Dave will look for some metal wire, about the thickness of a metal coathanger, and as long as one unfolded.

or

Heavy gauge wire (aka baling wire, as in hay bales), same area as chains and cable. It's iffy to me that they'd have it here but... whatever.

Conclusion: very doable (although an older car might be easier, and possibly won't have an alarm).

Sgt. Curtin wrote:

Hooooly crap! 24 hours and 50-odd posts ...yikes!

Happens

Kruelaid wrote:

Slim jim: A long flat tool used to open locked doors on cars by hooking the lock within the door, or the act of using said tool (just in case it's called something else down under). Also used to denote a long thin penis.

I don't know if that's what its called here ... either of them.

Staff room has hangers.

Conclusion: very doable (although an older car might be easier, and possibly won't have an alarm).

Retconning:
Mike suddenly hears voices. He turns, seeing a man and woman with a wheelbarrow full of tools.

"Hey, you gettin' out of here too?"

Pause.

"f&!@ it. Dumb question anyway. Got a ride?"

Retconning:
Mike suddenly hears voices. He turns, seeing a man and woman with a wheelbarrow full of tools.

I was starting to think that too ... when he gets back outside he'll keep his eye out for something.

Am at Gramarcy apartments, what do I find?

Once you find that shopping is going well inside the hardware store you head back to the apartments to get Mary Ann. Everything is as usual at the door except the couple leaving with backpacks and hiking boots. When you get to the third floor however you get the scent of blood mixed with a strange and faint musty odor – the bloody handprints on the wall, I suppose, will excite your fear, and you run to Mary Ann’s door which is locked.

And knock.

She unlocks the door and pulls the safety bolt and opens the door. She has her phone in her hand.

<Jumps through the door and hugs you.>

"Someone was just screaming here in the building. I was just calling you."

<She pulls you in the door.>

“Hey man,” Dave responds to the punker, mid wheeling a barrow full of looted goods out the back door. “You were on the roof before right?” He flashes a grin. “Took off before I got up there.” Mike will notice a broad Australian twang to his accent.

“Yeah, we’ve got a car … but …” Dave takes in the big f*ckin’ wrench the guy holds, and the tiny shards of broken glass on his jacket, then grins again. “You wouldn’t happen to be any good at jacking cars would you? I’m a bit rusty … yeah? No? Hold that thought, I’ll be back in a sec.”

Having pushed the barrow out the door into the care of Patrick, Dave suddenly takes off back into the store, vaulting a low standing display, skidding over the stair banister and then up the stairs three at a time.

When he gets up there, he grabs a couple of metal coathangers from the staff room he wandered into before … then all of a sudden slows down, takes out his phone and types out and sends a quick text message to a local number stored within.

Anna hi, Dave from Oz. Im in Van. Crazy. Were r u? U ok?

Then he heads out the door to the roof, looks about, then quickly scales the wall down, to meet back up with the guys below.

Yeah, re the car, Dave is starting to realise that a recent model car is probably out of his ability to easily get into and start up. He’ll look around for something older but reliable looking.

<Jumps through the door and hugs you.>

"Someone was just screaming here in the building. I was just calling you."

<She pulls you in the door.>

** spoiler omitted **

"I think I have some masks. Wait a minute."

<Runs to her bedroom, comes back a minute later with a packed bag.>

"Let's go.... ummm. Where are we going?"

<She puts on a surgical mask and hands one to you.>

Jon at the Gramercy: You hear a loud thumping noise in the hallway. Have a look?

Dave, Sam, Mike, Sarge at Ace hardware: (I'm going with the broken window and retcon Mike bailing.) A few others have climbed into the store now. It seems that nobody is calling the police. You overhear a conversation between the couple in the Jeep to the effect that the police must be far too busy right now anyway.

"I think I have some masks. Wait a minute."

<Runs to her bedroom, comes back a minute later with a packed bag.>

"Let's go.... ummm. Where are we going?"

<She puts on a surgical mask and hands one to you.>

"Mary Ann let's go. Friends are waiting for us."

Johnnie takes a cautious look at what is happening in the hallway. Through the peephole if there is one.

There is a peephole but you can't see anything. You hear groaning. The sort of groaning one might make if one was suffering terribly.

“Hey guys,” calls Dave as he drops to the ground out the back of the hardware and moves to help Sam and Patrick load up the van. “Have we got room for this guy?” He nods his head in the direction of the punker. “Looks like the food place over there is still open. Sam, here’s some cash – you guys maybe go in and load up on canned goods – and a can opener and stuff! – and we’ll go and see about getting another car.”

He looks back to the punker and nods at him. “Sorry mate, I didn’t ask you your name; I’m Dave. Coming?”

Did Dave see any older model cars that looked in fairly good condition? Something that might not have an alarm or an immobiliser?

There is a peephole but you can't see anything. You hear groaning. The sort of groaning one might make if one was suffering terribly.

Did Dave see any older model cars that looked in fairly good condition? Something that might not have an alarm or an immobiliser?

Ummm. You won't see many immobilizers in Canada.

A silver 2002 BMW m3.

A black 1968 Camaro.

will be leaving d office in a few minutes; post back in a few hours.

Johnnie signs to Mary Ann for silence. Johnnie makes sure that the door is bolted. He then continues his watch through the peephole.

Have a look. Everyone wants you to.

Someone walks slowly past the door. They appear to have a bleeding head wound - there's blood all over the face.

hmmm ... Johnnie is a doctor, right?

A silver 2002 BMW m3.

A black 1968 Camaro.

The Camaro, it's a two door. Someone has given it love, but not the factory kind: a new paint job - tasteful jet black, there's a roll bar, and lord knows what's under the hood. She's not fuel efficient, but then who knows.... you might not live long enough to empty the tank.

“Damn man,” Dave says in a low voice (to Mike if he’s with him, to himself if not). “I feel bad taking off with this baby … someone’s put some love into her. Still … who knows, owner might be dead with A.S.E. by now … if not, I’ll try to look them up after this is all over, give her back… and she is a nice car…”

The Aussie looks around, searching for potential owners, cops or other authority figures. If he sees no one, he crouches down, using the car for cover from the most obvious lines of approach, and slips the unfurled coathanger wire down in beside the window, trying to hook the door mechanism (you know, unless the window is down or the doors are unlocked or something dumb like that…)

Check required? If repair … 6+3. That probably won’t do it … Try again?

Winnebago, is that it? There has gotta be a place in Vancouver that sells them surely. Maybe we should look for a phone book and see if we can find something."

Dave is slim jimming the black Camero. He's in front of the bookstore in the upper left. I'll post a new map when I find out what everyone else is doing.

Dave asked Sam to go to the grocery store. Is that where she is?

Is Mike going with her, or is he with Dave or Patrick?

I've got Patrick staying with the van behind Ace hardware, just on an assumption.

Johnny and Mary Ann are in the Gramercy on the third floor.

I am indeed staying by the van, helping load any goodies we find. Also, I have brought my greatsword within reach in case of looter trouble.

Patrick stands at the sliding door of his van, reorganizing the contents and tossing out random roadtrip trash in a most unPC manner (hey it's the apocalypse, and I'm in a hurry --he thinks guitily).

While reorganizing he attempts to contact his Aunt Terri

A Terri WRU in hosp? I M coming 4 U. We R going to woods to hide. Give me a loc U R at. P

Also posting a list of items the van had under profile, never got to it before ..mea culpa

Johnnie observes the fellow outside with the head wound, searching for his assailant. Johnnie pulls out a scalpel from his pocket.

Johnnie observes the fellow outside with the head wound, searching for his assailant. Johnnie pulls out a scalpel from his pocket.

“F*ck man, I am rusty,” Dave mutters to himself, as he tries to get the door open. He glances down at the heavy crowbar by his feet, that he’s kicked out of sight partially under the car … but he can’t bring himself to do it … it is a nice car … He keeps working on the door.

Sorry Moth, just got in.

No alarm. It looks like the kind of car a person keeps in a garage. Once you find the lever it takes a few seconds.

Juan 'Johnnie' Rico wrote:

Johnnie observes the fellow outside with the head wound, searching for his assailant. Johnnie pulls out a scalpel from his pocket.

The peephole doesn't give you enough of a look to make sense of anything. The man seemed to be walking slowly. It occurs to you that perhaps he's dazed. He could be the assailant himself, or it could have just been an accidental injury.

"Mary Ann, the people here have guns? I fear that there are looters. There's a man outside hurt but I am not sure if his assailant is not there. Or may be he is the assailant and his victim is in dire need of help." Johnnie whispers to Mary Ann.

... greatsword...

Might want to get yourself a grinder from Ace before you leave.

"Mary Ann, the people here have guns? I fear that there are looters. There's a man outside hurt but I am not sure if his assailant is not there. Or may be he is the assailant and his victim is in dire need of help." Johnnie whispers to Mary Ann.

<She looks through the peephole..>

"He's gone. I don't know. Maybe you should look."

Johnnie looks through the peephole again.

Sorry Moth, just got in.

"Cool." The knob inside the door pops up, indicating that the door is unlocked. Dave slips inside, bringing his tools with him, and sits in the drivers seat, door closed behind him, admiring the interior for a moment. Then, before trying to hotwire the thing (he's rusty there too), he starts searching around for a hidden key - glove compartment, under floor mats, under seat covers, behind sun-shades etc.

Let me know what dice rolls if any are required - percpetion perhaps? I don't expect to find a key really, but it doesn't hurt to look.

Dinner party. Was going to write a break in post before I left but my wee one was cranky.

The interior is simple but well cared for. Leather seats, a cd player. It's mostly factory but the tiny rear seats have been removed to make room for the roll bar. It does leave some space for cargo. You look everywhere but don't see a key.

It takes about a minute to get into the steering column wires without just a pocket knife.

How about a DC 10 repair roll to find the right wires and cut them in just a few seconds. If you want to take 10 I'm guessing between two to five minutes.

Johnnie looks through the peephole again.

"I think he's gone. Let's go." Johnnie starts unbolting the door.

Dave will go for quick and dirty – repair roll:16+3 = 19.

"I think he's gone. Let's go." Johnnie starts unbolting the door.

Dave will go for quick and dirty – repair roll:16+3 = 19.

It rumbles.

The stereo blares.

"Mary Ann, we gotta move quietly. We don't wanna attract the attention of the looters."

Taking 20 if possible.

"... the looters."

Juan 'Johnnie' Rico wrote:

"... the looters."

You mean your new friends?

Sgt. Curtin wrote:

... greatsword...

You probably need to sharpen it. Bringing it across the border might have been a serious problem otherwise.

Might want to get yourself a grinder from Ace before you leave.

“Niiice…”

You guys drive on the right in Canadia yeah?

Dave savours the moment for a little, then puts the car into gear, pulls out of the parking space, cruises slowly down the street for a short distance, trying to get a feel for the car. He’s a pretty decent driver – what he lacks in skill he makes up for in reflex – but its been a few months since he’s done much driving. He’s got an international license, but he tends not to drive much when he’s overseas, so it takes him a little to get used to things.

When he can see that the road is clear in both directions, he throws a U turn, drives back up the street and turns into the driveway beside Ace, and down, around into the ally to pull in behind Patrick.

“Got us some more wheels,” he grins, climbing out of the Camero. He heads over to the van, grabs his pack out and puts it into the back of the car, then starts taking a few of the things they picked up from the hardware store and doing likewise. “I figure it makes sense to share things out, in case we get split up,” he explains.

“Now Sarge – hey, why does Johnnie call you Sarge anyway? What are you, ex cop? Ex army? – Anyway, do you want to go across and help Sam get the food, I mind the cars? Or vice-versa?”

"Whoa! Mate, you got a f*ckin' sword? Cool."

On the second floor you run into the wounded man, but he is not wounded it turns out.

His face and hands are just smeared in blood. For a moment, a moment that drags out and slows down, you look at each other - him staring blankly and slack jawed, you focused and gritting your teeth. Then he snarls and you see the piece of flesh hanging from his bloodied teeth.

Adrenaline bursts. You glance from the doorway where he stands to the stairs down. Perhaps you can make it. Make one initiative roll for both you and Mary Ann.