[gilga]

@Jed: At first glance there seems to be nothing out of the ordinary about Marco's aura. All the emotions are balanced, he is not feeling any sort of distress or embarrassment. A deeper look revels a an awakened, with a magic score of 6, there are no active spells in his aura.

[gilga]

"So lets go to meet the forger then ? " said Marco. Trying to figure out driving arrangements. "Arc can you give us a lift to that place?  we'll be okay afterwards... we have some... *goods* to unload" 

He text Phoenix <<We are on our way to meet ya now! >>

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena perks up.  "Yelena drive you in car.  Arc take bike for date.  When leave?"

[gilga]

Marco's thoughts race... "Excuse me for a moment he say, I got to contact someone": he go to the side and texts Yelena to be discreet. << Car is full of drugs... I'll kill you if you touch!  You had enough of this shit - don't even look to the back sits.  I sort of got them for free and they worth quite a bit... will help finance the rest of the mission if we don't find Sam so quickly. >>

[Mercy Merchant]

The thought of drugs so close and accessible sends Yelena's heart pounding a bit faster.  She can feel the desires building again, and while they are not quite uncontrollable, they are certainly strong.  She tries to keep the excitement and need from her voice as she replies.  <Oh?  And what sort drugs.  From club?>

[gilga]

He texts <<No idea... lifted it from some wannabe Orc... I never touch these... in my profession you have to be in control all the time or you are getting fucked in all the wrong ways. I was going to let Phoenix have a look - he seems to be a man of many talents. Then there is this dwarf we came to visit - he is a dealer and these were originally his drugs so he'll probobly agree to sell them leaving us a nice finders fee. ... got some big twisted scheme, but basically just improvising tyring to keep the show running. >>

[SmilinIrish]

"The links have a bonus feature that may have been missed...all messages between them have a copy sent to Sam's no matter what.  I don't know much about the Trix, but I imagine that can be traced.  Wiz that you got a Trix guy...if backup is needed, a buddy of my Vrukart (Or'Zet, boyfriend) offered to help in the next coupla days.  Either way, sounds like we came to the right place."  She smiled, looking at the others before adding.

"I'm getting a vibe that you're a decent dude, Mr. Early.  Yelena can shoot me for saying this, but it is important.  We working on digging into this club called the Stardust.  Got a lotta people going missing, real sketch.  Sam put us to the job.  After these new eyes and the arm, couldn't exactly refuse, eh?"  She held up her right cyberhand as a point.  "Our mage dude Feathers was with us for it...he went dark a few days in, and Sam was digging around.  Now we got drek."

Wait, this Sam isn't just an employer then?  From what you say, he almost sounds like a friend.  This bit about the club may be critical.  My initial impression was that he was skipping out on you, but there is a chance that he may have been snatched...

Thank you for the details about this comm.  I'm sending this info to my matrix guy right away.  I'll contact him while we are in the car. 

This is embarrassing, but can I catch a ride with one of you?  I found myself going head to head with a toxic mage a couple of weeks ago.  He trashed my car and put me in the hospital for a couple of weeks. 

Let's get that out there right now, best they know what they are getting with me.  I'll show them I can keep up. 

While in the car: 

@ Escher:  Here is the access info for the commlink I talked about.  Girl says that all messages sent also send a copy to the master comm.  Figure that is important.  Do you think you can get location data (wifi, cell towers etc) and isolate where the comm was most often located when it got messages?  Might lead us to the missing persons house.  One last thing.  In your Matrix digging, can you check up on a club for me.  Stardust.  I'd like to know who really owns it, could be a major crime family, so walk carefully here.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena's hands tremble just a little as she swaps keys with Arc and goes to the car.  She never tells lies because she is horrible at it and always gets caught.  And in her line of work it is better to be known for never lying.  Especially to an employer.  She must be more affected by the drugs than she had thought.  She will trust Marco to keep her away from his stash while she drives the car.  No.  She is not sure that she can trust herself.  She turns to Jed., holding out the keys.  "Yelena not sleep in many hours.  Not trust drive.  Here keys.  Do not hurt Arc's baby or she get very angry.  Yelena take cab to home and sleep.  Yelena see later and can tell what find out.  You have data packet uploaded now.  Call at comm code given later and let Yelena know if can do."

[SmilinIrish]

Jed takes the keys and wishes Yelena good rest. spokoynoy nochi.

He looks over his should and asks Marco Want to drive?

[gilga]

Marco gives Yelena a warm hug... "It will get better he say... it is actually better for you not knowing where I put these." He enters the car and Say to Jed:
"I do not know how to drive... but there is autopilot."

The way to the Marina is event less, some traffic but nothing unexpected at this hour.  Marco tries to brake the silence with a short chat, asking Jed how long he's been a PI and trying to get him to talk about that encounter with the toxic mage few weeks ago. Namely, figuring out if there is a toxic mage hanging around anywhere near here.

"So... you said you had an encounter with a toxic mage... ? " he asks.

[SgtBoomCloud]

Arc raised a brow at the PI's revelation of recent events, smirking a little and nodding.  "I hear ya man.  Yelena and I were in there for a beat as well, heh.  All good.  As for employer versus friend, yeah that's kinda true.  But hey, far as we're concerned, we were doing this for a good cause, ya hear me?" As she swapped keys with Yelena, she saw the haunted look in the Owen's eyes, the realization of the situation dawning on her.  she knows what's in the car.  Oh drek.. "Oh, mister. Here's my commcode if you need me for anything.  Yelena, I gotta stop by home anyway.  Save your money, come with me". Smiling, she nodded and shook hands with Marco and Jed before departing on the Scorpion and zooming off.

The ride wasn't terribly long or arduous...they beat the post work traffic at least...but Arc remained pretty quiet through the deal.  She felt the Russian clinging to her to stave off the chill...and likely other struggles, but the human would let her bring it up.  It wasn't her place, and Arc wanted to be supportive.

[ismilealot]

@ Jedediah. Esher messages you. >>I'll need to interrogate the device directly if it sent linked messages. That's the only way I'll get a bead on the second message without knowing exactly where its gone. I'll start the searches on the known data regarding the comm as well as look into the club while I'm waiting for you.««

[ismilealot]

@ Yelena  You finally hear back from Bella, >>We'll be there around 8 or 9. And wear something I can enjoy taking you out of.<<

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena clings to her friend like a lifesaver.  Arc.  Yelena need help.  Too much drugs.  In too deep and going deeper.  Yelena meet Bella at club on Friday.  Probably more drug to get in good.  Yelena will need help to get out of hell when done mission.  Too much remember drug time and how good it was.  Only small part remember how bad drug was.  Will be mean.  Say bad things.  Try hurt self and others.  Yelena really fragged up this time."

"Also, talk Yelena tomorrow about job.  Need kill someone but maybe not do it.  Have small plan, but need help making it big plan.  But Yelena so tired and cold now.  Drugs so close Yelena could feel them."

Yelena does smile when she gets the message from Bella.  She quickly sends one back.  <Bella.  Is Yelena.  Yelena be there.>

Yelena taps Arc on the back.  "Was Bella.  Meet at 8 on Friday."

[gilga]

During the way Marco was busy, unpacking is shadow running bag, and stuffing the drugs inside. His equipment was a mess and he obviously needed a new beg, he should have just taken that Orc coat... but nobody else could wear such a long coat.
“I am sorry for the unusual cargo we are carrying... “ Said Marco smiling. “I have a beginning of  a plan that involve these and if it does not make the *wont get you killed* critique... like I said, without Sam we need to get creative on how we continue with the club... expenses are extreme...”

Marco types his codes and enters the Yacht, not before shooting a small message to Phoenix just in case he is the paranoid kind . Marco still wasn’t sure what to make of that morning but perhaps he was drugged by something to knock him out... he really had no experience with these kind of techniques.  “Phoenix... this is Jed a PI we sort of hired to help us find Sam... and *this* is a bag full of drugs that I got for free from someone way too naive to be selling them without adult supervision. I was wondering if you could have a look... perhaps with your life experience you could tell me what we are looking at here.”

That day was getting stranger as it progressed and there was nothing more than Marco wanted than to just let go of everything and forget himself into some wild vice. It was difficult him to suppress his nature for such a long time.