X:
The late-model two-tone Black-and-Slate-Grey Mitsubishi NightSky wallows into 47th Road, turns left against traffic, and speeds out of sight westward, towards Vernon Blvd, much to the annoyed horns (and at least one claxon) of the oncoming vehicles. Tires squeal, but no expected metal-on-metal impact is heard, and in seconds there is even more tire screeching, then the rumble of an unsilenced internal combustion engine receding in the distance: the bedlam is quickly absorbed back into the normal nightsounds of NYC and in a few seconds you see cars flick past the opening where the NightSky disappeared, passing by left to right as they should. 47th Road is supposed to be a one-way passage, after all. Naturally, you slug the coordinates and bearing, along with the video to the others. About then you get a message from Tiny... (...continued below...)
Ace:
Leeson looks over to Ace, and grumbles, "Yeah, we could all use a little more cred, I'm sure." He shrugs. "We're all in it for the money. Sorry about your job satisfaction. Could be why I quit it all to run the shadows. Some weeks you eat from the dumpsters, but some weeks are absolutely golden. This would be one of my golden weeks, you see." He gestures around him. "As long as we get paid, that's all that really matters."
He spares a glance off towards the roadside, where the phantasm was. "I don't see anything," he says with a smile. Sure enough, there is no trace of it. "That was a place-holder, something devised to keep you busy, distracted while I figure out what the situation is." He gestures around him once again. "You really can't blame me; there are two of you and only one of me. And it *did* keep you busy..." He smiles in your direction.
Block:
Leeson turns to Block. "Cheater... ...cheater..." He snaps his fingers. (You could swear that something nearby ducked. Could have been anything.) "Maybe you guys might know something!" he grates out, sharply. "I had a friend living down the block a ways," he gestures with both hands, looks like down this side of the street, "a naturalist, and not bad looking, either." he continues. "About three weeks ago she started acting real strange, then sort of disappeared. Every time I think I hear her coming down the block, by the time I can get to where I can see, she's gone." He shrugs. "I know she's not a ghost," his finger circles a couple of times, "so she's still on this plane of existence, maybe trapped. But beyond that I got nothin'."
Ace and Block:
He turns back to Ace. "You guys wanna' make some quick new ones?" He moves a little, to where Ace and Block are within the same field of view. You find this girly-girl that I'm worried about - and I'll need proof of who you found, I'm not stupid - and let me know what happened, theres ¥500 in it - split however you wanna' split it." His usually surly demeanor melts into a worried look. "We're all mercenaries here, to one extent or another. Wouldn't hurt for you guys to keep an eye out for me. It's not like she was my girl, or anything, but something really weird has been goin' on in the last few weeks, an' it would make me feel better knowing that she's OK." His face registers another unexpected demeanor: Hope.
About that second you guys hear Tiny's voice crackle into audibility, again existing just barely over the static...
Tying it all together:
About that time, all of you get a quick-dispatch update from Tiny. "Heads up, gang" he whispers, "the Mob is *EXTREMELY* excited about something out there, and X looks like he's in the middle of it all! Note to X, get your head down pronto, and keep it down. Somebody's looking for you - not by name, exactly, but one of Reggie's spotters seems to have gotten some extreme-range video of an exchange where a burst of fire takes their hero through the left pauldron. They're not happy about it, but they're not talking about it, either. They think it was a planned hit, or at least that's how they've described it, so the Mob aims to do a little hitting themselves. If you head back towards the hunting grounds be advised that invisibility will be your ally tonight. Or it won't matter any more." The channel goes dead with a crackle. |
