OOC: This is a difficult scene as there is much happening at once. I can play it one of two ways – either assume a lot of your responses to move ahead or take it slow and let you react. I prefer the latter so that is what I am going with unless you tell me otherwise. Please – be specific in your movements for the next few post, because it really does matter where you are for other NPC’s you may have not met or seen.


Hera, Gambler’s Gully, Inside the Ace in a Hole, 9:15 pm
“This here’s the new Mrs Crane, what say we get a separate table as the other‘s don‘t need to know all the details right now until I‘ve made sure everything is accounted for.”

The Man looked at Melanie and back to Kane. A flicker of doubt was in his eyes; clearly something they had said wasn’t registering well with him. “Yeah. Okay. Sure. Lets move to the back, I think we can get a booth there.” He says handing an old battered hand held disk scanner to Kane. (like a portable DVD player that has been through a war and back)

You move to the back of the bar. A group is leaving as you do so you casually take the booth that puts your back to a wall so no prying eyes can see the screen. Once there, you open up the scanner and it begins to access the disk automatically. Images appear: blueprints, drawings and schematics of high security prisons, military bases and headquarters. They are old – the originals of buildings no longer used after the war, most taken over by corporations and business by now. This is platinum in hand – except there is data missing; all overrides codes that are hardwired into the systems that give anyone access to the buildings. The gentleman scrolls through the list and opens up one particular prison – Perdition. “There you go,” he says quietly, “The codes and accesses are all there, and I’ll give you the master key to get to them, as soon as you give me the FY disk like we agreed.”

He looks at you expectantly.

At the table, Grace, Angela and Phil watch as the three move to the back booth. They are too far in for Angela to monitor the conversation and the three of you are left to your devices. Angela and Phil don’t seem to mind staying put but bowing to an order doesn’t sit well with Grace.

OOC: Angela and Phil? Stay put? Move? Arm weapons? Dance?

Grace had a problem with trust. It wasn’t that she felt someone was out to get her - it was just that if someone was, best to be cautious. She scanned the room looking to see if anyone might be acting all watchy of them, or her friends in the booth. One guy caught her eye. He was tall, with real long and purdy hair draped behind and under his wide brimmed hat. When Kane and Melanie moved, so did he to the bar’s edge – and he was watching them without looking like he was watching. He had a habit of fidgeting with his ear too. Grace was sure of it – they were being watched.

The Vid Screen above the bar caught Grace’s attention. A newsreel was playing and she caught the tail end ‘ “James Watson, head of security for the Far Yukon Mining Company died today while being questioned by authorities over allege terrorist involvement. An official for the government told reporters that they didn’t know that Mr. Watson had a bad heart and apparently died during routine questioning.”

Phil was looking around when something caught his eye – into the bar walked an exceptionally beautiful woman with long blonde hair, dressed in business suit and carrying an attaché case (Scarlett Johansson). She looked around the room looking very much like she didn’t belong here, but she was search for something, or someone. She sure is pretty though.

Phil was sitting around as the world continued spinning. The tea was good and the company was pleasant. Everything was going well except that one of the girls had left the table and was near people that were probably dangerous. He wasn't sure how to react but was trying to follow orders.

Orders...something about don't leave the bar? No, there was something about a blonde. He had to keep an eye out for a blonde. Gotta make sure she didn't muck up the deal. If the information was right, Kane had paid money for a disk from the guy at the bar. He had to make sure something didn't happen. No one should mess up the meet. Yeah, that's it.

It was a good thing too. Kane took the guy to a back booth. This should keep things from going awry. But then there was something about a--OO GIRL! Phil spotted a blonde entering the bar.

"Found her! I'll be right back." and if neither of his allies stopped him, Phil got up and walked over to the blonde.

"You looking for Kane?" he said, fingering his chocolate tin in his pocket.

Grace looked around. She watches her two friends move to the booth. “Not good” she thought. She looked around again. Then she spotted a man walk to the bar. He was tall with long hair. He was looking at the booth and playing with his ear. “Joo Fuen Chse!” She thought.

“Found her! I’ll be right back!” Phil exclaimed as he got up. Grace looked at him confused. As He started to dash, Grace said “Wait! Phil!” He didn’t pay attention and continued to head towards something. She then heard something that caught her attention.

“James Watson, head of security for the Far Yukon Mining Company died today while being questioned by authorities over allege terrorist involvement. An official for the government told reporters that they didn’t know that Mr. Watson had a bad heart and apparently died during routine questioning.” The T.V above the bar was doing the News.

“Double Joo Fuen Chse! Not good, not good.” She muttered. Hoping she looked like some girl going through her bag. Grace reach into her rucksack (Which is under the table) and pulled an object. It looked like a decorated box. She slipped her butterfly knife into her jacket pocket. (That was the box. It isn’t open) Grace looked at the man. She needed to distract him with something. But what would work better? A bar fight or some pretty girl talking to him…. She watched him play with his ear. Could he have an ear wig? Grace got up as quietly as possible. She slowly grabbed her bag and move towards the table closest to the man. She looked at his ear trying to see what he was doing.

(OOC: I would like a perception roll to see if Grace can spot the earwig or not.)

Angela knew that she sometimes got things mixed up. She wouldn’t remember something, and sometimes her brain would just put something else in its place. She’d been all excited that she’d remembered yesterday’s lunch, but then Grace had gently explained that she’d been told earlier, and it had been Grace’s protein paste and bread wrap she’d been “remembering”, not her own meal of miso soup. It was frustrating, so Angela was never sure of the little details she could recall.

As far she knew, however, she didn’t get words mixed up. English and Mandarin, it didn’t matter; she was pretty sure she knew the words. When Mel had said,” You three stay here. And I mean it…” Angela was pretty certain that meant not getting up and leaving the table.

The news vid was playing in the background, and Angela listened with half her attention, also taking in the conversations around her. None of it made sense but it didn’t matter, it filled the emptiness inside. A woman entered the bar, but Angela, after a quick scan, had dismissed her and gone back to watching Kane, Melanie and the man with them, wishing she could make out what they were saying. Phil, however, went all a quiver and dashed off towards the woman, all but wagging his tail in eagerness. Grace tried to call him back, but he was gone.

“…..didn’t know that Mr. Watson had a bad heart and apparently died during routine questioning …” Angela caught in the sounds surrounding her and she looked back at the screen above the TV. Grace cursed beside her and Angela looked to the red haired girl, who was fishing around in her bag as inconspicuously as she could.

“I hope Watson is a common name, like Chan or Smith,” Angela commented to Grace, wide-eyed.” Otherwise, we’re pooched.” Grace didn’t seem to be paying attention, though, and she clearly didn’t understand what “stay here” meant, as she, just like Phil, got up and left the table.

Angela was left at the table, all alone, hands on the table and feet planted firmly. She now had three main fields to track: Kane, Mel and the man, Phil and the blonde, and Grace now walking around. Angela could feel her heartbeat picking up speed and she wished dearly someone would tell her what was going on.

Melanie let herself be guided to the back table, cozied up next to Kane who was now supposedly one 'Crane'. This new guy hands Kane a portable viewer as they make their way to the table and sit down. With their backs to the wall, the viewer is powered up and the screen flickers to life. Its blueprints, some to places that Melanie could identify with others, more than not, to places she had no clue about.

“There you go,” he says quietly, “The codes and accesses are all there, and I’ll give you the master key to get to them, as soon as you give me the FY disk like we agreed.”

It was Perdition, a few memories comin back, more bad than good. Melanie didn't know about any FY disc and slipped her hand beneath the table to unsnap the strap holdin her pistol in place and drawing out as quietly as possible to hold it on the top of her leg with her hand around the trigger and thumb ready to release the safety. Now it was all up to Crane as to what happened, but she was NOT gonna let them get away with that disc. All of them needed the money way too much.

(OOC: okay, if she is seen pullin her pistol, she'll claim because she's just edgy and likes to take a precaution but will not put it up. If they try to leave with the disc, whe will take it at gunpoint and try to convince them that it best they give it up.)

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:15 pm Saturday
Moving slowly to a back booth the timing could not have been better as a group of people were just leaving one and He, Mel and the stranger were able to sit down quickly.

The vid player handed to him, Kane began looking it over in a relaxed manner as if he already knew what was supposed to be on the disk. At first all the ex-rebel could see were blueprints, drawings and schematics of buildings and for a moment did not realize what he had in hand.

Wuh de tyen, ah!! the blueprints were not to some normal buildings but to high security prisons, military bases and a headquarters. They were old, very, very, old, the originals of buildings no longer used since the war, most having been taken over by corporations and business.

Run-tse duh FWO-tzoo This was a planets ransom in hand, except looking closer, Kane noticed now that he knew what he was looking at that all the override codes hardwired into these systems giving anyone access to the buildings was missing. Then the man touched a button and on the screen before him was the layout of a prison all of them knew only too well… Perdition.

“There you go,” the man said quietly, “The codes and accesses are all there, and I’ll give you the master key to get to them, as soon as you give me the FY disk like we agreed.”

His breathing relaxed, his heartbeat was WAY up, holding the vid player close to him, and having noticed Mel drawing her hog leg, Jeremiah Christian Kane, a cocky confident smile on his face, turned to the man before him.

“Well my friend you see there’s the problem in all this, I don’t have the disk anymore, but seeing as how this is already paid for what say we call it even.....”

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:15 pm Saturday

Kane and Mel
The screen showed Perdition, a prison on the far side of nowhere and lost. The man showing you the data disk seemed to think this was of particular interest to you. But there were many places on the disk. But without the codes – the engineered codes that couldn’t be overwritten and controlled everything, this was a disk of old blueprints – useless to anyone but a collector.

“Well my friend you see there’s the problem in all this, I don’t have the disk anymore, but seeing as how this is already paid for what say we call it even.....” Kane said as Mel moved her hand to her weapon.

If the man with the disk heard Melanie’s holster unsnap, he showed no sign of it. But he did show a conflict of emotions on his face at Kane’s comment. “What? I…” He stood up in disgust and turned to stare down at you, “Can I speak you for a moment? In private? Excuse us lady but I need a moment with your friend here.” Xi says,

Kane shakes his head, “"Whatever you have to say, can be said in Mel as I trust her more then I trust you, besides she knows it all anyway so why the secrecy?"

“Fine”, he says in disbelief, “What is your game here? Of course you don’t have the disk! I know that! I’m not gorram stupid. That was blondie’s job! You want to pay for this useless disk, fine! I’ll sell the good one – but I get my disk as second half of payment.”

Phil
Phil was sorta used to women reacting badly to him. He knew he wasn’t good looking in any person’s standard and girls could be a might twitchy around him, but he didn’t hold it against them. This ladies reaction however, did throw him for a loop.

“Oh you poor dear!” the blonde exclaimed and pulled Phil into a tight embrace, clutching his head to her bosom, “Jonathan told me of your plight. Your oppression will end. We will see a verse that is truly free on day.” She released Phil and looked at him with a smile, “So where is he?”

Grace
The young mechanic moved closer to the bar and the gentleman she was watching. She approached with caution, angling around tables and chairs to try to subtly get a look at the man’s ear. There ware no tables open close to him, just a bar stool next him. Unfortunately, as she approach, he turns his head to look directly at her. “See something you like there Missie?” he drawls quietly, his hand going to his sidearm slowly.

Angela
Angela sits quietly alone at the table. She is somewhat startled when man sits down in the booth with her – and not one of her friends. Short. In a word that is her first impression of him. He is a short man, with unkempt black hair I na style called a mullet and fine if outdated clothing that appear to have been worn a lot over the years. He smells of expensive cologne and cheap alcohol. He smiles at Angela and says, “Hello Girls! Well, I mean just you but Hello Girls sounds so much more friendly than Hello Girl, which just sounds like my father. So what’s a good looking place like you doing in a girl like this? Can I buy you a sandwich? I know I’m suppose to buy you a drink but I’m kinda hungry right now, you know what mean?”

Grace move closer to the man. Trying to spot at what he was playing with in his ear. Then to her surprise he started to turn towards her. Quickly she snapped her eyes to the menu that was above his head. She quickened her pace as if she was reading and walking.

“See something you like there Missie?” the man asked looking at her. Grace stop where she was and lowered her eyes to him like a girl being called out to by a stranger. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t see you there.” Grace said using her babyish voice. She noted that his hand was moving to his gun. “Okay, he suspicious right now. I need to convince him I’m not a threat and to turn so I can look at his ear.” She thought.

Widening her eye so she looked startled. Grace again spoke in her babyish voice. “I was just looking at the menu. I’m sorry I disturbed you.” She said then doing a sweet lip smile at him.

(OOC: assuming he says “that okay miss” or “no problem”)

Grace spotted the little bowl of wasabi nuts just a distance away from them. If he looked at them she could get a really close look at his ear. “NUTS!” she said in a happy baby voice. The man looked at her at what she guess was confusion. “Oh sorry, I just really like nuts.” Said Grace forcing her cheeks to blush and pointed to bowl of nuts. As he turned to look at it; Grace could now see his ear perfectly.

“Oh you poor dear!” the blonde exclaimed and pulled Phil into a tight embrace, clutching his head to her bosom, “Jonathan told me of your plight. Your oppression will end. We will see a verse that is truly free one day.” She released Phil and looked at him with a smile, “So where is he?”

Phil raised an eyebrow as he looked at her. He'd been played before, but he'd never been pressed against big breasts as part of the play. Well, she asked the right questions. He had a few options. The job, he had to focus on the job. The girls would be upset if he didn't make sure things went right. Well that was easy enough.

"He stepped out. Come, I'll show ya." And he offered her his hand and started for the door. Once he got her out of here he could ask more questions. That would simplify this whole mess.

"Wait..." he paused as he was about to go out the door. He'd lost his train of thought and didn't want to muck this up. "Who are you looking for again?" He was sincere as he fondled his tin of chocolate.

Angela sits quietly alone at the table. She knows that there is something wrong about this, and she looks down at her hands rather than let the whole room see her frown. Something somebody said…keep her close…keep her safe…that’s what the farmer said… Angela scowled as she tried to dive deeper into the black water of her memory. That’s not right – not a farmer…it was…a SHEPHERD!
“A shepherd,” she murmured to herself, and the smile on her face as she lifted her head was beatific, lighting her plain features and making her almost memorable. “Not just a shepherd, but a fisher of men!” Angela all but clapped her hands in delight at knowing she’d remembered something. On the other hand, the memory confirmed what she was thinking: that she shouldn’t be alone.

“Hello Girls! “, announced a remarkably short man as he plunked down in the seat beside Angela. She’d have been more startled, but the cloud of scent had reached her just a moment before he spoke. “Well, I mean just you but Hello Girls sounds so much more friendly than Hello Girl, which just sounds like my father. So what’s a good looking place like you doing in a girl like this? Can I buy you a sandwich? I know I’m suppose to buy you a drink but I’m kinda hungry right now, you know what mean?”

Angela tilted her head and gave him a frank assessment, her gaze as open and guileless as a child’s. She took in his once fine but worn clothes, his messy hair and the abundance of alcohol on his breath and concluded that if necessary, she could take him down. Besides, if he sat with her, she’d no longer be alone. Decision made, her smile returned in full force.

“I’d love a sandwich, Mister. I honestly can’t remember when I last ate!”

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:20 pm Saturday
“Fine what is your game here? Of course you don’t have the disk! I know that! I’m not gorram stupid. That was blondie’s job! You want to pay for this useless disk, fine! I’ll sell the good one – but I get my disk as second half of payment.”
Kane quietly waited for the man to finish and then leaned forward a serious look on his face.

“Ya see that’s’ the problem Blondie’s missing, no word no contact, since I got the word the disk was secure and the meet here was on, then nothing. I’m afraid my partner has been waylaid perhaps or has decided to cut me and my new crew out.”

Kane thought quickly knowing that the time to finish this ‘deal’ was quickly running out. If he could not get the codes in the next few minutes he would have no choice but to let Mel take them quietly by force.

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:20 pm Saturday

I am not sure where Vesper is so I have moved the game along. He can always backpost.

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:21 pm Saturday
“Ya see that’s’ the problem Blondie’s missing, no word no contact, since I got the word the disk was secure and the meet here was on, then nothing. I’m afraid my partner has been waylaid perhaps or has decided to cut me and my new crew out.” Kane said while trying to think of a way that the situation could turn out without someone drawing a gun in a room full of twitchy people.

The disk dealer stared at Kane for a moment, and cocked his head to the side, either an expression of confusion or disbelief. “So be it.” He says with a shrug and laughs, “Keep it. Good luck to you. I’m outta here.” And with that he steps back a few steps and quickly turns to head out of the bar.

(assuming no one shoots him in the back, Xi leaves the area. He will not respond to anything you call to him)

Grace
“NUTS!” Grace called out. The man jumped startled as did more than a few people nearby. “Oh sorry, I just really like nuts.”

“Yeah…right.” The gunman replies as he reaches for the bowl of Wasabi peas, his eyes on Grace the entire time and hands them over to her. “Here ya go.”

(assuming Grace answers.)

Just then, the Asian man that was meeting with Kane and Mel walked by muttering to himself. As he did the blond man abruptly followed behind him. Grace saw at least three other men getting up quickly throughout the room as well. As the leader passed, Grace saw what she was looking for in his ear, a small plastic plug that both sends and receives transmission.

Phil
Wait..." Phil lost his train of thought at the station, “Who are you looking for again?"

“Oh you poor dear. Was it a head injury? Probably unattended on a battlefield while your friends and loved ones died around you.” Phil found himself caught in another embrace. “Don’t you worry. I can find Jonathan myself and you don’t have to worry.”

At that moment, the man that was talking to Kane and Mel walked up to the lady in a hurry. “Mercedes? Do you have my disk? I just gave the goods to your boyfriend and he’s acting mighty strange.”

The lady lets go of Phil and turns to the man, “Xiam? Of course. Here it is.” She says holding up the attaché case. Xi snatches it from her. She stares at him stunned, as if she never expected anyone to do that to her. Neither the leader nor any of his posse seem to notice Phil standing there.

“Let’s go.” He says as he heads for the door, three men forming up around him protectively.

Angela
“I’d love a sandwich, Mister. I honestly can’t remember when I last ate!”

“What a good idea then. Wonder why I didn’t think of that. Miss! Miss!” he stands up and stops a barmaid as she goes by, “Can we get the sandwich platter here Lulu? And a couple of those fruity drinks with the little umbrellas?”

“Arthur!” the girl says with a laugh, “I thought you stopped drinking?”

“I did my dear. I did. For a least five, maybe ten minutes. That’s quite an accomp … acobo …. acumbr …good for me don’t ya think?”

The server laughs and moves off. Arthur goes to return to the table just as the Asian man that Kane and Mel were speaking to pass by, followed by the guy Grace was talking to and a couple of others. The big blonde fellow pushes past the drunken man causing him to lose his footing. He falls backwards on to the table in front of Angela and laughs hysterically, “Did I get you into bed already my dear? I seem to be lying down. Hahahaha. I should have at least introduced myself first. I’m Arthur, and you are?”

Angela watched the interplay between the man beside her and the waitress, a bemused smile flickering on her lips. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen adults be playful; everyone seemed so serious, normally.

That changed for her when Kane’s man passed, followed by the blonde man Grace had been so interested in. The light in Angela’s eyes died as her expression hardened, her body suddenly still. She watched the two men pass and almost absentmindedly steadied the drunken man as he stumbled and fell onto the table.

“Did I get you into bed already my dear? I seem to be lying down. Hahahaha. I should have at least introduced myself first. I’m Arthur, and you are?”

“I’m busy, Arthur,” Angela replied without looking at him, her tone clipped and businesslike,” I can’t play anymore.”

The Asian man and his posse (for Angela now realized that several men had joined him, and she cursed herself for not spotting them earlier) surrounded Phil and the blonde woman he’d been so set on meeting. Angela felt herself tensing as she waited for Phil’s reaction.

“This can go so bad,” she muttered to no-one in particular.

A lot of thoughts passed through Phil's mind. She appeared to think he was stupid. There were men approaching. She had a disk. The men were leaving. She was leaving. Well, then no one had screwed up the meet right? Or was it something about the blonde who kept hugging him. Should he follow her? Maybe, but he'd have to ask the girls first. Maybe they could give him advice on how to get another hug. But he was managing that one pretty well on his own. But then there was the guy. She seemed to know him. Called him Jonathan. Was he involved in the meet? Did the other two manage to finish their business and bring in the money?

A lot of thoughts. When he looked up, the people who had been standing in front of him had long since left the bar.

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:21 pm Saturday
As Kane watched Xi get up to leave, his first thought was to have Mel stop him, but something just did not feel right. Quietly signing to Mel to stay seated he was rewarded for his caution as 4 men joined the disk dealer taking up positions as if to protect him.

The whole thing got more interesting as Kane continued to watch Xi stop to talk to a blonde haired woman talking to Phil and receive an attaché case from her.

“Crap” he muttered under his breathe as he watched Xi and the blonde leave the bar, he and Mel needed to quietly get the others together and find a safe place to consider options. It was a sure bet that the blonde was 'the Blonde' talked about and that case surely held the second disk.

With Mel asked to recover Phil he headed towards Angela, who seemed to have acquired a new friend in the time left alone by Phil and as he could see now, also by Grace.

Oh, ze zhen shi ge kwai le de jing jun Kane thought as he looked around the bar trying to find their mechanic. Seeing her he tried to catch her eye as he reached the table and Angela.............

Hera – Gambler’s Gully, Ace in the Hole Saloon. 9:24 pm Saturday