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Cynthia looks a bit abashed, actually wincing at Razor's words. They *were* playing bodyguard sorta, for her. But in for a penny, in for a pound "I don't really like all this, but, well if this is what we have to do to get out of the country, I trust Smith." She looks over to Timothy then back to Jeff, "Have you heard anything that may help us narrow down where these lost people are? Mr. Chambers may be with them."
Cynthia seems apprehensive next to Smith, and gingerly introduces the man, "This is Jeff. He's a reporter, we met a bit ago. He was trying to find out the connection between the camp and the Russians. I wasn't much help." She managed a depreciative smile.
Natalie looks over at the reporter. She mouths the word 'Majors...' before she reassumes her persona properly. Concern crosses her face, even with this friendly sort. She looks over towards Smith and the captain, then slinks away to talk. "Jeff..." She manages a weak smile then gestures back, "I have no idea what's happening anymore. First we start packing up, then my investor went and got himself killed or worse..." She blows out a breath, "Now I'm still hanging with these two..three. Hoping they can get me out of the country. There's this whole conversation about finding some lost people..." Cynthia shakes her head, "Its good to see you, someone who has actually been a little nice...but I'm not sure what Timothy'd think. He's all guns and soldiery...I've been hoping they can find these missing guys so they can get me out of the country. They promised." The words are a bit hollow as deep down Cynthia believes she's going to die here, but that's not the first time the wounded gazelle gambit has been used by the actress...
Cynthia mutters under her breath, "I can't believe that just happened. I almost had a panic attack..."
Nat shrugs, "Any reaction would be better than nothing. We're working blind for now, and I'll take a madman over nothing." Nat used her broad recon for the area already, so we have a map, and we have a survival team. She looks over at Louis, her shrinking violet persona manages a weak smile as she worriedly looks around the rugged terrain. Was this guy just a friendly, or did he have his own motives. Sense Motive
Cynthia gives a fearful look to Macomb, "I just want out of this country, okay? I mean...I'm no soldier..." She looks around, "and I don't feel safe here nor out there in some dang warzone..." The poor aide is in the greatest crisis of her life.
Cynthia studies the Captain at this point, evaluating his demeanor. From a layman's stance, she may just be afraid of him. She even shifts unwarily as she stays behind the two fighting men. Sense Motive/Detect Lie
oh yeah, that just happened. Smith's bluff backfired. I'm trying to figure out if I can make a bluff to change the situation, but I am afraid it might not fit my cover. Which is also the main reason I've been silent. I'm not part of your 'team', I'm just precious cargo.
Cynthia continues with the ruse, as things get a bit deeper. Her head turns from Smith to Orsov as she tries to understand what they're saying, bluffing that she can only gather a few tidbits. When the Captain looks at her, she grimaces, and almost whimpers audibly as she moves an inch closer behind Timothy.
Cynthia looks around with worry, as they just went from one dangerous man to a whole room of them. She nervously tries to glean what info she can from the situation, all while maintaining a role that isn't too far from her real position, well into enemy hands and a half-step away from death. While she couldn't really understand much about the maps and possible military tactics, she may be able to help recognize more about the situation at hand, as well as the reasons the situation has escalated as it has...
Cynthia looks rather uneasy and out of place with the serviceman and the driver. While she was generally the first one out of the gate with a good lie, it simply wouldn't do to be presumptuous. The man was military, which meant he wanted a military answer most likely, not her sob story. She wrings her hands together nervously as she looks abashed and afraid for her life.
Cynthia responds timidly, "I don't think this spot's much better..."
A shocked look crosses Cynthia's face, "Hey wait. You were supposed to escort us out of here! Mr. Chambers paid you good money for that!" Natalie plays off of Timothy's remarks a bit. Of course since Chambers was dead, he was no longer on the job... She looks around the camp incredulously, "Yes I still want to go, but I don't want to go into a firefight or anything."
Cynthia holds herself as she warily approaches the group, "Hey guys...what's going on?"
Sometimes its better to just cop to it, and see where it goes, Nat figures Cyn manages a guilty, sheepishly smile, "He said something about it. I thought I'd ask, just in case he really could spin things like he said. But I guess this little nightmare of mine is just not going to go away." She shifts into a more somber tone,"But yeah, I mean, I get it. Whatever's needed, right? Bribes, blackmail, and family connections." She manages a weak smile, "I think I'd better get out while the gettings good. This place...its not for me."
She says a bit concerned, "I've heard people talk in camp. I mean, I don't want to pry, but they're saying that the camp is somehow in the Russian's...pockets. I'm not judging, I just...Is that just how it goes here?
She shrugs timidly, "I uh...needed more real world experience. Before I had a shot at getting promoted." Cynthia manages a meek smile for a moment, "Not that that matters anymore. I didn't think the war'd be so close to you. None of this is in my handbook." The last line was offered with a chagrin, "Does the actual fighting generally get this close to neutral third parties?"
Nat shrugs, "Well, I can try, but we've been seen together, but I can give it a go. We're leaving anyway." Cynthia will locate Dr Sudal over the next twenty minutes hopefully and introduce herself. "Doctor? Cynthia Betterman." She holds out her hand wearily, "my apologies for taking so long to meet you, but this entire situation got out of hand really fast." She looks rather haggard as she explains, "I'm a Red Cross liason, assistant to the director of operations in charge of special projects. Long story short, I was looking for a way to help lend aid to the region without raising too many eyebrows, and then my contact just ended up lost and probably dead in the brush." She takes a seat somewhere if possible, exhausted, "I've just lost my promotion on this stupid little gamble...so yeah I know you weren't notified, we were just..." She pauses, not wanting to go on further. Bluff!
Cynthia furrows her brow in thought. then sighs. "Politics..."
Natalie will return to the team, "I am not certain what I should lead with if I talk to the Doctor herself...If you've got any ideas, say so, otherwise I think its best to work the other half of this angle."
She looks confused, "Wait, she's schlepping some Russian, and somehow that's keeping everyone from getting shot dead?" She blows out a breath, "Sure hope she's good at it."
Cynthia looks gravely at the Captain. "He can't be dead. My job depends on him." She says sadly, "I was supposed to be enticing him to help arrange for some assistance in the area...promote some cross-organization synergy." She scoffs at the idea, a bit embittered. "I don't know...Its rather scary here, so close to such dangerous people." She manages a meek smile, adding "But its nice to know some people care." Impress/Charm She continues, "I just don't understand any of this, like why we're so close to these 'operations', any one of us could be shot at any moment the way it sounds!" She'll let that hang in the air, then hopefully move on to learn more about this Dr Sudal...
Natalie returns to the mess that is the aide camp, looking for whomever is in charge of it. As her cover of Cynthia Betterman, she will seek out the chain of command, using the ruse of the fact that Mr. Chandler had gotten lost out in the bush. It's obvious that Cynthia is panicking a little bit, and only someone with some actual authority here could do her worries justice. Bluff
Cynthia, looking unsure of herself, takes the document apprehensively. "Yeah...okay..." Very much acting as if she wasn't really sure why she was doing this...letting herself get manipulated with flattery even, she starts to depart, then gives Jeff a look back. She studies the document after she leaves his sight.
Cynthia looks rather apprehensive about the whole thing. "I...don't know. I mean, honestly I didn't expect it to be like this, I figured it'd just be this whole 'in and out' thing that'd pad my resume so I could maybe get the opening for Regional Coordinator for the Cross that'll be coming up next year." She adds, "I guess...I mean, I could ask around, but I'm not certain what good that'll do. I don't even know where to start." Natalie made a mental note that she had to learn more about doing her own legwork in the future, but until then, having a contact that knew the situation would be a great place to start.
Cynthia takes the proffered seat graciously, looking as if she'd spent the day in constant motion, playing the wounded gazelle gambit to his predatory gaze. "It *is* weird." she admits, "But this isn't the first time war has come to the door of an aid camp, of course. There are always those that seek to press an advantage...the Geneva Convention be damned, and then there are those who choose to use us as a shield, in hopes of stalling. I just got here myself, and immediately got tasked to keeping people in line. What I was *supposed* to do was to find secondhand ways to be able to provide relief to the Crescent without it becoming...." She trails off, her hands clasped together. It was a double bluff, that lie. Of course, Cynthia's real reason for being here was to pad her career, to get promoted up the ranks, and out of the regional position, but she had almost let slip the bit of underhanded news. Bait for the reporter... Cynthia manages a second abashed smile, shifting her posture. "I think either the sides here know something we don't, or the Crescent does..." Impress to charm
BLUFF
Cynthia managed a chagrinned smile, "It was." She maintains that 'in over her head' posture that dictates a bit of low confidence as she holds her arms close, then sits not too far away. "And yeah...I never expected it to be like this." She manages a meek shrug, "What's the big story, Major?"
Natalie takes a moment to stretch after exiting the truck. Of course, here she was still Cynthia Betterman, Red Cross liason. However given everything that had happened recently, it would take an idiot to not connect those dots. She takes a bit of time to return to hobnob with the teams in the area, in hopes of finding out any worthwhile intel. Investigation
Natalie's cover, Cynthia, is off by herself after that big teambuilding moment. It wouldn't do for her to act like it was an everyday action for her. Even she had to admit that it was a pretty good lie...or speech, whatever it was, and made some mental notes on what she'll have to use again sometime. It'd be up to the Red Crescent aides to seek her out, to make good on their end of things, otherwise she'd look too eager. It wouldn't take much for Richard to find her, fortunately.
Cynthia considers the request, a musing look on her face. "Well I did take that public speaking class a few summers ago." She promptly raises a finger, "One second..." Cynthia snags ahold of Richard before he gets led away, "Excuse me a moment, I need Rich real fast." She explains as she finds as much of the crew of this endeavor as she can, "Need you to help me sell that everyone's safe here, Rich. Put on that million dollar smile, eh?"
Cynthia ensures she's not committing any fashion faux pas, before talking to a group of the aid workers. "Excuse me, everyone, I'm Cynthia Betterman, I'm here as part of a junket to help assist the situation you're familiar with....Now, I know the situation at the moment is making everyone uneasy, and I can understand that, but what we have to remember is that aide camps are considered low value targets to begin with. Any fighting that goes on is not going to focus on the evacuation of civilians and wounded, they're worried about those aircraft up there, not the guy on crutches. What IS going to help in this situation is for everyone to be working at their best effort, staying alert, and being clearheaded." Networking/Mediation
Cynthia nods, "Well I'm more here as an organizer than anything else, but my team can at least do some lifting..."
"I can't imagine why medical camps are set up here...they must really want this area pretty bad." She jerks a thumb back to Timothy, "Sounds like a plan. Let's give it a go." After the truck pulls up to a likely spot, Cynthia Betterman emerges from the truck to seek out anyone giving orders, and seemingly affiliated with the Red Crescent. Looking out of place and in over her head, she approaches a likely person.
"Uhm, hi, Cynthia Betterman, regional aide to the Red Cross chapters for the Middle East...." She stumbles, " We're assisting Doctors without Borders mostly..anyway my small team here has been tasked to evaluate how we can assist in the situation here without drawing undue attention to ourselves." Lie, Lie, Lie!
Cynthia Betterman, Natalie's cover, steps out of the truck as well. She makes a big play about the warmth, though she doesn't say anything directly to the border guards, every action the woman takes is intent to help keep them preoccupied from doing their search very well. She fans herself with her Red Cross manual, her clothes rolled back to help with the weather in the region. Using 'Charmer' to impress these guards quickly. If they're looking here, they're not looking there! I guess this'd be sort of a sublte Impress/Persuade action? Feel free to guide me to what better represents this distraction. Impress! -6 for a morally questionable action
Natalie sighs to herself as she bends over to tie an untied boot lace.
Cynthia, after making herself look somewhat clueless and lost, approaches the guards uneasily, and tries to use her disarming smile to promote good graces. "Uhm, hello. I'm supposed to meet someone here, but..wait do you speak English? I'm not from around here..." She meekly points to her Red Cross book, "you know, Red Cross? Anyway, I was supposed to meet someone here." She repeats herself intentionally. Impress:
She looks back to Johnny, turns back to the man and sighs, "Tape? Do you have any?" She fumbles around for a few dollars of local currency in one of her pockets, "I think I can pay you for it."
Cynthia, looking distressed and flustered, puts a hand through her hair and speaks in English, "Hello...did Joy send you?" Notice: to check out the truck for weaponry. and in case they speak English
" Well, we're still in the middle of nowhere...alright, we'll see where that takes us. It does explain the shovel a little."
Natalie starts to go inside the van, then pauses. "Right...not everyone here speaks Farsi...well this will be enlightening." She manages a distressed look as she 'feigns' anxiety over the van, as if it were broken. "Johnny, can you fiddle under the hood or something. Car trouble's the best excuse I can think up right now."
'Cynthia' eyes Timothy for a moment. "Not hit?", then nods once, "Any idea who they were? Actually let's put a pin in that until we get that corpse out of the road, lend a hand?"
With her hand going for her self-defense pistol, Natalie looks over towards Johnny. "Problems, I take it? Pretty sure there's a body in this limo, you know enough about cars to jimmy it open?"
She moves towards Timothy's position, taking advantage of cover as she goes just in case there was another surprise waiting.
She climbs in the window, to assess the room as well, "Well, part of me keeps saying we're going to find some sort of boobytrap..."
In her guise as Cynthia Betterman, Natalie gives a concerned look to Richard, as she steps over towards where he is. "I don't exactly like the idea of being out here alone. If there's an abandoned car out here, a luxury model, then maybe we should just report it to what passes as the police." She stays outside near Richard to keep an eye on him.
" Anyone there?" She comes in close to Richard, "Someone's dead, pretty sure there's a body in the trunk."
She nods. So off the two go again to re-investigate the BMW, I'll be going to write down it's license plate, and check it for signs of trouble, as a concerned, but naive citizen in a foreign land might.
She laughs softly, then puts her arms around Richard's neck. Cynthia murmurs through her teeth, "surveillance is on the house." She gives a longing look at the BMW for a few moments, then leads Richard away from the area, to regroup with the others later.
Natalie slides into the vehicle, "Didn't see anyone inside the storefront itself, but I caught sight of people keeping an eye on it. Ball's back in your court, guys. Do we watch them, or bust in and shoot out kneecaps or something?"
Cynthia says something bemused to Mr. Chandler, laughing a little as she keeps pace with him, his arm in her hands, practically hanging onto every word as he escorts her through the area. She looks at the vehicle for a moment, "Mr. Chandler, is this one of your cars? So thoughtful."
She takes a moment to nod, "We can be dropped off a few blocks away, and look over some buildings as we talk, I'll be a bit flirty, the BMW is out of place enough that it's an attention getter, we can be nosey and look in on our own. If there's something dangerous going on, I'm well trained in hand to hand, but I'd appreciate having you two (Timothy and Razor) on close-duty stakeout in case someone pulls a gun or goes for a fast getaway." Natalie gets into character a bit, changing up her hair a bit, showing off a bit more skin, that sort of thing. "If we can find a shop or restaurant to get dropped off at, we can make our way back over here. That'll give you two time to get into position, see if anyone's doing recon."
Let's do this!
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