[gilga]

Marco gladly tosses  the peanut candy treat toward the bird spirit that enjoys picking them out of the thin air. "Why does he keep eating... he is not like other spirits this one."  he thinks.

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena is sad and glad to see the sniper in his position.  Glad because she was still thinking like a professional and sad because it means the Virtual Goddess is compromised or has written her off and provided information to her enemies.  Shaking her head, she feels that a significant part of her life may have come to an end but the funk last all of two seconds before she is calculating how to turn this around.  She reasons that not everyone works solo and that there may be a backup to the primary shooter.

>>Team [Yelena]:  Yelena in trouble.  Yelena enemy use information from Yelena fixer to set ambush for Yelena.  Not know yet if intentional.  Srui can send eye to location attached to see if way to own sniper point?  Then to second location to see if backup shooter is where should be.  Blackbird able to make image of Yelena?  Yelena heading to  hotel for gun case.<<

[ismilealot]

Marco's burner phone finally buzzes with an answer, >>Wanderer, scans of footage show only Nicolai and your faces. Top notch rigger as driver. Info being sought on all known riggers capable of that driving skill to find driver. Geusstimates of height, weight, metatype from footage. If Wanderer needs private transportation there's an old friend with a private jet on business nearby that might be willing to give a lift.<< An image is displayed of the old friend. But, it's no one Yelena recognizes. But then, she hasn't had any dealings with priests since she was three.

Velenkoradi tells Marco, Older, less vibrant, less dark, tired.

[gilga]

Marco whispers to Yelena in his subvocal mic "No need to kill him, there is no 'advance' so we collect what money we have and pay Jed's man. We will be broke but alive. In the meanwhile, do not kill the sniper - your fixer knows you better than most. So do not think like yourself, think like someone else - do not go to the hotel go straight to the meeting point alone. I will go by myself to the hotel and will accompany the rest.  I can mask you as a polish dude and it will keep you safer. It is impossible to just assense every single person in the city because they might be a beautiful russian assassin. "

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena shakes her head.  "Is reason to kill sniper.  Is flip of finger to ex fixer and make others more careful.  Still, is reason be careful."  As they walk back to the hotel, they are still disguised and Yelena is not overly concerned, but she has Arc keep the drone flying about them to see if anyone is paying a lot of attention to them.  She unfolds the map as they walk casually  and she looks for the place where she would be if she was going to sacrifice the first sniper as a pawn in order to have Yelena set herself up to take it out and thus expose herself to a second sniper.  She smles to see that there is really only one good location for the second, real sniper.  >>Team [Yelena]:  Arc can send eye to carefully look at location Yelena sending.  Yelena not want hurt head with many scenarios of layers of snipers, but  Yelena might use sacrifice blind to lure Yelena.  Yelena and Blackbird almost back.<<

She takes the burner that Blackbird had given her and shows it to him.  "Yelena was told maybe old friend take Yelena to safety.  Yelena not recognize.  Does Blackbird recognize priest?"

[ismilealot]

Marco recognizes the priest instantly. No amount of years could erase the image of his old "mentor" from his mind.

[gilga]

and so the betrayal was complete, any illusion of freedom was wiped away. Uncharacteristically for him, he threw up his breakfast looking at the picture and then went silent. He sat on the snow and covered his head with his hands. "It is another trap - this one is for me. " he said and added "we really have no one. Virtual Goddess may have sold you out - but Sam was always working with the people who educated me. It seems that everything in my life is just manipulation and emotional control. All the mojo in the world cannot set me free, I am but a puppet on a string. "

[spoiler]
My reference, funny how that was the first thing that came to mind.

Puppet on a String
Sandie Shaw

I wonder if one day that,
You'll say that, you care
If you say you love me madly,
I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
Love is just like a merry-go-round
With all the fun of the fair
One day I'm feeling down on the ground
Then I'm up in the air
Are you leading me on?
Tomorrow will you be gone?
I wonder if one day that,
You'll say that, you care
If you love me madly,
I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
I may win on the roundabout
Then I'll lose on the swings
In or out, there is never a doubt
Just who's pulling the strings
I'm all tied up to you
But where's it leading me to?
I wonder…
I wonder if one day that,
You'll say that, you care
If you say you love me madly,
I'll gladly, be there
Like a puppet on a string
Like a puppet on a, string
Songwriters: Bill Martin / Phil Coulter
[/spoiler]

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena bends over Blackbird.  "Что такое этот вопрос, мужа? Что бублик из магазина, возможно? Нам необходимо yo вы получите обратно в отель вы сможете отдохнуть. Загорается." She helps Blackbird to his feet and continues to the hotel.  >>Blackbird [Yelena]:  Yelena guessed might be priest you know.  Now you thing Sam betray us.  Yelena say not Sam.  He is constant in equation.  No need to do this and no reason.  Sam not do this to us.  Contact not start conversation same way as before.  Yelena think not Sam group.  But think.  If take plane with priest, then can get justice for Blackbird.  And save money.  Can ask Arc and PI man if want to go home then leave with priest.<<


[spoiler]What is the matter, husband?  That bagel from the shop, perhaps?  We need yo get you back to the hotel so you can rest.  Come on.[/spoiler]

[SmilinIrish]

The two messages came in one after the other.  To the first he replied Roger that.  Working to procure funding and shake our shadow.  Will notify you when we are clear and funded.  In response to Yelena's message he sends one to Escher Greetings from Europe.  We completed our show but we can't shake our fans.  I think our problem is digital.  We've tried reboots, but they stay on us.  Can you provide an assist?  Full disclosure, I don't have funding up front, trying to get paid right now, can transfer when we are clear. 

Jed had accepted the explanation from Arc that they had followed through her drones.  He had drawn inward due to the severe cold and pain just walking through it.  It was time to make sure astral wasn't the problem.  Motioning for Arc to wait a minute, he focused his will and called out to the local spirits of man for aid.  Bargaining quickly he obtained the services of a spirit.  My name is Jed.  I'll be needing you to sustain a spell to increase my awareness.  Follow me in the astral for now.  I will not be bargaining to bind you to me.  Thank you .  Turning to his bound spirit, Jed instructs [/color=blue]Please standby to heal any of my friends who need it.  I'll give further instructions if I need you to defend. [/color]  Smiling at the spirit, he said I think I've up about half of our agreement.  Hopefully you've found the time well spent on your part.

Jed gathered himself and projected his assensing outward to look around before they exited the room.  Hand on Arc's shoulder, he is on high alert, looking for anyone suspicious. 

[spoiler]Hits on the astral window spell create the limit for the assensing test.       smilinirish:15D6E5 → 3( (3, 5, 1, 1, 4, 2, 6, 4, 2, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 5→ 3 successes against 5) )                                                                            [/spoiler]

[Qwikfix]

Arc nodded after the few moments of respite, gathering her things as Jed made the motions he needed.  Sitting there as the mage went into the astral, her bright aura belied her level of fatigue and mild uncertainty at the situation, but her expression showed concentration and determination.

Limiting comm traffic, she simply sent a blipped ping to Yelena affirming the instruction, redirecting the flyspy to scout the indicated locations.  As soon as it was time...they'd be ready to move.

[gilga]

Marco stands up silent and said bitterly "The devil always wins, and always finds such willing souls to do his bidding. Sam used you and then sent you here to die, when you did not die he now attempts to send me to die - by linking me with my baggage. However, I am not a man of vengeance, but one of forgiveness.  I would not act violently against the priests and I am powerless to dismantle an organization full of much more experienced mages even if I tried. If we do meet that pilot - he is my old mentor and whatever is left of my freedom is at stake, I have a feeling that this is going to be the price.

Since we are more desperate now, perhaps we go check that hideaway and try to remain hidden there for several weeks? I do not believe that your old mentor needs that place anyhow - and even if there was someone waiting there for him - they are long gone now - might find new SINs and resources to continue."

[ismilealot]

As Jed casts himself into the astral he is no longer bound by the limitations of his aging flesh and the wonder, mystery and magic of the world around him becomes manifest. He is more free here, more powerful, the taint of the Barrens, so pervasive in his home, is gone. But, the world here is more grey. It lacks the deep shadows of the Barrens, but it also lacks the bright energies of new life. Still, he was hunting, and he needed to focus. The spirit beside him, seeing him gather himself responded to his instructions and augmented his senses and as he cast himself out, expanding his search further and further, the death cries of so many made themselves manifest, tainting the ground where they had died. As Jed examined the area he realized it was recent, Nicolai's group? No way for him to be sure. And it was not what he was hunting for. So he continued to search, intil he was as certain as he could be that whatever magics the enemy possessed, it was not the ability to hunt them in the astral.

Velenkoradi flew around Marco immediately, comforting him.

[SmilinIrish]

As his vision returns to his shell, he takes him hand from Arc's shoulder.  I'm as certain as I can be that there is nothing watching us from the astral.  I don't believe there are any mundanes watching us either.  Odd thing I saw, but there are echos in the astral of some kind of recent massacre.  I don't have any reason to believe it is related, but there could be other dangers here we haven't run across.  Lets find Y and Blackbird

[gilga]

Marco strokes Velenkoradi and subvocally asks Yelena "Perhaps I'll go alone to check the safehouse? I can be very sneaky when I wish to. You seem a bit distanced."

[Mercy Merchant]

Yelena smiles at her companion and nods. "Yelena not distanced.  Yelena right here thinking what to do.  OK.  Blackbird go safehouse and Yelena go Arc and PI man.  Be careful.  Yelena not sure Nicolai dead.  He may be there.  Please do not kill if he is hurt.  Ha and Yelena maybe not lovers any longer, but he was teacher and friend."

She watches the man leave and continues on to the hotel, continuing to check the drone feed to see if there is a second shooter to back up the first one.  At the hotel, she slips in unseen as the clerk is still glued to his vid screen.  She knocks at the door and goes in when Jed opens it for her. "Blackbird go see safehouse of Nicolai.  Yelena came for guns.  Need decide what do.  Yelena ex fixer send men to kill Yelena.  Yelena think should kill assassin but want ideas from Srui and PI man."