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If nobody objects I've got the 4 of you going to the hardware store, presumably through the back door.
Maybe Dave wants to go in through the roof to make sure the coast is clear.
Patrick looks around as things start to move fast.
"OK, if the plague is airborne, we need to get away. There's only one problem."
Patrick points to his phone.
"I just got a message from my aunt that she is trapped in the local hospital. I can't in good concience leave her there. I have to try and get to her, but that hospital is probably at the eye of the sh*tstorm."
Patrick looks grim.
"I'll help gettting you guys started, but after I am going to the hospital. If you want to stay with me and help I would appreciate it, but I understand if you don't. I don't really feel like going to the hospital myself, but it is what it is."
Johnnie sends a text to Mary Ann: "We gotta leave Van. The epidemic is worse than has been reported. Please get some clothes and food into a bag. I'll be at your door shortly."
Johnny:
It's interesting that across the street from Vancouver General is the BC BC Center for Disease Control.
"Sarge, which hospital? The Vancouver General?"
“This thing is airborne?” Dave rummages in his backpack, and pulls out his first aid kit, containing a few white cotton mouth masks. “I picked up these for bird flu … haven’t been wearing them, ‘cos you look like kind of a dick if no one else is … but it might be a good idea until we can get some proper gas masks.” He slips one of the masks on and offers the others around.
“Yeah, no worries Patrick, we’ll head to the hospital with you,” he says, his voice slightly muffled, “but lets pick up some masks and gloves and stuff … we’ll probably be heading into infection central. I’m just glad I don’t get sick very often. Hey, can you load my pack into your van? Maybe drive it around to the back door of the hardware place, don’t let the guys out on the street see that you’re heading over there. I’ll go in through the roof, come out and give you the all clear … well, anyone else is welcome to come with me if they can keep up.” He flashes a grin.
Dave:
“Yeah, no worries Patrick, we’ll head to the hospital with you,” he says, his voice slightly muffled, “but lets pick up some masks and gloves and stuff … we’ll probably be heading into infection central. I’m just glad I don’t get sick very often. Hey, can you load my pack into your van? Maybe drive it around to the back door of the hardware place, don’t let the guys out on the street see that you’re heading over there. I’ll go in through the roof, come out and give you the all clear … well, anyone else is welcome to come with me if they can keep up.” He flashes a grin.
"I watched you the first time and wouldn't mind giving it a go with you Dave. Let's load all this stuff into Pat's van and then get to it."
She shoulders her backpack and follows Patrick out to his Van, dumping her pack in the back and limbering up, ready for the run."We should try and get some of those big heavy face masks with the filters on the side. Hopefully there should be some in the hardware store, but if not we may be able to try the landscaping place 'round the corner."
Kruelaid:
...
“Rightio, follow me Sam. Put your feet where I do, jump at the points that I do, you’ll be fine.”
Dave is pretty sure she will be. Her martial arts training should do her good. Again, Dave makes it look easy. He takes the jump between the burger place and the roof of the hardware store from near the north west corner, then drops into a crouch behind the bulk of the stairwell, and turns to watch Samantha running the course.
A prodigious number of cigarette butts litter the roof. The stick in the door is a scrap of crown molding.
10 feet isn't as far as Sam thought, although she slips on the other side, not accustomed to landing on the loose gravel laid over the tar.
Once she is safely across the two of you peek down the steep metal stairs into a hallway with 4 doors. You don't hear anything. You wait for a while and see Patrick coming down the alley from the north. The people in front of the building have started clearing out.
Johnny and Patrick finishing loading the van with 14 cases of bottled water and drive around the block slowly marking out a few other possible stops. The Foodzi's grocery is open late and dozens of people are walking in and out. Across the street from Foodzi's is an outdoor outfitter. As Sarge comes down the alley from north to south he sees one of the men walk back into the hardware store. Another climbs into the truck and lights a cigarette. Patrick pulls into the empty parking lot north of the hardware store so as not to arouse their suspicions.
10' isn't as far as Sam thought, although she slips on the other side, not accustomed to landing on the loose gravel laid over the tar.
Once she is safely across the two of you peek down the steep metal stairs into a hallway with 4 doors. You don't hear anything.
Sam picks herself up and gives Dave a grin. "Wow, that was quite a rush. I'm glad you showed me a couple of tricks now. I just wish I'd tried something like this sooner instead of just the small stuff."
She glances down into the alley at Patrick, giving him a thumbs up when she thinks he's looking, then goes back over to the door and pulls it open. She creeps down the stairs slowly (1d20+7=8), motioning Dave to do the same. She winces as she scrapes her foot on the metal staircase, then stops at each door in turn, puting her ear to the doors and listening to see if anyone is behind them. (1d20=1) Hearing nothing, she turns to Dave and says "so which one first?"
Sam clatters down the stairs and looks at Dave sheepishly.
The largest door is at the west end of the hall and presumably opens into the store because two of the smaller doors lead into tiny offices and another into a staff room with a coffee machine, a table and chairs, and a wall of lockers.
"Sarge, which hospital? The Vancouver General?"
And moreover, which room?
Dave peers into the staff room and then, strangely, tiptoes in and grabs one of the metal chairs around the table and brings it out into the corridor, although he bangs the leg against the door frame on his way out. Leaving it pushed up against the wall in the corridor, he then points to the large door, shrugs, makes an “I guess that’s it” face, and then heads over to the door. Listens at it (11+4 = 15) and if the coast seems relatively clear, pushes it open.
When Sam gets near, he puts his mouth to her ear and whispers, “with those guys out the back, we might need to get everything ourselves. I’ve got a mental list. Look for a wheelbarrow we can load up with stuff…”
When Sam gets near, he puts his mouth to her ear and whispers, “with those guys out the back, we might need to get everything ourselves. I’ve got a mental list. Look for a wheelbarrow we can load up with stuff…”
Sam suddenly realizes she should be whispering just in case and says "no problem. Do you think we should split up inside or stick together? By the looks of it there might be some guys already in here trying to loot the place and I'd rather avoid them if possible."
"Something tells me that the old switch isn't gonna do for this..."
Mike rummages frantically through the shelves of the hardware store. Picking up pipes, bolts, anything he could use for an improvised club.
And then he sees it.
The holy grail. The BFW.
He grabs the wrench and runs for the exit, ready to raise hell in Starbucks.
... There are three guys at the back door, Mike. You still want to go?
... There are three guys at the back door, Mike. You still want to go?
The inner locks require two separate keys.
Mike picks up a dropsaw on display in the front window, adrenaline surging, and throws it through the front window.
*SMASH*
A guy and a girl are sitting in a Jeep outside. a couple of guys are standing there talking to them.
"Does this mean you're open now?" One of them asks.
Dave and Sam. You hear a smash downstairs.
Patrick and Johnny, you hear a smash in front.
One of the guys who was shopping off hours shouts "what the f&@@?" but seems uninterested in making something out of the looting that is surely about to occur. They dash out the back door, slamming it shut behind them.
There are no alarms.
After about 20 seconds you hear the engine start in the big truck.
One of the guys who was shopping off hours shouts "what the f%@&?" but seems uninterested in making something out of the looting that is surely about to occur. They dash out the back door, slamming it shut behind them.
There are no alarms.
After about 20 seconds you hear the engine start in the big truck.
Looking at Dave and raising her eyebrows quizically, "what the fnck was that? Sounds like the people out the front got bored with waiting and the looters in the truck didn't want to stick around to face them. Think we should go check it out?"
She eases the door open and glances out, looking around to make sure noone is there, before stepping through.
Dave hears the crash, some shouting, then the truck engine start up out back. “Damn,” he mutters, “I really wanted to steal that truck…”
“Forget being quiet Sam,” he says more loudly, pushing open the door. “Let’s just start loading stuff up as quick as we can. If you find a window or something yell for the other two to get in here too.
“Now, I want a couple of crowbars, a pair of bolt-cutters, a screwdriver set, a wrench set, a proper first aid kit, those gas masks if we can find ‘em, a hammer, a bag of nails, we’ll grab a trolley or wheelbarrow or something to dump it all in, let’s see, what else? Some heavy-duty duct tape, a couple of good torches or flashlights or whatever they’re called here – some of those L.E.D. ones if they have ‘em, good light output and they draw like no power – a good assortment of batteries, a length of hose-pipe …”
He’s jogging as he’s talking, into the store, looking around for the things he wants and grabbing them off shelves.
If at all possible, he'll grab something he can use as a weapon first - a crowbar if possible, or a heavy wrench, big screwdriver, hammer, whatever.
“Now, I want a couple of crowbars, a pair of bolt-cutters, a screwdriver set, a wrench set, a proper first aid kit, those gas masks if we can find ‘em, a hammer, a bag of nails, we’ll grab a trolley or wheelbarrow or something to dump it all in, let’s see, what else? Some heavy-duty duct tape, a couple of good torches or flashlights or whatever they’re called here – some of those L.E.D. ones if they have ‘em, good light output and they draw like no power – a good assortment of batteries, a length of hose-pipe …”
If at all possible, he'll grab something he can use as a weapon first - a crowbar if possible, or a heavy wrench, big screwdriver, hammer, whatever.
Sam starts looking around for the stuff that Dave has named, adding multiples of all the stuff (there are 4 of them, possibly more by the time this is over) and throwing them into a wheelbarrow that she found in the gardening section.
She see Dave hefting various implements and swinging them like a weapon, thinking to herself with a wry grin that her body is all she'll need if it comes to a fight.
“Oh, and an axe,” Dave adds.
"Grab all the masks and respirators." Johnnie grabs a club if there is one.
"Grab all the masks and respirators." Johnnie grabs a club if there is one.
"Yep, I'm looking for them mate," Dave wants to get to these before the guys coming in from out front twig to the fact that these are a desirable item.
"Oh and Sam, if you spot any portable fuel cans - gas cans - pick up some of them too," calls Dave.
“Oh, and an axe,” Dave adds.
"No problem." Sam makes sure she throws a couple of axes in the wheelbarrow.
She also picks up a couple of bags, filling one with respirators and spare cartriges & filters, and the other with gloves and protective gear. She then fills another bag with boots for everyone.Loaded down, she then heads off to find Dave and get the stuff out.
"Sorry, no room for fuel cans. Bit full." She gives the others a big grin.
Seeing that Sam’s barrow is full, Dave has grabbed another one to fill it with anything she hasn’t managed to grab yet… assuming that there is nothing or no-one preventing that…
After about 15-20 minutes of shopping you have what you were looking for plus a few other things that caught your eye:
________________________________________________________________________
A pack of 200 simple latex rubber gloves for painters. Like surgical gloves but much thicker.
8 x 10 gallon gas cans, can also be used for water.
boots of all sizes.
a couple of crowbars
a pair of bolt-cutters
a screwdriver set
a wrench set
a proper first aid kit
a hammer
a bag of nails
20 rolls of heavy-duty duct tape
Some low and high power LED flashlights
a good assortment of batteries
a length of hose-pipe
a crowbar if possible
a heavy wrench
5 axe handles (clubs)
4 axes
Some excellent respirators with an unopened box of 50 'organic vapor/acid gas' filters.
An indestructible radio that runs on the batteries of the kit below.
A rechargeable Sawzall construction/destruction kit, including the most useful tool ever made, the 28 volt battery powered reciprocating saw. You throw in a bunch of extra blades. This kit includes the brightest hand held flashlight you've ever seen. All of the tools use the same 28V rechargeable battery, and you've got 3 batteries in the kit, and grab 4 more off the shelf.
6 Motorola Talkabouts – 750R, in bubble packs: They are camo color, have 22 channels and a range up to 12 miles if you have line of sight. They will run either on AA batteries or rechargeable battery packs.
You find no generators. The store is just too small.
But most importantly, Sam and Dave, while you are stealing eyewear a catalog catches your eye. It has a Vancouver address on it. It reads “Grainger Industrial Supply: For the ones who get it done.” This looks like a catalog for the people who supply construction workers. You recognize 'Marine Drive' on the sticker on the front.... places it between where you are now and one of the main bridges, just 7 or 8 blocks away.
When Dave hurries past Sam in one of the aisles he stops to say, “Man, I really think we need to pick up another car – something with some boot space. Your mate Pat has a big van, but with the four of us, all this crap, camping equipment if you guys still want to go bush, and old Auntie Terri, it’s gonna get pretty packed.”
The car counters are just counters.
But this does catch your eye: a Mazda 3 Sport. Looks pretty fuel efficient and someone has taken the time to put low profile tires on it.
It probably has an alarm.
Awaiting the following:
-Sarge's reply to Johnny regarding the hospital and location of his mother.
-Mike's move when the guys outside ask him if the store is open.
After scrounging for some disinfectant soap, alcohol and betadine, Johnnie says:
"Guys, I gotta meet my girl. Meet you in front of Gramarcy Apartments just across the street. Don't worry. I got some medicine and I know how to use them."
Johnnie heads out of the hardware and to Mary Ann's place taking care not to be accosted by any roving bands of looters.
...disinfectant soap, alcohol and betadine...
You can't find any reliable disinfectants in the hardware store.
So the list of things you're looking for but have not found is:
-a generator
-disinfectant (betadine, isopropyl, or surgical soap) in large quantities
The car counters are just counters.
But this does catch your eye: a Mazda 3 Sport. Looks pretty fuel efficient and someone has taken the time to put low profile tires on it.
It probably has an alarm.
Cool, pretty similar specs to the Civic.
Hey, the Repair skill allows me to hotwire cars - does it also allow me to deal with car alarms?
Cool, pretty similar specs to the Civic.
It's blue, in front of the burger joint.
Repair lets you hot-wire and disarm but it does not necessarily allow you to do it to do the latter quickly, and you still need to slim jim the door to get in. Or you could break it.
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.
"Guys, we need to drop by my clinic. There are some supplies there that we need." Says Johnnie as he heads out the door of the hardware to Mary Ann's place. "Meet you guys at Gramarcy across the street."
Patrick repies to Johnnie
"She said it was Van General."
Upon helping with the 'shopping' and seeing the Grainge catalog.
"That's a place we should hit."
Sarge
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.
Dave will look for some metal wire, about the thickness of a metal coathanger, and as long as one unfolded.