Natalie starts to question the last remaining living person while Smith and Ward search the bodies and vehicle. Both bodies have identification papers, Pakistani driver's licenses and Pakistani work passports to go in and out of Pakistan and Afghanistan. One is named Momar Alamud and the other Uzfed Mezerani. Both have pictures of children in their wallets.
The truck itself has papers showing that Momar was the owner of the vehicle. It also contains a vehicle border pass, stamped with both Pakistani and Afghani official marks. Other than what look to be construction tools that could be used as such, there are no weapons in the vehicle.
Is the border pass somehow specific to this vehicle or specific persons, or could anyone use it?
-Posted with Wayfinder
"There's some documents here. Ownership papers and a border pass. I'm sure that with some work I could forge some papers for us."
Smith says, "That would be great, this is a great vehicle minus the color of course. We should get to a hotel and maybe get some photo developing chemicals and some shut eye."
Smith moves the prisoner into the back of the van so that Natalie can get down to extrapolating some information.
Natalie takes the man off to the side, seating him on the ground. While under the watchful eye of whomever is left, she brushes her hair aside, "Alright, let's start again. I need some info, and you're the only person who can answer me, so there's no need to get any rougher than we have. So tell me about Antonova."
Good Cop-Networking
edit: that's a 17, forgot my synergy bonus to Networking due to Culture in this area
Fine, consider it a bad cop roll, which puts me at a 10 total
Natalie pours on the pressure for a good fifteen minutes, but the man clams up. He says nothing as she appears to get frustrated, especially whenever she brings up Antonova and he looks away from her. She also realizes that time is ticking by...
-Posted with Wayfinder
Natalie takes a moment to recover away from the prisoner, "Guy's scared, not of us. Someone's really got a hold of him. Best bet to get him to talk is to cart him out somewhere so far from civ that he's got to rely on us to survive." She shrugs, frustrated. "Not made for this..."
She turns back around, and approaches the man again, and sits on her haunches near him. " Alright look, we're going to be drawing some of the civvies out of here, we've got a....plan set up. If the Sovies are really running you scared, I could get you out as well." After waving her cigarette around, she starts cleaning her gun in front of him. "I'm only telling you this because you'll be dead if you don't start cooperating."
Bad Cop: Intimidate
The man darts his eyes between Natalie's face and the gun in her hands. His brow starts to bead with sweat and the wetness on his thigh is not from sweat.
Natalie can tell she is definitely getting through to this guy. He begins to sputter as he speaks.
Jason takes the red truck, waiting for Smith to start driving so he can follow.
Smith takes the keys from Macomb and then drives off looking for a good place to ditch the red truck Tracking or is it awareness
Smith hops in the van as Natalie guides her prospect into the back and continues her interrogation. Ward takes the wheel of the truck, after moving the bodies out of the way, and they all take off towards an out of the way place. About 15 minutes later, driving down dirt paths and through small canyons, Smith spots a small cave in the rocks about 100 yards off road. The opening looks big enough to fit not only the truck, but the van as well.
Natalie crosses her arms in the back of the van, "It's up to you now. The moment this ride ends, Clifton's going to demand answers, and if I can't give them to him..." She points two fingers at the man, "Pow...so you may fear this Antonova, but he's not the one who'se going to get you killed tonight." She prepares her sidearm, "It's going to be me."
She leans against the van interior, saying no more.
Bad Cop:
The man, Hamud, stares at Natalie and her gun for a few minutes, his mind seeming to ponder all the possibilities at once. Then finally, about 15 minutes later, he says, "She." After realizing you didn't understand the context, he says again. "She. Antonova is a she."The sweat is pouring from his head now. "She came to us. At the construction site. Offered money to watch. Keep out pests. She says if we don't watch, she take money and pay for someone to kill our families. You... you can't protect them all." He's crying at this point. "We leave messages for her at site. I don't know when she comes to get them, but each day, we have new message with money. Is all I know, I swear!". He sinks into a sob now.
She frowns, "It'd better be." then leaves the van after it stops and informs the others, adding "Is this even related, or did I just start making promises to a guy and waving a gun around for nothing? We could do..what was it called, a poison pill, lead them into an ambush, and get someone else under the hot light?"
Smith says, "The surname gave it away. We could stake out the dead drop, or plant false messages but we need to rescue those people, capturing Antonova would be a prize. Getting our hands on an operative in the first or second directorate of the KGB would be a great get for us. I assume KGB not military intelligence because it is a woman. The sovis do not have many women in the military anymore."
Jason pulls the truck into the cave and gets out for a cigar, "So, catch me up on what happened in the van."
"I'm not convinced it's even related." Natalie says glumly to Jason, "But this Antonova person, she has been using these construction types to keep tabs on the situation. She has him scared, big time. Smith thinks that means she's KGB, which is possible I guess, and it's all we've got to work with. So, we stake out that site, learn more about who this is, maybe get Razor to tail em. No doubt she'll be around after losing so many people."
I'd like to use my Behind the Scenes to get some basic places to stay for a week, discreetly. If that's a DC 10, it's auto-done.
I am all for nabbing one of the REAL bad guys, or girls as it be in this case.
Macomb shoots a hard glance at Smith.
Besides after killing all these civilians today I feel we should do something to help the locals. Do you think Hamud will help as against Antonova?
Smith looks and then says, "We have to rescue those people across the border. Although getting our hands on an asset from the KGB is very tempting, those people who need to be rescued seems a bit more time sensitive."
"Alright so if we stay on objective, we still have no way to get in touch with our contacts, nor find our bundle. Meaning we're still at square one."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Jason drops his cigar like bass at a concert, "Civilians? You killed civilians, Smith?" Jason is obviously very angry, barely containing his anger until he knows the truth.
Smith says even more angrily at Ward, "These men are not in the definition of the spy game civilians, they are agents of the opposition. These men may have been coerced by Antonova, however if anyone is to blame for putting these men on the board it is her not I. Look these communists are ruthless. I have seen pletny of socalled "civilians" attack our people. I made a quick decision to protect my team and our mission. I am not being callous but rather pragmatic. So don't you start talking about Real vs. Fake bad guys or civilians or what have you because in this case they were bad guys, and not civilians. We got one prisoner and some very useful information, second guessing me is foolish and these men could well have been armed."
Jason calms down, "I'll assume the man who pulled the trigger knows if the men he killed deserved to die. You're a soldier, after all, that's what you do. I, on the other hand, am grifter, which means I could probably get myself into the ISI HQ, which I suggest is our first course of action."
Natalie blows out a breath, "And tomorrow I'll see if I can come across our contact."
Smith well Nat and Ward try to bluff and forge their way into ISI HQ , how do you feel about a stake out on this Antonova B#%%@? We may be able to garner some intelligence directly useful for our mission at best and identify a hostile at the worst case. Unless you have something better to occupy our time with?
Nat's connections behind the scenes allow you to find a halfway decent motel to stay in for the night outside of Karachi proper. The attendant seems to recognize Natalie, but none of you recognize the attendant. The elderly woman seems friendly enough though and gives you her best room. Though a bit crowded, it works for your purposes.
On the ride to the motel, Smith dozes off trying to catch some shut eye. The old adage that soldiers find time for sleep when the can certainly applies. He then stuffs the heavier weapons in the duffle bag and carries them to the room.
He then cleans and oils each one to make sure they are in firing order. Focusing on the confiscated weapons and then moving on to his trusty .45.
Jason finishes up some forgeries in the hotel. They aren't great, but they will hopefully do alright. "Okay team, we've got our plan in order? Nat and I go to ISI, you two stake out the construction site." Jason hands Nat a fake ID. "Now, does anyone know how to hotwire a car...?"
Smith has a geistesblitz and says, "Better yet, why don't we manipulate the construction site, feed her some false intel and set up a trap for her this time."
Natalie shrugs, "I mentioned that earlier, and am in favor if it. She's bound to investigate the fact that not everyone's coming back in, it's bound to get noticed, so staking out the construction site, and finding out how to contact her from the survivor, that's bound to lead somewhere."
I agree that a little false evidence planting and a bogus rabbit trail seem to be a great idea for our little Miss Antonova. Now any suggestions on the details?
Everyone set to head out? Natalie and Jason do you want us to tail you to ISI HQ to make sure you get in ok? Then Smith and I will set off to the construction site and stake it out to try and do a smash and grab of Miss Antonova. We have access to two vehicles at this point. I say Smith and I take the pickup and you two take the van.
After a moment, she nods. "I'd appreciate the watchful eye, Razor. Regretting not taking those situational awareness classes before. I'm still confused on the cover we're using for the ISI HQ part. I get that we're trying to meet up with our contact, but forgery seems like a gamble."
Razor parks the recently gained pickup truck a block away from ISI HQ. He and Smith arrived 5 minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival of Nat and Ward. They chose a spot with clear lines of site to the front door of ISI.
Hey Smith you feel like a coffee or a chai or something? I am pretty sure I can get us a cheap snack from one of the street vendors around here.
Razor looks around to see if he can spot a place to make an early morning beverage purchase to provide some legitimacy for why they are parked on the side of the road.