[Crossbow]

The man looks completely confused, "Are you trying to rent a room?  I don't understand, please don't hurt us, I got a little bundle of Horizon script out in the office, you can have it."

[Necrogigas]

O'Connor sighed, "Playing dumb is the same as lying. Now I want you to look at what I have this machine pistol set to." He angled his pistol, while leaving it in the woman's mouth, so that the man could see that it was set to full auto. After letting that sink in, O'Connor continued, "Playing dumb won't save her, and it won't save you. Now you need to tell us what you know, or we kick this interrogation up to the next level." He glanced over at Sam to see what his take on the man was.

[Crossbow]

"I swear to Christ, I'm not playing dumb!  I have no idea what you want, just give me a chance!  Did you leave something in #8?  What was it?" the man looks desperate.

The woman is just about to faint, you notice a wetness growing at waist level.

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

As the two from the roof make it back to the car and Sammy does her scanning, Snow uses a quick data search and local public access to determine that the strip club in question is called The Derma.  Looking up the node, Snow stops short, unlike the rest of the systems on this run to date, the club has a sculpted Matrix node.  A neon woman grinding on a neon pole.  The fact that they have modified their Matrix presence beyond standard iconography say loud and clear that this one is actually going to be a test.

[Mercy Merchant]

Snow whistles.  <Team.  We must be more cautious here than at the last bar or the motel.  The club is called the Derma.  The club has a sculpted matrix node, which means some serious effort has been put into it.  I will have to be very careful here, and I would recommend that the rest of you are very careful as well.  There is probably a good physical security presence, too.  Get me closer so I can try to get into the node.  I would like to try to penetrate it if you want me to.  What is our play here?>

[farothel]

"If it's a strip club, we can sent our two gentlemen in to have a look around," Sammy said, "and depending on security, Clem and I can have a look around the roof again.  Maybe this is just another retransmitter and we have to be at another building in the end."

[Thvor]

Sam's smile remained unchanged. "I'm sorry, sir. My associate was perhaps a bit...unclear. We're not interested in the room, so much as the people who have been using it. And what they do with the recordings you allow them to make of it."

[HydroRaven]

"Yeah, I think we're going to need everyone for this one" acknowledges Clementine. <We're going to need you over here once you're done, guys> wrote Clem to the rest of the team.

[spoiler] I realize we're working on 2 different timelines, so I'll let Crossbow determine when Clem actually sends her message during the "interrogation" [/spoiler]

[Crossbow]

"Aww no man, you got the wrong guy for that stuff.  You need to find this ork named Bacchus, dude's got these crazy cyberlegs.  He set that stuff up, I think he runs with the A-Kidz, some thrill gang.  He just drops off a bottle or chips or whatever when he climbs up on the roof and I don't ask questions." the man was happy to find out he had information that could save his life, when he finishes he looks to the woman with hope and support.  She carefully nods her head around the barrel of the gun in her mouth.

[Thvor]

Sam sighed, his entire presence conveying that the man hadn't actually provided useful information. "I'm afraid you're going to have to do better, if you want to keep my partner happy. Which I'd really recommend, honestly. We've checked with the 'Kidz'. Bacchus is on his own these days. Now, there are two things that I know would make my partner here very happy. The first, of course, would be for you to give him a reason to pull that trigger--he's inordinately fond of doing that, I've found. The second would be for you to remember how we can find Bacchus."

After a brief pause, he added, "Oh, and I should add that my partner isn't a very patient man. So I'd recommend you decide which option you're going with quickly." His smile never faltered.

[Crossbow]

"How would I know that?  We don't hang out, he gives me my stuff sometimes, that's it!  I'M SO SORRY DIANE!!..." the man sobs into his hands then looks up again, looking horrified and turns in the bed to face the woman, "DEBRA!! I MEAN DEBRA! Omigod!"

The woman's face changes a bit, she is still scared, but there is suddenly a look of rage and hate there too, not directed at the runners, but at the man in the bed.

[Necrogigas]

O'Connor sensed more than saw the woman's rising rage and bloodlust. He removed his pistol from her mouth and took a half step back, *Told everyone talking to this guy would be a waste of time. Hopefully this domestic drama will make up for it.*

[Crossbow]

As soon as O'Connor steps back, the woman is all over the guy, punching and clawing, screaming about "that skinny-ass bitch, Diane" and what a lowlife he is.  The tangle of soiled sheets and screaming humanity roll off the bed on Sam's side and suddenly there an empty synth-whiskey bottle being wielded in the mix and the man's cries of defense and mercy start becoming ones of real pain.  The shatterproof resin of the heavy bottle is truly effective as club as she rains blows and invective that even makes O'Connor wince on the man's fetal form, the linen still tying them together.

[Necrogigas]

O'Connor was an expert on delivering pain, and he was impressed. He winched as a heavy blow completely shattered the man's nose, *Holy drek on a stick, she's pissed.* He looked to Sam and then motioned towards the door.

[farothel]

"There's no magical security that I could see," Sammy said when she had returned to her body, "there are still some people there, probably the late shift closing up.  Hopefully we find a location where we can get onto the roof without being seen from the ground or cameras.  That way we don't have to be in the club and maybe Snow can attach a cable to the receiver and get in like that."

[HydroRaven]

"I can probably get on that roof without too much trouble, but I don't know about Snow" answered Clementine to Sammy's comment. "Could do something to make her float or otherwise get her on the roof? In my experience, people that have the money to spend on the Matrix have already spent some on their security, so I'd rather avoid any contact with them before we confirm this is where we want to be knocking on the door." Clem turned around to face Snow and asked her "Is there any chance you can tell us with any degree of certainty if they have eyes on that rooftop?"