[Crossbow]

"You can locate them in the general sense with your own links, they are all broadcasting the 'Undesirable' tag. That should get you to the general area, maybe even as close as 3 meters in an urban environment. Unless you begin to engage in 'bad' behavior the virus won't do much to you beyond annoyance, so if you want to just get close and then shut the links back down while you are handling business."

Crenshaw explains to Tommy why they pulled off, then the hacker, "There is a hospital about 3 miles that way, and the tags are all in about a 3 block circle a couple of streets over from where we are now.  We can take care of Stumpy and come get you after you do your thing, I would offer to help but my link has decided that it doesn't like me to hack into private servers."

Crenshaw brings the bus to a stop in a strip mall parking lot at the suggestion.

[Mercy Merchant]

Snow gives Crenshaw a quick peck and a mouthed thanks as she gets off the bus and waits for orders.  She is already trying to get a general feeling for where the tags are by turning her 'link back on.  She looks at Clem as she climbs from the bus.  "What first, boss?"

[Necrogigas]

O'Connor readied his weapons when they were told the ambushers were near. He exited the bus and looked back at Clem expectantly. He was eager to settle the score.

[HydroRaven]

Getting out of the bus with the rest of her companions, Clem nodded at O'Connor. "Unless we have an urgent need to be somewhere else, I think now should be the time we hit those that ambushed us. They probably don't expect us to track them down, which should give us the upper hand. Any objections?" asked the ork, looking around with a look that said her question was more a form of politeness than anything else.

[Thvor]

As Sam got off the bus, he thanked Crenshaw for his willingness to take care of Bacchus. Then he turned to Clem. "So, what's our approach? Should I go in first, see if I can start a conversation?"

[farothel]

"I want to do an astral recon first," Sammy said, "that would give confirmation on the number of people and I might get some extra information."

[HydroRaven]

Clem simply shook her head. "No, the talking comes later. We'll pay them the same courtesy they paid us: shoot first and when they're down then we'll start the conversation" added the ork, inspecting her firearms and making sure her magazines were fully loaded. She also ripped and removed her bandages, bunching them and throwing them away on the side of the road.

[Mercy Merchant]

Snow makes sure that her medkit is resupplied from what was in the cars and also makes sure that her pistol is loaded and ready.  Looking at the others, she just waits for the word to move out.

[farothel]

"Just give me a minute to summon a spirit, just in case," Sammy said.  She quickly shifted her vision back to the astral and summoned a spirit of air as she had been taught.  Luckily one responded.

"How may I be of service," it asked, while fluttering about.  Air spirits, like air itself were not given to standing still.
"Please use your power of concealment on all of our group," Sammy said, indicating O'Connor, Clem, Sam, Snow and herself, "but make is so that we can still see each other."

The spirit nodded and went to work.
"I've asked it to use it's concealment power," Sammy said to the others, "it won't make us invisible, but it will make us very hard to see.  At least, for our enemies.  We have to stay within line of sight for it to continue working, so I suggest we move as one group until we spring the ambush."

[spoiler]
summoning a force 5 air spirit with optional power (energy aura):
magic 5 + summoning 3 =8: 8d6t5 4

spirit resistance:
spirit resistance: 5d6t5 2

that means 2 services.

drain 4S:
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering =9: 9d6t5 3
1S drain, that will bring me back in my -1, but still okay.

concealment gives the adversaries a -5 (force of the spirit) dice pool penalty on their perception rolls to find us.  The fun part is, as long as I don't give another order, it will also keep working in combat.

[/spoiler]

[Mercy Merchant]

Snow nods and takes a step closer to Sammy.

[Necrogigas]

O'Connor nodded at Sammy's explanation and began moving towards their targets.

[HydroRaven]

Preparing to leave, Clem gave some final guidelines. "If we found them because of their links, they can surely see our comms homing on them, so everyone will go dark except for Snow to track them." Turning her head towards the elf, Clem continued "Once we have located them and have confirmed their position, you will shut down your link as well. Sammy, how long do you need to prepare for your magical feats? I want to hit them quick and fast, but would rather take the minute or two if it means you can deliver a bigger punch."

Nodding to everyone, the ork set off with her companions with a thirst for revenge.

[Mercy Merchant]

Snow silently acknowledges Clem's instructions and follows, staying close to Sammy.

[farothel]

"I just need the one spell," Sammy said, "it won't take long."
She started casting, using some gestures as she had been doing for some time now.  She would only need her speed-up spell, everything else would depend on the circumstances which she didn't know yet.
"That should do it for now," she said, "I have to see the exact situation for any of my illusion spells."

[spoiler]
force 2 increase reflexes (to go in my sustaining focus)
magic 5 + spellcasting 6 -1W =10: 10d6t5 4

drain 3:
willpower 4 + logic 4 + centering 1 =9: 9d6t5 4
no drain

[/spoiler]

[Crossbow]

The area the tags lead you to is two 3-story apartment buildings, external corridors with stairs at either end, each building has a lane of parking in front of them, facing each other across a two lane street.  Enterprising residents have converted the ground floor apartments into storefronts, several kinds of merchants and services are available, with one building having what looks like a small club and the other having a diner at opposing ends of the street.  You have returned to civilization, so there are plenty of people out cruising or partying or shopping.

You approach the area from the north, on the dividing street. As you get closer the signals separate, with one upstairs in each building, and one ahead in the street or the adjoining parking area.

(I am including a map to explain what I just described, I do NOT plan to use it or improve on it any further, fair warning)