Run #2 - Between The Rock and a Hard Place

[Drew Buddy]

Axel muses silently, content to let the talkers do the talking. He can't deny that the idea of going into a military black site under the watchful eye of a man who doesn't seem convinced at the team's utility (or reason to let live) sets him on edge. On the other hand, it's clear that this Zal fellow is the resident professional for this operation. All the signs are there, and more to the point, the lack of hash marks on a rifle counting kills, the lack of unnecessary bits of "military flair", or really the lack anything else that at one point in time every young man thinks will turn him into a badass if he just decorates himself with it. Zal is clearly not a mail-order hardass. Maybe there's hope.

Axel finally breaks his silence. "Sounds like fun. I'm guessing that an outfit like this, fighting a more powerful force from the shadows, must have at least a few good forgers. If I'm going to be bringing my own skillset to this operation, my drones need to be able to pass. Doubly so if we plan to go in quiet-like. I'm not going to infiltrate an impenetrable fortress only to be made because my MCT roto' doesn't have the right badge painted on the side." He stops, and contends with a new thought. "Same goes for us. If we're taking the quiet route, we'll need to be dressed for the part."

[MattL]

Yung backs away from Axel, gives him a smirk and shrugs his shoulders. He turns back toward Conrad, "Well Tex, looks like your offer is accepted." He extends his hand as an offering to seal the deal. "When we get back, I'm gonna take you up on that offer of wining and dining pal."

[GM Nick]

Tex offers Yung a firm handshake. "Hot damn 'n hallelujah, Ivan will be glad to hear it!"

Zal maintains the same austere demeanor, but nods at Yung.

"In the mean time, feel free to do your plannin' here. I gotta vamoose, but A.M. here will take care 'a ya," Tex says with a smile. Anne-Marie offers a mock salute and takes a slug from the bottle in her hand.

"You're right," Zal says, turning to Axel. "Whoever we masquerade as, we'll need suitable disguises. Lots of them. With that in mind, posing as Imperial troops might prove extremely difficult. As for your drones: once we're on the island, it'll be less of an issue. Once the uplink is down, it won't matter at all. You might need to keep them deactivated while we make landfall, or at least find a way to forge their signatures. If we pose as commercial sailors, it's not a stretch that we'd have drones for rigging, navigation, or loading."

[Stephen]

Taipan straightens from pensively hunching over his beer at Zal's address. He inclines his head slightly, "No offense taken," he replies humbly. "Though much of warfare is deception, that particular brand isn't my strong suit, but I could pass for a short while. A KuroikazeA on the bow of an approaching ship, or a distraction enough for us to ambush a patrol, he says, gesturing toward Mick. "Could work."

He pauses thoughtfully. "More of us that can look like Kuroikaze from a distance, the better, even if we can't keep it up for long." His eyes flick from Zal to Thoryne and over the other folks in the room. "Ever hit an Imperial cutter before?"

[Molly]

When Zal’s attention first turns toward Taipan, with his dubious status as the lone member conforming to the imperial ideal, Mouse keeps her (figurative) mouth shut. Still, the childish little smile she shoots him is unmistakable, its message transcending generational gaps and quite possibly, language itself: I told you so.

She leans forward onto the bar, arms folded as she mulls over these options, not particularly satisfied with either. “EVEN IF WE STEAL UNIFORMS AND PLAY SOLDIER, AT MOST, WE’D BE MATCHING THE SILHOUETTES.” Her nose wrinkles softly as she tries to mentally dress the members of the squad in Kuroikaze livery. “EVEN THAT MIGHT BE SHAKY. MOST OF US ARE A LITTLE SHORT FOR STORMTROOPERS, AND ANYONE BUT OJI WOULD BE DONE IN BY A DRONE WITH A CAMERA. OR A PAIR OF BINOCULARS.”

“CIVVIES WOULD AT LEAST GIVE US MORE OPTIONS. I’VE GOT THE GEAR TO LOOK VAGUELY CORPORATE, AND WITH SOME PREP TIME AND TAPE, I COULD MAYBE PASS FOR HUMAN.” She experimentally toys with the shell of one pointed ear, carefully folding back both cartilage and embedded wiring under her dark hair. “BONUS POINTS IF ANY LOCAL BUSINESSES EMPLOY GAIJIN. WE COULD GET MORE OF THE TEAM UP CLOSE WHILE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT.”

On this note, she again finds herself assessing her fellow teammates, and can’t help but wince apologetically when it comes to Thoryne. ”...SORRY. HOPEFULLY YOU AREN'T STUCK BELOW DECK FOR LONG. THE REST OF US MIGHT PASS FOR BREEDERS, BUT I DOUBT ANYTHING SHORT OF MAGIC COULD DISGUISE YOU, BIG GUY.”

[ReiyaEmm]

The shaman expects the negotiations to go on more or less like last time, albeit with additional people on the other side of the bargain: Yung talks, a few others ask questions, she goes along. And that’s still the general pattern. But when Zal mentions the flu-like virus circulating among Saitō’s troops, everything that is Reiya stills. The world seems to stop as a single thought shears through everything else: it could be the VITAS variant. It could be a lead. She could, perhaps, find out what decimated her people, in both the general and specific senses of the word.

Before she can even consider how she might follow this lead when the whole point of the mission is to avoid getting entangled with Saitō’s crew, a wave of memories blindside her. Having let a trickle of her sole purpose in life at the moment come to the forefront of her mind, Reiya cannot stop the images from searing through her. Failing to heal her people, one by one. Her medicine mother wasting away as Reiya would not dare touch her until it was too late, her inability to heal this virus already confirmed. She had been holding Satya when she passed, but that was almost worse; to feel her lover slip away until all Reiya held was a husk.

It’s only through the tenacity of her will that she keeps from moving or conveying any of this, verbally or physically, until she’s back under control. Fortunately, everyone was seemingly focused elsewhere, and if her expression betrayed grief of any kind, it was written off as discomfort. Reiya breathes as deeply as she can without being audible, and refocuses on negotiations. Mouse, she notes with approbation, is taking a larger role this time, and doing it quite well. When the decker mentions the intel she can gather, another thought clicks in Reiya’s mind. Mouse might do some digging for her, if asked. It would require some explanation, but Reiya can handle that. Maybe, she thinks. Later, she tells herself sternly.

The shaman waits for an opening and, unsurprisingly, ends up following Mouse. “Speaking of magic, that’s my terrain,” Reiya states with confidence. “Any further details on the wards holding in the awakened prisoners? If they’re not held in solitary confinement, it’s going to be extremely difficult to extract Achak alone.” Reiya glances at Zal and addresses him frankly. “While I know he’s not your concern, he’s why we were called in. We need a plan to accomplish that portion of the mission with at least some chance of success before committing fully.”

[GM Nick]

Zal locks eyes with Reiya. "I understand. I'm actually glad that you have a stake in this beyond money. I'll admit I was concerned at first; mercenaries aren't known for their loyalty. As for the location of our friends, it should be in the detention facility's database. Penetrate any of the detention blocks and find a terminal and you should be able to find which cells they're in. I can't tell you any more about the wards, unfortunately-- not my area of expertise."

He turns back to the others. "It sounds like disguising ourselves as civilian sailors and getting hold of a commercial vessel will be the easier task. We won't have to worry about proper rank, identification or codes. It would be a good idea if the more socially capable remain on deck, while the rest of us stay below. At least until the trap is sprung."

[John]

Mick nods, as if Zal had known he was speaking directly to them. "I'm gonna be pretty much useless until we're onsite or a fight breaks out." Considering, the ork implicitly opens the line up to Anne-Marie in addition to Val, "Sounds like I'll more than likely be the one slithering through the shadows once we make landfall. If they're gonna be on the look out in IR, I'll need some kind of sneaking suit. Either of you got a line on some black ops thermal dampening? Doc says my blood's only cold in a figurative sense."

[Molly]

She can feel her blood rush, mind racing in equal parts excitement and anxiety with each added detail. "THE CIVILIAN PLAN AT LEAST HAS POTENTIAL, BUT IT STILL HAS A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE. EVEN IF WE CAN COMMANDEER A SHIP, EVERYTHING FALLS APART IF WE CAN'T SELL THE LIE." In truth, she may as well be using the royal 'we' here- she can't help but imagine having to make the call, and choking in the moment. "AS FAR AS THE DISTRESS CALL GOES, I CAN FAKE THE SIGNALS, AND MAKE PANICKED NOISES IN JAPANESE, BUT I'M GOING TO NEED HELP TO MAKE IT CONVINCING." There's an unusual sheepishness to her tone as she adds, "FOR ONE THING, I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT SHIPS-- AT LEAST, NOT THE KIND THAT’S RELEVANT FOR THIS."

In a lot of ways, Mick's broader concern about the IR seems much more straightforward. "IN A PINCH, ONE OF OUR TEAMS MAY BE ABLE TO MANIPULATE THE SENSORS, AT LEAST IN THE AREAS WHERE YOU'RE ACTIVELY MOVING." There's a fleeting moment of reassurance at the thought of the more supportive role, though as the internal gears turn, her brow knits as new hurdles materialize.

She turns back to Zal, pausing just briefly as she considers the question that she doesn't want the answer to. "WAIT… YOU SAID THE LOCATION DATA FOR THE PRISONERS WILL BE HOUSED IN ON-SITE TERMINALS?" As she lays this out, she holds her hands in front of her, as though holding some imaginary box...likely packed with reawakened anxieties. "AS IN, AN AIR-GAPPED SYSTEM?" She doesn't voice the rest of her concern. The implications are obvious enough that frankly, she doesn't need to, instead opting for the more succinct, "...FRAG."

[GM Nick]

Zal blinks at Mick, clearly surprised by their knowledge of military grade tools. "We've got thermal smoke grenades, which should confuse the sensors. I'm sure we can rustle up a coat with thermal damping woven in, if someone wants to take the role of advance scout."

He withdraws a commlink from within his coat and swipes the screen. "I'm sharing a layout of Black Site D. The highlighted areas have been labeled with their suspected functions. Our intel unit gleaned this from monitoring satellite imagery."

[GM Nick]

Zal nods at Mouse. "That's the compromise with shutting down the satellite uplink: they'll be unable to raise the QRF but it'll also transform the black site's network into a contained one. The good news is that since all the cell blocks are connected, you only need to breach any one of them to tap in."

Anne-Marie listens to Mouse, looking thoughtful. "So you don't give them the chance to question you. When you record the mayday, claim that your communications system is malfunctioning and that you can't receive. Give them the cold shoulder and chart a course straight for the island."

[John]

Mick nods, "That's what I'm thinking. I slink around the edges, work ahead of the team, see what there is to see, take 'em by surprise before they take you kinda thing. Would be helpful if we could get our hands on a mask, too. Not sure how useful the coat is alone if I then just look like a floating IR head."

[MattL]

Yung listens to the back and forth, feeling somewhat intimidated by the level of tactical knowledge and experience of the team. Several times during the various exchanges he opens his mouth slightly, as if summoning the courage to say something, before closing it again and waiting for the next topic.

After a few minutes he finally manages to think of something, hoping that it doesn’t sound idiotic in retrospect. “The thing I’m still missing, if we’re thinking of how this plays out in order. So we send out a maday, dock the ship, which they’re likely to be pretty on edge about.”

Yung pauses for a moment, scratching his head as if to mull it over one last time. “So then say they send what, two, three, maybe four guys to investigate. They will want to speak with the Captain, ne?” He shakes his head, once he starts to get caught up in the minutia. “Regardless, how do we deal with those guys without putting the place on even higher alert? They’re gonna have comms, surveillance, the works. The second we make a move, if I were them, I'm raising the alarm; not to mention any Fly-Spys that might be watchin.” He strokes his chin with his thumb and forefinger, trying to find a solution to an impossible problem in his mind.

[GM Nick]

"Here's the plan as I see it..." Zal says to Yung. "Step one: we commandeer a commercial vessel, either by bribery or intimidation. I'd prefer the former, as we depend on our support from the common man. Once on board we don appropriate disguises to fool the enemy at a glance. We issue a false mayday and head directly to the island. The black site's security will have no choice to but deactivate the automated defenses. Yes, they're likely to send a landing party. We wait for them to board the ship and then eliminate them."

"Step two: We split our forces. I take my squad to the communications bunker while your team heads to the detention blocks. Here's where we'll need to act quickly. The QRF is only for emergencies, so they're not going to raise the alarm just because the troops sent to investigate the commercial ship don't answer comms. I figure we'll have ten, maybe fifteen minutes before they send a second detachment out to find out the fate of the first. As long as we can hit the communications bunker during this window, we should be fine. Obviously this all assumes nobody trips the other security measures."

"Step three: I will signal your team when the uplink is severed. You will infiltrate the detention blocks however you best see fit, locate the prisoners, and free them."

"Step four: We rendezvous at a to be determined exfil point. We can either depart in the commercial vessel or steal one of the black site's transport vessels. Without the ability to raise the QRF, the island will be ours-- albeit for a short time. We've been monitoring their comm traffic over the last twenty-four hours and while its encrypted, we've noted the timing; it appears that there's a heartbeat check-in every two hours. So, theoretically, once the uplink is down, we'll have somewhere in the neighborhood of two hours before anyone on the mainland realizes there's a problem."

[John]

Mick's brow furrows slightly. "When and by what will our exfil point be determined?"

[GM Nick]

Zal turns to Mick. "By what kind of vessel we procure and how procure it. Also, where we decide to make landfall. By the way, are any of you accomplished sailors?"

[Molly]

Mouse is quiet now, back to stifling her logistical concerns through copious note-taking and analysis of the provisioned map. She suppresses a snicker as she spots the label 'bowling alley', assuming it was something ancient that's since been repurposed (probably for something horrifying), though it does make for a delightful mental image.

Instead, she forces her attention back to the plan at hand, particularly the obvious gaps that have yet to be addressed. "ON THAT NOTE, PLEASE TELL ME YOU AT LEAST HAVE SOME SYMPATHETIC COMMERCIAL PARTNERS IN MIND- ONES IN POSSESSION OF A SHIP THEY'D BE WILLING TO RENT OUT." She laces her fingers in thought. "IF WE HAVE TO RESORT TO COLD CALLING, THAT COULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL TIME-SINK. AT THAT POINT, I'D ALMOST GO BACK TO THE PIRACY PLAN."

[John]

Muck chuffs, "Not to mention we'd have to incapacitate everybody who turned us down until we were back at home eating hot dogs."

[GM Nick]

"I'm sure the General does," Zal says. He looks pointedly at Anne-Marie.

Anne-Marie shrugs and looks at the team. "I'm sure he does. I'll have him reach out. Any particular industry or vessel?"

[MattL]

Yung takes a seat at the bar, placing his elbows on the countertop and making a steeple with his fingers. He leans forward, placing the tips of his fingers on the bottom of his chin. "Given the state of things, this sickness and the hospitals overrun, perhaps some kind of medical ship would do well to improve our reception. Mouse is it possible to forge the registration so the ship appears to be from one of Saito's unofficial supporters?"

[ReiyaEmm]

While disappointed that there’s absolutely no information about what Reiya might have to overcome in order to free Achak—and only Achak—, she’s pleased that her question at least led Zal to slightly relax his poor opinion of them. That’s something, at least. As the conversation turns into an almost merry exchange of logistics, Reiya listens with half her mind, considering what she can actually try and prepare for. At least she finally bound those foci and completed that spell while they were between runs; she really might need them.

Seeing Yung head back to the bar, Reiya follows and refills her tumbler. She’s got one idea, at least. When there’s an opportune moment, well after Yun's own question is answered, she speaks as quietly as she can, just above a whisper. “Akela,” she says, using the first name she knew him by, “no matter what else is decided, I’m gonna need you with me when I try to get Achak.”

[Drew Buddy]

Axel makes a finger-gun and points it at Yung. "Akela's got a good point. We might get a smaller boarding party if they think we're transporting a bunch of people with the disease that's on everyone's mind right now. If everyone's on edge, let's use that to our advantage." He opens his mouth as if to continue, then lapses back into silence. His mind churns over the mission's necessities, namely the guards to be "taken out" when the team lands on the shore. Axel might no longer be unblooded, not after Bongoland, but the idea of luring unsuspecting people to their deaths, even if those people might be deserving, is yet another abyss for him to stare down. Murder as plan A. As the emotional part of his mind grapples with the thought, a practical side is glad for the new silencer he installed on his pistol. The two sides battle it out until they reach a center, and he learns something new about himself: That he's not bothered by the ambush, but that a part of him is bothered by not being bothered.

[John]

As if to interrupt his ethical dilemma long-since settled for the ork, Mick turns to Axel and asks, "Thinking about scouting ahead, how's the stealth on your drones? Any of them able to provide support in the event of a frag-up, or even just an eye in the sky for me?"

[GM Nick]

Zal nods to himself. "A transport carrying medical supplies just might work. Especially since they're likely in short supply of said supplies. Our subterfuge goes from charade to enticement." He glances at Yung. "Good thinking," he mutters grudgingly.

Anne-Marie taps a finger against her commlink. "If that's the route you want to take, I'll see what I can do."

[Drew Buddy]

Axel grins at Mick, and reaches a hand into his coveralls, retrieving a diminutive plastic case and popping the equally small latches. "This little guy managed to pull overwatch in the middle of that storm at Bongoland," he says, revealing the Fly-Spy microdrone. The drone sits poised in the case, looking—even at a medium distance—like a large hornet, gossamer wings and all. "Got a few upgrades to see past countermeasures as well. The roto drones I've lugged with me are not exactly stealth... But they're ubiquitous enough that you've got to look out for the mounted weapons to know anything is amiss." He gestures toward the entrance, as if to illustrate, "And as for Doug... Well, he's just a machine gun and two tank treads, so not big on subtlety," he finishes with a laugh.

[Molly]

“NOT TO MENTION, IT’S EASIER TO SELL SOMEONE A LIE THEY WANT TO BELIEVE,” Mouse adds, nodding along with the collective approval for Yung’s plan. She can’t help but suspect that if Yung ever tried to get-good at lying, he’d be a terrifying force of pure chutzpah.

As Axel moves to show off his toys, Mouse can’t help but break into an excited little grin. “I NEVER GET TIRED OF SEEING THOSE.” The smile doesn't falter as Axel continues the breakdown of his mechanical team's capabilities, though her eyes widen at the familiar spark of something remembered. “ON THAT NOTE, I DID PICK UP A LITTLE SOMETHING AFTER OUR LAST ADVENTURE. IT’S NOT AS SLICK AS AXEL’S LITTLE BUDDY- MORE LIKE A GLORIFIED CAMERA ON WHEELS, BUT IT’S GOOD FOR POKING AROUND ENCLOSED SPACES.”

There’s almost a touch of embarrassment as she describes her much more modest contribution. “IF NOTHING ELSE, IT’S SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT IN A POCKET- MEANING YOU COULD CARRY IT WITH YOU DURING YOUR INFILTRATION AND DEPLOY IT AS NEEDED, WHILE ECHO KEEPS EYES ON OTHER LOCATIONS.”

[John]

Mick casts a glance at the team's often-oddly-graceless social face, giving him an approving nod that comes more naturally than they would have suspected possible not 24 hours prior.

[GM Nick]

Zal rubs his chin. "Assuming we get hold of a vessel large enough to fit our compliment plus two, we should select at least two bodies to stay on deck to help sell the façade. Any volunteers on that front?"

"I think we should sail far enough out that we don't pick up on their sonar. Then we come in from the West, put out the mayday and claim our communications are broadcast only, say we have a hull breach and are taking on water, and land on the Western side of the island, where the abandoned cell blocks are. There are likely less defenses on that side of the island and a recon party will have to come in from the other, which buys us a little time. We can leave the ship moored there and use it as an exfil."

[John]

Mick eyes the map of the island. The plan might not be a good one, but it's starting to sound good to Mick. "From the look of the island, when we land I think I-slash-we should loop around to the south before heading east toward the cell blocks. Better to go the long way that's further from the command center if we're sneaking."

[Molly]

Small icons and dotted lines appear along Mouse’s digital map as the discussion turns to vectors of approach- a much further departure from her own area of expertise. However, faced with the necessity for a team ‘Face’, Mouse raises a reluctant hand. “ONCE WE’VE PUT THE CALL OUT, I CAN MOVE UP TOP TO MEET THE WELCOMING PARTY.”

She shifts her gaze from Yung to Taipan and back, cringing slightly as she does. “AS FOR NUMBER TWO, THAT DEPENDS ON HOW WEIRD IT WOULD LOOK TO HAVE GAIJIN ON OUR CREW. NORMALLY, AKELA WOULD BE THE OBVIOUS CHOICE, BUT… ” There’s a brief pause as she tries to figure out how to phrase her next statement diplomatically… before giving up on that notion entirely. “TO BE BLUNT, A RACIST IMPERIAL SOLDIER WILL SPOT THAT GIANT KOREAN HEAD FROM SHORE.”

[John]

Mick snort-snickers into their sinuses. "That some phrenology I hear? You know, now that you mention it, he does have the brainpan of a stagecoach tilter." The ork grins good-naturedly.

[GM Nick]

Zal shrugs. "California is-- and always has been-- a melting pot. I don't think the ethnicity of our decoys matter. Sailors are usually a pretty diverse group anyway. We might want to avoid giving any meta-humans the role, given Saito's prejudicial leanings."

[Molly]

Her nose wrinkles at the implication. “NOT LIKE I’M SOME MEASUREHEAD. THE YAMATO PURITY CULT IS JUST WEIRD ENOUGH WITHOUT FACTORING FOR MULTIGENERATIONAL INTERNATIONAL SPATS.” She barely understands that imperial logic herself, and to try is akin to staring into an ugly abyss. All she really knows is that she’s always been on the wrong end of it.

Still, there’s some relief with Zal's words- one fewer snag to have to iron out. “IN THAT CASE, AKELA COULD PROBABLY BE CONVINCED TO CHAT UP SOME STRANGERS. OJI CERTAINLY WOULDN’T HURT TO HAVE NEARBY, EVEN IF HE HAS TO PLAY THE STRONG AND SILENT TYPE.” She shoots the two an ironic smile. “AND EVEN IF I HAVE TO FIX MY FACE, I AT LEAST HAVE THE RIGHT BUILD TO PASS. SMALL UPSIDE TO BEING FUN-SIZED.”

[Stephen]

Taipan surprises himself by smiling at Mouse's address. Only days ago, her calling him 'Ojisan' would force him to suppress a pang of annoyance or make him flush with embarrassment at how out of place he was among his colleagues, but for the first time he's aware of, it feels right. Not a slight at his age or traditionalist leanings, but, just maybe, something approaching a playful, if earned, term of endearment from one of the only close associates left in his life, however novel that acquaintance might be. The thought is both warming and devastating, but the smile persists, albeit with a world-weary cast.

Nodding in assent, he responds, "Strong and silent I can do; should feel right at home. Pass me off as security, maybe." He frowns suddenly at his own reflection in the now still and flat surface of his beer, "Not sure I'd know how to act like much else, really." He peers over at Yung, surprising himself by saying, "You need someone to weave a story, he's the one to do it."

[MattL]

Yung continues to analyze the map as the group discusses areas to land and plans of egress. He speaks up without breaking his scrutiny. “Sure, I’ll do whatever needs doing, if you want me to sell a story to the landing party, null sweat.” He rises up off his seat and approaches the projected map. “Do we got any kind of scale overlay for this? It would be useful to know how much ground we have to cover on foot.”

He extends a finger, touching the digital projection at the area marked Cell Block A. “If I were a betting man, I would say that this is the place they’re gonna be holding any awakened prisoners. Keep 'em far enough away from the other prisoners so that they can’t mingle with each other, and wards won’t get interfered with.”

Yung traces his finger from the place marked Cell Block A, through Cell Blocks B & C before stopping at Cell Block D. “That’s almost half the length of the island between A and the other three. If I am right, then that’s a hell of a distance to cover between jailbreaks. We gonna split the group to liberate both at once, or take care of one at a time?”

He finally turns away from the map, shaking his head slightly as he gazes out at the rolling hills covered with flowers and dotted with oaks. “Not gonna be a good idea I think, to split the liberating party, and if we do stick together, then I think we gotta start at A and work our way north east towards D.” He places his left hand on his forehead with his thumb on his temple as he runs the other for fingers back and forth across his brow.

“Once we land and the two teams are off the boat, I think we might consider circling the boat around the island to the north east side by the Marina. I know it sounds crazy, but sooner or later they’re gonna know we’re there, their forces will probably spread out. If they send reinforcements to the Abandoned Cell Blocks once the landing team doesn’t report and we’re off doing our thing, they could cut off our escape, or worse, maroon us on the island. Plus, if we bring the boat around toward the Marina, that’s a hell of a lot closer to Cell Block D.” He looks to Zal to try and gauge his reaction to the thoughts.

“Also, we need some kinda picture of your staff sergeant. If we can’t access his exact location via their system and need to do things the hard way, it's gonna be a hell of a lot easier than askin the whole block who’s who.”