[Hunter] Dark Web Chronicle

[Dwerth]

Guiseppe notes the two dark eyed, dark suited men as he takes his seat. Experience had taught that they were the ones that the eye was meant to see. His intuition was not buying that they were the real threat. Scanning the coach again, his eyes fall to the knitting needles of the grandmother. Something about them was just...off. No, it isn't the needles. Its her eyes.

 

[Javabee]

@Javabee
"Tell me about it Syd," He poured her the second drink. The phrase was not an agreement but an actual request. He set the cup in front of her, used an actual scoop to top off her cup of ice, and (after a glance around for other patrons in need) leaned his elbows on the bar with her. "Let me guess," He put his hand out, holding up a finger for each option. "Work, family, or romance?" He rolled his tongue when he said romance so it sounded exotic and dramatic.

@Javabee

The bartender was back seconds later, presumably with a drink order. "Seven bucks Syd." He said with a smile as he got a glass out and started pouring the other patron's drink.


Meanwhile the small bar had had gained a few more inhabitants during Sydney and the bartenders exchange and it was now bordering on looking profitable.

Sydney stayed where she was, but carefully looked sideways to catch the faces of the new arrivals without being spotted rubber-necking.

 

[Javabee]

Something felt heavy in her pocket. Then her mind snapped back to the amulet she had picked up a while back from the thug she dropped. Why did she even bring this thing with her?


"Maybe to further the plot or something," she chuckled dryly as she thought of Deadpool. She carefully removed the amulet from her pocket so no one could take a passing glance at it and proceeded to examine it more closely.

 

[SidheLives]

@Dwerth


The train ride was monumentally uneventful for the first hour. No one but the two children moved around much or made much noise. The woman with the knitting kept quietly knitting, the working couple continued working and speaking softly, the grandmother had pulled out a book to read, and the men in suits just sat. It was at about an hour in that the train workers came around for drink orders and food options. There was a dining car on the train, but they also offered the opportunity to order snacks to have at your seat.


A female attendant was approaching Giuseppe when an unhealthy sound came from further forward in the train. A series of bangs coming closer with each one. The source of the noise became immediately apparent as the car Giuseppe was on jerked sickeningly and made it's own loud bang as it seemed to hit something on the tracks, just as the cars ahead had. The attendant nearly tipped into Giuseppe's lap but caught herself on the seat back. All the passengers and attendants were visibly shaken, except for perhaps the besuited men in the back who looked much the same.

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


Arthur felt he has a pretty good memory of the West's faces. And upstairs the quiet rustlings and creaks kept on unabated. The stairs were to one side of the living room with a corner landing before the stairs turned and disappeared into the floor above. The stairs themselves were empty.

 

[SidheLives]

@Javabee


The bar had filled up with blue collar men and women who all seemed so comfortable they had to be regulars. Considering the time it occurred to Sydney that they were probably food industry people finally getting off work. There was one woman who Sydney caught out of the corner of her eye who stuck out like a sore thumb. She was dressed in leather and lace and was showing much more milky white skin than seemed appropriate for the dive. She looked like she should be in a club somewhere. Sydney could tell she was sitting with at least a couple of other people in the corner, but she couldn't be more sure unless she was more obvious about her observation.


When Sydney's hand closed around the amulet it felt warm to the touch, as she held it the warmth grew to the point where it was hot. Not painful or uncomfortable, but clearly hot in her hand and the white, opalescent stone seemed to shimmer from the heat. The large stone was held with twining branches of at least three different metals which clung to the stone like a plant's roots, or sea weed, like something natural and vaguely threatening. It was heavy, but like the heat it's weight was not uncomfortable, just solid. Based on the length of the chain Sydney could guess that the stone would fall to just between her breasts if she chose to put it on.

 

[Javabee]

"What the hell," Sydney thought, and slipped the chain around her head and let the amulet rest where it fell.

 

[Vaneheart]

Arthur observed the stairs for anything that might obstruct his way, then carefully and quietly crept up them. Once he reached the top of the stairs, Arthur paused a moment and listened carefully to see if he could pinpoint which room the burglar might be in.

 

[SidheLives]

@Javabee


As Sydney had expected the stone slid comfortably into the hollow between her breasts. As the chain settled around her neck a strange feeling came over her.


The warmth that the stone had seemed to hold in her earlier observation seemed to slide away. It took a moment for the woman to realize that the warmth hadn't gone away as it had surrounded her. The stone didn't feel warm on her skin anymore because all of her felt warm. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, it was something like sliding into a warm pool or bath.


At the same time the sounds around her seemed to fade. They weren't gone completely but fuzzy or muffled. Her attention seemed to focus on something just out of her field of vision...


[Perception Check +2 Bonus]

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


As the portly detective crept up the stairs the slight noises continued. It seemed his presence had not yet been detected. At the top of the stairs a hallway began which extended to an outside wall on which a window resided. The hall had five doors along it's walls. One was just to Arthur's left. Another two were a few paces further down the hall, one on each side but not quite facing each other (The one on the left side was closer to the investigator's position), the fourth was about two thirds down the hall on the left, and one at the very end of the hall on the right side. All the doors were ajar slightly. No lights appeared to be on so there was not much to differentiate the doors from each other or give a hint what could be inside each.


The sounds Arthur had been hearing was clearly coming from one of the two rooms near the far end of the hallway.

 

[Vaneheart]

Arthur crept carefully down the hallway, glancing at each door, looking at the slightly ajar gaps or cracks for any flicker or movement or shadow from within. He headed toward the two doors at the end of the hallway where the sounds were coming from. While he crept along, Arthur slowly drew his Beretta, but kept it low and close. He thought grimly, I don't like this. The sound could be a diversion, especially if there is more than one of them. I don't think I can properly clear the rooms without alerting the burglar(s) though. Better chance it.

 

[Dwerth]

Guiseppe speaks briefly to the attendant: "Are you ok miss?" while glancing again at the other riders. He observes closely to see if the car has begun to slow down from its normal travel speed. Too Soon. It is too soon for them to have caught my trail, isn't it? What breadcrumb did I leave behind this time?

 

[Javabee]

@Javabee
As Sydney had expected the stone slid comfortably into the hollow between her breasts. As the chain settled around her neck a strange feeling came over her.


The warmth that the stone had seemed to hold in her earlier observation seemed to slide away. It took a moment for the woman to realize that the warmth hadn't gone away as it had surrounded her. The stone didn't feel warm on her skin anymore because all of her felt warm. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, it was something like sliding into a warm pool or bath.


At the same time the sounds around her seemed to fade. They weren't gone completely but fuzzy or muffled. Her attention seemed to focus on something just out of her field of vision...


[Perception Check +2 Bonus]

A strange feeling this is indeed. Not too unpleasant, but it still made the nerves prickle slightly on the back of her neck. What the hell was this thing she just put on? What was that thing in front of her? It wasn't there before...was it? Her eyes strained, trying to focus with all her concentration.

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


As Arthur crept further and further down the hallway it became clear that the sounds of the invader were coming from the farthest door down the hall, the one at the end on the right. As he passed each door he was able to identify the rooms. First a bathroom on the left: ransacked. A closet on the right: ransacked. A child's bedroom on the left: ransacked. And finally a nursery on the left: seemingly untouched. Then he arrived at the doorjam of the final door on the right. The sounds were clearer now, drawers being opened and dug through, things being kicked. There was also some shadows moving in Arthur's field of vision, it seemed the intruder had a flashlight and was using it to navigate the room.


As Arthur reached the edge of the door the sounds suddenly stopped, as if the person inside was listening for something...


[Roll made on OOC Board]


The sounds didn't pick up again and the assumed flashlight suddenly went out.

 

[SidheLives]

@Dwerth


The attendant was flustered. "Yes, thank you sir." She took a deep breath and steadied herself on her feet. "No need to worry everyone. Probably just debris on the track, it happens occasionally." She sounded confidant but Guiseppe could see her eyes looked unsure and more than a little scared. The other passengers seemed reassured by this, for the most part. The working couple went back to their work but the little girl seemed shaken still, and despite her father's quite reassurances neither she nor her mother looked calm. The older couple also looked perturbed, but the boy with them was back to his energetic self and the knitting woman had resumed her art, although slower than before. The train seemed to be moving along at it's usual pace.


As the attendant spoke the two men in suits at the back of the car got to their feet and moved forward. As the woman moved back toward the connecting door they met up with her a few rows behind Guiseppe and spoke in hushed tones to the troubled looking young woman.


[Perception Check = Hearing based]

 

[SidheLives]

@Javabee


Sydney suddenly saw the pale woman in leather and lace who Sydney's attention had unconsciously focused on. The woman, as well as several people with her who were dressed in dark colors similar to the woman but less ostentatiously, was looking right at Sydney. The young woman could almost feel the animosity rolling off of the small group.


She noted that though she wasn't turning to look at them at all she could see them as clearly as if they were directly in front of her, which was an odd feeling.


As Sydney observed the group in this curious way one of the men started to get up, but the pale woman with the dark eyes put a hand on his arm to stop him. She gestured with her head to the door and the man and the female companion got up and headed for the door, leaving the strange woman and one male companion in the large corner booth.


Then Sydney's consciousness slammed back into her own head and she was left with a shrieking pain in her temples looking up at a bartender who looked a little concerned.


"Sydney? Sydney?" he was repeating her name quietly, leaning into her a little. "Are you alright girl, you just kind of zoned out for a second there."

 

[Vaneheart]

Well crap, there goes the stealth approach. Arthur's mind and pulse raced, it had been a long time since he had done room clears or MOUT training, and numerous possibilities raced in his mind. None of them were good. I'm getting too old for this shit. His hands began to shake from the adrenaline.


With his beretta pistol drawn and in a low ready position, Arthur drew his pocket flashlight, held it low alongside his beretta, thumbed the activator, and then placed his back against the wall, on the right side of the door. Rather than rush in, he reverse donkey-kicked the door with his right leg, still keeping his back to the wall, and minimizing his doorway exposure, letting only his leg get briefly exposed. At the end of the kick, he crouched low, expecting surprised gunshots through the door or doorway, or even the possibility of the burglar rushing out the door.


The next few moments would decide his course of action.

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


The silence after the door swung wide and hit the wall was deafening for a moment.


"Oh fuck."


The voice wasn't hushed or whispered, it was clearly loud enough to be heard by Arthur, crouched in the hallway, and it sounded resigned. The disappointed sounding voice was female with a strong English sounding accent. The woman in the dark room sighed. "You'a cop?"

 

[Vaneheart]

Surprised by this turn of events, Arthur paused momentarily, and cautiously entered the room, his Beretta still level, and the safety off, but his finger wasn't on the trigger. He quickly scanned the room from the source of the female voice, and said sternly "Who are you, and why have you broken into the West's home? Aren't they a little on the low end for robbery?" His eyes quickly searched for threats or weapons. "Where are the other two men you were with?"

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


With his flashlight Arthur quickly located the shape of a woman standing near the corner of what was clearly the master bedroom. The bed was against the wall to Arthur's left putting the foot of it slightly between him and the dark clothed woman. She was standing in front of a ransacked dresser which was on the wall opposite the bed. As Arthur shined his flashlight around looking for her she put up one hand to shield her eyes then let it drop again as his aim steadied. The woman was dressed all in black or perhaps very dark blue, she was hard to see in either case, and wore both dark gloves and a balaclava so the only skin she was showing was directly around her eyes. She didn't appear to be intimidated or worried as she looked the detective up and down. No hands in the air, even with his Beretta aiming at her.


"First of all it's burglary. I'm a burglar." She didn't sound resigned anymore, she sounded bored. "Secondly, who are the Wests? and Lastly, what men?" She put her hands on her hips. "I think you've got the wrong house chap."


The room was pretty empty and there were no obvious threats visible to Arthur. He identified two slightly ajar doors on the wall opposite the bed, to the right of the dresser, probably a bathroom and closet. As for the woman she had nothing in her gloved hands and based on what Arthur could see of her silhouette she wasn't obviously carrying any weapons

 

[Vaneheart]

A British burglar? Here? Must be an act. Arthur narrowed his eyes. He replied evenly "You must not case your marks very well. These people appear to live barely above the poverty line. Not exactly a prime target, even in this neighborhood. The West's are the name of the family that live in this house." It would be difficult to tell if this woman was lying due to the mask, so he'd have to rely on tone, inflection, and eye reaction. "So you're not with the two shady men in the black towncar parked out front then? The ones that tried to tail me here? I find that hard to believe." He gauged her reaction as he thumbed the laser sight on, making sure it aimed at her chest, to accentuate the point.


Inwardly, he cursed himself for not installing the Surefire tactical light on his Beretta weeks ago. He had the kit, he just had not found the time to get around to it yet. Although he had the police department on speed dial, Arthur realized it would be difficult to keep the flashlight on her, and call them at the same time. Without the flashlight, the woman would be hard to track in the dark. His hands were big enough that he might be able to hold the pistol and the pocket flashlight in the same hand, awkwardly.


While he considered this, he tried an additional question. "Have you been hiding out in their basement root cellar? Lying would be ill-advised." He toyed with the idea of just letting the woman go, if she hadn't yet taken anything.

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


The woman sighed again as he questioned her burgling skills and the sound held a hard edge of annoyance. But when he mentioned the men and the town car her gaze sharpened on him. She seemed surprised and more than a little angry. She started to turn towards the window but then Arthur's laser sight was on her chest and she stopped abruptly. Her eyes, full of irritation, met his and she slowly raised her hands just above shoulder level in the most non-committal "hands up" gesture possible. Her eyes narrowed as he asked about the cellar maybe with disgust? or confusion? Arthur couldn't tell in the dark.


"Why would I be hiding in someone's cellar?" She shook her head and let out a little defeated puff of air. "I don't know who's house this is. I didn't 'case the joint'." She made air quotes with her already raised hands and said those last words with what could graciously be called a bad american accent. "I owed someone a favor. That's all." Her eyes flicked over to the windows and back. Her words struck Arthur as true, but she did seem to be holding something back, and she was clearly interested in something out the window. Her reaction to the detective's confession of being tailed made Arthur suspect she knew something about such men, but he had no idea what.


"Look if you're going to shoot me could you do it? You're not the first person to aim a gun at me and honestly I tend to find the whole affair uncomfortable and pointless."

 

[Vaneheart]

"Well, we agree on that at least." Despite his agreement, he kept the gun level. Arthur realized that he was, for the most part, largely bluffing.


They were somewhat at a stalemate.


He had avoided her question about him being a cop, and played on himself being an unknown factor. Granted, he had some pull with the police department, but no real authority anymore. Shooting her (especially since she was unarmed) would generally be out of the question. He'd probably never work in this town again, not for a while at least, if he did. He pondered the situation. If she was the "basement dweller" the West's were worried about, he felt this would be an easy to close case. He considered that she probably was just waiting in the basement for them to all leave, so she could rob them. Arthur may have inadvertently provided her the opportunity.


He could just let her go, minus the stolen goods, and chalk it up to the masked robber escaping. He felt that the cops would probably catch a bad-accented cockney-British female burglar in New York pretty easily. He was amused at the thought of having to give her description to a detective. It was like something from a sitcom.


Still...something didn't quite feel right to Arthur. The burglar wouldn't have had any real affect on the little girl, not like seizures or anything... And this woman appeared to be telling the truth. There's something missing...


"Have you taken anything from the house yet?" He hadn't seen a bag anywhere. "What do you know about those two men? And what was your friend specifically looking for in this house?"

 

[SidheLives]

@Vaneheart


"No I haven't taken anything." She dropped her hands again, evidently putting them up had been for Arthur's benefit. "You said it yourself there's nothing to take. Even the jewelry, what's left here at least, is fake crap." She put one hand on her hip and used the tips of the fingers on the other to rub her eyes. "I never said they were my friend. And they didn't want me to find anything, they just wanted me to rough the place up."


It was about then that a car's engine roared to life outside and headlights flashed on (from a direction Arthur felt would be consistent with the location of the towncar). The woman spun at the sound. "Fucking hell,"


She seemed to forget, or decided to ignore, Arthur's gun and turned to the window, ripping open the blinds in time for both of them to see a black towncar pull quickly up the street past the house then away into the night.

 

[Vaneheart]

Well, things just got odd. Is this a setup? Do the West's even really live here? His mind raced. He thought back to the odd late-night phone call at his home number.


Arthur slowly backed out of the room, keeping his gun level, but not as carefully aimed. "That sounded like it came from that car." He sighed, resigned. "Tell me what you know about what's going on, and you can walk out of here." I really don't want to shoot you unless I have to, he thought grimly.