Loose Ends

Finally, for seemingly the first time today, Bruddah gets a lucky break as the small square of wavy glass darkens briefly and then returns to normal, the person on the other side having continued up the stairs. Everything is quiet in the hall, the carpet underneath absorbing sound rather effectively. The doors to the various units are all closed tight, no one leaving or walking the hall at this moment.

As if to make up for all the difficulties of the past few minutes, another turn of good fortune smiles upon Bruddah as he notices another door at the end of the hall he is hiding in, the familiar glass window indicating a likely alternative to the stairway leading to the roof that seems so heavily traveled now.

A long, slow breath is released from Bruddah's bent nose as he straightens back up; Safe, for a second or two. But how to get back down the stairs, when he hasn't got a clue how long that little distraction is gonna last? And then grey eyes pick up the faint shine of light - from the other stairwell. Tusked jaw works for a moment, before Bruddah moves for it. And, hopefully, down it and out the building without much more in the way of a 'challenge'.

Tapping off a quick reply to the message sent to him as he goes.

>>> Reply: ColComm
>>>

Already handled.

>>> Message Sent.
>>> Comm Status - Silent, Hidden

The door opens for Bruddah like some miraculous intervention, and the stairway appears to go all the way to the bottom floor. Home free? Not if the voices on his stolen comm have anything to say about it, and say they do. "Command? This is Rodriguez, reporting in. Lockhart is alright, says he took a fall, but I'm, uh, I'm not sure. His commlink is missing, says he must have dropped it. Doesn't add up. Recommending falling back to secondary comm channel."

The message was met with a deep sigh by the original voice. "Rodriguez, you don't have to... talk like... forget it. Lockhart said he tripped?"

"No, he said he fell but he's rubbing his neck and looking for his comm."

"Right... did you pass anyone in the stairway?"

"No, but- well, let's switch to the other comm channel."

Another sigh. "Fine."

. o O (Ain't time to be messing 'round, then.) O o .

Taking a moment to press up against the next stairwell entrance- and take a quick peek through the glazed view window set in the door - Bruddah listens. Detecting nothing, he eases the door open and takes another listen on this level as the door closes and seals behind him.

. o O (Two pairs of feet. Soft, coming up the stairs. Quiet conversation, female, male.) O o .

It could be more security guards; But the comm didn't say anything about more than one, before they switched. But security would be a lot more careful about how they came up, and they wouldn't be chatting. Would they scout out both ends when the older guard already admitted to 'slipping'? Hedging his bets its just residents of the apartment complex, and not wanting to spook someone into remembering him for abnormal behavior, Bruddah straightens up - and just begins walking down the staircase like any other person.

Like he belonged to the area.

The stairway is empty except for a couple of elves, apparently having just returned from a shopping trip. They pause their talking long enough to give Bruddah a funny look, but quickly pass him as he heads down, arms too full of grocery bags to really scrutinize him. Bruddah makes it to the bottom floor without further interruption, and the door leading outside opens without needing a passkey swiped. Looks like Bruddah is finally free, and he's come out of the building on the east side, right across from the employee entrance to the target warehouse. The stolen commlink remains silent.


OOC: (you can try to find the backup channel with a Logic + Computer (1) test.)

OOC> Backup channel found

Bruddah took a moment to adjust his hat, pulling it down low across his gaze, and then starts heading south west. A bit away from the warehouse, and back towards the meeting point. Once he gets across the street, he pulls out the comm and quietly fiddles with it. A few moments later, he's got the backup frequency.

>>"-on lock down. Something's off about all of this."
>>"Alright. I'll start running back security footage. See if you can't-

Bruddah listens only for a few moments; Enough to get the jist that he got out just before the building was locked down. The others have spotted the flaws in the old guard's story. The tusked jaw works for just a moment, before he rolls his shoulders and neatly tosses the commlink into the first convienant sewer grate.

Cutting open the old monkey wouldn't solve a damn thing, if the report was filed after all. Maybe the Johnson wouldn't connect the two?

. o O (Yeah, right. Frek. Well, twelve thousand still better than a empty stomach.) O o .

Lin enters Flik's, looking around for any sign of the cat that she thought she was supposed to be meeting here. Not seeing it right away, she takes a seat and orders something to drink. No alcohol this close before a run, but some fruit juice will go over well...

There.

A tabby cat scampers across the floor and hops its way onto the chair and then the table. It curls up, as if to sleep. A blurry astral form rises out of it and turns to look at Lin with gleaming green eyes. "I am glad to see that you have done well for yourself since our last meeting."

Lin gives the cat a long look, then quietly says in Chinese, "I take it you're the same cat that visited me at my last... place of employment in Hong Kong, shortly before I tendered my resignation and emigrated here?"

A spectral smile. Words that are not words. "The flesh changes. The voice does not. You have wandered far, oh Wandering Thespian."

Lin gives a wry smile. "And you haven't? I find it hard to envision you swimming here from China."

A shrug. "Why not? Marine animals are not difficult to emulate." Flik comes by, setting down a plate of raw fish and a saucer of what looks like milk but smells distinctly of baijiu. "Ah, thank you, Flik. Yes...where was I? Oh, yes. Your journey. I would hear it, if you are willing to tell. I sense my watcher is still bumbling its way around, so we probably have some time before our next destination presents itself." The spirit steps back into the cat, which blinks awake. The cat yawns, straightens, and begins to eat with fastidious delicacy, its golden eyes only occasionally breaking contact with Lin's.

A block away from the meeting point, where Colton is already waiting, Bruddah takes a moment to shove the stun baton he stole in an out-of-the-way corner; Hopefully, it'll still be there when he comes back for it tonight. Can't risk there being some fancy equipment recovery RFID on it that might lead to a blown Run.

Then he rolls his shoulders, adjusts his lined coat over his weapons and armor - and steps into the meeting point, pinging a comm to everyone to make sure he doesn't get shot by some trigger happy nutjob; Never know what type you'll get thrown in with.

>>> Begin Transmission
>>> To: Fellows
>>> From: B

I'm here. Everyone else at the point already?

>>> Message Sent
>>> Comm Status - Silent, Hidden.
>>> Current Time: 18:24 PM


. o O (Two hours left 'till we gotta start. If we don't want to start sooner.) O o .

he reaches in his pocket and yells "hey bruddah" then throws his tag eraser to him. "give yourself a twice over to make sure all your rfid tags are off..." looks around and pulls his bow back and feels the pull against his shoulder and back muscles then lets it slide back into place without firing the arrow he had knocked. "once your done please make sure everyone does it i dont want a simple mistake like that to get us in trouble"

A calloused hand reaches up to grab the RFID eraser as it flips lazily through the air. Bruddah works his jaw for a moment, grunting his assent as he runs it once over himself. More specifically, the utility knife - the only thing of the old man's he had kept with him. He then tucks that little souvenir back inside a pocket, before tossing the eraser back to Colton.

"Ain't dey nanny." He grunts, rubbing a thumb along the nubs where his ears once were. "Ya'll de only one show up?"

Lin shrugs. "There isn't much to tell. After our last meeting, circumstances prompted me to look for employment outside of China. I caught a flight over here, and have been making my way as best I can ever since. As for why I'm not still making Simsense? Well... I've thought about it, but I decided that being in a position where I could be taken advantage of again was rather low on my list of priorities, so I've been focusing more on becoming self-sufficient, rather than trusting people over here to be nicer."

The cat chews, briefly considering Lin's words. Swallow. It lies down. "I am glad to see you are taking your well-being into your own hands. As a particular acquaintance of mine once said, 'kissin' don't last'." The essence of a cheshire smile. "A colorful saying, isn't it? Also very true. Trust not the goodwill of others. Not even mine. Especially not mine. Goodwill is ephemeral at best, and frequently insincere."

The silence drags on between the two for several minutes, then Lin quirks a slight smile, and says "Was there something else you wanted to talk about, or did you just want to catch up?

Momentary confusion. "Catch...up? Oh, you meant that figuratively." A pause. "But, yes. I did wish to discuss a few things with you. Three things in fact, though one will require a bit of hunting."
A toothed smile.
"First things first, however. Our new employer is being watched. I saw one; there may be others. However, when I confronted the fellow about it, he adamantly refused to believe me. Which leads, of course, to the classic question: Ignorance...or malice? I would know your thoughts...and what you have seen. You have, after all, had more exposure to this fellow than the rest of us."

Lin thinks for a short time, then says "Ignorance, I think. He didn't strike me as a consummate actor, and I would know better than most... and if this job is truly as... important and time critical as he seems to be inferring, then it would logically follow through that others - his superiors, at the very least - would be interested in following its progress. We can't assume that any watchers are neutral or allied, though... we should take some extra precautions. Do you have any suggestions on that particular avenue of thought?"

A smile. "A watcher to track a watcher. A hunter to hunt the hunter. We shall have the opportunity...soon enough. Another forty minutes or so, I imagine. In the meantime, tell me, how good a con artist are you?"

Lin considers the question for a moment. "While I wouldn't say that I was skilled, I am trained as an actress, and generally know how to... stretch the accuracy of my words without being obvious about it. Why do you ask?"

"It simply occurs to me that the easiest way to convince someone you have not arrived to deliver something...is to steal something else." Kit finishes his meal. He looks at the clock and ponders, inscrutable. "As for the third matter, I simply wished to remind you that I have not forgotten the promise I made to you. One life spared. One need fulfilled." Spectral eyes peer at her. "My word, freely given, shall never be broken."

"yeah im the only person so far" shruggs and plucks the eraser deftly out of the air "im ready for a good plan about now... got any?" he slings the bow across his shoulders and opens up the coat so bruddah can see his arrowheads "as you can see i have an arrowhead for any plan right now."

"Figgure de best plan not t' use dem pokers at'll."

Grunts Bruddah at Colton's flashing of the arrow heads, even as he settles himself down to wait. Sticking his thick hands into his pockets, his tusked jaw working slowly at some half-chewed morsel he just found between molars. He then takes a hand out to rub his broken up nose, thinking hard.

"If dem udders don' show up, an' it jes' ya'll an' meself, we gunna has ourself a hard ol' time. 'Specially wit' dem spookers walkin' de buildin'." A grunt. "Reckon we git ourself 'old o' Winger's hacker, an' has him do a lil' fancy editin'. Git dat spooker mage fired, o' some sort. One o' dem, 'We Found Us Anudder, Cheaper Mage' bull-loads. Ain't no spooker gonna keep his spooks 'bout when dey ain't go no pay. Den we jes' gotta worry 'bout whats we can eyeball."

"All else fail, I make me one helluva distraction tryin' t' rob de place, and ya'll sneak in de freggin' back door."