Run #2: The Flash and The Furious

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Aug 29, 2014 9:51 am

The storm that started that fateful night continued to rage for the better part of a week, flooding parts of downtown and washing away the older infrastructure, like nature's disinfectant. Like all things, it ended, replaced immediately afterwards by a simmering heat wave. The chaotic and inclement conditions seem perfectly suited to the dangerous unpredictability of Seattle.

A feeble sun barely penetrates the flat gray of Seattle's horizon, casting a nauseous pallor on the urban jungle and rendering everything in near monochrome. Moisture collects in oily pools where it has yet to evaporate and mud chokes the gutters, littered with garbage and debris. In a dizzying contrast, the Corporate properties shine and glitter in the peculiar atmosphere, a testament to investment in cleaning and maintenance drones.

The Russian safe-house lies at the end of a block of suspiciously vacant or quiet, squat cement bunkers in an ambiguously zoned part of the city. A few placards placed at regular intervals along high, cocertina-wrapped fences display names like Aztechnology Research Hub #4, or faded letters describing a dubious enterprise. Most are just blank.

Crammed in the rear of the cluster of buildings--almost as an afterthought--is a relatively non-descript, rectangular compound. Tinted plexi-pane encircles the top half and warped reflections gyrate within, like giant amoeba. An enormous carbon-steel door that would be at home in a missile silo has been re-purposed to serve as the front entrance. The only obvious security present is a pair of men on the roof, dressed in matching black suits and sporting mirror-shades. Their heads have been shaved and rank is tattooed on the left side of each's skull, depicted as a series of arrows. Neither of the two enforcers holds a weapon, but the runic symbols scarred across the backs of their hands indicates that they have other means to dispatch intruders. They cast disinterested glances off the edge of the foreboding structure, clearly having expected the rag-tag bunch of runners.

The ludicrously-sized door swings open a meter, and Yuri steps out. The swaggering Russian mafioso looks much more at home in a clean gray suit. The sleeves are rolled up and reveal a number of intricate tattoos snaking up his forearms. The obvious bulge of dermal plating is also apparent. He squints into the somber glow emanating from the putrid sky and snorts with disgust, lowering the mirror-shades to protect his eyes. Sensing the approach of his new contractors, Yuri turns on his heels and raises his eyebrows.

"Pozdravleniya, chummers! I am glad to see you have arrived, but I fear this weather will cook us alive before we are able to get up to criminal enterprises."

Elliott · Post by **Elliott** » Thu Sep 04, 2014 2:43 pm

Aremys eyes the Russian and sniffs at the weather. It's either it is cold and he is wet or it's boiling hot and he is wet. Rain or sweat, what's the difference? Such is the miserable life of meat.

Why is this fragger so cheerful? I have a feeling I'm going to regret not sending this bastard to the next life when I had a chance last week.

Shuffling up to the doorway, Aremys gives a sardonic grin to his reluctant employer. "We're like the postal service chummer, we get the job done no matter the weather. Speaking of, can we step inside and discuss the gig? I bet you have air conditioning in there..."

John · Post by **John** » Fri Sep 05, 2014 1:21 pm

Bradbury shuffles up to the scene wearing a customarily dour expression. The ork is distinctly more comfortable in the rain than he is in the diffuse, greasy Indian Summer sun. He's traded in his peacoat and beanie for a nondescript gray tee shirt, his hair hanging soddenly upon his brow. Beads of sweat collect in the plumes of his beard that spring off of his high cheeks. The longshoreman cum hired-thug regards Yuri with a deliberate nod. Bradbury gestures to the air and obviously suggests about more than the weather, "Out of the frying pan, and into the fire, eh?" A humorless grin creeps onto the ork's face as he makes eye contact with the Russian mafioso.

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:00 am

Anon approaches the russian mafia franchulate warily. In spite of the sun, he still feels soaked to the bone. He had originally planned to spend some of the windfall to find better digs for the evening, but other distractions had gotten in the way. Wind under his wings, broken ferrocrete beneath his paws, the light going out in a squirrel's eyes as he bit down and shook it in his teeth. This was the realm of Ghosts. Not real ghosts, but rather the Tir special forces who-through pure luck-he had managed to evade during his escape. Changing into an animal form was forbidden to all others, but his master had taken a risk and taught him some basics; scraps of magic, really. The scroll he had bought from Iskierka filled in the gaps of this forbidden practice. Comfort could wait. Anon feels wet and hot and tired, but very much alive. He even manages a smile to Yuri.

"You were not able to get enough of us, eh, sersakhan?" He asks with a little more swagger in his step than usual.

Post by **GM Nick** » Sat Sep 06, 2014 1:06 pm

Yuri grins sardonically at the outpouring of dry wit and gestures inside the formidable compound. Following him, the group finds themselves traversing a barren concrete hallway. Passing a doorway reveals a group of similar looking mafia types seated at a large table, packing powder in small bags. A litter of automatic weapons is splayed across the table. They glance up from their menial task and regard the runners with minor intrigue before returning to it, lapsing back into conversational, playful Russian.

"Low-level employees," remarks Yuri in an offhand manner. "They have yet to prove themselves."

The hallway opens up to a large area filled with laboratory equipment. On the rear wall is a huge Mitsuhama holographic display unit. A ghostly, three dimensional topographical map of the greater Seattle area hovers in mid-air. Various parts of the map pulse with glowing red indicators, presumably depicting some sort of turf arrangement or conflict. Yuri taps a button on his wrist-computer and the display dissolves into pixels before vanishing. He slides several stools out form underneath a table laden with chemicals of unknown origin and takes a seat.

"Now, shall we get down to business?"

Post by **GM Nick** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:30 am

Accepting the team's silence as acquiescence, the Russian mafioso begins pacing the length of the room. His eyes shine with mischievous excitement as he speaks.

"We have an informant inside Lone Star--one that has proven invaluable over the years," Yuri compliments this bit of information with a wicked grin. "As I suspected, shortly after you dispatched the Halloweeners, the local precinct received an anonymous vid-call tipping them off to a turf war in that very building." The Russian pauses for effect. "I thought it strange that gangers--even traditionally bold Halloweeners--would push so far into downtown. My instincts were right. I had some of my guys shake down other chapter captains and Bonebreaker was a rogue; apparently acting on orders from someone outside the gang. All of this: the errant Halloweener chapter, the anonymous tip-off, and even your mysterious employers is somehow tied together."

He slams a fist into a palm. "Somebody, somewhere, is pulling strings in order to get their hands on our new drug. Somebody who has taken great care to cover their tracks and create enough chaos to hide in the obscurity." Yuri turns towards the group. "My informant has also been following the movement of my product. It's currently being held in a Seattle downtown Lone Star precinct."

Seeing the severe anxiety and dubious expressions on the team's faces, Yuri quickly adds, "There's far too much security for us to launch an operation on that front. No, that would be suicide." He continues his pacing. "I've come to learn that the product is going to be moved via armored convoy to a laboratory on the outskirts of Seattle. It seems that Lone Star is at least smart enough to know the contraband they recovered is something new; something important."

"That's when we strike," Yuri exclaims, unable to hide his devilish smile. "As the convoy is en route."

John · Post by **John** » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:55 pm

Bradbury, shakes his head slightly, and offers, "I don't get it. What's so important about this particular crate of this drek? Can't you just make more? It's not like stealing back this one box will keep the police from ever getting their hands on it."

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:00 am

Yuri exhales slowly.

"Ambrosia is revolutionary. I won't get into the pharmacology, but after plateau, the drug begins repairing the very receptors it prevents from working. Imagine intense euphoria, with no side effects, no possibility of overdose. It is literally a drug with no downside. Except maybe addiction..."

The Russian rubs his chin.

"The embarrassing part is that our chief chemist got himself geeked in a disagreement at a bar a few weeks ago. The shipment that Lone Star shanghai'd is the only prototype that we have. We have to get our hands on it and reverse engineer the secrets from it before someone else does."

John · Post by **John** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:27 am

Bradbury ponders for a quick moment before suggesting, "Seem pretty coincidental that your chemist gets geeked immediately before what looks like a pretty complex operation to boost your product gets in motion."

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:26 am

Yuri plops down in a folding chair and drops his chin into his palm.

"Без дураков, comrade. You're telling me. There's a bigger picture here that we can't see yet. But regardless, the recovery of Ambrosia is our first priority."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:37 am

Anon chews on the inside of his cheek for a moment, considering what he and these other underworld rejects are going to have to go through to pull such a mission off. He had expected to have to deal with Lone Star attention sooner or later, but never so directly.

"So," he says, hiding his concern, "it seems to me that we are either needing to hit convoy when it is moving, or infiltrate and intercept shipment at receiving end. Tricky," he adds, "but quieter." He cuts to the chase, "how much is shipment worth to you for us to be stealing from the custos?"

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:55 am

Yuri scratches his stubble and addresses the charismatic elf.

"You'll definitely want to hit them while they're moving. Both the origin and destination are heavily fortified Lone Star facilities. Fortunately for us, the convoy is a third party. Lone Star contractors. No Star backup to worry about. As for payment, I've ear marked ¥13,500 for each member taking part in the mission."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:23 am

(( I'll back off and let others do more posting once negotiation is over ))

Anon nods a little disappointedly. "You know, sersakhan, we are going to be stealing from what is the biggest gang in Seattle. In all North America. Some consideration for that is in order, no? I was thinking 17,000¥ is good price for job."

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:31 am

Anon - Negotiation Skill Test

Yuri narrows his eyes, looking just past Anon as he considers the elf's argument. His trademark smile creeps up and overwhelms his face.

"Because I like you, elf, I will meet you halfway. ¥15,250 apiece. Final offer."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:33 am

Anon flashes Yuri a toothy grin. "Now it is you driving hard bargain. Very well, I will accept this for my favorite customer," he says, clapping Yuri on the shoulder.

John · Post by **John** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:30 pm

Bradbury smiles wryly through his beard, and says, "You two make a lovely couple. Now, what can you tell us about the route that this convoy is traveling, and how many vehicles and goons we can reasonably expect to accompany it?"

Post by **GM Nick** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:39 pm

Yuri glances sidelong at Aremys, Loki and Tianwe to see if the three comrades have any input before delving into the reconnaissance details.

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:43 pm

Tianwe wipes the sweat from his from his brow with a filthy forearm. What he wouldn't give to shed his gear and dive into Everett Bay right now, he's not sure. At the moment, he'd gladly pay the price of the irritating rashes that inevitably result from bodily contact with that particular body of water without a second thought. He glances around uncertainly at the seedy lot arrayed around the stifling room. His silence is a calculated attempt not to look like a complete idiot.

Little-Hawk's ability with English was always a point of pride among his former brothers, but having been cast out into circles such as this whose tongues use English as naturally as their lungs use oxygen, the language barrier is greater than what he would have imagined. Slather a thick Russian accent atop it, and Yuri might as well be speaking ancient Sumerian. He catches a few numbers, however, picks up on the universal body language of heavy negotiation, and hopes he's not way off the mark in returning a few words.

"This price is fine." Actually, it's better than fine; it's fragging epic. By far the biggest score of Tianwe's life for a single job. But then again, he's never pissed in Lone Star's face before, at least not directly. He doesn't imagine the organization is quite into water sports. He takes care not to let his excitement, or his fear, creep into his kinesics. "Tell us more of mission logics."

He grimaces inwardly. That didn't sound right.

Conway · Post by **Conway** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:44 pm

Loki scratches at a whisker shadowed cheek, weighing the offered nuyen against the risky implications of the hit and run. Heavy on his mind are the deeper implications -and repercussions- of the talents that surfaced within him, quite suddenly and unintentionally, in the near past. His initial fear -horror, actually - of the initial consequences of of those first blind, clumsy, and violently uncontrolled outbursts, has been replaced by a smoldering determination and empowerment. To learn to walk the path without destroying himself, though, or more of those around him in the process, would take time- and money.

Suddenly withdrawing his hand, his head snaps up and his gaze returns to the here and now. His stomach growls and money talks.

"Okay, so let's say we snag and bag your product in-transit, according to you plan. Where's the after party? And how are we gettin' there? I dunno if you noticed but we don't got a car to sleep in, let alone jack your product with."

Elliott · Post by **Elliott** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:53 pm

Aremys frowns in thought, pondering the Russian's words. Something still seems off about the whole situation. There are currents in this sea that no one is aware of yet - and that is fragging dangerous.

"Excuse me, I'm not a chemist, but it seems to me that to reverse engineer your product, you shouldn't need a whole crate of it - just a couple doses would be sufficient for a chemical analysis that allows you to replicate the drug. Why didn't we just take a few such samples back at the warehouse last week and demo the rest so it couldn't fall into errant hands? If you need the whole pallet, my friend here is right, we need transportation as well as various other pieces of equipment dependent on the strategy we select for stopping that convoy. But first, however, I would like to understand why we are in this situation at all."

John · Post by **John** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:55 pm

Bradbury silently traces around the group as they register their thoughts to their expatriated employer. The ork feels the depth of his own distrust of Yuri, and can see it painted on just about everybody else's face at the table. It would seem as though he is not the only one at least a little unhappy with the Russian, and in the shared employ and something-like-but-lower-key-than-outright-dislike of the mafioso, Bradbury finds himself toeing cautiously the waters of camaraderie. And as loath as he is to admit it, Aremys does have a fine point about the crate-- as moot as it may be now. For at least the fifth time in the last couple of hours, Bradbury rubs his hand across his beard and thinks that if this heat keeps up he'll have to shave it off, this time realizing that he doesn't know if he has any post-pubescent acne scars hidden underneath.

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 9:09 am

Yuri's smile falters into a somewhat sheepish and apologetic smirk.

"I have to admit this next bit is embarrassing. Our chemist went to great lengths to enforce his job security. There is actually only one kilogram of ambrosia in the entire shipment. The rest is a fairly innocuous nerve agent. It was a good idea--to prevent theft or sampling by low-level employees. Upon delivery, our chemist was supposed to supply a reagent that would show which was which, but as you know..." The Russian draws a line across his neck with an index finger. "I did not have the reagent--nor the time with me in the warehouse to suss out which package was the actual ambrosia. Nor was I sure at that juncture whether I wanted to impart that knowledge."

"With regards to transportation, that is being arranged as we speak. I will do my best to acquire any additional equipment you deem necessary. As for laying low afterwards--the family owns a low-rent capsule hotel in the Barrens where we can assure your privacy."

John · Post by **John** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 9:23 am

Bradbury's eyes narrow as he assesses the projection floating between all of them, Yuri appearing in apparition just behind it, its glow casting a pale light upon his weathered face. "Quite the pickle you find yourself in, Comrade. Any other security measures we should be aware of? Is the crate that it's in actually the Ark of the Covenant, and ghosts will melt our faces off if we look inside?" Bradbury registers the hole in his understanding of his own words, but does not stop to wonder what the hell that means. "Do you have a place in mind for us to hit this convoy? And again, got any idea how many other vehicles or guards may be surrounding this thing?"

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 10:17 am

Yuri's momentary lapse in casual authority vanishes as soon as it had appeared; making readily apparent the fact that the gesture was for the team's sake. His expression solidifies as he makes a seamless transition to tactical strategy. He slaps his palms down on the table in front of him.

"The crates will be shipped together. Whether you want to attempt to retrieve all the crates and risk the effort, or apply the reagent during the heist and risk the extra time, is entirely up to you. Recovery of the real ambrosia is all that concerns me."

The Russian taps a finger against his lip thoughtfully. "Our informant contacted us this morning. The work order was approved and is scheduled to be handed off to the armored convoy tomorrow night. леди удачи is smiling on us, friends. The darkness will help conceal our activities."

Yuri places a palm a few inches over the surface of the table and flicks it to the side. A ghostly rendering of a bloated 18-wheeler materializes in front of his face and rotates lazily.

"This is an Ares Bison. Heavily armored cargo transport vehicle." Yuri scratches the outside of the hologram with a fingernail, lightly distorting the pixels. "Ablative armor plating. Can laugh off most rockets. The front and side windscreens are inch thick plexi-pane. Chassis comes with an option for a mounted fifty cal, but it's rare to see them in use." A wicked grin appears on his face. "...draws too much attention." Another flick of the fingers follows and the large truck explodes into an intricate diagram. "Standard cab accommodates three: driver, and two passengers. Expect at least a driver and a guard. Both will be trained, both will be armed. For security reasons, there's no access to the cargo area from the cab." Yuri waggles his fingers and the holographic truck re-assembles and swings around so the team are looking at the vehicle's rear. "Carbon-steel skeleton doors with cured duraluminum skin. Plasma cutters are out. The doors are mag-locked and on a private, wired PAN."

Yuri folds his arms. "Standard convoys are composed of three trucks, generally. For high profile transports, there are almost always a pair of motorcycle escorts. Expect at least one of the convoy guards to be awakened."

"Questions before I move on to the route itself?"

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:36 am

Anon takes this all in with a sinking feeling in his stomach. Three trucks?

He clears his throat. "Yes, I am wondering, why such big convoy for little package? Are we knowing which truck ambrosia is on? And for how to get inside, will acid work on truck's skin? Are weaknesses in truck's pilot's firewall?"

Post by **GM Nick** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 11:56 am

Yuri shrugs. "I am no chemist, comrade. But I doubt that the doors are engineered against every conceivable threat--only the more likely ones. As for the pilot's PAN, they are also an independent system; though they must--at times--interface with the municipal traffic grid."

"The convoy is carrying other evidence as well, our crates are just along for the ride."

John · Post by **John** » Tue Sep 09, 2014 2:35 pm

Bradbury chimes in, "Do we have access to the full cargo manifest? Perhaps there is something inside one of the trucks already that our decker friend here," the ork jacks a thumb in Tainwe's direction, "can remotely access to help us gain entry into the truck." The amnesiac pauses a moment, and asks, "Any chance that your contact within Lonestar could get something smuggled onto the truck? We could perhaps insert something inside that will help us gain access, or even maybe one of us could stow away as part of the cargo."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 1:52 pm

Anon adds in, "a manifest would also be useful so that we know which of three trucks is in. I am not wanting to be spending time breaking into trucks one-by-one."

Stephen · Post by **Stephen** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 9:58 pm

Little-Hawk rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I will need electronics schematic of Bison. Will be useful to know where I can get data tap in place, if we get opportunity. Pilot will be interfaced with truck. Truck tapped, it and pilot are both mine, armor or no. Tell us of truck's route. May I can stage detour on traffic grid."

If we're fragging lucky, Tianwe adds silently.

Post by **GM Nick** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 2:58 pm

Yuri taps the table top with a few fingers absently and sends the transport vehicle's schematics to Little-Hawk's PAN.

"A manifest I may be able to do, but my contact is low-level. She can't get anywhere near the evidence room."

Confident that all questions pertaining to logistics have been answered, the Russian slides his palm and a topographical map of the greater Seattle area glitters into existence. As the gangster traces a finger along the center of the hologram, a tiny golden hairline appears.

"The point of origin is here--a depot in Puyallup, very close to the freeway. The route is almost entirely freeway from there, with a destination in northern Redmond, just past the barrens. Both the depot and the laboratory are heavily fortified. The surface streets are too close. Backup would be on you in minutes."

Three pulsating red circles appear along the golden thread. "I've identified these three spots as the best places for an ambush. The first is a long tunnel, sharing property with an abandoned chemical plant. Next up is a Lone Star fuel depot in Renton. If the trucks stop to refuel, it will be here. The last spot is an interchange in the Barrens. It's risky, but there's practically no Lone Star presence out there. These are just my suggestions, but I feel they are good ones."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 4:28 pm

Anon nods at the information.

"I am not liking fuel depot so much. We don't know for sure that they will stop there, or if other Lone Star will be there too. Tunnel is nice and hidden, and if is connected to abandoned plant, it will give us place to set up."

He raises a querying eyebrow at the others.

John · Post by **John** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 4:42 pm

Bradbury nods, "I agree that the fuel depot seems like a bad call all around. The tunnel sounds good, but I like the sound of the Barrens. Hitting the package as far from backup as possible seems like the move to me." The ork thinks a moment, lingering on a vague idea of rendering derelict the various vehicles in the convoy. "Any chance of gaining access to the vehicles where they're stored prior to the shipment? If we could plant some kind of explosive devices on their axles, we could control where and when they stop moving."

Post by **GM Nick** » Fri Sep 12, 2014 10:24 am

Yuri raises his bushy brows, not having considered Bradbury's devious suggestion.

"The name of the armored transport company is Yamaguchi Transport. They're a fairly well known security contractor in Seattle."

John · Post by **John** » Fri Sep 12, 2014 11:48 am

Bradbury turns to the awakened decker, and asks, "Any chance you could pull up some intel on them? Where they're located, what their security is like, which trucks are scheduled to be used-- anything like that?" Reopening his thoughts to the rest of the group, Bradbury questions, "Anybody else have any specific thoughts on where to hit the convoy? Tunnel, or Barrens? I assume we'll all think that the Lonestar Depot is a bad idea."

Drew Buddy · Post by **Drew Buddy** » Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:13 pm

Anon squints at the map.

"I like barrens, but tunnel could be very useful here. If we are doing explosives, then we could also collapse tunnel here," he puts his finger on the entrance of the tunnel, and then slides it toward the other entrance, "and here. Seal area off from both responding Lone Star and how do you say, looky-loos? Then, if abandoned facility is attached to tunnel, we can flee up to it, and leave on entirely different street up top."

He turns his gaze to Yuri.

"What time of day is transport? If there is traffic, it might make things tricky."

Run #2: The Flash and The Furious

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