"It doesn't surprise me!" Danny grins at Laura.
"Nice to see you again too. I'll ring Morien, and we can get this party on the road!"
Morien leans around the doorframe, a basket of fish & chips in one hand. "You'll what, now?" She smirks at Danny, then looks over the group and gets down to business. "Who's with me?"
"I LIKE the service here!" Danny smiles, looking around with a look of child-like amazement, wondering why his drink hasn't magically materialized yet.
(You know, the one he hasn't actually asked for yet.)
"I'm in." Danny says, holding up his hand to catch the waitresses attention.
After Danny gets some service and everyone who wishes to drinks up, it's off to the vehicles and an unsurprisingly rapid drive to the urban city of Leeds. A stark comparison to the ancient regal majesty of York, instead it's a modernised city with hints of its' Industrial Revolution past.
Squat toad building sit in the plaza's, presiding over their courts of terraced housing. However under Laura's directions, she brings you towards the river-front apartments - balconied windows sparkling in the afternoon sunlight. The apartment building is a large new imposing multi-storey structure in various pastel hues and stepped roofs.
She pulls into a side street nearby over-looking the pristine gardens before the building, the first green buds bursting from the new trees.
Laura gets off the bike with a little squeeze of Kenneth's bicep and moves to Moriens vehicle, tapping the window. "So he's on the 8th floor. Shall we just knock on his door and ask some questions?" she asks with a smile.
Morien squints up at the building through the Frosts' open window, drumming her fingers against the car's side. "Let's. Do we know how many exits these flats have?"
Kenneth says, "Aye, though it ne'er hurts tae take a wee keen around first.... if only tae be sure there's nae surprises tae come when we knock."
Kenneth pauses for a moment and then says, "It's tae bad we dinnae have a wizard with us, 'twould be easiest if we could ask the wee folk tae look about for us. Though I suppose I could dae it myself, if any ay them still revere the auld ways ay Britain. It is, after all, my Lady's isle."
"I like the friendly approach. Less likelihood of being shot, stabbed, zapped or eaten." Danny pipes in pleasantly.
"You know, that's the theory anyway." He adds with a furrowed brow that shows he might be reconsidering the idea.
"Talking to the fairies?" Laura looks a bit skeptical, having not had too much experience with the supernatural. She glances to the new manicured garden are before the big building, wooden benches and small gravelled areas sit alongside lawn and a small rockery with wildflowers. "I suppose?"
"Exits?" she answers Moriens question, with a smile to Danny for his verbal course of action; "Well the main entrance into a small lobby, a rear stairwell & a exterior mesh enclosed fire-escape stair." Eyeing the balconies seriously, the policewoman adds "Unless he can fly?"
Sal rolls out of the back seat of Trip's Land Rover, having changed into more businesslike gear on the way over. She glares at the driver. "I told you to keep your eyes on the road, not on the rear-view mirror!" she scolds the were-goat, tugging her Kevlar undershirt into place beneath her dark sweater and baggy dark pants. No firearms are in evidence, though one of the pants pockets seems to contain something heavy, and she has a backpack on.
Arriving in time to hear the end of Laura's briefing, Sal nods, kneeling to tie her black combat boots as she scrutinizes the building. "We could do the same thing we did at the other dealer's place - guards in back, customers in front." She peers up at the sky, then at Danny and Kenneth. "Um... can people fly?"
"I made no promises, darling! Besides, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; and I beheld some beauty!"
"And that's all well and good, But it's better if you don't get into a wreck so you can live to enjoy it!" Danny pats the were-goat on the shoulder.
"Fly? Well,... it's not like it very common I suppose, too easy to get your picture taken nowadays, but, yeah? I suppose he could probably sprout wings if he was of a mind to?" Danny answers in more of a question, looking to Ken for confirmation.
"And Reds are really like that more recent Dracula movie, the one where Drac turned into a huge Man-Bat thing? So,... yeah,..." Danny adds, shivering at a memory.
"The poppy court is... different. But I don't think most could fly away on us." Morien gives their surroundings a critical look, then shrugs and makes ready to leave the car here. Settling her messenger bag on her back, next to her center of mass, she uses the habit to settle her mind as well. "Unless you're going to try bargaining with the littlest fey," she nods to Kenneth, "we should get started. Longer we stand here, more chance we'll be noticed."
Kenneth nods, "Aye, well, some things can fly. I dinnae think we need worry about that here and now.... especially since my Lady's famous for her skills at archery....", he pats his gauntlet and adds, "..I may nae be as gifted as she is, but I amnae a slouch, and I'd like enjoy the fun ay shooting down any fleeing vamps... they'd be like supernatural skeet."
He smiles at the group and then shrugs, "As I said, the wee folk are nae my forte, though many dae cling tae the auld ways... and so I can dae it, though I dinnae ken how long it may take... As so, I dae think Morien's likely got the right ay it, and we should be about things rather than staying out here sticking out like a handful ay sore thumbs."
He adjusts his sword and then nods, "I'm ready tae go.".
Let's try tae keep everyone in a positive sort ay mindset...
He playfully pinches Laura and whispers with a smile and a wink, "Hush now, it must hae been the wee folk.".
"Right, then, what's the plan? Do we need to cover the rear and fire escape as while the main team goes in the front?" Sal queries, "I'm fine with covering any route."
"I'll cover Sal's rear."
Danny smacks Tangris on the back of the head, NCIS style.
"Wow, the wee folk are BUSY today!" he says with wide-eyed innocence.
"I'll help cover,... the back exits." Danny volunteers with careful word choice.
"My skills are better used for that than direct confrontation. Unless you want me to sweet talk him? Yeah. I didn't think so." He grins.
Sal snorts, folding her arms and leveling a flat stare at Tangris and Danny. "I think Morien and I should cover the back stairs. Our legitimate law officer and her magic man can take the front. You two can climb the fire escape and make sure nobody, uh, escapes." Glancing around the rest of the group, she cocks her head. "Sound good to you guys?"
Kenneth says with a smile, "Aye, that's likely the best plan. It should ensure that neither ye nor Morien needs tae put any bullets intae little Billy for getting all hands..er.. hoofy.... while sending the gallant and dashing bard forward tae be properly heroic. I approve."
"Sure. Sounds good. Doesn't it Tangris?" Danny agrees, still all cheerful, wide-eyed innocence.
"Fire escape. No escape. Sure, got it!"[/b] Tangris still grins devilishly at Sal.
"Right then. Eighth floor. What apartment number?" Sal asks Laura, gently nudging Morien's arm.
Leading the way to the fire escape, Danny kindly gestures for Tangris to proceed him.
"After you sir! Brawn before Brains!" He grins.
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"Flat 810." Laura replies as the pair of ladies take the back stairway, a narrow and restrictive concrete structure. Painted white, with chrome balustrades and occasional potted plants it would make a perfect place for an ambush.
Whilst the fire escape is a trifle more exposed to the elements, it makes the perfect place to watch the slow river drift by. The traffic upon the nearby roads and rails slides away like a dream. Or for the more eagle-eyed there's the sporadic office worker that wanders past.
Laura and Kenneth arrive at the front door of the apartment, with a glance and a smile at Kenneth she raps on the door. The seconds drag on until nearly a minute passes and the heavy reinforced door opens, just 8 inches as it's on a chain. A bleary eyed man looks out; "What do you want?" he barks in a cultured accent.
Tangris grins and begins climbing the fire escape.
Danny climbs up after Tangris, trying to be careful and not make TOO much noise. And managing to enjoy the view. When he remembers not to look STRAIGHT down,...
Kenneth replies in a friendly tone, "We have a warrant tae search the premises. May we come in?", while mentally preparing himself to wedge something in the open door.
"Police? I'm afraid I'll have to see your credentials." He replies with a raised eyebrow; "Just precautionary, you see." his tone has a hint of condescension. Laura gets out her warrant card and nearly shoves it into his face.
"Oh I see!" he responds, sliding the door open and inviting the pair into a plush living room. Immaculate and with expensive, if minimalistic tastes; the suited man stands beside a faux-gas fireplace. "I'm afraid I doubt I can help you in your enquiries, there's nothing to be found here."
Laura leans over to whisper to Kenneth; "He's known to be supplying to the Yardies down at Highcroft and the students in Headingley. Should we do good-cop; bad-cop?"
Once Sal hears the flat number, she gives Morien a nod and the two make their way up the back stairs as silently as they can.
Once they are out of view of the police officer, Sal unsnaps the large pants pocket on her thigh and retrieves her harness and pistol, taking a second as they climb to shrug into the gear and secure it. She snaps the knife sheath onto her belt.
"Best to be prepared," she murmurs to Moren apologetically as they start up the stairs.
Kenneth smiles at the invitation, as he walks into the room without the loss of power from crossing a threshold.
Kenneth nods at the man, as if in understanding, but with a glance at Laura to make it clear that he's playing along for his benefit. "Aye, sir, I ken what you're saying, but sadly, we've been given this warrant." He shrugs as if helpless, and adds, "We'll be out ay your hair in just a wee bit. I'm terribly sorry for this, 'tis likely another bloody false report from someone that gets off on wasting a body's time... the last three ay these were called in by a jealous ex-girlfriend, ye ken..."
In the Apartment
"Well..." he starts with a sigh at the terrible inconvenience of it all.
'So, I'm bad-cop.' Laura thinks and instantly cut's the slick mans' words off. "So Alberto? Or should I call you Alby? We don't like dealers around here, we know you've been selling. And people have been dying."
Laura moves forward into his face, despite not having an imposing physicality she generates a powerful presence; "You're going to prison for a long-time, drugs and death! You've made quite a lot of money out of it, but not enough to keep you safe." she stares at him with crystal eyes.
He smirks, a retort; "Hey.... I don't see any evidence. I don't see much really..." Alberto looks down at her.
Outside in the stair-well
The door at the top of the landing opens and an older lady with steel hair, a floral lavender and primrose dress to contrast with her green scarf. Seemingly full of energy, she bustles out into the corridor.
She glances around at Sal, hidden amongst the shadows - eagle eyed and perceptive. She spots that the warrior's holding something; "What you got there? Flowers for some beau?" she smiles mischievously.
Kenneth smiles and claps a hand on Laura's back, whispering, "Bàrdail Fèin", and filling her with the Fire of Inspiration, magnifying and anchoring her sense of self. He says, "Come now, we havenae found anything here, there's nae reason tae be attacking the poor man. Ye ken as well as I that 'tis likely just some former business partner trying tae make the man's life difficult."
He turns back to the man and says, "I dinnae see any evidence either, but apparently, someone thought there was enow tae get a warrant and send us here tae waste our time." He sighs, and adds, wearily in an apologetic tone, "I'm sure we willnae find anything... she's just a keener."
Inspired by Kenneth's words, her enunciation and vocal timber resonates with greater clarity and alarcity, with some acting she shakes off the skald's hand and presses her 'attack'.
Laura leans forward her forehead almost butting Alberto's aquilline nose; "We'll find something alright, even if we have to have a couple of dozen men in here ripping apart the walls, looking in every dark cranny and shadow. Cleaning out your hard-drive...." She takes a step back; "We will find something." her words are a promise to go with the confident look on her face.
Whilst for the first time the resident, Alberto is slightly shaken.
In the stairwell:
A step behind Sal, Morien grins and winks to the old lady, doing her best to project an air of harmlessness. "A surprise."
"Oh that's good." she says with a wink of her own, the expression upon her face a kindly ribaldry that one wouldn't expect.
Then she starts to bustle past the ladies, her handbag free swinging at her side.
Alberto backs off, his eyes dart to the computer in one corner and then around his precious and expensively furnished apartment; "You cannot do that ?" he replies with a glance at Kenneth, half-questioning.
"Well, we'll see if we put anything back together afterwards." Laura replies picking up a picture and opening the back up, finding nothing and lobbing it onto a couch, where it bounces off the glass smashing on the floor.
The criminal man rumbles softly at this, sliding his thumbs across his fingers - in a motion of desperation to act. There's an assessing glance to Kenneth as Alberto works out the best course of action.
Sal sighs in relief. "Civilians," she mutters to Morien, "Can't live with 'em, no point in being a hero without 'em." She scoots to the door of 810, checks for onlookers, and listens there, quietly, without touching the door.
Kenneth sighs again and says in a stage whisper, "Aye, she isnae supposed tae dae that, but she knows that it'd be hard tae prove that anything done wasnae accidental, and so, she's putting the screws tae ye like a petty tyrant."
He pauses and then leans in, "She's been like this since with all the men since she found out her fiancé had been cheating on her with her sister for the last year."
He sighs and says, "I was afraid ay this... she may tear the whole bloody place apart just tae make her feel better 'bout herself.... 'tis too bad ye've nae done *antyhing* wrong... it might be best if ye let her find something minor just tae make her stop looking and gloat."
Apartment
Laura moves across the apartment eyeing up more items with the faux innocence of a stalking tiger.
Alberto's eyes go wide, his jaw tightens and juts forward. Finally opening his razor thin mouth, he concedes; "Well let's just say I may know a man, whom has a couple of friends...."
Picking up a crystal vase, Laura turns it upside down with a negligent gesture. Nothing falls from it....
"Hey! Don't chuck that..." he exclaims with a urgent call; "I might be able to inquire about other contacts." Laura chucks the vase to him, which he instinctively catches and brings to his chest tightly. Her movements as swift and smooth as a dancers, she closes getting into the mans' face.
"See I knew you're rotten. Here's what we do..." Laura snarls; "Give me a list or flash drive of all your dealers and suppliers. Then we can say no more -" with unblinking eyes; "I know them anyway and they'll be none the wiser about our visit."
She taps him around the cheeks; "Say your looking a bit peaky, a holiday would be a good idea." Alberto, rushes to open his laptop, with a furious smattering of keys.
Across his back Laura looks to Kenneth with a wink.
Outside, on the fire escape, Danny tilts his head slightly.
"I thought I heard something? Guess not. I'm pretty sure if they need us, they'll make a LOT more noise." Danny tells Tangris with a wry smirk.
Kenneth keeps back, looking sheepish, defeated, and sympathetic.... until the man looks down at his keyboard, when he flashes an admiring smile and wink at Laura while the man's focus is elsewhere. Aye, let's just keep away from the sensitive electronics - it wouldnae dae tae have the wee laptop burst intae flames a'fore we get our information.... Still, that was a nice bit ay teamwork -- I've nae had that much fun since burning out all the cameras with -- Kenneth winces as he realizes the direction of his thoughts, and then shakes them off, 'Tisn't the time for such. Let's make sure our little friend isnae working up a surprise for us, instead.
With that, he begins to look around the room for any sort of electronic alarm or camera, almost desperate to be able to hurl a ball of conflicted emotion at something if only to be able to release it for a moment.
Letting out a little squeak at Laura's encouragement, Alberto's rushes to turn the laptop on and quickly opens and prints out a few folders full of paper. Under the extreme haste it's not long before he rips a flash drive from the machine; "Here! Take it!" he thrusts it at Laura and grabs a sheathe of papers.
"Information on distribution networks and quantities" he says before glancing away; "that my friend knows about."
"Now will you leave.... please" he adds in a small voice under the influence of Laura's glare.
Kenneth locks his gaze on the high tech phones and tablets, pleased to hurl his tangled ball of emotion at each of them, ..At least something good can come ay this... and besides, we dinnae want him warning anyone tae soon...
Kenneth turns and looks at Laura to see if she's satisfied with the print-out before smiling and tapping the man on the shoulder, "It's tae bad that your friend isnae here. I'm sure we could clear the whole mess right up real quick. Sadly, though, I think we may need tae take the laptop now. It's evidence, ye ken?"
Mutely Alberto shakes his head, shocked at the rising acrid smoke from the telecoms items that seem to spontaneously have fried. Laura picks up the lap-top carefully, grabs the print-outs and after a quick scan slaps them into Kenneth's chest.
"Here, carry those. At least you can be good for something." her tone implies to the criminal that she's not happy with where Kenneth's sympathies seemingly lie. There's a sparkle to her eyes that show she's enjoying this alot.
She bustles out of the apartment leaving Kenneth to say his farewell's to the bemused criminal.
Sal leans casually against the corridor wall. "Hurry up and wait, just like the service," she says softly to Morien, "I don't hear any screaming yet, do you?"
Laura leaves the apartment walking into the corridor patting the laptop softly; "Best keep this away from Mr. Lightning fingers." she says softly almost to herself, glad to be out of the 'bad-cop' character.
Morien smirks at Sal's comment, but doesn't get a chance to reply before Laura brushes past them into the hall. "Done?" is all she asks.
"Yep, got as much information on the dealers and their infrastructure as possible and put the wind of god up him." Laura replies moving down the corridor. "That was a very nice vase he had." she adds rhetorically to herself. The policewoman has clearly been enjoying herself, judging from the spring in her step.
Kenneth sighs with relief as Laura takes the sensitive electronics from him and he no longer has to focus quite so much on keeping his power and emotions in check. He smiles and then frowns, "'Tis all Flame, lass. Surely ye ken that by now.", he complains in a mock-serious tone.
He then winks and says, "That man's had a pretty rough day because ay you.... normally ruining the lives ay the wicked is my department. I'm more than a wee bit tempted tae hex the rest ay his fancy kit just tae balance the scales here."
Looking at the street (alley?) below them, Danny asks Tangris,
"It's awfully quiet in there. For one of our escapades at least. You think their alright? I mean, I can't imagine them getting into trouble and NOT making noise,..."
"Course, we're bound for a break, right?" He asks the were-goat with a grin.