Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"The calm before though can be disarming... dangerous," Claire said and finished the second bag quickly, the entire time still feeling as if she were cheating. She pushed the thought away and looked up as Jack spoke.

"Firing practice. Could be fun, but shouldn't I be reporting in to Renee or something?" Claire asked, the events of the night before still fairly fuzzy between a surreal hospital trip, and a heroin trip.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"The calm can be disarming to some. I find it keeps me on my toes but that's mostly my old life talking, you haven't lived till you've done a little storm chasing."

Lee says as he moves over to unlock an ammunition cabinet near the door to the room. Pointing to the weapons on the wall he adds.

"Nah, I kind of agreed to keep you busy tonight while she does some checking on something that happened last night. Besides I think the Prince assigned her to you in case you needed someone to speak up for you in Elysium. River can probably teach you more about staying out of trouble on the streets, but she can't help much at court. Anyways as our guest, you get first dibs on the weapons."
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Ronny nods his head as the Eliza and Fletch continue their game of pool. Eliza continues on with details since neither of her partners seems to have any questions.

"Just get to Labuma as early as you can and find Jared at the weight station, he shouldn't be too hard to find in that place. Once he gets you the delivery, then you just bring it to back to Phoenix Ltd. Then you get you're payment and if all goes well you get more job offers from us. So what do you boys think?"

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Yes, the art of speaking. Something I've never really managed to master," Claire said, picking up the 12 Gauge Remington she had been eying up earlier, before grasping some slugs from the now unlocked cage.

"If it comes to it, I may need help in that department. I'm not even sure the full fallout from last night has fully settled," she said, moving out into the larger room.

Was Lee keeping her busy? Or keeping her out of the Prince's way and just shoving Claire down where no one else would have to deal with the mangy little Gangrel.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"By the same token, if history got the facts wrong, your first-hand experience would be a detriment." Cody points out as he keeps typing. About a minute later, he stops and examines the windows that have popped up. Some of it seems technical, but bank records, phone bills, and the like are fairly obvious.

"Well, let's see. White collar worker on decent salary, a little higher than provincial average on sick days. Fairly large pile of debt, mostly due to cash advances from his credit card. Year and a half left on his mortgage, wife and a son waiting at home. Hunting and fishing licences, gun registry for a hunting rifle, small caliber. Registers to vote every election, in a couple of clubs, nothing special. Is that ringing any bells? Someone's ghoul, perhaps?"

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"I think you got the wrong man," Fletch grumbles as Eliza finishes up. "I think you should stop shooting at people you're trying to recruit for a job, makes a bad first impression. I think you should check beforehand how loyal somebody is. But most of all," he finishes as he puts the queue down, "I think I'm out of here." Fletch turns towards the door. He doesn't motion Ronny to follow, leaving the decision up to the kindred.

 

[Copper]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Ghoul?" Izzy looks between the two older vampires. Raven might have mentioned the term at one time, but it wasn't clicking. She scoots a little closer and reads the screen over Cody's shoulder, provided he doesn't have a problem with that.

"Well, the gun registry isn't all that odd. I mean, a better half of the men in this town and probably a quarter of the women do, too. And if he does work for a vampire, that might explain the sick days. Having to do errands and jobs and things at all odd hours and the like, I'm sure. You think, if he was, someone fed him the information and sent him after Raven and me? Using the human bait to needle at us and if something happened, no big loss?" She leans a little closer to the screen. "Too bad the cash advances don't tell you what he bought with it. What sort of amounts are we talking here? Might give us a clue to what he's picking up."

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

As Claire and Lee join the others in the next room, Jack makes a gesture for Claire to come closer while Lee goes over by the other Brujah. Lee seems to be showing the other Brujah how to load a simple handgun, and shoot it.
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Eliza shrugs her shoulders as Fletch leaves, obviously unbothered by the fact he doesn't wish to take the job she offered him. Ronny doesn't follow him at all leaving Fletch to do what he wants.
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Raven shakes his head as he listens to the information get rattled off.

"Well unless there's a kindred who came from New England in the area I don't know how they would know that much about my past. I haven't been in this area long enough to make any enemies, mortal or not. So if it's an old enemy he isn't from around here, still this gives us something to at least look into. Like you said earlier Cody, there's no avoiding trouble for very long amongst the kindred."

Raven turns too look at Izzy and smiles.

"Unless you want to move to Nunavut with me that is, though knowing my luck there would already be kindred there too."

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

With fingers wrapped over the trigger guard of the shotgun, and holding the broad barrel pointed down towards the floor, Claire moved towards Jack, throwing a quick glance over her shoulder towards Lee before putting her full attention towards the other man.

"Yes?" Claire asked, standing casually before the other kindred, free hand resting on her hip. She cocked an eyebrow as curious thoughts ran across her mind.

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Fletch steps out into the cool night and looks around for a moment, trying to find out how to get to his shop from here. "Fuck, not one quiet night yet," he grumbles to himself as he heads out into what he thinks is the right direction. "If this goes on like that, I'll off myself by picking a fight with a fucking werewolf before the year is over."

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Jack continues leaning against the wall as Claire walks over seemingly looking at her and the other two kindred at the same time.

"Since I have to investigate a serious breach of the masquerade the other night I might as well start with you, and no I don't mean your little shooting incident. So we'll start with your version of what happened at the house last night. Don't be afraid to give me any details even if you think they aren't important."

From the other side of the room gunfire rings out as the other kindred with Lee starts shooting at one of the distant targets. He's not great but he's much better than he was at hand-to-hand.
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Fletch makes his way to his garage undisturbed that is until he sees a familiar silver mistubishi parked in front of his garage. As he gets closer he doesn't see anyone near the car, but he can't tell if anyone is inside because of the tinted windows.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"A ghoul is a Kine you feed your blood to. It bonds them to you, and gives them a bit of our strengths. Think of it as making a... an empowered manservant, would be pretty close." Cody explains.

"Most withdrawals are between three and five hundred dollars, but four of them are just short of a thousand. It doesn't match with any large receipts in his name, so your guess is as good as mine." He types a bit more while listening to Raven. "Seven. Seven Camarilla in the entire province. Of course, food is just as scarce, unless you want to try messing with the predators up there. Not my thing."

Eventually, he slides the chair back from the keyboard and swivels to look at the two. "Well, I don't think anything else popping up is relevant. Unless you have any more specific questions, I'm pretty well tapped. Was it helpful?"

 

[Copper]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Renfield, basically, right? Ish?" Izzy asks as Cody explains ghouls, waggling her hand at the last syllable. As the hacker rattles off the statistics of the other province, she laughs. "There goes that plan," she says, flashing her sire a grin. "Besides, that'd be a hell of a commute to school. Although it might be easier explaining to my parents that I ran off to, say, get married than suddenly became a vampire."

She mulls over the information that Cody gave them. "Well, if the money he's taking out doesn't match up with anything he's purchased, maybe he's giving it to someone instead? Could be blackmail, could be forced into the loan. Could be really thinking he's helping someone out or could be making donations to a scammer. There any new businesses or churches or the like that've cropped up recently? I can't think of any off the top of my head." ((Unless the ST wants to have her remember something...)) She sighs. "Other than that, it only opens up more questions. Maybe if we run into this guy again, we shouldn't be so quick to run him off. Even though that seems like a very good idea if he's around."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Fletch growls in the back of his throat for a moment, more upset at another interruption than about seeing Vincent. He walks up to the Bishi and taps on the window.

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"My version of what happened last night? I'm sorry sheriff but how many times do I have to say it? We get sent by the Prince to get a book from a kine. We show up, the guy's been embraced and there's a drained corpse in the back. Never mind that he was an arrogant little prick. So I shot at him in an attempt to get information on the book out of him. I figured it was better than popping claws, then I was brought to your zany little hospital," Claire said, anger boiling beneath her voice.

She let out a forced sigh, looking back at the shooting range for a moment.

"Look, no matter how often you ask me, my story will be the same. Yes I fucked up, but it was your boys that showed up at the house and not the cops," she continued again, standing her ground, eyes staring at Jack.

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Yeah sort of like Renfield, knowing some of the older ghouls I've seen it's not to far off either."

Raven says nodding his head at Izzy before turning to look at Cody as he swiveled around in his chair.

"Figures we would be up there too, though wildlife doesn't usually bother me as much. Not even the kind you would probably run into up near the arctic circle. Should be enough information for me to work with, which means we switch to the opposite of your forte and do some legwork. At least we'll have something to keep us busy when we don't have classes to keep us busy."
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As Fletch knocks on the window of Vincent's car a soft beep begins issuing from the vehicle. Almost like a car alarm, but it seems way to soft to be of much use to anyone. A minute later Vincent come walking out of the fenced in junk yard near Fletch's garage with what looks like a sack in one hand. Closing the gate behind him he locks it with what looks to be a new lock, before turning and walking towards the car and Fletch.

"Ah Mr. Fletcher, I expected to find you here sooner than this. I have some questions of you regarding the foray, you neonates made the other night. Namely did you happen to see anything unusual in the home of the unlawfully embraced kindred the other night. Anything at all, sometimes what may be an insignificant detail to one person may be of immense use to someone else."
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Jack's smile never leaves his face as he continues looking straight ahead though his eyes narrow a little at Claire's statement. With a sudden burst of barely controlled anger he growls out.

"I don't give a damn about you're little shooting incident, the Prince has handled it already. I want to know who else besides the Sabbat is running around embracing fresh kindred in the area. Namely the old prick you saw last night, now did you see anything you haven't mentioned. Even if you don't think it's important it may help me figure out where to focus my investigation."

 

[Sinfulwolf]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Considering the way you assholes have treated me so far, I'm not surprised the Sabbat want you all dead. You want me to help, stop setting me up to get killed. As for what I saw, a dead hospice worker that last I saw and heard was left behind in the old fucker's home. I don't know if you guys can check to see who drained the body, but that's probably your best lead," Claire said, raising her chin.

She'd been pushed around by these bastards since being embraced, and from what she could tell it all came down to their stupid fucking politics and traditions. It was tiring and annoying, and while she'd help, she wasn't going to take it all without at least snapping back.

 

[Copper]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"Oh boy. From history major to junior girl detective. When do I get my magnifying glass and fingerprint kit?" Sarcastic as the statement is, Izzy actually looks excited at the notion of the mystery. "You've got this guy's address, right, Cody? Think we ought to start there?"

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"A veritable Nancy Drew already." Cody says with a laugh. "Sure do, address is 93 Lancaster, out along the Southeast side of town, newer area. His wife put out a missing persons on him though, remember, so take that into account before you go snooping."

He pulls a notepad out of a desk drawer and puts the address and a rough map on it, then passes it to Raven. "You two heading out then? I'm afraid I don't have much here but video games and pleasant conversation, but you two are always welcome back."

 

[Rule 34]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

Fletch forces himself to cool his temper, finding it more and more difficult after the way the night went so far. "Well, he had a lot of books with some kind of sigil on it, or was it a name... V." He remembers that. "V... something. Sounded Russian. And the sigil was something with a circle around it..." He shakes his head. "Didn't pay too much attention, the others were really causing a ruckus. Say," he adds, pointing towards the new lock at the gate. "Where's my copy of that key?"

 

[dmronny]

Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm

"All right that's enough for me, just do me a favor. Try not to get as angry when Vincent finds you to ask the same questions, since he'll burn you to dust before you even finish answering. Enjoy your night."

With that Jack pushes off from the wall and hurries up the stairs leaving Claire and the others to their guns.
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Raven takes the address from Cody and putting it in his pocket says.

"Yeah we'll probably head out now. Though I'll be sure to stop by again sometime to do some more catching up. Hopefully it doesn't take forty years before we see each other again this time."

Turning to Izzy he bows and points towards the door.

"After you Nancy. Maybe we can get started on the case of the mysterious stranger, as soon as we find a magnifying glass that is."
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"Ah I see that was just the kind of information I was looking for."

Reaching in to his pocket, he pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and handing them over Vincent says.

"I had the locks on your shop changed to make sure everything was safe until you had the chance to return. Perhaps some day you will be able
to help me in some small way. Good bye."

Opening the car door Vincent sets the sack he was carrying in the car and drives away.