

With that he enters the bondsman's office, looking for a job.

[Entregan]

Trakan hops out of the vehichle and nods. He casually sings a Italian folk song meant to be sang with drink and a "kindred" spirit. He looks up keeping an intent but apathetic gaze to the hanger on. His accent changes as he speaks matching quickly to the language very low and brusque.

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

The punk looks back to his partners, and then back to Jake, drawing on his cigarette. His boys scan around, making sure no one they couldn't intimidate was watching.

"For us 'gentlemen', you can empty your pockets real quiet, an give us whatever the hell you got for steppin on our turf."

None of them draw weapons, but it appears that the one talking has a knife in his belt, and the one with a pink comb has something in his right pocket.


Guy, Dover District, Ice Street, Collander Bail Bonds

The place is Collander Bail Bonds. It's surprisingly professional in appearance, with a friendly sort of waiting room, and a female secretary sitting at the desk. She's mousey and libarianesque, in a way, and welcomes Guy courteously he enters.

"Welcome to Collander Bail bonds, where all Americans are innocent until proven guilty. What can I do for you, sir?"


Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

The man in the street definitely picks up on the song, but he remains in his spot, watching the white suburban. He looks a little worried now.

Carl, not recognizing the language, looks confused, but doesn't interrupt the Kindred.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Good evening, ma'am. I'm actually here looking for work. My associate and I are wanting to get into the bounty hunting business. We stopped by the police station to get an application, and they directed us here. Could you help us get started?"

[Jesse Drake]

"Sure thing- didn't mean to impose." Jake pulls out his wallet. All that he has in there is an out of date ID card, a card with a Red Cross Symbol on it, and 200 dollars. "Are you alright with just the cash, or do you want the leather too?" Then he hands over his phone. "Do you mind if I keep the sim card- those things are a real hassle to replace..." He hands over his pen. "If you don't want the pen, I'd like to keep it. It has sentimental value." The keys to the car, he doesn't reach for, nor does he intend to turn over. "This is all I have-"

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Dover District, Ice Street, Collander Bail Bonds

"Certainly! Let me just get you the proper paperwork, it's a very basic form. There's no background checks or anything, so it's really very easy."

She slides a pair of simple forms to Guy. It includes first name and last name, date of birth, mailing address (optional), home phone number, cell phone number, and some general questions about your availability.

"Once you get it filled out, you can hand it back over to me. Isaac, the bondsman here at Collander Bail Bonds, is gonna want to interview you while I print out your sanction cards. He's in the back office, whenever you and your friend fill that out and are ready."

She smiles sweetly, maybe flirtatiously with the attractive Guy.


Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

The punks are shocked, and the one in front scrambles to take the cash and the phone, fumbling slightly. At the request for the SIM card, he suddenly finds himself nodding, and begins trying to open the back up to get it out. His comrades stand with mouths open as he does so.

[Jesse Drake]

"You guys are great. Thanks." Jake nods at the men, and hopefully continues towards the Home Depot, bursting with laughter inside. "Man, those guys must be wondering what's wrong with me- well, they're sure lucky I didn't want any trouble." Though, in truth, Jake was never any good at fighting, even in his unlife.

[Entregan]

He brings the song to a close, and speaks still in Italian, "Come on" he says with a nod.


Dominate 1


His eyes remain locked to the individual as he whispers in his thick natural accent to Carl, "If he comes back, tell him not to interrupt just yet, aye?"

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Great, thanks.

While I'm at it, though, can you fill me in on the situation? Any big bounties out there?" Guy asks as he sits down to start filling out the forms.

[Erad]

- Thank you, - says Juan, so it's municipal district near docks? I think I know what are you talking about. And the exact place of their operations?

[Trenchfoot]

Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

The man walks over mechanically, instantly following the order. When he finally comes to a stop, the power of the blood is finished, and he tenses slightly. He speaks in flawless Italian, but still low.

"Listen boss, I am no trouble and no threat. I've just... never seen you or the other guy before. I didn't really know what I was supposed to do."


Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

The store is virtually empty at this time of night. Anything you want that could be purchased at a Home Depot is readily available, as long as you are able to fit it into, or tie it on top of, your vehicle, and it is within your personal finances.

I don't want to slow you two down with unnecessary details, but if there's anything important you want to do here, be my guest. If you aren't sure of what you can buy at a fully outfitted Home Depot, their website lists out bloody everything. If what you want to get is excessively technical, I'll look it up myself to make sure they have it, or something like it. If you try any thefts or otherwise extraordinary actions, I'll expect some rolls.


Guy, Dover District, Ice Street, Collander Bail Bonds

The girl smiles again. "Ahh, you wanna impress the boss and already know which one you're after? Sure, I keep up on every one.

There are a couple small-timers who skipped bail, real low-key, probably hiding out in their damn trailers. One's a coke-head who got caught with a bit too much at his house, and the other's an assault-and-battery case, some streetpunk. If you want to start up easy, you could deal with those, but... They might be a little low-level for someone like you. The big ones might be more your style.

The first is an old-school people smuggler, Alex Ryan, a Russian. Had pretty serious ties with the crews who work in the east neighborhoods, bringing in people from Chechniya, Serbians, lot of Eastern Europeans. He got locked up, got all the fingers on his left hand cut off by somebody who remebered him from a bad deal. We squeezed some guys who talked to him while he was in the pen, and they said he ran straight for some neighborhood east of 495 as soon as he got out. I've never been there, but its a real nasty place and common for bail-jumpers. We're not sure where he went, but with a distinguishing feature like his, it shouldn't be too hard to ask around.

There's a wackjob cult leader who's holed up with some of his old group on the south side of the city. He pulled some wild strings with his lawyers, some kind of police brutality gig, and they can't touch him right now. We'd like to grab him before the time's up and the cops snatch him, but he's probably dug in with more nutjobs than there are bullets in an M9. Your call on that one.

Let's see... There's also a Colombian gun smuggler who got sloppy a few weeks ago, he's been on a big list. Arturo Vazquez. All of his details are in his dossier, but he's probably the ugliest one in the bunch."

She pauses, having been reciting from memory, and starts rustling through files.

"Any of those in particular catch your fancy, or are you looking for something special for your first job?"

[Entregan]

"Then I suggest you start talking. Why would it matter if you've seen us or not. What's been going on that would have you so spooked?" he offers in a similarly flawless Italian.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Alright, I have some ideas of what to get. I'll get some duct tape, a few pipes in case the thugs outside cause more trouble, some 2x4s and nails too in case we need to board something up... yeah."

With that, Taylor goes off and buys:


6x rolls duct tape (http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Heating-Venting-Cooling-Ducts-Tape/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhcZariy/R-100208576/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)

2x rolls clear duct tape (http://www.homedepot.com/Building-Materials-Heating-Venting-Cooling-Ducts-Tape/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhcZariy/R-202024998/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Hardware-Fasteners-Chain-Rope/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhcZar80/R-202079581/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

10 ft of chain (http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardware-Hardware-Fasteners-Chain-Rope/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhcZar80/R-202079581/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)

2 tarps (http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1vZ1xhc/R-202026934/h_d2/ProductDisplay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053)

[Jesse Drake]

Jake nods at Taylor's list, and offers to pay for the lot. "Whatever you think we might need... Hey- why don't we get the thugs something to drink- I think they only have bottled things here... do you think they'll mind Pepsi?"

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

Our pair of dedicated night time shoppers finds their list easy to complete, pepsi included. The hairy young man working the register even finds a 'DITY Home Repair' deal, and cuts a decent chunk of cash out of the final price.

It is then that both Kindred hear the sound of a very powerful crash from out in the parking lot... Outside, visible through the entryway windows, Jacob's car can be seen on the far end of the parking lot, where it had been driven directly into a concrete post. A scattering of glittering broken glass can be seen where the car had been parked originally, and one of the jacketed punks can barely be seen in the darkness, stmbling away from the vehicle as he gets out of the door. It is obvious, even from this distance, that he's in shock, yet he's also almost drunkenly clawing and scratching at his own clothes...


Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

The man doesn't hesitate to answer, but he keeps his head tilted toward Darren in a sign of respect. Whoever is the master of this ghoul, they keep him in the dark, and on a tight leash.

"I don't know! I've only met one of you, and she does the kind of stuff your friend did. I guess... I'm supposed to do whatever you tell me to do, though it feels different with you."

He relaxes a little, reminding himself of something.

"Do you know where Alice has been? It's been a few days... She hasn't answered her phone or anything."

[Entregan]

He continues on in Italian, his eyes narrowed ever so slightly "I imagine it does feel different.. Keep your head down and get in the car. I'll see to it that you're taken care of for the time being." Darren opens the door, waiting for the man to get in. All the while he maintains eye contact with the kid, regardless. Don't dally around. I haven't got all night.


If the kid gets in, (Dominate 1, Command) "Sleep."
If he doesn't, same command, but Darren will put him in the van.


After the fact, Darren ties the man up securely with the seat belts, both shoulder and lap, then buckles them together. "You should be safe for the time being, Carl. I'm going to head inside. If you feel safer come on in, or step out and lock the doors. I wouldn't want to see you injured." he lilts in his usual Irish accent.

[Trenchfoot]

Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

The man nods, happy in his assumption that this kindred might take him to his master, and enters the van. He immediately shuts his eyes and slows his breathing. Though the command couldn't be disobeyed, it is impossible for him to be commanded to sleep by the sheer willpower of Darren's voice. Still, he's going to damn well try, and is utterly silent in his endeavor.

Carl nods at Darren's requests, content to stay and protect the vehicle. He tries not to show any discomfort with the sleeping, muscular Italian mind currently sitting in the back.

Darren enters Collander Bail Bonds in time to hear the cute receptionist list out possible hits for Guy. All of them seem interesting, and it's clear that there are more options, should Darren or Guy have a particular type of target in mind.


Giving a little explanation here. The Command can't force someone immediately into slumber, and I doubt that was your intent for it. Instead, he's going to do as you said, and try his best to Sleep. For all of you reading, trying to use Command like this in the middle of combat won't necessarily work. Though unresistant mortals and the like are forced to obey your Command, trying to sleep when your blood and adrenaline is pumping during a fight is impossible, and the subject will almost immediately snap out of your command. Instead, just command them to throw their weapon away, or empty their magazine. Just something for you to chew on.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Hmmmm... that doesn't look good. That's our ride. Hey checkout dude, mind being a pal and looking over some of this stuff while we see what's up? Thaaaaanks."

With that, Taylor takes a length of chain and puts it under his jacket. He waits to see what Jake will do before heading outside.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake now looks visibly upset. "I thought we had come to an understanding." He clenches his fists, and nods towards Taylor. Then, he'll head towards his car.

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

As you reach the car, it's clear that it isn't too heavily damaged. The gangers didn't get too far before something had them drive into the lightpost.

The one who has gotten out is unaware of his surroundings, or the approach of the two kindred. Instead, he is completely focused on pulling at his clothes. The other two still in the car appear to be struggling in a similar way.

The distinct chitter of very happy screeching cockroaches can be heard.

[Jesse Drake]

"Are you guys okay?" Jake will ask the roaches. "Man- what happened here?" No doubt, the food is probably all thrown about, probably partially smashed on...

He'll wait and let one of the roaches crawl onto his arm to answer him, before heading to the guy outside the car. Jake'll examine the thug- is he trying to get bugs off of himself?

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor simply mostly ignores the car for now, paying attention to the guy who got out, looking for signs of being some kind of other kindred, or wolf, or something else even worse. He calls out calmly, but stays a few arm's lengths away, gripping the length of chain still hidden under his shirt.

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

"Damn monsters in your car man!" the punk shouts in a haze, shaking some of the cockroaches off of him. Several make their way over to Jake, crawling along his clothing and buzzing happily. They seemed to enjoy the tastes and smells on these dirty street-punks.

Inside the car though, there are quiet hisses of pain. The other two get out, crushing the roaches they can grab within balled fists.

As far as Taylor can tell, they are just regular humans... Stupid humans who opened the wrong jar in the back seat of the wrong car.

The silent, insectoid cries of your wounded buggy buddies tears at your heart. Let me see a Self-Control roll to avoid coming to their aid in a furious vengeance. Otherwise, you will act normally. Not suggesting you'll go into a frenzy... unless the dice say you do. If you choose to act very violently, you may circumvent this roll entirely.

[ChronicLunacy]

James Moreau

"Christ, I can see him twitching from here." James said to himself as he looked in the rearview mirror at the large VW van following him into the city. He'd met Ralph at a rundown diner while he was looking for a late-night snack and the two had become fast...well, "friends" might have been pushing it, but it was certainly beneficial to have someone watching your back on the way into Camarilla territory. You could do worse than a Gangrel. Those guys were tough as hell, as far as James knew.

Judith had told him about the Cammies and their laws/rules/traditions/whatevers, and they sounded exactly like his bosses back at the bank. He couldn't think of a worse way to spend your unlife than listening to a bunch of dust-covered old relics for the rest of time. However, his sire had also cautioned him that he could save himself a lot of trouble and a lot of bull**** just by going to say hi when he came into the city. After that he could just steer clear of the White Tower until his business was complete.

Speaking of which, he thought as he turned his rumbling Ford Bronco off a highway exit and toward downtown, he needed to get started on tracking down the latest idiot right away if he wanted to get paid anytime soon. It had been a few weeks since he'd tracked down the yuppie kid who had borrowed money from everyone and their mother including, but not limited to the bank he worked for as well as some scary licks called the Giovanni. It was a miracle that kid was still alive, even if he was going to jail now. Anyway, the kid should never have come home from Europe with all that debt hanging onto him.

First, though, he needed to figure out how he was going to find this Camarilla prince. "If I were a Cammie, where would I hide?" he thought as he looked at all the skyscrapers that had started to sprout up around him as he drove further into downtown. His best bet would probably be to scout out a couple bars and clubs, feeding areas, and see if he could track down a lapdog to point him in the right direction. "Hm...but where to first?" his internal dialogue continued as he looked out his windows, looking for neon signs and long lines of people.

[Simba]

Ralph Newman

Driving into town behind James' Ford Bronco, Ralph is humming a soft tune. Not that he could have managed anything louder, anyway.

"Where are we going, Jammie? Downtown?" he thinks to himself "I hope we manage to find this prince of theirs..."

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy's mouth twitches when the secretary mentions the Russian on the east side of town. It would be a good excuse to go over there, but that's not a trip he'd fancy making on his own.

He glances up when Trakan walks in, immediately guessing that something important had just happened. Or at least, it better have for Trakan to have left the car and the ghoul unprotected with that gang banger watching them.

"Thanks for the information," Guy says as he stands and hands the secretary the completed forms. "We'll keep our options open. Could you make a copy of the files on all three of those big marks? We'll send someone over in the morning to pick them up."

Once the secretary takes the forms and acknowledges his request, Guy walks out of the bond house and takes Trakan with him.

"What happened?"

[Entregan]

"No worries."He looks around to make sure no one could overhear. "I fancy we've just found ourselves a fully enthralled ghoul. Very submissive. The pet type. The lad is tied up in the back sleeping. I've left Carl with some options. We're alright. He makes a gesture to the back window, then gives a solid wave to Carl.

"I'm not daft."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake begins to grow furious, but he tries his hardest to control himself. "I could stop them, but the only reason I'd do so would be so you foul miscreants would stop pawing at them." He says, nearly spitting as he talks. His eyes convey all the darkness appropriate for a creature of the night. His body becomes rigid, and it's clear he's doing all he can to keep himself from ripping these guys apart... if that's enough.

I can't access my sheet right now, so I can't see what I would roll. Aurethius, if you can see my sheet, please make my roll... if not, it will have to wait a few days for the next time I'm on.

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

Carl returns the solid wave, no longer worried about the sweaty, snoring man in the back seat. A smoking pedestrian, maybe in his early 20's, walks by the group after leaving a building further down the street. Judging by his steps, he's under the influence of something, but he does his best to avoid the pair of dangerous-looking gentlemen standing outside the bail bonds office. Smart man.


James and Ralph, Driving

The street that James and Ralph are currently driving down isn't the cleanest place, and unlikely to hold any hangouts for suit-wearing, cocktail drinking Kindred. James passes by a liquor store, but can see a scummy-looking bar a bit further down. Might be more appropriate for the more... combative clans, such as Brujah or Gangrel. Curiously, there is also a photique on this street. The windows are covered with a black tape, but slivers of light can still be seen; it is most certainly open. There is also a bright, eye-catching sign at the far end of this street, which appears to read "Bail Bonds". Can't be sure at this distance.

Luckily, the roads are almost completely empty this time of night, save for a small white SUV, and what appears to be some people near it, urther down the street.

It's quite possible to simply continue driving in this direction, and link up with a cleaner district that might have some clubs of some kind. This part of the city seems to be mostly low-end residential, commercial establishments, and criminal elements.


Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

Jake is able to prevent himself from unintentionally boiling over into rage, but Taylor can definitely see the fury in his eyes, and in the powerful clenching of his fists.

The two leatherjackets who were in the vehicle rush out and finally begin to bolt from the car, one of them gibbering madly in horror. The punk who stayed sweeps his jacket off of him, throwing it from himself and dancing about. He seems to be unaware of the fact that he is now completely alone with the two men whose car he stole, and whose things he tried steal.

Jake's Self-Control Roll

[roll0]


Arash and Juan, Corona District

Tayler provides Juan with excellent directions to the taken-over tenement building that serves as the group's headquarters. He also recommends checking out a particular bar that one of the gang members works at, and that the gang often uses as a neutral meeting point with potential 'customers', or even with rival gangs. This bar is on Ice Street, though Tayler mentions it hasn't been used much ever since a Bail Bonds store opened not far from it. Still, it might be better to only approach a few of the gang members at once, as opposed to the entire organization.

Tayler also suggests seeing a gun runner and simple-explosives expert named 'Scorpion', who has regular dealings with several criminal gangs in the city, and could point Juan to just about anyone who was important. Tayler does mention that he hadn't heard anything from Scorpion in at least 7 months, and has no idea what he might be up to, though he was known to have a safehouse somewhere on Bolkor's Row.

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy's eyebrows lift. "A ghoul, eh? Nice catch!"

"Well, I say we've bitten off enough for one night. Let's take it back to the warehouse to digest it."

He hands the files from the secretary to Carl.

"Could you cross reference these with known Kindred power structures from the city before the Fall? The Russian fellow in particular seems interesting; I think he might be tied to the Sabbat."

"So, Trakan, did our new friend here say who he got his blood supply from?"

[Entregan]

Darren slips into the passenger seat silently, nodding, "I'm thinking it's Alice. He's desperate to find her. Though, he doesn't seem to know anything about us really." His thick Irish accent rises again. "So what about this Russian?"

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy looks back to Carl. "Carl, any idea who this Alice person is?"

He then answers Trakan's question as he starts the car. "The Russian is a bail jumper who went and holed up on the east side. Now, it seems that's a common enough place for people to hide because it's so rough, but it's also Sabbat territory. I'm thinking that even if he's not working for him, it'd be a good excuse to make a reconnaissance in force to those territories. It's just the kind of job where we could bring in heavy firepower without making the cops nervous."

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

Carl nods and begins flipping through well-organized pages, occasionally grumbling about the 'phillistine bureaucracy of bail-bonds bookkeeping'. He is silent as the two men speak, aside from the ruffling of papers.

Breaking up the relative silence of the area, both men can see an old hippie van and a Ford Bronco driving at the far end of the street.

Carl finally looks up. "The weapons smuggler is a strong possibility. None of the Camarilla Kindred had a direct contact with him, or else he'd have been targetted during the Downfall. Instead, it seems a pair of Nosferatu used a go-between to make a purchase from an unnamed Colombian who is likely to be Arturo. Additionally, a diary we retreived from a Malkavian Primogen's personal effects mentioned that one of his Childer was making purchases from a brown-skinned 'Scorpion', though that's a far-reaching assumption."

He shifts in his seat.

"In short, no direct contact, but two possibilities. The Russian himself I have nothing on, but I see mention of a 'Cathedral Tattoo' on a physical examination record... Apparently, your bail bondsman was crafty enough to get a copy of this man's medical reports from the prison where he was held. If this Cathedral Tattoo is the same as one briefly mentioned elsewhere in my paperwork, then he is definitely linked up with the Russian Mafia. A Brujah, who was ordered by the Prince to begin a full case report on the Sabbat's criminal connects a few weeks before the downfall, made mention of the Russian Mafia's tendency to tattoo themseves with cathedrals or important religious buildings or shrines. It's a weak link, but the evidence fits the hypothesis."

From a pocket he produces a stick of mint gum, oddly enough. He pops it in his mouth before he continues, filling the vehicle with a nice, fresh smell.

"Additionally, we have a report two Toreador made of an encounter with an unknown Kindred they identified to be a Gangrel. The Gangrel was making contacts with several members a very young, ethnically Italian gang that had only meager possibilities for strength at the time. The Toreador, figuring that was a Sabbat delving into their territory, manipulated another gang into attacking them, and framed the Gangrel as a member of this enemy gang. This ruined the Gangrel's chances of building allies. The Toreador did what they could to learn of the Gangrel, but there isn't much written here. Neither of the Toreador was named Alice, though it's possible they used cover names. It's also possible he's the ghoul of the Gangrel. The report does not mention the gender of the enemy kindred."

He looks up and back at the man, his fellow ghoul. "If he is still feeling the effects, the connection was clearly very strong. Alice had plans for this one, for certain."

He looks to Trakan apologetically. "With respect sir, this is only based on the realization that his man is Italian, and a member of a criminal group. No offence or racism intended. I have no way of knowing who his 'Alice' is."

[ChronicLunacy]

James Moreau

James leaned over his steering wheel to get a better look at the signs that he passed. There were several possibilities, but he couldn't tell anything from outside. They'd have to check one by one and see what they could find. The scummy bar seemed a good first choice. That seemed like a good hangout for Anarchs or possibly the more likable Cammies. He figured it was pretty likely he'd be able to get some good information there no matter who he ran into. So he turned off and into a streetside parking space. The meters were for daylight hours, so he didn't bother looking through his pockets for loose change. The bar was a dive, so there was plenty of space left open for Ralph to park his bus/home behind James's Bronco.

As he got out, James adjusted the leather jacket over his shoulders and subtly checked the position of several items in his pockets that would come in handy in case things decided to get rough in there. He casually glanced up and down the street as he waited for Ralph to join him on the sidewalk.

[Trenchfoot]

Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

The Bronco and the hippie van pull off into a side parking lot near a bar down the street. Guy and Darren can hear the engines turn off, but can see or hear no more.

The smoking man who passed by earlier suddenly stumbles on the pavement, collapsing like a rag doll and burning himself with his own cigarette. He gets back up shortly, grumbling.


James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

The bar, appropriately called The Dive, apparently was once a fisherman's pub decades ago, maybe even dating back to the times when boats were exclusively sail boats. As James and Ralph turned into the parking lot,they could see the front door to the bar facing the street. There is an engraving of a ship's 'steering wheel', or helm. There is also an old wooden mast-head of a mermaid hung above the door, though someone managed to crawl up there and spraypaint a pair of garish red nipples onto the front of it, defacing it utterly. Wanton vandalism.

On the wall of the bar facing the small parking lot, which only has three other vehicles there, there is an 'Employees Only' door. There is also a trail of cigarette smoke coming from the back of the bar, near the dumpster kept at the building's rear, though the smoker is out of sight behin the building itself. He isn't talking, so he must be alone.

No music can be heard from outside, so if there's any playing, it's low and quiet, suggesting the bar's quiet, anonymous nature.

[Entregan]

Darren waves it off, "No worries, Carl. I'm Irish. I just speak Italian fluently." He runs his fingers through the fiery mane atop his head, as he notes the vehicle ahead.

[Erad]

Juan thanks Tayler, then puts phone off. After that he repeats what he has heard to Arash and offers to decide where is better to start.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake approaches the punk, but not before reaching in the car and salvaging some of the snack food. He'll drop it next to the thug, and chirp in a sound mimicking the roaches "Come on guys- leave him alone- I don't want any more of you guys getting hurt." Jake will then nod to Taylor. "Do with him as you will. Kill him, if you need." Jake will pick up the jacket, and try to take a look into the thugs recent history.

I'm glad I'm not in a rage- I'm not good at combat, so I'm not sure how I would have handled it...

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

The punk finally regains his composure, and all the shame and anger and shock from the car crash finally finds a direction; the Malkavian who had been keeping bugs in the car and, in the punk's mind, had tempted them into stealing it so they would crash.

"I am tired of your ****, freak!"

With a hushed click, a switchblade comes out. The punk steps toward Jake, who had just stood up with the jacket in hand. The punk reaches out and grabs the jacket roughly, trying to wrest it away from Jake.

In case you try to resist, or do something funny with the Jacket (because the punk IS going to try to stab you after he gets it back), he's making a strength check versus yours to take it away. If you try to do anything tricky, remember to make some appropriate rolls.

Punk-Stregth: [roll0]

[Jesse Drake]

Jake holds onto the jacket for a moment, before letting go, hopefully throwing the punk off balance, and in an attempt to catch him off guard, Jake lunges forward with the jacket, and tries to grapple the punk.

Spending one willpower point for an automatic success. [roll0] Strength.

And for the clinch- [roll1] Brawl + Strength

[Partysan]

"Man, that took ages. Arash listens to what Juan has found out, then thinks for a moment.
"Uh, well, since we're gonna infiltrate the lot, there's no use in just busting into the headquarters. I'd say we pay this Scorpion guy a visit, so he can help us find a suitable victim to be our scapegoat."

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor, having prepared for something like this, started turning to the punk the minute he heard the switchblade click. He quickly circles around the man and takes the chains out from under his jacket, and givges the thug a few lashes of iron to make him think better of stabbing someone.

[roll0]

[ace_cipher_zero]

Whoops, messed up those rolls, but this should work...

[roll0][roll1][roll2]

[ChronicLunacy]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

Chuckling at the vandalized mermaid above the door, James went right in. He gave the door just enough of a push that it swung out almost to the adjacent wall, giving him plenty of time to step inside before it swung back to close. He looked around, seeing what there was to see, looking mostly for untouched drinks in front of strange, scruffy, or rowdy types. If he didn't see anyone, he figured he'd order a beer and wait for someone to come to him. If any Brujah were around, Anarch or Cammie, they'd probably be willing to help him out. He just had to find one first.

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

"Holy crap!" is all the brigand has time to say before Jake's nimble hands grab hold of him from the back, squeezing his arms tight. The knife drops easily as Taylor whips a solid chain into his gut, and both kindred can hear the sound of air whooshing out of his lungs.

"Okay okay, you got me!" he wheezes.

Jesse Drake, feel free to roll Strength damage on your Clinch. The punk won't be struggling to break out just yet, so it's your option whether you want to deal strength damage or not. Remember, mortals are pretty fragile, and don't soak Bashing damge as easily as Kindred do.


James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

The bar isn't as empty as one might have thought from the calm exterior. Low, browned lights illuminate the creaky wooden floors and walls, casting disturbing shadows against the ancient seafaring pictures and various wooden models of ships. There is a table of three rough-looking asian men smoking cheap, imported cigarettes and speaking in their native tongue. On the side of the bar, in a booth, are four men with nearly identical greased-back dark hair, wearing button-down shirts and holding stiff-drinks in their hands as if someone was going to steal their glasses from them. There is one woman in the bar, looking to be in her late 30's, sitting alone near the back. She hasn't been hassled by any of the toughs in the bar tonight, and something about her demeanor shows she's disappointed in the lack of attention.

There are two men sitting seperately at the bar, one in flannel and overalls with a fishing hat next to him on the counter, the other is remarkably muscular, dressed in a white t-shirt and bleach-stained blue-jeans. The bartender, a fat man in a greasy wife-beater, seems a friendly enough sort, but he seems to sense that the fisherman and the muscleman at his bar aren't there for the conversation with him.

The bartender gives Ralph and James a nod of welcome, then gives a brief glance to his waittress, a moderately attractive girl who looks like a money-starved college student.

Simba, I'm bringing Ralph inside so you can see what I'm describing to him at the same time. If you wanted to remain outside, let me know and I will edit this post accordingly so you can stand guard or whatnot.


Guy, Darren and Carl, Dover District, Parked on Ice Street

Two men down the street, presumably the ones who just parked those two vehicles, enter the bar and disappear from sight.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake will draw out his teeth- before realizing he doesn't have to use supernatural methods to defeat the thug.

[roll0] Clinch Damage

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

"Gaaak!" he croaks. "Uncle! Uncle!"

Not bothering to roll soak or anything for him, you've got him Jake.

[Jesse Drake]

"Get the hell out of here. Your knife is the cost for your life. Make one move for it, and I'll rip you to shreds." Jake lets go of the man, and pushes him towards the way the other thugs ran. "I bought you guys a ****ing Pepsi, and this is the thanks I get."

After he leaves, Jake will pick up the knife and have a quick gleam. "Who are these thugs?" He'll wonder. "And why did they have to get my car..."

[Trenchfoot]

Taylor and Jake, Bolkor's Row, Home Depot

The streetscum beats feet like his life depended on it, leaving his leather jacket and the well-crafted switchblade behind. In the leather jacket is a wad of cash, 26 dollars to be exact, a pack of Marlboro lights, two Miller Lite bottle caps, and a cockroach who had nestled into a particularly comfortable pocket. He seems to want to remain there, despite any beckoning on Jake's part.

Upon closer inspection, the 'sweet-ass car' appears to have no serious damage to the engine, but the front bumper is severely dented, and the left headlight is broken beyond easy repair.

Although the recent altercation happened in full view of the people inside home depot, none of them come out. They either do not care, or they don't want to get involved.

The switchblade deals regular knife damage (Strength+1) with the added benefit of being more easily concealed than a combat knife. Additionally, depending on how you bring it out, it gives you a circumstance bonus on intimidation attempts. The leather jacket counts as Reinforced Clothing (+1 armor soak without any penalties), and if I'm reading correcty, neither Taylor or Jake have any armor.

[Erad]

Juan rubs his chin,

- Tayler says he knows nothing about Scorpion's whereabouts. Neither do I. Finding him seems a good idea, but I wonder where to start looking for him. I mean without interfering with our gang. Or any other, for this case.

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor watches the man stagger away, then turns to his companion. "Hey, we might have beaten that one, but we'd be a bit better off to get our stuff and run. You can keep the jacket if there are still bugs stuck in it for now. That sound ok?"

[ChronicLunacy]

James Moreau

James looked around after taking a few steps in from the door so that he could easily see all the tables and the bar to either side, not bothering to hide the fact that he was sizing everyone up. He focused mainly on who was pretending to drink and who was actually drinking. He looked for mostly untouched glasses that didn't seem to empty, even if the person was raising it to his or her lips every now and then to keep up the appearance.

Perception + Alertness: [roll0]

[Jesse Drake]

Jake nods. "Let's split." He says, grabbing the knife with the jacket and throwing it in the car. "Let' go." Jake will hop in and drive up to the front.

[ace_cipher_zero]

After Jake pulls up to the store, Taylor quickly pops out, yells a quick "Thanks" to the guy watching his stuff, and begins loading everything as quickly as possible. Even though its not like they can't pay a parking ticket, he didn't want to have to explain why someone without a liscense was sitting in the driver's seat.

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy waits for the drunk to stumble out of the way of the car, then he pulls out into the street. As he drives back to the warehouse, he speaks to Carl.

"Carl, could you pull out that file on the Vietnamese opium smuggler? I'll need to get some opiates, too. I'll be bringing him in tomorrow or the next night."

He pulls up to the warehouse.

"Alright, Trakan, time to wake our guest up. We need to find out what he knows.

Carl, could you put a request in with the Prince? This guy may turn out to be a valuable asset, and I'd like to have the option of one of us taking him over as a ghoul."

[Trenchfoot]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

Everyone in here is drinking what they have in front of them. There are no fakers keeping up appea... Did one of the Italian-looking guys just switch his glass with another one?


Guy, Darren and Carl, Warehouse Headquarters

Carl sets aside the manila folder for the Opium smuggler, but says nothing in response to Guy's mention of opiates.

"I'll put in a request at once, sir, once we get his proper information."

[Jesse Drake]

Jake turns to Taylor. "Let's make haste- not waste." He'll go as fast as legally possible to get back.

[Entregan]

Darren surveys the road ahead, with a measure of disgust at the metropolitan miasma before him, "Just a suggestion. But, it might be better to wait until we get to where we're going. The poor lad thinks we're here to help him find Alice. You're more likely to get the information you need by leading him to believe that's what our objective is. Getting him back in touch with this Alice lass."

[ChronicLunacy]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

Everyone in here is drinking what they have in front of them. There are no fakers keeping up appea... Did one of the Italian-looking guys just switch his glass with another one?

James calmly went over to where the four guys with the greased back hair were sitting and pulled a chair over from a different table. Turning it around, he AC Slatered the chair and rested his elbows on the back of it to join them. "Hey, guys. Can you believe how dead it is in here tonight? I was expecting more Brujahah out of a place like this. Some Kindred spirits, you know?" he said, making it pretty obvious to someone looking for the right words to know what he was really talking about.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

Guy, Darren, Carl, the Italian, Jake and Taylor reach the warehouse at approximately the same time, pulling their vehicles into one of the wide garage doors and parking inside the warehouse itself.

You four players are all together now, and can interact with each other freely.


James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

The four men's jaws drop simultaneously, enhancing the effect that they were four copies of the same person. The one who hadn't been having any of his drink nods to the two kine at the edge of the table, and they both get up mechanically. One of them retrieves a pair of drinks from the bartender and brings them for James and Ralph before both of the men step outside. Of the two remaining, one is of course a kindred, and the other is presumably trustworthy enough to hear their conversation.

"Welcome to the table, brothers. Name's Ryan. I'm guessin you are some of the boys from back West? I'm glad somebody's got the guts to take up Carla's offer."

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor gets out of the car, and looks over at the Sherrif and Darren. "Well, hope you guys were a bit less roughed up than us. Hey, who's the other guy?"

[Jesse Drake]

"Actually, we're fine." Jake comments. "Oh, my baby..." He starts rubbing his car where it's damaged. "Does anyone here do bodywork?"

[ChronicLunacy]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar


"Welcome to the table, brothers. Name's Ryan. I'm guessin you are some of the boys from back West? I'm glad somebody's got the guts to take up Carla's offer."

"Plenty of guts to go around. I'm James, this is Ralph." James grinned. "Why don't you remind us just what Carla's offering so we've got the facts straight." he added as he feigned a sip of his drink. "I'd hate to think we were here for the wrong reasons, after all."

He figured he'd covered all the bases with that. He hadn't actually lied to the Kindred in front of him, just omitted the fact that he didn't know what the hell he was going on about. He had a feeling he was going to want to know who Carla was, though. So he'd keep the guy talking and hopefully he'd pick up on things as they went on. James kept up a relaxed atmosphere for Ryan so he wouldn't get paranoid.

[Simba]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

Ralph stays quiet, watching the rest of the bar more than the guy talking to them. James will cover that angle, right?

[Horatio@Bridge]

"If that's how you want to do it," Guy tells Trakan. "I'll leave the interrogation up to you. Just find out what he knows.

He's a ghoul," Guy answers Gault's question. "He survived the Fall. What happened with you?"

[Jesse Drake]

Jake answers for Taylor, speaking quickly and with a slightly elevated voice. "Some thugs tried to steal my car. But they opened my jar o' roaches, and scared the hell out of themselves. That's how that happened." He points to his car. "But Taylor and I actually showed them a thing or two."

He points to his car, and says "We got the stuff we needed for the security, I think- but most of the food and drinks are thrown about. I can see if anyone wants to get some, but the bugs might not want to get into the car... so many died there tonight."

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Well, yeah. I only got some basic supplies for now, but this should be enough security for a while. After all, I didn't do all too thorough an inspection of every possible entrance and such."

[Entregan]

Trakan nods silently, and takes wakes the ghoul lightly. His voice is soft, and very thickly Italian. "Come on. It's time to get up. There's much we need to talk about before we can get you to Alice." He waits for the man to get his bearings before making any further attempts to talk to the man.

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

"She's offerin free reign buddy, as it should be. Both the C's and the S's are busted to hell, so you're the first part of the big free invite she's been sending out. You can pretty much do whatever you want now that you're here. We were about to go hit the Colombian guys over in the warehouse district, we've been gettin the boys riled all night."

The mortal across from him chuckles and nods, adding in to the conversation.

"Yeah, one of the other ghouls was holding street fights to get everybody's blood pumpin. Once we get enough folks gathered, we roll down there, break the place open, and take everything we want."

The Brujah clanks his glass loudly on the table, grinning like a madman.

"An easy hit. We got word that it's a pretty serious storehouse. Guns, cash, clean cell phones, the works. The Colombians will be pissed, but who cares? You're free to come along too, as long as you kill everyone who sees you for what you are. Aside from my boys at the table, we're keeping our natures quiet, you know? You can take whatever you can get your hands on, it's just me, the two ghouls, and a bunch of meatheads going."

He looks to his companion then. "In fact Eddie, you might wanna give Vinnie a call, make sure he's got a big enough crew ready. Remember, he's still fresh, doesn't know rabbit **** from rice crispies just yet."

He looks back. "You in? It's a clean way to get in good with us, we always like the extra muscle."


[Warehouse Headquarters]

The italian man nods and follows Entregan's directions quickly, when suddenly, his cell phone rings. He looks at the front of it and mutters "****, it's Eddie."

He looks up sharply, quickly explaining to Trakan. "Those guys that were out there in the street fight, we're all supposed to get together and hit this Colombian place in the warehouse district tonight." He looks up and around, suddenly realizing he was, in fact, in a warehouse. "Jesus, how long was I sleeping for? This is the warehouse district! I was supposed to have a bunch of guys rounded up to take this place out, jack all their guns and equipment! I'm screwed, Alice is gonna be pissed!"

He hasn't yet answered his phone, but its still ringing. He looks to Trakan for instruction.

[ChronicLunacy]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

James didn't know about Ralph, but he was still working on the human morality code. Stealing and intentional property damage were wrong, with a little gray area allowed for a good cause. What he needed to know now was, if this little venture was a Robin Hood deal or just a simple smash and grab. That would settle it for him.

On the other hand, it was good to know he'd found the Anarchs, even if they were into a little more free living than James himself favored. Carla was probably the local baron. C's and S's would be the Camarilla and the Sabbat unless this guy was speaking in some strange code. If this hit could do some damage to The Man, James might make an exception, but again he'd have to get this guy to do some talking and explain the situation first.

"This party, is it going to piss off the Cammies? I guess what I'm asking is, does anyone own these Columbians or are they just your common scum? Drug dealers and that sort." he asked, trying to pin down exactly what was going on.

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

The man grins widely. "Rebel with a cause! No sweat brother, trust me, all these kids are scumsuckers. The Colombians have been moving coke in this city since the 80's, and even though we got their boss locked up a few months back, he jumped bail and now he's out on the streets. This guy... He's one mean mother. If the cops knew half the **** he did, he'd have been stuck with the death needle by now."

"The trash that Vinnie's rounding up is just as bad. Nothing more than a bunch of ethnically charged punks, all stuck on the fact that they're Italian." He looks over to his friend Eddie who was currently trying to reach someone on the phone. "They think it's all about beating people down. That's part of why we're pitting them against each other, we want to weed out the idiots and the meatheads, see if there's anybody decent in the group."

He shrugs, leaning back. "And if we get a stockpile of guns or cars or whatever thrown in the mix, that we control... Then we've got all the power."

He leans right back in, clearly a very animated man, despite being dead. "And the Cammies don't own a damn thing, least of all the Colombians. They're his boys, Scorpion's boys, no blood ties to anyone. Those are the Russians, who threw in with the Sabbat a few years ago. No man, the Cammies got annihilated, and so did anyone who worked with em for longer than a day. It was brutal."

[Simba]

James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar

Still listening to the conversation and keeping an eye on the rest of the bar, Ralph is unsure what to do. "Am I some kind of vigillante? A killer with a cause? No, I definitely don't want to lose that much of the man in me. My soul is endangered enough by the beast raging inside me, thank you. But to attack drug dealers sounded right somehow. Maybe I should just follow James' lead....for a change." he thinks to himself, still not saying a word.

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

"So we get to throw two rival gangs against each other, Robin Hood all the ill-gotten gains for ourselves, AND possibly get a couple of new recruits for the cause all in one night? Hmm..." James said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Truthfully, it did seem like a little stretch to morality, especially since the Anarchs got all the cash and prizes, but really would anyone miss the Scorpion and his gang of coke dealers that much? Could James rationalize that with his own sense of right and wrong?

Well hell yes he could. What was he, a goddamn boy scout?

"Sounds like fun, Ryan." James grinned ferally. "I can't speak for my friend here, but you can count me in. "

[Simba]

Ralph[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

As all turn to look at him, Ralph simply nods. "So be it..."

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

"Righteous! As soon as we can get our boy on the phone and make sure everything's square, we'll roll. I just sent the other two guys out, they'll grab our van and bring it over, unless you two wanna take your rides. Also, you two got any... uhh..."

He twitches his fingers as if he were pulling a trigger.

"Any of those? We'd like to keep this looking like a gang-hit, so no arms bein torn off or next chewed out, y'know? I've got a spare glock and a combat knife in the van."

He tenses slightly, noticing the waittress was close enough to hear that. Luckily, she was a waittress at a seedy bar in a city where crime paid, and she shrugs it off as if he had been talking about kittens and ponies. Hell, kittens and ponies would've gotten more raised eyebrows than guns in a place like this.

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

"Guns aren't my thing. I won't use my fists, though." James shrugged. "And I'd rather we took your van. If anything goes wrong I don't want my truck on the 11 o'clock news, you know?" he chuckled.

He kept his voice down so that the waitress wouldn't overhear anything else. If this was going to be a haunt of his he'd have to find time to make friends with her later. He had a feeling she heard lots of interesting tidbits during her shift and it would pay to be on good terms, not just so that she'd tell him about what she'd gathered, but so she wouldn't blab about anything she might have caught from his direction either.

[Simba]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

In a whisper that can barely be heard over the noise in the bar, Ralph answers: "I don't use any weapons, either, but I will keep the claws out of the game if you say it is wise. My body works fine as a weapon, even without them."

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

Ryan nods, still grinning like an idiot.

"No worries man, we'll be using fake names too... More like codewords. On the streets, a first name and a face can be more than enough to get you tracked down. Start usin false names though, and you've got an added layer of protection. 's your call though."

He looks toward the door of the place, predatory eyes gleaming. "The fun is just beginning with this city. You guys came at the perfect time, all the *******s have gone home to lick their wounds, nobody to contest with right now. We don't even think there's any C's left, you know?" His face turns somber. "They'll be back though, eventually. When they do, hopefully they stay out of our business as usual."

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

"Alright, but just calm down for a minute there, Sparky." James said, raising his hand to call for Ryan to pause a moment. "Fun is all well and good, but we need to be smart about this, too. If we're going to keep the capes from coming back in or the monsters from trying to tear it all down, we're going to need to have build up contact with the law as well as the street gangs in order to hold onto things. After we're done with the Columbians, why don't I make a call to a contact of mine in the police and let him know where to clean up? We'll leave him a little bit of the loot, just so he looks good in front of his superiors, and we make this whole thing look like a gang hit on Scorpion. We get an in on the PD for future expansion and everyone goes home happy." he explained.

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

The kindred's jaw drops.

"Whoah-hoh! You got some pretty good ideas! Damn, you're making me feel like I'm just another S flunkie. Yeah man, make your calls, and be sure to tell Carla all about it, she gets off on that kinda stuff. Just be careful though, those creepy Giovanni guys have been moving in on police districts."

He spreads his hands over his stomach as if he had just eaten a huge christmas feast. "I'm glad somebody around here got brought into the fold for their brains, cuz it sure as hell wasn't me! Hah!"

[Simba]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

Ralph watches as James make his play, assuming the role of brain in this obviously rather low intellect group. Bruisers...

[Partysan]

"Hmmm." Arash seems at a loss for some moments, then shrugs.
"Well, that guy spoke of a safehouse in that street, so I guess there's no harm in scanning the area. Other than that we can go hang out in that bar and have a look again the next few days. It's not much, but then again we don't have a lot to work with. Our greatest problem may be the boredom of observation. You have any idea what to do about that?"

[Entregan]

He continues speaking in Italian, "Wait for the next call then, answer them. Tell them it will be a little while longer. That you're working on some heavy hitters. But, they aren't too friendly to newcomers. As far as Alice, she'll be fine. You're doing what you're supposed to. If she isn't, I will personally talk to her on your behalf. So long as you're doing what you're told, then you're doing a good job."

He offers a reassuring smile. Almost fatherly in its own way. "It will be alright."

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

"Yeah, well, the Giovanni have another thing coming, don't they? If you find out who they have in their pocket, let me know so I can make sure to turn them to our way of thinking or get them fired for something. I had to deal with the Giovanni a little while back and I can't stand those corpse-f*ckers, so I'm going to do everything I can do keep their hands out of our pie in this city."

James leaned back. "Anyway, I don't have to make the call until after we've made the mess, so unless you think I should talk to Carla right away I'm ready whenever you are."

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

The Italian smiles and nods, putting the phone away for now and speaking in Italian.

"You're right. Of course you're right. Okay, heavy hitters."


[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

Ryan looks up as his companion returns to the table.

"Vinnie's still workin, boss, I guess. Didn't pick up. He must have a big crew, or at least some real heavy-hitters, if he's taking his time with em."

The kindred nods to Eddie, then turns back to Ralph and James. "Yeah, I guess we got some time until everybody gets their stuff together, it's cool. Let's go introduce you to Carla then! She's the big boss Baroness, and I know she'll love to meet you two. She's one of those shadow-girls, but she's legit, so don't be nervous."

He rises, leaving a heavy tip at the table, and leads the Gangrel and Brujah outside to a white econoline van parked outside with the engine on.

Assuming you two are good to go with these guys, they'll take you to meet the Anarch Baroness in the next post.

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

Seeing no reason not to, James followed Ryan out to the van. His Bronco would keep in that parking spot until sunrise at least, so he could always come back and move it later. If it got towed he'd just send the Baroness the bill anyway.

[Simba]

[James and Ralph, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

Ralph sees no reason not to go along so he does so without saying a word.

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

The van, filled with two mortals, a ghoul, Ryan, and the two visiting Kindred speeds along the streets. Ryan passes the time by telling fanciful stories of his time as a professional boxer, most of which seem a little hard to believe. Before long, the van stops outside of a well-kept Apartment Building, number 32B in a long line of similar buildings in Harold Park. Close to the area is a lightless, wooded park, all trees and bushes and small trails.

Sitting or standing on the stoop to the apartment are at least eight men, all muscular in build, but not outwardly threatening. They don't look like gang members, but they're definitely keeping watch, and many are concealing pistols in the back of their pants or inside their coats. One brings out a cellular phone as Ryan approaches, nodding to the Brujah as Ryan leads the way inside the building with James and Ralph in tow.

Inside is a bustle of activity. On the first floor, nearly all the apartment doors are open, with men and women moving about, hauling boxes or moving furniture. The people here, numbering at least 30, are all dressed similarly. Clearly, this whole floor of the building has been taken over for... whatever they're doing. Ryan waves happily at some of the people, who nod respectfully to him in turn. It's impossible to tell what exactly they know, but it's definitely the kind of nod an employee gives to a boss.

The second floor door into the hallway is locked solid, with a note taped to the front of it that neither Ralph or James have the time to read. The third floor door also has a single lock on it, but Ryan quickly produces a key and enters.

Unlike the first floor, the third floor is relatively silent, save for the literal buzz of several computers that can be heard inside the closed doors. There are thick coils of ethernet cords taped along the ceiling, leading into some of these rooms. Ryan leads Ralph and James to the left, toward a single open door. A large black man steps out, putting away a cell phone he had been talking on as he does so. He gives a slight bow as Ryan and the others step inside the room.

The apartment has been set up like a massive lawyer's office, remarkably. The living room has become a sort of meeting room, with several comfortable chairs all laid around a table. Standing near the chairs is a butler-esque mortal servant, who bows as Ryan, James and Ralph enter. Seated in the chairs is a woman, presumably Carla, and a man you do not know.

Betraying any pre-established notions James or Ralph had about the Lasombra, Carla is not wearing a flowing black dress, or waving her fingers and playing with shadows. Instead, she's wearing grey sweatpants, slippers and a man's t-shirt that's a few sizes too large. Further betraying any notions about the infamously mysterious and regal Lasombra, she is not pretty at all, and instead inspires one to use made-up words like unpretty. Her ruddy brown hair is also in a complete mess.

The man sitting near her is pale and skinny as a pole, looking more like a poorly-made straw man than anything else. He is wearing a black suit with several holes, bleach-stains and chemical burns on it, horribly ruining what was once nice fabric. There is a conspicuous briefcase next to his leg.

Carla rises as the three come in, and she shakes Ryan's hand in greeting before offering her hand to Ryan and James.

"Hey-hey! Damn, you guys came fast. I thought we'd still have a few weeks before anybody showed up. Real nice of ya to come see me, I'm Carla, sorta the Baroness." She gestures to the thin man on the couch, who Ryan punched amicably in the shoulder as he sat down with him. "That's Boomer, a Tzimicse." She smiles, showing crooked teeth. "Welcome! Siddown with me and tell me who ya are!"

[Simba]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

Uncharacteristically for him, Ralph answers first, his thin, whispery voice barely loud enough to be heard: "My name is Ralph Newman and I am of City Gangrel blood. I left that behind, though, so I am free to do as I please. Nice meeting you."

With those words, he steps towards the chair and takes a seat, moving with the grace of a predator on the prowl.

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

OOC: Wouldn't he have just said "Gangrel blood"? I don't think they make a distinction between Country and City gangrel. It's all in the mechanics.

"Enchanted, Carla. Boomer. My name's James Moreau. You might know my sire, Judith. The Capes hate her guts, which means her rep is strong with our kind of people. I think it's more luck that we showed up when we did." James said after Ralph had introduced himself.

"I'll confess to fibbing a bit when I was talking to you before, Ryan. We were just looking for other Kindred when we went into that bar and I pegged you for one of us. We never got any invitation from you guys, but I saw fellow Anarchs in need and decided to see where things were going. I figured at the very least you could point me to the Baroness and I could introduce myself. I want to clear the air before we go forward and start us off on equal terms now, though. I think it's only fair I show you that respect if I'm going to be joining in." he confessed with a smile.

"No hard feelings, Ryan?"

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

Ryan shrugs noncommittally, and Carla doesn't seem to think too much of it as she sits down. "Hell, I'd ah done the same thing. Probably have, a few times." She does nudge Ryan with her foot, and there's a bit of subdued anger there, maybe even a bit of fear on Ryan's face as she says "Ask more questions next time some kindred starts talkin to you though."

The woman props one leg up on the other as she resumes speaking. "Can't say I've ever heard of Judith, but I'll look into it. So... You came lookin for Kindred, and you found us. What's next for you too?" It may be a loaded question, or it may just be her casual nature, it's hard to tell.

[Entregan]

Darren gives a simple encouraging nod of approval, "Now, if you want help getting in touch with Alice, you're going to have to tell me what's going on around here. I don't mind helping you. But, if we're going to get this done, I don't want to go in blind. I'm sure you understand." He escorts Vinnie towards a back room, as he talks. "So let's start from the beginning. I need as much information as you can give me on what's been happening in the City, and who your friends are. I don't want to step on any toes. Wouldn't be good if I get rough with the wrong people. Might make things worse for Alice, too."

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

The man answers in Italian. "Alice had me meet up with a guy named Eddie. She knew I was in pretty good with the boys over in Dover, and she wanted me to help Eddie get them together. I was holdin street fights, y'know, when you guys showed up. Was gonna get em all pumped, get em angry, then we'd all head over to this parking lot in the warehouse district, meet up with Eddie and a few others, and go take down a Colombian storehouse. I guess there's a sh*tload of guns over there, some cars, some other stuff, a pretty good hit. He's probably calling to get the whole thing started."

He reaches up and grabs his hair, pulling on it nervously.

"But now the boys are all scattered, I got nobody. Still, I ain't worried if Alice knows I'm doin the right thing. Eddie can go screw himself."

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor listens to this ghoul's little speech, then leans closer to the sherrif. "Hey... What the hell are they saying?"

[Entregan]

Continues on, the Italian accent thick in his voice. Good. Now When was the last time you talked to Alice? Where were you, and what did she say?" He offers a soft smile to Vinnie, at the progress they're making.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

Italian: "Oh man, it's been a while. She used to come around with me to see the boys, she wanted to see what they were capable of... But some bad blood went down. A couple other broads showed up around the same time, and I guess they didn't like Alice too much. One of the Asian gangs from a district over came and hit us pretty good, even killed a couple ah guys and set a house on fire. Everybody freaked, the hit was too good to be random, and everybody thought Alice was in with em somehow. I knew she wasn't, but she split anyway. It was rough. Luckily, I met up with Eddie after that, he's been passing me messages from her. I still haven't seen her, but she must be busy working with you guys, I don't mind. Last time I saw her was when she said goodbye..."

He falls silent, genuine emotion coming over his face. Either the blood bond was strong, or this Alice was a talented manipulator.

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

"The free livin' dead have got a chance to make something good in this city with the capes in retreat and the Sabbat underground. I figure I'll hang around for a little while, maybe longer depending on how things turn out. I'd like a chance to build something here if you'll let me." James explained.

"For starters, I was just telling Ryan about how we could turn this job that's going down tonight into an in with the PD. We leave them a few things, tell my contact over there where to come clean up after we're done. He looks like a hero and we get a couple of favors to call in. I can dig in deeper from there. I'd want to make this my own personal hobby considering my intense dislike of the Giovanni, who I hear have been trying to muscle in on that territory."

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

"As long as our hands are clean of the warehouse...'" She turns meaningfully to Ryan. "Like we discussed..." She turns back to James. "Then yeah, you can call a clean-up. Just so you know though, we're stickin to a real hands-off policy with the Gio's."

The skinny man, Boomer, nods. "Very hands-off. They've stayed out of our business, an we're showin them the same respect."

Carla shifts in her seat, pulling at her sweatpants. She seems to be getting into the mindset of a negotiator. "If you decide to get nasty with em though, we don't want any part of it. It's your personal hobby, and that's cool, but that's where it ends. I won't tell anybody what they can and can't do, but I won't muster muscle on your behalf if ghosts start talking about who you are and whose bed your boots have been under, y'know?"

[Jesse Drake]

Jake will approach the bugs in the warehouse, scraping together some of the food from earlier, hoping it serves as a suitable gift. "Okay- okay." He clicks in bug tongue. "Who wants to help out here?"

If the bugs are willing, Jake will ask some of them stand guard at the doors- don't budge away from the handles, locks, or anything else that allows entrance, unless they are given the command.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

The roaches, though very happy to see Jacob, don't really seem to understand his command very clearly. A small group of them, however, do form up in a loose circle and begin guarding the floors. A cockroach who wasn't part of this splinter group wanders into the circle, and the others hiss, indicating someone was trespassing on the floors they were guarding.

[Jesse Drake]

"Move along- play with the group or go find somewhere else to play..." Jake hisses. "Okay guys. That's good. But we'll need to work on this." He realizes the bugs probably don't know exactly what he's saying, but his head hits it. "Oh- floors... not doors." He looks at the ones helping, and hisses "Food. Food. Food." He begins walking to the door with some of the food, and throws it there- on the outside, though the door will be jarred open.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

At first, the roaches guarding the floors don't want to abandon their post, but then they realize FOOD FOOD FOOD, and quickly the whole swarm scuttles outside, remaining in place there.

[Jesse Drake]

Jake smiles, and hisses a final hiss. "Now, stay vigil."

[Entregan]

He continues on in Italian, "I know it might be hard. But, I need you to think more on what she said to you. The more you can tell me, the better. Then we'll work on what's been happening. We've got to have our priorities." Darren offers a sympathetic smile.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

The man nods, and really thinks hard. It wasn't difficult to remember her, that much is obvious, but he's having a rough time concentrating on what she said, and what Trakan was after.

"Well, she told me that she had to leave, because the boys were all turning against her. They all thought she was working with the Koreans, and she told me she wasn't, and I believed her. She told me she'd get in touch with me later, told me she'd have someone call me... She kinda told me what she was, and that there were others like her, but she didn't tell me anything about that, and I only really cared about her anyway."

He shrugs, but he's really trying to help.

[Entregan]

He nods slightly, continuing in Italian, That's good. Very good. How long ago was that, and has she had someone call you yet?" He turns to face the others, still with the thick accent though plainly speaking English, "Could someone get him a drink. I'm sure this is all very hard for him."

[ace_cipher_zero]

Taylor goes off searching for a restroom or somewhere else to get a cup and water. This is an excellent excuse to find all the little nooks and crannies that Jake would probably miss in some way or another. He has his uses, sure, but he's not all there, and not exactly a genius.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

Taylor finds a remarkably clean restroom next to the Warehouse Manager's Office where internet connection for the warehouse is.

In Italian: "It was about three weeks ago, almost a whole month, that she left. Nobody called except for Eddie, who called once with this job, and that was about four days ago or so. He didn't want me to start rounding up the boys until tonight. I've called her a couple times... but nothing."

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

"It won't get physical unless they try it first. Think of it more like a business competition, limited resources and all that. Mostly I just don't want the entire police force controlled by not us." James explained. The Baroness didn't want to make waves. Okay, he could deal with that. As much as he disagreed, as much as a blatant power grab to fill the vacuum left by the capes as quick as possible was the first thing on his mind, he would respect her wishes. The Anarchs had a lot of freedom, but if you went around pissing everybody off then you'd probably be asked to leave at the very least.

[Entregan]

He nods softly, with a reassuring smile.

In Italian: "You did well. It's a good start. Now, that we have something to work with, things will be much easier. If you want, take a few minutes. Relax. Then we can start on the other things."

Darren looks around lightly for someone to come with a drink.

In Italian: "I'll be right back."

He walks gracefully toward the front of the building out of sight, and waits for a few moments.

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

Carol nods. "Just keep in mind, there is no Us unless we all want there to be an Us. You guys know the drill. There's strength in organization, but we ain't no big time outfit."

It is at that moment that a pair of ghouls open the door across the hallway, hauling a massive, black cylinder of metal. With the general darkness outside, it might have been difficult to tell what it was, until a third ghoul follows with a box that has the words "M163 Vulcan Air Defense System" boldly written on the side. A vulcan anti-arcraft gun. Carla lets out an exasperated sigh and covers her face with her palm. Boomer does his best to cover. "We're not that big time." he explains shakily.

"In any case... Do what you like here, bub. Help Ryan out with his gig, or don't. It's your unlife, right?"

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy watches the interrogation and the security preparations, standing back to let the new recruits do their work. Thus far they were displaying initiative and competence, a good start. He hoped that the infiltration team was shaping up just as well.

When Trakan walks away from the ghoul, Guy moves to meet him.

"So, what did you get?"

[Entregan]

He rolls back into English, though the accent is very decidedly Northern Irish. His dark eyes glance just passed Guy, and then meet the Sheriff's accordingly. "The lad doesn't know much yet. Though he knows just enough to be useful. He's waiting on a call back from his gang. He's supposed to be rallying troops for a hit on a Columbian warehouse tonight. I told him not to answer just yet. To wait and answer them the next time. When he does, he'll tell his friends that he's working on some heavy hitters. That of course being us. Supposedly the warehouse is a large cache of weapons and other assorted treats for good little criminals. He's nervous to be sure. But, he's been well trained. So long as he believes it will work on getting him back to Alice, then he's generally game for anything. He's been three weeks without her. His time as a Ghoul is almost up. But, he's been waiting for a call. He said that she would have someone call him for her. Other than that, he's forward with his truths. But, I keep getting the feeling there's something more to the lad. I have a pretty strong rapore with him. Loyalty I don't think I have by any means. But, if we play our cards right, I can get it. At least until Alice enters the picture. Short of bonding him ourselves that is. Even with that, the boy would just be torn between us. Even then, if she's conditioned him, we might have a harder time than I thought. But, that's all just speculation. No need to break things down before we're sure. I keep speaking in Italian, because he seems to be very comfortable with it. Though, I think he may be far more useful than we might have thought. He arches a fiery brow as he waits for a response.

[ChronicLunacy]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]


Carol nods. "Just keep in mind, there is no Us unless we all want there to be an Us. You guys know the drill. There's strength in organization, but we ain't no big time outfit."

It is at that moment that a pair of ghouls open the door across the hallway, hauling a massive, black cylinder of metal. With the general darkness outside, it might have been difficult to tell what it was, until a third ghoul follows with a box that has the words "M163 Vulcan Air Defense System" boldly written on the side. A vulcan anti-arcraft gun. Carla lets out an exasperated sigh and covers her face with her palm. Boomer does his best to cover. "We're not that big time." he explains shakily.

"In any case... Do what you like here, bub. Help Ryan out with his gig, or don't. It's your unlife, right?"

"I've always wanted friends like you guys." James said, letting out a slow whistle at the military-grade hardware the guy was carting around. "Heh...but yeah. I'm not trying to push anyone around. I just thought I'd make a few suggestions from time to time if you want them. That's all. I'll pull my fair share of the weight, too, when I'm needed. So don't worry about it." he assured them, lifting his palms in a placating gesture.

"So, Ryan, how's your guy? We ready to go yet?" James asked through a yawn. He didn't breathe, so it was more habit than anything physical.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Columbians? Ah, yes, there was a mark associated with them. Arturo Vasquez, a gun runner, and one of the most dangerous people known in the criminal underbelly of this city. That's a bold group to be ready to go after him."

Guy pauses to think for a moment.

"They've got to be one of the other power groups in the city to be running an operation like this, and since the Downfall there's a lot fewer of those. We definitely need intel on this, but I don't want to tip our hand. We need cover, and that means more bodies. Get our new friend back on the phone, tell him to call up four or five of the best toughs he found out there. Then send him over here. I want to make sure that he doesn't blow our cover, and I'm going to leave a command telling him not to talk about us in too much detail.

Before that, though, did you get any more information out of him about Alice?"

[Entregan]

Alice was in with a rough crowd. Our kind of people. Worth of it is that she got singled out. From the sounds of it, someone played her for a sacrifice to keep their standing with the gangs. It worked. She left town. Muscled out, if you like. The lad's crew, from what I understand. As for the command, I don't really think it would be necessary if we just tell him that it will make it harder for us to get him in touch with Alice. He won't risk it. From how I see it, we're the only ones that would be actively trying to. At least from his point of view. I told him I would vouch for how well he's doing with Alice when we get him to her. The bond he has is strong. Real strong. If he thinks everything we're doing is for him to get back to her, he'll go along with it. Besides, one command easily overrides another anyway. If he's been conditioned it won't make a damn worth of difference.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"We'll just say I'm a fan of redundant systems," Guy says about the idea of commanding the ghoul. "They tend to be more resilient."

"From what you've dug up and what Carl told us, this Alice is likely the Gangrel that clashed with our Toreador. This means she's not likely to be friendly with us...we definitely need to be careful going in to this.

Ok, get this guy back on his job. I'll go in as the extra heavy, and you stay nearby to give me backup if needed. I have sniper experience, so I'll be able to operate at a remove. That will give us a good eye on the battle without being to directly involved. While you get that wrapped up, I'm going to call our infiltration team."

[Trenchfoot]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

Ryan gets up and rolls his shoulders much more comfortable with this topic of conversation.

"Yeah, he'll be gettin a call back from our boy pretty shortly. I'm ready to roll if you guys are!"

If nothing more needed to be said among the other Anarchs, he'll lead James and Ralph back down to the van, and off to the warehouse.

[Entregan]

Alright, then. Darren retrieves a cup of water, then promptly slips back over to the ghoul cup held out.
In Italian:Alright then. Now that you've had a chance to relax for a few minutes. A couple more things to ask you. First I should have asked a while back. What's your name? Secondly, I'm going to get you in touch with a friend of mine tonight. He's going to be your heavy hitter. But, I need to know that you trust me. Because if you don't, then I need to stop helping you right now. I want you to find Alice. But, if you don't trust me to do that, then I won't be able to make the steps I need to. Then, all of this will have been a waste of both of our time.

[Simba]

[James and Ralph, Harold Park, 32B Apartment Building]

"Ready when you are" Ralph whispers, his voice barely loud anough to be heard.

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

The man smiles happily, almost stupidly. In Italian: "It's Vinnie, and of course I trust you! You're... you're like Alice! You've got power, you know what you're doing. So does he. " He points to Guy. "I trust you guys more than I've ever trusted anything, and I don't question what I trust. Believe me, I just need to know what Alice wants me to do, that's all."


[Arash and Juan, Corona District]

Juan chuckles as he puts the cell phone back into his pocket. "I'd rather not go running around Bolkor's Row looking for a safehouse, and I'm with on not going straight to their headquarters. We'll move to that bar on Ice Street and see who we can meet. According to my directions, it isn't too far of a walk from here... not that we'll be walking. I'm taking the rooftops."

Juan slithers back to an alley, and begins scaling the fire-escapes and the wall itself, his nimble fingers finding handholds easily in the ruined brick building. Arash has an easy time following, and even manages to speed up past him a few times, calling on his training with his Assamite master only weeks ago.

In time, they reach the bar on Ice Street. The bar, appropriately called The Dive, apparently was once a fisherman's pub decades ago, maybe even dating back to the times when boats were exclusively sail boats. As Arash and Juan peer at it from the top of a building, they could see the front door to the bar facing the street. There is an engraving of a ship's 'steering wheel', or helm. There is also an old wooden mast-head of a mermaid hung above the door, though someone managed to crawl up there and spraypaint a pair of garish red nipples onto the front of it, defacing it utterly. Wanton vandalism.

On the wall of the bar facing the small parking lot, which only has three other vehicles there, there is an 'Employees Only' door. There is also a trail of cigarette smoke coming from the back of the bar, near the dumpster kept at the building's rear, though the smoker is out of sight behind the building itself. He isn't talking, so he must be alone.

No music can be heard from outside, so if there's any playing, it's low and quiet, suggesting the bar's quiet, anonymous nature. Juan concentrates for a moment, and with the power of his Nosferatu nature, he transforms completely into a common hispanic street thug. Perhaps this is what he looked like before his embrace... Whatever the case, he turns to Arash after both of them drop down to street-level. "You ready to go in there? We'll look for anybody who... well, looks like me, and see about getting ourselves into this gang."

[ace_cipher_zero]

After taking a reasonable time to inspect the bathroom, Taylor quit in frustration. There wasn't a blasted way to get the water back to the poor man. Thankfully there was a water cooler in another of the offices, just giving him a bit more time to finish his inspection of all the hidey-holes that would need patching up. Boy there would be a few, and by the end some good hard plastering and painting would be needed, but most weren't security risks really. What was more important was that they let him see inside the walls, and pick out which office, or maybe all of them in the end, that they could make soundproof. Becoming aware of his delay, he finally finishes and brings the glorified thug a cup to drink.

"So sheriff... hope you've got a plan in mind for some action. If you need any imput just call. In the mean time I'll be taking some tarps and putting them over windows and the like, its just a temp job for now, but should block a lot of pesky light.... from letting people see what we're doing here, yes, that's it. Don't want anyone to be able to see what's going on in here, lets have them charge in sunblind. Makes for an excellent fight if we're stormed in the daytime."

[Entregan]

In Italian:"Excellent. The man, you pointed to is named Guy. He's going to be your heavy hitter for tonight. I won't be too far from the action. So now, as soon as they call tell them you're ready, and set up a meeting point. In the mean time, tell me the details about what's going on tonight. Everything you know. We don't want to go into this blind.Excellent

[Trenchfoot]

[Warehouse Headquarters]

Vinnie shrugs. In Italian: "I don't know much. Get the boys together, we meet Eddie and his guy in the warehouse district, then we hit the storehouse. I guess Eddie'll tell me where to meet up, I guess, probably somewhere obvious. A parking lot nearby or something. Then we just walk over, take out anybody at the storehouse, and walk away. I don't know where the warehouse the Colombians have is, Eddie knows. Eddie told me not to have the boys bring any big guns, but pistols seemed alright. Y'know, in retrospect, the whole thing seems a little sloppy... I think the guys I'm supposed to bring are just... bullet-catchers, you know? Meatshields."

He seems to think about this for a moment, and then shrugs.

"It's what Alice wants. I dunno. I never had beef with the Colombians, and neither did any of the Dover crew, but they've got a nice place with a bunch of nice stuff, so I guess we're gonna take it. That's really all I know."

It's really all he knows.

[Entregan]

In Italian:"Good. That's still more than we knew. More to work with, and know what's going on."

He motions Guy over, In Italian:He's going to talk to you a bit."

[Erad]

Juan hesitates for a moment, then opens the bar door and steps inside.

As he is in, he looks around, trying to guess who of the locals has the connections he needs. But, unwilling to get suspicions on himself, he advances to barman and orders a drink. A good Cuba rum, to be precise. And opens his ears to nearby conversations.

[Trenchfoot]

[Juan and Arash, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

The bar isn't as empty as one might have thought from the calm exterior. Low, browned lights illuminate the creaky wooden floors and walls, casting disturbing shadows against the ancient seafaring pictures and various wooden models of ships. There is a table of three rough-looking Asian men smoking cheap, imported cigarettes and speaking in their native tongue. Arash thinks it might be Korean, based on his experiences with a few Korean friends in college. There is one woman in the bar, looking to be in her late 30's, sitting alone near the back. She hasn't been hassled by any of the toughs in the bar tonight, and something about her demeanor shows she's disappointed in the lack of attention. There is also a pair of Hispanic men who are dressed just like Juan, sitting in a booth on the side of the room. They look up as Juan enters, perhaps wondering if they recognize him from somewhere. They do not look hostile, though one of them is definitely carrying a pistol under his shirt.

There are two men sitting separately at the bar, one in flannel and overalls with a fishing hat next to him on the counter, the other is remarkably muscular, dressed in a white t-shirt and bleach-stained blue-jeans. The bartender, a fat man in a greasy wife-beater, seems a friendly enough sort, but he seems to sense that the fisherman and the muscleman at his bar aren't there for the conversation with him.

The bartender gives Ralph and James a nod of welcome, then gives a brief glance to his waittress, a moderately attractive girl who looks like a money-starved college student.

[Partysan]

After a quick look around Arash very quietly mumbles out of his mouth's corner: "Alright, you check out your buddies, I'll try to interrogate the waitress and listen to your conversation from over there. I don't have your looks, could be suspicious to introduce me."
He then walks over to a table or one end of the bar that is sufficiently close to the gang members without directly facing them. Sitting down, he sends a wink over to the waitress.

[Trenchfoot]

[Juan and Arash, Dover District, Ice Street, The Dive Bar]

The waittress slides over, pleased to see someone a little more 'exotic' than the usual bar crowd.

"Hey there 'sugar. What's your pleasure?"


If you want to try somethin sly, remember to make a roll for it.

[Entregan]

Guy:Guy walks over to the two, as Trakan motions him over. He gives a greeting with a casual nod, "Name's Guy. My friend here says you could use our help. From the sounds of it, you have a pretty touch and go situation. Let me see if I have it straight. You're stuck with the crowd that pushed Alice out, and you need help getting in touch with her. Does that about sum it up? He looks between the two, with an appraising glance to the ghoul.

[Trenchfoot]

[Parking Lot, Corona District]

After Vinnie relates his story to Guy, it is only a matter of moments before the group embarks. Leaving Carl to conduct some business at the warehouse, primarily establishing an internet connection with a minor provider as he was instructed by Taylor earlier in the night.

Guy parks Carl's white vehicle a safe distance away from the parking lot, and he, Trakan, Taylor, Jake and Vinnie walk to the lot. Ahead of them, they see a white Econoline van. Outside of the van they see six men.

The first is wearing a long leather coat and jeans. Though he appears painfully average with his brown hair and brown eyes, there's a definite predatory nature about him. The man standing next to him is equally feral in a way, with a hooded sweater on underneath his own leather jacket. This second man seems a little more rugged than the first.

The other four men nearly identical greased-back dark hair and are wearing button-down shirts. They look like classic Italian mafia muscle. Only one of them stands out, radiating a more powerful presence. One of the four Italians calls out to Guy and his group as they approach. Vinnie greets him, identifying him as Eddie.

"Vinnie! Alright! Hell, this ain't the crew I was expecting, but they look pretty damned capable. Nice job!" Eddie looks to the four members of the Task Force, and cracks his knuckles. "You guys ready to break some faces and make off with some goods!?"

Alright folks, you know the drill. All of you players, excluding Juan and Arash, are present at this parking lot. I've described the scene from the point of view of the Task Force. Chronic and Simba, take a look at the first series of posts in the OOC thread to see what they look like, and gauge your first impressions. Again, if you think your character should suspect them of being Kindred, I'd like to see a good reason. As far as you know, these are just odd-looking mooks that Vinnie snatched up. I'll allow a couple IC posts to go by so you all can meet, and then I'll describe your warehouse.

For the moment, Ryan is keeping silent, letting Eddie run the show. Ryan's just here to punch things, not to organize.

[Entregan]

Guy nods, "Let's get this show started." He motions to the rest of the Task Force to step up. "What do you think? We ready boys?"

[Jesse Drake]

Jake nods. "I'm ready like Freddy." His eyes are wide open. And he's not blinking. His blues are just staring, a rather empty look in his eyes.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Well I'm good to go." Taylor looks towards the east for a brief moment, then down at the ground. "I think nobody would like it if the sun came up on us, so let's not delay too long."

[ChronicLunacy]

James Moreau

So I looked over your descriptions and I have to say, you don't seem the "bruiser" type. I have to go with first impressions on this one.

James looked over the newcomers with a critical eye and raised a brow at their appearance. "This is the best you could come up with? A suit, a Cali surfer kid, and a guy wearing leather pants? These guys don't exactly scream 'capable' to me, Ryan. At the very least they're not what I expected. You sure they're up for this, Vinnie-boy?" he asked.

They seemed eager at least...and that comment about the sun was just out of place enough that it made him wonder. Maybe he was just sensitive about the topic because of his own sun-related problems and the guy was just talking about how he didn't want to get caught.

[Trenchfoot]

[Parking Lot, Corona District]

Ryan shrugs, not really concerned, and whispers "Just bullet catchers, in case things get hairy. Also, fall-guys. You, me and Ralph could handle this place by ourselves if we wanted, but its easier when we have some mortal gang to blame. Don't worry about it."

Vinnie nods his head vehemently, though, supremely confident in Trakan. "They're up for it." he says.

The warehouse is ahead, ominously dark as one might expect. It's essentially one big three-story cube, with several entrances and no windows. On the front side of the building is the normal entrance, a typical wooden door that is probably locked. This door opens inward, and is attached on the left. It is on the left side of the front wall. Also on the front wall are the two massive sliding doors to admit loading trucks and tricons. As the opening mechanism for these doors is on the inside, only someone with significant physical strength might be able to lift them.

On the left wall of the building is a metal staircase leading up the top of the warehouse, presumably to an upper level that's separate from the one single room that comprises the lower levels. These metal staircases are solid, but would definitely be noisy. Only someone with light footsteps ought to ascend them. It's safe to presume that there would be a staircase in the first big room that leads up to the 'attic'.

Finally, there are two solid drainage pipes close to each other on the right side of the building. The physically agile, or the physically strong, might be able to climb up these two pipes onto the roof of the building.
All along the street are other similar warehouses, but all appear dead silent and unoccupied. There are various types of construction and loading equipment parked in a well-secured parking lot nearby. At this distance, no noise can be heard from the Colombian's warehouse.

This is a FREE description of the warehouse. You guys are still at the parking lot. If you want any additional descriptions, or are looking for something specific, let me know.

Ryan's whispering, but he isn't counting on the supernatural hearing ability of Kindred. If you Task Force guys decide you can hear him, I leave that up to you, no roll required.

[Entregan]

Trakan listens intently to those around him, remaining absolutely silent. He tunes into the whispering from Ryan, as he directs his gaze to the secured lot. He peruses over the security lightly as he listens intently. "I'm ready. Just give me a bit to find a more easy entrance. If we're doing this we want to be quick about it. Preferably quiet too. But, if we can't manage quiet, then we'll have to make some noise. A lot of it." he offers with his thick Northern Irish lilt.

[ace_cipher_zero]

"Hmmm... well, I'm up for climbing up the stairs, if someone else can not make too much noise. Believe it or not I was a baseball player in high school, and our team did pretty well... but yeah, don't think it would be too wise to go up alone. Anyone able to come up with me?" Taylor switches his gaze from the building to Guy. "And that OK with you boss?"

He then starts a little, and looks over at the others. "Oh, yeah. If you guys want to create a little.... burning distraction... I could do that as well. Brought the right stuff for it."

[Simba]

Ralph

In a whisper Ralph replies: "I can take those stairs, no worry. Or shimmy up the drains easy. Let's take the roof and work downwards, real quiet-like."

[Horatio@Bridge]

Guy reaches back into the van and pulls out a vintage M1903 Springfield rifle, well oiled and cared for. He expertly clears the chamber and checks the sites, then picks up a few more clips of the large bore sniper rounds. The M1903 was the standard issue rifle for the U.S. military from 1905 through World War II, when it was replaced by the first semi-automatic rifle, the M1 Garand. Still used heavily by snipers through World War II, the Korean War, and the early stages of the Vietnam War, the gun is popular among collectors and hunters. With so many in circulation, it would be difficult to trace.

"Yeah, we're up for it," Guy says, his voice a little cold. He turns to address the group who had been there waiting for him.

"Look, I want to be up front with you. My men and I aren't typical bruisers. We ran into Vinnie here by the bail bond shop looking for work. We're bounty hunters, and it just so happens the most wanted mark in town has ties to this warehouse you're about to hit. Now, I don't particularly care about what happens to this fellow's stock piles after we bring him in. As far as I'm concerned, you're all helping us out, covered by our license to bring this guy in by force if necessary. So long as we all get what we want, I see no reason why we can't work together on this." He casually loads the rifle and swings it in James's direction, not pointed at him but very pointedly pointed near him. "Do you?"



A careful mix of truth and lies, with a startling admission to perhaps make them overlook any of the more subtle gaffes we might make.

[Entregan]

Trakan shakes his head lightly, "I don't think burning will be necessary. More to the point, I think it would be better if you used the distraction to make your way up to the top. If we can use some of that equipment to make an entrance, It would make a great cover for you two to make your entrance from the top. But, you would need to be quick about it." He casts a glance to Montaigne "What do you think, oh fearless leader?" he offers with a slight smirk. Still though he listens closely to Ryan whispering.

Auspex 1: Heightened Senses (Hearing)

[ChronicLunacy]

James

"This isn't going to be an above-board job. Your papers aren't going to cover the amount of blood we're about to spill. If the police find a connection between you and this, there are going to be questions that you don't want to answer. Besides, there's no guarantee that the Columbian is going to be polite and come out of this all good and alive for you." James said, not looking too concerned about the rifle. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked irritated at the sudden rise in complexity.

"If that's all you want and IF you can get him out alive, personally I'd say you can have him, but everything else in there is ours to do with what we please. Say you found him somewhere else and you don't know anything about a warehouse. If he happens to die, then that's just too bad for you. We don't owe you anything." he said.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"We're not running this job for free," Guy says, but he raises his rifle to parade position, lowering the tension. "Still, our odds of catching him are better with you than without you. We'll take our chances. I imagine his corpse would still be worth something."

"Tactically, I say we make two entrances. One from above, one from the front door, both his at the same time for maximum confusion and minimum casualties on our side. I work best with wide fields of fire, so I'd like to go topside. We'd need two others to go in quick and quiet from the upper gantries.

For the front entrance, we can probably batter that main door in fairly easy. Follow that up with something with a lot of flash and bang, and we oughtta be able to overwhelm the initial defenders. A molotov cocktail'd do the trick, and Gault's got materials for those. There'll be bullets flying everywhere on that front entrance, so I recommend anyone going through there have a vest if you've got 'em. If not, you'll want something to act as a shield: a piece of scrap metal, or even a wooden pallet.

Once we're inside the two teams can support each other. We'll catch the second group of defenders in a cross fire and clean 'em up. No point in planning much further'n that, since we don't know exactly what they've got in there.

I'd like to keep my team together for the topside mission after Gault's put together the cocktails, if it's all the same to you. We've got experience working together, and I'm sure you have a similar familiarity you wouldn't want some newbie messing up."

[ChronicLunacy]

James

"Sounds like half a plan, but I'm not keen on playing bullet sponge. If anyone can hotwire one of the rigs in that yard over there I think that would even our chances a bit." James said, nodding in the direction of the parking lot.

[Trenchfoot]

[Parking Lot, Corona District]

Ryan keeps his mouth shut, but he looks pretty damn happy. With a bunch of planners around, he could do what he did best. He nods at Ralph, knowing Gangrel were pretty capable at the more athletic feats. Vinnie is likewise silent, just glad that he's getting closer to Alice.

Eddie, the ghoul, seems to be a little suspicious. It isn't clear where his suspicion is coming from; maybe at the mention of bail bonds, but he's definitely listening to Guy. He speaks up at the mention of hotwiring.

"I used to jack cars for cash back in the 90's. I could probably figure it out, but ah... I'm not so good with chainlink fences that have barbed wire on the top. If you're thinkin you want to drive one of those things into the warehouse, I could take the van through the fence, and then hotwire it I guess. Would probably be noisy..."

He falls silent, unsure of his own plan. He suddenly looks at Guy once more, realizing he had revealed a criminal past in front of a bounty hunter. His face pales slightly, but Ryan merely laughs.

[Horatio@Bridge]

"Noisy's alright as long as it's fast. Still, if we're going to crash the van through things, why not use it to bust down the door? I'm sure the haul from the job will be more than sufficient to replace it. Assuming of course that no-one brought along some bolt cutters which we could use to cut through the fence."

[Trenchfoot]

[Parking Lot, Corona District]

Ryan suddenly speaks up. "I'd rather not drive my van through a warehouse door. A chainlink fence will scratch it up to hell, but taking it through one of those sliding doors would be a little more serious."

He rolls his shoulders a little. "Though I guess if we really want to, we could. It's just a damn van. Might be kinda fun."

[ChronicLunacy]

James

"If we can get all the way through that door instead of stuck in it, the direct assault team can stay in the van until its inside the warehouse, pitch open the doors, and use it for cover if we need to." James agreed. "Alright, so the bounty hunters go topside and the rest of us will stay on ground level with the van. We'll come busting in after we give you guys...what? Five minutes to get up to the roof and ready to go?"