Section 3: Phone Broadcast and Moving on Ace

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

About 20 minutes after El Cid sends the message at 2 PM, the one that read - lass call. target drunk. might be 3th party in toe. wiz - enchanter. not runner. don hurt im,- the team gets an audio-only call from El Cid. It seems that he has turned his phone on, so that the team can hear his conversation with Ace.

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

"Which way to the van, ol' timer?"

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

In response, the team hears a baritone male voice speaking badly slurred street speak. “It’s waaaaayyy over there. Just past the dumpsters ’n the loadin’ bay doors. Ya know, Cid, hammered as I am, I’d almost be tempted ta let ya carry me over there ’cept fer one thin’. I gotta unlock the gate first… Well, pick the lock, really… Claude only has the one key ’n he wouldn’t give it ta me. So I said I’d just pick it ’n he asked me if I could.” He laughs like this was the funniest joke he’d ever heard. “Like I hadn’t been pocket fishin’ ’n raidin’ lockers ferever ’n a day ’fore I ever had balls ’nuff ta walk in them doors. So I handed Claude back the key I’d already nicked from his pocket ’n said I thought so. Can I pick that lock?” He snorts. “Point is, Cid, I gotta pick the lock’n open the gate ’fore I can drive outta here ’n I gotta lock it back up tight ’gain ’fore we go. I gave Claude my word.’Less ya wants ta do it, Cid? If ya wants ta pick it, I can just slap my patch ’n bring the Rover ’round.”

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

"Seems like Claude could make some extra money with a Valet service parking guest vehicles behind his bar." El Cid says, hoping his teammates figure it out.

When Ace offers to let Cid pick the lock, "Sure!" El Cid says with alcohol fueled bravado. "You just rest for a minute and I'll get this gate unlocked in a jiffy."

[Gremlin]

{Skye}

Skye messages the team from inside the bar: -Ace ducked into the backroom with the troll. I'll stick with the mage-

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Revs pulls away from the curb and makes his way to the bar using the route that Baby Blue suggested. He will drive quickly, but not quick enough be bring unnecessary attention.

"I'm heading to the bar, to the entrance to the parking area behind it. If anyone wants me to stop somewhere else then speak now, we have a few minutes before we get there."

Once they stop Revs will pull his mask up.

He's not pulling his mask up sooner because it look odd if someone notices while he's driving. The minivan has tinted windows, but I'm not sure how tinted up front so he can see out.

[Juramenta]

{Headstone}

Headstone pulls the mask over his head.
Fist bumps Bone Biter and Tears in the Rain as they mentally prepare for the task at hand.

[kennethboyd69]

Tears

pulls her mask up and returns the fist bump

[CoyotesLuck]

{pacman} <<OOC: Back from Hell?>>

Pacman does a quick last check to make sure he is ready and in position according to plan.

<OOC: Pacman knows the plan, I do not yet as I have catching up to do>>

[archolewa]

{Baby Blue}

Baby Blue double-checks her mask, then keeps an eye out for Ace and El Cid, and also keeping half an eye on the surroundings for any potential trouble.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

From Baby Blue’s scouting, two routes seem equally safe. One is to go down south the single block to the alley. Though BB did not investigate any of the alleys, this should be the street where the parking lot for Murphy’s Law is. This has a few downsides. First, the alley has not been scouted. Second, it is quite narrow, maybe a lane and a quarter, so if any vehicle comes the other way, that will mean one of them has to back out. Finally, the alley has no lighting at all. This would hide the minibus. However, it very much restricts visibility for anyone without low-light vision.

Alternatively, the team could go four blocks south (past the alley, the first street, and a second alley), turn east, travel to the street which borders Murphy's, and then turn north to reach the parking lot.. When Baby Blue scouted, this street was almost empty. All of the stores and businesses were closed. Few cars were parked there. No joygirls, boytoys, BTL dealers, or drug dealers had set up shop here. This is a typical street with a full lane in either direction with enough room for the cars that are parallel parked not to hinder movement, so traveling this way would be faster, but it is farther out of the way.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

The broadcast from El Cid’s phone continues with Ace responding to Cid’s suggestion Ace just sit and rest while Cid gets the lock:

“Nah, no need ta waste that much time. Like I said, I gotta bit a personal biz ta handle ’fore I can sleep,’n I’d like ta at least see my bed tanight, even if I ain’t onna have time ta use it. Ya work on the lock. I’ll disable the security on the Rover ’n get a chemical night’s sleep so I don’t kill neither a us on the way home, neh?”

[shaidar]

{Revs}

Weighing the options Revs decides to take the longer (four block south) route, deciding that the grab is going to be challenging enough without everyone stumbling around in the dark.

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

After minute or so there is the sound of tools being fumbled and dropped. El Cid can be heard saying, "Frag. I can't get this lock on the gate, Ace. I think you need to get it."

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

El Cid’s metaphorical ‘minute’ actually only takes about 30 seconds. The team has made it to the light to the south, getting ready to turn east.

Over Cid’s phone broadcast, they hear Ace say, “Gimme a sec, Cid… If yer strugglin’ with the fraggin’ lock, ya gotta be pretty wasted. ’N sure as a fixed race, I’m more wrecked than you. I’m halway ta the van already. Let me grab the patch ’n then head back. Sober, I can do that lock one-handed with my eyes closed.”

[Tay-Dor]

[El Cid]

There's some more sounds of tools. Quietly, under his breath, he says, "Be advised, he's getting a patch to counter the alcohol. There's a lock on the gate that is the only access into where target and I am."

[archolewa]

{Baby Blue}

Baby Blue listens carefully to the most recent of El Cid's messages, and her memory of the one before it, to try to see if she can hear anything in the background that might suggest if the wizard is with them or not.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Thinking back, Baby Blue realizes that since El Cid started his phone broadcast, she has only heard the two voices – El Cid and Ace. She has not heard a third voice that might be the mage.

[Charybdis Richelle]

{GM}

Over the phone, the team can just barely make out Ace muttering, “Ya really are wasted, Bryant… He’s probably cussin’ at the fraggin’ lock.”

After about 30 more seconds, they hear an electronic beeping and whirring. An electronic voice issues a warning challenge: “This vehicle is protected with lethal force. Provide voice print and biometrics or step away from the vehicle.” It repeats to the word ‘provide’ while Ace says, “Clarissa 13 Blackfoot Ellette.” Another 30 seconds or so, and they hear Ace say, “There we go… That’s better… Frag, I shoulda brought more water.”

[Juramenta]

{Headstone}

''The benefit of this plan along with it's additional dangers, compared to the previous one, rests on the benefit of the target being drunk. We cannot let that benefit slip out of our hands. Let us make sure he does not apply that antidote patch at all costs. If he manages to apply it, we must rush him before it takes in effect. Maybe even switch to shock gloves immediately.'' Headstone sends out after El Cid's dire warning to the crew. He waits in position until Revs gets the minibus in place for them to rush out.