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[5e IC] And The Rain Keeps Falling

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CraterShip

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« Reply #165 on: <04-02-17/1428:05> »
The lab destroyed, the bodies burned, no hope of the elevators working for some time, and the group makes its way back the way it had come. The intense heat from Ichante's mystical fire pours out even into the sewers for a few moments. Singed flesh and melting plastic smells linger even as the heat dissipates and is gradually replaced by the cold damp feel of the dark tunnels. Rain has continued to drive the water levels even higher to the dismay of the shortest members of the team. Sticking to the path laid out days before, they make their way back uneventfully, even the slipperiest algae seem to have given way under the maelstrom.

Pale Horse is the first out of the sewers, scanning immediately for any sign of danger near their parked vehicle. Nothing seems out of the ordinary. People still pass by completely unknowing what had just occurred just a few hundred feet away and under ground. Just as they were blissfully unaware of what had been happening in that hellish room for so many months.

Drumming rain continues to slough off the windshield as everyone climbs into the vehicle and you pull easily into traffic, heading back to the safehouse hoping to attract as little attention as possible. It would be hard enough to explain the gear currently being carried, let alone the tissue samples, and nose-hair singing smell of toasted ghoul.

Asher is waiting for you at the safehouse, briefcase in hand, a look of dismay crossed with relief and underlined with tones of bitterness cross his face. As the team approaches, he sets the briefcase at Spikes' feet and accepts the tissue sample and data disc, placing them into a small black box, which he pockets into his high-collared white coat. No words for the team, he simply nods and turns to go.

Asher rounds the corner of the building, the team standing outside, rain pouring over them, obscuring the neon brightness of the streets nearby. Chaim runs after him a moment, checking to see where he is going, but as he reaches the corner, no one is visible, the cars on the street completely ordinary. He turns back to return to the team and sees something that catches his eye. A man stands directly across the street from the team, white tails of a labcoat flapping in the wind, partially covered by an oversized jacket. Chaim trots back toward the other teammembers, The strange man turns toward Chaim, away from the team, a smile parts his lips, he shakes his head and slowly draws a line across his throat with his thumb. Even through the heavy downpour, Chaim recognizes him - Dr. Nelson. He yells to the team, drawing his pistol, but the rain drowns out his words, and then the Doctor is gone.

gilga

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« Reply #166 on: <04-07-17/0553:44> »
Before arriving at the safe house, Spikes carefully scanned the safehouse and its various systems for any sign of intrusion. Unfortunately - there was such sign "Guys... Someone was poking around in the safehouse, some other decker. Some of the files have been accessed and one of the security logs records an intrusion. Someone was poking around and did not clean up well enough afterwards."

With a bit of dread she added "I hope that Sonic is alright... I have to fetch him out of there."

rednblack

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« Reply #167 on: <04-07-17/1255:22> »
Asher pays the agreed sum, and doesn't mention Dr. Nelson, or the extra job he tried to squeeze out of the team gratis, but his face betrays a lingering bitterness.  Personal? Chaim wonders, but as tense as these payoffs can often be, he doesn't want to bring any sore spots to the surface.  Asher would most likely not seek them out again, and for those kinds of paydays, that was too bad, but still one couldn't start a business relationship as some kind of pushover overly beholden to one's employers, now could one? 

Or maybe I made the wrong call? he wonders, thinking about the new additions, about the fact that he couldn't keep Eddie from straying, and the short list of runners he would take a drink to every March 18, January 4, and October 17. 

As Asher leaves, a briefcase lighter, and a medical breakthrough richer, Chaim says, "I'm heading out for a smoke," and retrieves a corona from the pocket of his Ulysses coat.  Outside, he huddles under the eave of the safehouse, and toasts the end of his cigar.  Why was he in such a gloomy mood?  He was a clean 10k richer, enough to pay up a few months rent, maybe even get out of the drekhole he was living in off Ashburne.  Or, he could blow it on novacoke and gin -- the real stuff for a change.  It was when Chaim took his first full draw off his triple-capped maduro that he caught sight of Dr. Nelson, standing across the street, his white coat flapping in the wind for all to see.   Chaim turns to join the others back inside, but Dr. Nelson shakes his head with a pernicious grin and draws a clean line across his throat.

The corona falls from his hand as he activates the gun-slide on his 75, but the doctor takes a quick step back into the shadows as Chaim fires, the silenced pistol's report drowned out by the rain.  He knocks on the door and yells for the team, crouching low, but he can't see anything through the rain.  Pale Horse is the first one out, and Chaim points in the direction where he last saw Dr. Nelson, and motions for her to cover him.  Using parked cars, and trash cans, he makes his way across the street, but once he reaches the spot where Dr. Nelson was standing, there's nothing.

<<You see any movement?>>  Chaim comms.

<<Clear on my end>> Pale Horse replies.

Back inside, Chaim fills in the team.  "Look, a call needed to be made, and I made it.  But it looks like I'm at least on the good Dr.'s drek-list.  Ya might wanna keep your hoops away from me for a bit."

Pale Horse declines his offer, and offers to watch his back.  "'sides, we can't say for sure he's gonna stop with you, natch."

Smiling with relief, Chaim say, "Ok, well I should probably take off first.  I'll catch a car down to Touristville, and we'll see who follows."

"No, no, no,"
Pale horse says.  "Spikes and I will go first, get ourselves set up with some kind of a view.  You head out after."

Chaim nods, and they lay out the rest of the plan.  Within 20 minutes, he's out in a car, and in another half hour, he's been dropped off at one of the busier corners in Touristville, between The Nomad Club and Trixie's 8.  About 20 meters behind him, Chaim sees two men exit, young anglos, looking like they're out for a night on the town.  Right. .  .  Chaim pretends not to notice them, even as one pulls out a comm and starts talking.  No DNI, eh?  That one must be the adept.  The other's probably as cybered up as Casket.  Just look at the way he moves.  Chaim pretends not notice them as he joins the line in front of Trixie's 8, and again pretends not to notice them as he comms the team.

<<@Team [Chaim] In position.>>

"We see you," Pale Horse's muffled voice comes in over comms.

<<You see the two at the corner, heading my way?  They came in a cab just after me?>> Chaim comms, while keeping a close eye on his surroundings.  And then he notices another man, decked out in Ares' best.  He's trim, young to be wearing a 2,800¥ suit, and especially oblivious to be spending that kind of nuyen on such an anonymous piece of attire.  Chaim notices the tell-tale bulge at the small of the man's back, while he pretends not to notice Chaim, not to be here for him.

<<6 o'clock.  blond hair.  blue suit.  Got Ares written all over him>>

"So?"

<<Ares set this up.  He's gotta be with Nelson>>

"Think about where we are, Chaim.  Every fourth hoop here is employed by one of the ten."

The man turns to face him, begins walking toward Chaim -- or the line -- but Chaim is sure it's the former.  There's a small flash of steel, mostly muted from the rain, but there's enough light coming down from all the projections and AROs that Chaim sees it, nestled in the man's right hand.

<<He's coming for me.  Abort>>

Chaim abruptly leaves the line, and crosses the street, toward the coffee shop, disabling his wireless devices.  He glances to his right, and sees that the pair from the taxi are already on the other side of the street, and he turns sharply to his left, and then ducks into an alley.  He finds himself face-to-face with a burly human selling some party favors to a dwarf woman, and the pair eye him coldly.  Nothing to see here, and I didn't see nothing, Chaim thinks, as he pushes his way further into the alley.  Don't look back, don't look back.  Can't have them think I give frag all about what they're doing with their life, or their nuyen, or their body.  Shit.

Chaim reboots his comms, the light blinking as it powers on and searches for his network.
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gwilym

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« Reply #168 on: <04-09-17/1609:37> »
Horse and sparks leapfrogged down the road. Sparks puttering scooter taking an age to catch up serving as a perfect reason to keeping over her shoulder. Fuel stop and a doughnut break and they are there,
Sparks pipes up, as they sit down in the window seat, "why did we stop for dogs an' Joe month on the way when we were coming here?"

" so we can concentrate on the job at hand"

Horse messages chain and settles in, letting sparks chirrup away about this party and that dress while she slowly scans the plaza between sips of kawphee. Satisfied she has it fixed it her mind she looks straight it sparks "you wanna come to the drag races" sparks shrinks in her chair abit "seriously?" "yet,, why not? There's money to be made and heart to be stolen. To be honest there's these to two cute elf guys who just won't take crack off and die for an answer. If we could get Ichante to tag along it could be proper messy, and grinders likes it messy its easier to spot trouble."

Then Chain arrived, really wound up he was jumping at his own shadow. Horse started to wonder if he was going to shoot a bush and stab four lampposts to make his getaway. She tried to calm him down shoot down the basis of his fears. The he rebooted his coms and she had to wait..

"so what do you think? It could be fun? No?"
You are not what you think you are. you are an imitation of what your wish you were

gilga

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« Reply #169 on: <04-09-17/1718:40> »
"Let's do it..." answered Spikes, "Anything to take my mind off my shit..." she said and powdered her black eye again. Classic Spikes, facing ghouls without a scratch only to get beaten up by some ugly trog who wanted to get paid NOW.  She sighed and said "Besides, you do not seem like the giggling type, so I might not hate you after a couple of drinks. "  She looked at Chaim that seemed like a shadow of himself and added.  "You need a drink as well pretty boy. Show is over, we got paid and have nothing of value  anymore.  We are just ordinary shadowrunners, briefly involved in a story that started before us and will continue long after us. I have already forgotten anything except your pretty eyes....  Come and drink with us, will ya?"