Unless Emma says something first Daisy will pipe up.
"I think he's desperate. He'll pay more. If he's going to be a jerk, I say we take advantage of that."
"I hear you, Harold, but keep in mind that by taking this job, we may be antagonizing the second-most powerful man on this planet. This kidnapping is part of a larger land dispute we should want no part of."
I hear you Perry, so we just have to make sure that they cannot identify the attackers.
He pauses then grins
Besides, if they get into a range war from this, we might make a pretty coin or two lugging guns to one side or the other.
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Unless Emma says something first Daisy will pipe up.
"I think he's desperate. He'll pay more. If he's going to be a jerk, I say we take advantage of that."
At this Emma nods emphatically in affirmation. But talking more? She's said too much as it is. It's hard to make friends after everyone is already freaking out and fearing what they do not understand.
In some ways it would be better to walk away so she can handle things better.
As you enter the room, you see Harold glowering, which quickly leaves his face when he sees you. Looking at Daisy, he says "Harrumph. I...may have been a little impatient with you, but you've got to understand that this is my baby girl we're talking about. Now, about those things you requested..."
He walks over to a huge map on one wall of the study, and points "There's my house, Fred's shack is here, like I said, far from his house and near my property line. While it's grazing land in front of it, there's some woods behind it, which should provide you with some cover. What other info do you need?"
Do you have any hands in that area that might be able to tell us about how many hands he has in that area?
"And how about a photograph or clear description? If we're to be going in all quiet-like I'd hate to tip off a loyal ranch hand by mistake."
"When you're all geared up and ready to go, I'll send a couple of guys out that way to scout out the situation, they won't look suspicious. But he rarely herds in that area, the grass ain't that great, so I doubt there'll be anyone around outside.
"She's about 5'8", 140 pounds, red hair and green eyes. There's no one else for miles around that looks like her."
"Now, about your payment..."
"Yes, well, since you mention it. Being that you own half the planet I think you can afford 1200 total for the job, like I asked before. Out of the kindness of my heart I'll drop my demand for half up front, since that seemed to be your concern. We'll be on our way as soon as you agree to that."
"Harumph. To be clear, I never said I owned half the planet, I said I had the biggest ranch on this half of the planet. However..." and he frowns for what seems like an eternity, but is more like 30 seconds "that is acceptable. I will send my men out to that area to scout around. Do you all have all the equipment you will need on you? If so, you can start walking to the cabin, and my men will meet you while you're still on my property and tell you what they saw."
"Yep. Let's go."
Daisy nods and heads out...
Mark, who's been silently fuming in a corner this whole time, nods and follows Daisy out.
You walk for about an hour, then see a couple men on horseback coming your way. When they finally reach you, they identify themselves as Harold's men, and say "We scoped the place out, there's no one on guard in the field in front of the shack, and as far as we could tell, no one in the woods behind the shack, either. Anything else?"
"I'm starting to feel bad for asking double. Tell you what, lads, seeing as the shack appears unguarded, why don't you go in and check it out, and if you happen to rescue the rancher's daughter I promise you a cut of the profit. What do you say?"
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"That seems unwise,"Emma piped up in her small, light voice.
"Not only have we already accepted the contract, but plausible deniability was already an agreed upon subtext.
No doubt Daisy could enter the place, say sweet lies, and exit, with all the knowledge we need.
If they have a high-value hostage, it seems logical they would not have posted guards. This is not a disciplined military outfit.
If Daisy played a drinking game with a high-proof liqueur, we might be able to walk out with the girl after they have all succumb."
'And then we could kill them all,' is something she did not say.
"Maybe we should start by checking it out ourselves. If it is unguarded, maybe someone can sneak up and look in a window.."
You meet the cowhands in the middle of the afternoon, on a lightly rolling plain of grass. You see a few cows around you. There is no trail, but the map you looked at in Harold's office is guiding you in the right direction.
"Sorry, but Harold has told us not to get involved with this situation. We're not even allowed to walk or ride on Fred's property. If that's all, we'll be on our way..." And they ride back in the direction you were coming from.
Perry watches the ranch hands ride out of sight. "Which of us is the sneaky one? Obviously it's not me."
"I hope it's not me.."
[ooc] Daisy has a d6 [/dice]
"I'll go."
It takes another hour of walking in the hot sun to get to the border between the ranches.
Up ahead, a couple of hundred yards from the fence, you see a small and simple but nicely built cabin (like a 1- or 2-room house). There doesn't seem to be anyone around outside.
Mark, make your Stealth roll to approach the cabin from the woods (+1 for light cover).
Mark checks both his pistol and his shotgun to make sure both are ready if needed. His bases covered as well as they could be, he makes sure the others know to stay out of sight of the cabin while he gets closer to see what is going on. He feels out of practice and stiff as he approaches the cabin. Chastisements will have to wait, however. He needs to focus.
He sneaks up to one of the windows and listens for any signs of life inside of the cabin before going around to each one.
Harold quickly checks both his pistol and shotgun as well.
Mark, I will cover you.
= 7 so no raises.
He follows mark up near the cabin, and watches the doors and windows.
Daisy silently thanks Mark and Harold and finds a nice spot to cover them with her borrowed rifle.
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Emma, not wanting to be left out, but not wanting to take an active part in the recon either, lays down next to Daisy as unobtrusively as she can.
"I hope they don't die," she says of the two stealthy mans.
'My play is to unlock the door at night and steal the daughter back. Very basic. If we end up doing something else I look forward to the learning experience."
Perry collapses next to the two women. He's sweat through his clothes and exhausted from the hike. "Wake me up if there's shooting. Or don't."
Daisy gives a little laugh.
"Well, Emma, that's a good plan. We'll see what the boys say. And Perry, if you sleep through some shooting this close, you may need to talk to the doc!"
Mark and Harold approach the cabin from the back without making too much noise.
You see a well-built and reasonably new cabin, not the "shack" that Harold described.
There's a window in the back, but there are curtains over it. In the small crack between them, you can only see slices of furniture (table, chair, etc.).
What do you do?
Able keeps his feet while his partners recline, though he does drop his doctor's bag to the side of the road with the others. Every time his arm relaxes, it drops instinctively to hover around his holster. The doc seems either a touch paranoid, or maybe just used to needing that six-gun.
Harold taps Mark on the shoulder and indicates that we should go around to the left.
He then makes an obvious gesture with his arm to indicate which way they were going to be going so the others could cover us as needed.
He then starts to move as quietly as he can around to the left of the cabin shotgun at the ready.
Mark - make a Stealth roll, no bonus this time...
Mark follows Harold, keeping an ear out for any signs of life within the cabin.
=> 11
You walk along the left wall (as seen from the back), and come across another window. It too has curtains, and you can't see much. You come up to the front corner of the house. Peering around, you see a door in about the middle of the front wall. There is a window on either side of it.
What do you do?
Harold pulls his head back, and then signals that we should return to the others.
Once back at the group, Harold passes on the info that he found.
Mark nods and follows Harold back.
What do Harold and Mark actually tell the group? What does the group decide? Let's have some role-play!
Ok, so the front of the cabin, has a door in the middle along with 2 windows. from what I could see, both windows had curtains. So I am assuming that this is not a line cabin for the riders.
I also did not see any guards or people. Mark, you?
"We have a variety of options available, but there is one in which I am willing to volunteer. A doctor has the privilege of being welcome in almost every circumstance. I propose I amble up to the front door, announce myself, and engage in discourse with the occupants. My bag in hand, I can say I have been sent to ensure the health of their guest, a claim that has the advantage of being genuine. While discharging said duty, I can also take stock of their numbers and armourments, and presumably depart unharmed."
"Well, that's unfortunate. I guess I was just hoping there'd be an open window and you'd see the young lady and any guards.."
Solid Plan doc. But If they grab you, we need to know that your good.
After all, just because a doctor is accepted everywhere, doesn't mean that they will let you go.
Perry sits up and shakes his head. "A house call in the middle of nowhere for no reason? Alone? We might as well all go and we can say we are your bodyguards. Anyhow, it's pretty unlikely she's in there or they'd have a guard posted outside, seeing as the daughter is a pretty valuable asset for the other rancher. We'll want to be close so the Doc doesn't become the hostage."
The captain looks up, shielding his eyes with his Uzi. "This is a terrible place to keep such a hostage. We're still on Harold's land! If we are supposed to be sneaky we wouldn't be out here in broad daylight. And why would he insist on paying by the head and drawing all of us out to his ranch? None of this has made any sense from the start. I swear, if we've been led out here on a wild goose chase and when we go back our ship has been raided or stolen I'm gonna..."
He gets to his feet and pulls out his flask. "Jezus, Mark. You left your daughters alone on the ship! Let's just go pound on the door." The cheap grain alcohol is hot from his body heat and the sun, but it burns nonetheless.
"Yeah, I don't like our cap'n's attitude, but he's got a point. A doc showing up out of nowhere and making a housecall is mighty suspicious. I think a better plan would be for Harold and I to storm the place. Even if they have an ambush set up, it doesn't matter if we take 'em by surprise. The rest of y'all can cover us while we break in the front door and follow behind to help us secure the place."
The alcohol helps to loosen Perry's tongue even more. "My attitude is that you're a reckless parent and you've made it all of our business by bringing two children onto the ship. How about you show you give a damn about your own life and theirs and slow your roll, Mark. If I can't talk sense to you then at the very least I'm going with. I'll be the biggest target, if nothing else."
Daisy shakes her head and finds a nice spot to hide and shoot if needed.
"Men..."
Lets give them time to get into position where they can shoot into the house, then we go in. Once we kick the door down, make sure that the girl is not in your sights.
Harold will wait 15 minutes and then sneak down to the house.
You are *not* on Harold's land, you are several hundred yards into Fred's land. And while Harold suggested that you leave right away, he's a rancher worried about his daughter, not a sneak thief, going at night never occurred to him. Apparently it didn't occur to anyone else, either.
ALL : now that the point's been made, you could get off Fred's land and come back tonight. And while you'd be less likely to be noticed, your shooting would be hampered. Discussion?
If you're doing it now, just to be clear : who's "getting into position", and who's "going in"?
"As much as I enjoy a good reciprocal fusillade, my services are probably best used attending to the fallout of said endeavour. I'll follow close, but be keeping clear for the most part."