Up until yesterday all he cared about was getting in Beth's pants, now he's all worried about Cassie? Spirits, give me the patience not to ventilate this self-centered a*°#@%£.
Her face level, her mind going through the mental gymnastics of magical concentration, Racine speaks calmly and coldly.
"They have seen us, yesterday, in the queue. They know that we are connected to Cass and therefore to Antonio, we'd look suspicious at best. After yesterday, they'd be on the highest alert. No, he knows the place better than us, he'd give us the slip or lure us into a trap. We grab him, we explain to him carefully that his best hope of walking -or possibly crawling- away rests with telling us everything he knows. And one way or another, I'll make sure he stops pushing drugs."
|
"Bad cop it is." He says with a mouth full of bacon sandwich before drinking some milk to wash it down.
"Can't blame them for selling drugs. Someone is going to do it. They probably figured why not us? They just made the wrong deal with the wrong kind of thing. Can't judge him for doing what he may need to do. Not everyone believes on doing what the law tells them. Besides if it comes to it I can get what we need."
Frank smiles.
"Beth baby, why don't you take Cass and the girls shopping. Will help to keep your mind off things. Here"
He hands here a small pouch of gold. 10gp
Caedus wakes early, though he spends his morning in prayer, receiving his spells and readying for the day.
When Cassie speaks, he lays a friendly hand on her shoulder, and whispers so that only she can hear.
"You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, you know. If there's ever a time you want, or need, to not be strong, I just want you to know I will be there for you."
Having nothing to add to the conversation, Doc sits quietly, watching.
Beth kisses Frank on the cheek then takes the money and sits down, "Getting paid to go shopping?" she asks jokingly, "Sure, I can do that.".
Cass looks at Caedus, clearly burying her emotions for her own sake, "I'm fine. But thanks for the offer. she says, before returning to cooking to take her mind off things. It isn't long before the food is finished, and Cass serves everyone at the table before sitting down to eat herself. She's quiet as she eats, deep in thought. Afterwards, Beth tells Cass about Frank's offer, prompting her to approach the party, "Do you not want me to go with you?" Cass asks in a tone not accusing but mildly disappointed and heavily depressed, "What's the play here? Can you even find Timmy's house on your own? It's not that I don't trust you to get the job done, I just want to make sure you know what you're doing - or more specifically, that I know what you're doing. Even if I'm not there, I want to know what's about to happen and that you don't need anything from us before you go."
Doc glances pointedly at Beth then sympathetically at Cass, "It's not about what we want, it's about what is best for you. Perhaps we should discuss this privately after breakfast?"
|
|
"Cass what we want and what is best for us is often the same thing. We just want you safe and to focus on yourself for a bit. Timmy's is surely just an errand boy. We are looking for who is supplying them. You won't get any closure from this, but we will make sure you do in the end. Go with Beth and enjoy the morning. Tell you what. We can meet up for lunch and go over what we have found out. I have no intention of keeping you out of the loop. Just safe. All we need is the address. If it runs into a dead end we will come find you guys."
Racine rubs the bridge of her nose, sighing. "Frank, you're not the group's spokeperson. It's evident that Cassandra would want to see this thing through personally, and I understand. Provided that she keeps her head down and listens to our experience, I don't see a problem in her coming with us. And I'd prefer keeping watch over her."
"I think I'd like to finish breakfast in peace," Doc responds coolly, "but if you insist on having my opinion now... I'm not going to tell a grown woman what she can or cannot do. I can only advise her of the hazards. The decision is hers." He salutes Cass with his orange juice. "Lovely breakfast, Cassandra. Thank you."
Take the goat, go back, take the wolf, go back with the goat, take the cabbage, go back, take the goat.
With an exercise in self-restraint, Racine speaks, shifting to Celestial so as to not be understood by the girls. "मुझे तुम्हें क्या उसके पिता को क्या हुआ की याद दिलाना। हम एक पिशाच के लिए शिकार करने गया था, पिशाच शिकार किया और उसकी आँखों के सामने उसे मार डाला। यही कारण है कि आप क्या वह अब ठीक महसूस कर रही है की एक विचार देना चाहिए, वह डर लगता है कि एक राक्षस है, जबकि हम शिकार उस पर हमला करेंगे। तो फिर वहाँ जो कुछ भी मारे गए एंटोनियो की समस्या है। क्या आप जानते हैं कि कितने राक्षस हैं वहाँ कौन भावना को खाते हैं? अनेक। और अगर कुछ भी उसकी खुशबू मिल गया है, यह उसका पीछा किया जा सकता है। हम उस पर नजर रख सकते हैं, तो हम उसे सुरक्षित की तुलना में वह यहां रह जाएगा रखेंगे।"
"And thank you, Doc. My point exactly."
Doc offers Racine a slice of toast, a butter knife, and a small smile. "I recommend the Elderflower jam - really quite tasty."
Cass nods at Frank, Doc and Racine, then finishes her breakfast. Afterwards, she discusses the day's plans with Beth, making up some story to cover the supernatural suspicion, and explaining why she needs to go find Timmy. She heads to her room to get ready and returns downstairs dressed head-to-toe in dark clothing and holding a primitive pistol, with what looks like a combat knife sheathed on her belt - heirlooms from her late father. "I'm ready to go when you are." she says.
Her cheeks stuffed with jam toast, Racine struggles to speak. "Weahy phoo kho."
Later, approaching Cassandra, she quietly speaks to her. "I spoke on your behalf, but please promise me a thing. Whatever we found, we are trained and equipped to deal with it. So, please, don't go out of our sight, don't take the initiative, stay out of the fray and, if we tell you to do something, you do it. Can you promise me?"
Concern is easily readable in her uncannily large elvish eyes.
Cass nods at Racine, promising to do as Racine says. After everyone is ready, she guides you to Timmy's mom's house, per Beth's directions. The two story house, no more than a few miles away, is neat but dirty - as if it simply goes uncleaned and unused, rather than actively messed up. And yet the recent tracks leading into the house, as well as the smell of heavy narcotics usage near the window into the basement, indicate otherwise.
"Looks like we struck gold. How do we want to play it? Like a clamp. two on the front, two on the back? We try and talk to the mother? Or a mix of the two, a couple to do the talking and someone covering the exits?"
"Perhaps some of you sneaky types should infiltrate to a good position first, but after that, I'm on board with hard and fast."
|
|
After standing around a bit Frank takes matters into his own hand. This place was obviously a drug den of some kind.
"Don't just stand around and draw attention. Follow me in or one or two of you go to the back if you want. Cass stick close to me."
Frank moves up to the door. First trying the nob. Assuming it is locked he puts his shoulder into it to force it open.
That will break down a Strong Door.
Once inside he take a moment to survey what he sees and listen for any commotion or movement.
"Racine's the name, stealth is the game. Take Cass with you."
Crouching low and covering herself in the cloak, Racine sneaks to stand guard in case Timmy tries escaping.
Doc can only shake his head at the impetuousness of youth. How about knocking?
He follows Racine around the back.
Cass follows Frank as he opens the unlocked front door to a neat but dusty and unlit house. The open-floor design of the living room you stand in leads right into the kitchen, where Long and Racine sneak in from the back door. The smell of smoke is stronger inside, and seems to be emanating from a door that leads to what you guess is the basement. Racine now recognizes the scent as that from the drug phantaswead, a mildly addictive recreational substance. From above, Frank faintly makes out what sounds like a woman snoring, and from below a faint rustling.
The basement door is unlocked and you proceed downstairs to find Timmy smoking as he digs through his drawers, unaware that you're there.
"Weed. He'll be a bit toasted, but he should be able to answer our questions."
When Timmy is in sight, she draws her rifle and readies a spell, before gesturing Frank, with a small bow, to do the honors and grab him.
Doc stands near the steps and stares at Timmy, attempting to pull the secrets from his mind as his allies question the drug-dealer.
Startled, Timmy, half-dressed in a pair of undershorts and a stained white dress undershirt, drops his joint, smothering it in a pile of dirty clothes, and grabs a primitive handgun from his dresser drawer and waves it threateningly at Frank, speaking anxiously in a thick accent, "What you want, creep? Get back 'fore I cap- wait, weren't you cats at the gig last night? Straight, y'all Beth's homies. What you cats know 'bout Tony, eh? No, I ain't gettin' involved with whatever ya'll here 'bout! I ain't goin' down like Tony did, you hear?" He is evidently scared, but won't go any further without some persuasion.
Even an idiot is occasionally blessed with luck. Doc redoubles his efforts to penetrate Timmy's thick skull.
On this round, Long detects that Timmy has thoughts.
Homies?
"Nice gun, kiddo." says Racine in a level, amused voice, pointing her rifle at Timmy. "But mine is nicer. And there's five of us. And you may think that Frank here is scary, and you'd be right, but believe me, I'm the one with the large gun, the bad temper and the grudge against drug dealers just like you. Then we have Doc, and boy, he can be unpleasant when he's angry. Caedus here is our nicest guy, but that armor and mace isn't just for show. And I believe you know Cassandra, Antonio's girlfriend."
"See, we're hunting for whatever killed him. We believe it's got something to do with Ultima, with the alchemical symbols and the focusing tablet in your club, and with all of you. So I'm giving you a choice. You put down that toy, you take a glass of water and you tell us what we want to know, or you choose which one of your legs I'm shooting first."
"Left knee is my vote, Racine... But it's early in the morning and Timmy clearly hasn't thought last night through. Tony didn't die by accident, did he? It seems that someone you're in business with saw him as a loose end. You, your ma, and the rest of the PKs might be the next loose ends that get 'tied off'."
|
|
Frank approaches as the boy shakes still holding the gun but a bit too nervous and scared to use it. He reaches into the clothes and finds the joint. Smells it and drops it and stomps it out.
"S*##'s not even very good." He then pulls his flask and offers the boy a drink of whisky.
"Tim you got two plays here. We need the supplier. You guys made a bad deal and now something is after you. Choice one you work with us. We help you and even protect you from whatever you idiots dealt with. Choice two, you keep the info to yourself out of fear and we use you for bait anyways not caring what really happens to you. So what's it going to be?"
Timmy drops the gun and sticks his hands up, his pig-like face akin to a pig-faced deer in the headlights of an angry pointy-eared car, "Shoot, homes. Chill the chiz out, I'll spill - it don't look like I got a say no more. This cat, some old white guy from way out east - like old world guy - lots of dough, he comes and offers me and the boys a job. He gives us a block of refined coca and has us cut it face-to-face with some white junk - probably some cheap heroine jazz - to make Ultima, then we sell it out of his digs like you seen last night - we ain't allowed to sell it outside of there. Check under my bed - I hide it there in case my lazy slob of a ma come looking down here for the pills we used to swipe from her." Long, Racine and Frank, being a doctor, the daughter of a drug addict, and a drug-user respectively, doubt that Ultima is simply coca leaves and heroine based on the observed behaviors at the club.
As soon as Timmy starts thinking about Antonio, however, you see in his eyes that he is reliving the sight of his friend's corpse as he angels his eyes downward and away as if Antonio's body was at his feet. A few seconds later, he looks at you, now paranoid and hysteric, "No, you cats have to leave before that old cat I work for ices me like he iced Tony!"
Racine takes a step forward, giving Timmy a good look of the rifle's barrel. "The point is, you see, that you mistakenly believe we have your best interest at heart. Personally, I couldn't give a rat's $%# if a tuppence drug dealing scum like you got "iced". Honestly, it's not that easy to keep myself from pulling the trigger right now. So spill the beans on this old guy, everything you know, and perhaps we'll leave without painting this room red. Why do you think the old guy is responsible? What does he look like? Where can we find it? Make it worthwhile for me to come into this smelly hellhole."
Timmy leans down and picks his gun back up and waves it around, "Tony started pokin' the bear is why he got iced, and I ain't gonna go the same route! So go ahead and cap me, you pointy-eared hellcat, because I can't tell you more than I already did: old, rich, eastern, and one dangerous cat." He points his gun at Racine and shouts, "Now get out! GET OUT!" repeatedly.
Doc tries to stun the ranting putz with a blast of mental energy.
Long senses the distraught of anxiety, paranoia and fear in Timmy's mind. He fears that the man, whose name and identity he truly doesn't know, will kill him horribly if he helps you - he suspects that Tony was planning or doing something their employer disagreed with, and that's what got him killed. But suddenly, your blast of mental energy temporarily calms him for a few seconds and he drops the handgun again.
Racine kicks the primitive firearm away from Timmy before pointing the rifle at his face again.
"Also, keep in mind that I. Hate. People. Like. You. So be afraid of the old guy all you want, but if you don't speak we ARE going to ice you."
Suddenly, as Timmy's mind comes back, he snaps and tries to disarm Racine, provoking an attack of opportunity, but she resists, "NO! I'll ice you first and maybe that rich cat will let me live! There's nothing you can do to stop him!"
Racine dodges Timmy's hamfisted attempt at a disarm and takes a step back, weapon still trained on him. "Frank, you mind breaking his arms? I don't want to make gunfire noise, but he needs to be convinced we're serious."
Caedus stifled a groan. This was not going well.
Doc makes a staying gesture. "Stop it, Timothy. You're not going to beat us... so just calm down. If you want to play the tough guy - be the strong, silent type and refuse to talk. But I'm still going to ask you some questions. The sooner I get through my questions, the sooner we'll leave. You don't know this man's name. Fine. I believe that." He then asks the rest of his questions slowly, giving Timmy time to think of answers, whether he says them or not. "What do you think Tony did that got him killed? What do you know about the bouncer - a name, a hangout? Has he let anything slip about his boss? You don't seems the fearful type... so what about this old guy scares you?"
|
|
"Break his arm? He's a dumb kid, just scared. Doc will get what we need just give him a few moments and keep a hold on your weapon." With that said Frank does take the moment and a massive blade of energy forms into his hands from nowhere. He points the blade to the boy.
"You seem to fear power. Now you know I have power. I could have made this appear inside you popping your head clean off. Now calm the f#+@ down and think on Docs questions." Frank then says Docs questions again trying to bring the thoughts to the boys mind.
His attempt having failed, he calms down just enough to talk, "Maybe Tony wanted to skedaddle, or he went pokin' the bear where he don't belong, I don't know - the old cat said to us he'd handle Tony. Why you think we were so distracted last night? We had no idea what the old man meant 'til Tony's corpse turned up all messed up like he was. I kept my head down and only popped up this morning to check my crib, make sure Tony ain't left nothing incriminating. Then you fools show up tryna wake my Ma up." Long sense Timmy's thoughts and knows this is true - Timmy remembers meeting his boss in the club yesterday as he describes, and that got their nerves rattled. When it went down, he layed low for the night and then returned home this morning.
"And the bouncer and me ain't exactly tight. He's hired muscle to keep the place in check and deter any troublemakers. Clearly he kicked the ball on this one, else he'd've never let ya'll in. But other than that, he's tight-lipped, and I doubt he knows much more than I do about the boss man - cat's shrewd, rich, old, foreign - for all I know he's up in that old-world magic type they tell in the stories. Voodoo or some nonsense. He meets when he tells you and you don't ask questions when told what to do. He came to us not too long ago, made us an offer, told us we'd be setting up shop in some old warehouse he owned. It seemed good at first, but now? Now you're damn right I'm scared." Long knows that Timmy is telling the truth - some weeks back, him and his boys were approached by an old man with a foreign accent who appeared to be quite wealthy, and he made them an offer. All was good up until yesterday, when the aforementioned meeting went down. The boss simply shows up when he wants to meet, usually at his club in the warehouse district.
|
|
"Thanks Tim. See don't you feel better now. So do you plan on opening tonight? Too bad we don't have a connection with the police we could have the place roped off and closed for a bit. May make the guy anxious and reach out too you. Well what do we think? We could go check the place out during the day. Maybe there are sewers or something bellow. If the boss always meets there it's for a reason. Tim have you ever seen him in the daylight? Has it always been at night?"
Half disappointed and half relieved that she won't have to shoot Timmy under Cassandra's eyes, Racine goes to get the box of Ultima, divining for any magic aura coming from it. "Wykrycie magii."
"Whatever I do is none of your biz, man, and anything you do better not come back on me, aight? I ain't takin' the fall for you fools. And have I seen him in daylight? Of course, I seen him in daylight, fool! What you think he is, some vampire?" he asks mockingly. He backs up and starts shooing you out, "Now I answered your questions, so get the hell out of my crib, and don't you never come back!"
Racine detects no magical aura coming from the ultima. If anyone knows about medicine or alchemy or the like, roll whatever skill.