"Did she ever talk about what she wanted to do once she got here?" Nicole asked gently. She moved beside Ana, leaning against the counter as she watched the other woman.
"Did she ever talk about what she wanted to do once she got here?" Nicole asked gently. She moved beside Ana, leaning against the counter as she watched the other woman.
Jacque
While Jacque spoke, he catalogued a couple of things near simultaneously. The first oddity was the way in which the receptionist's eyes flickered over his shoulder for a couple of seconds, as if something by the door had caught his attention. It was just weird.
The second thing was the dull thud of car doors shutting outside in the parking lot. Footsteps kicked at damp gravel, and then...
"Put the gun down!"
Nicole
Slowly, Ana shook her head. "No, well... not really. We hadn't spoken in a little while and, well, I didn't want to push."
And a Perception roll for Nicole, please.
"I understand." Nicole nodded; giving Anna an emphatic look. This woman seemed genuinely concerned about her daughter being missing.
Nicole's earlier fear that the receptionist was tipping off Anna so that Nicole would be taken unaware had been assuaged. Now she thought Anna was a mother who had become estranged from her daughter. The private investigator frowned; deciding how to best proceed from here. She was fairly certain that Anna had no idea what Maria had been up to or why she had left.
Which left Nicole in the dark; too. Thankfully; however; Nicole felt confident that she could figure it.
If one looked past the window dressing man was, fundamentally, an animal, and like any animal who was faced with immediate danger Jacque had to make a choice, fight or flight. Now, Jacque had always been a fighter, but on this occasion he changed his mind, he wasn't here for himself, he was here to help an innocent girl. And confronting whoever was coming into the motel wouldn't do the poor girl any good.
In one smooth motion he withdrew his pistol and forced it into the receptionists gut. His eyes flashed with anger, he was done trying to be slick, trying to keep his cool in this situation. "Alternate exit. Now."
He began to push the man away from the entrance, not waiting for any kind of protest.
Then it stuck him. Nicole. Shit, shit, SHIT! Nicole, she was still taking to the fuckin' mother. That bitch must of sent us up. Fuck I was so stupid. Why didn't I go with her?
Jacque quickly flipped open his cell hastily texting to her.
Text to Nicole
As Jacque doesn't possess the Quick Draw merit he can't draw his weapon and start waving it around in one turn, nor can he text and hold the gun at the same time without the ambidextrous merit. You'll have to choose which action you want to take, whether it's one of the choices above or something different entirely.
OOC
Nicole
"I'm sorry, I'm not being very helpful," Ana sighed heavily. Her attention seemed to be pulled away from the conversation again, but this time was slightly different. This time it wasn't her thoughts that were distracting her, but something outside.
She stood up and walked the few steps to the window, and peered out. "Did you hear that? I heard something about a gun," Ana announced nervously.
Jacque
"Get on the floor!" the cop demanded, his voice firm and steady. "Drop the weapon, now!" His firearm was trained on Jacque's back.
The receptionist had ducked down behind the counter, just in case.
"I'm sure it's all right..." Nicole assured, stepping up beside the window.
"Step back from the window," She advised; a small ball of anxiety growing in her stomach. Was this something?
Nicole gently takes Anna by the arm and guides her back towards the sitting area.
Then her cell phone beeped. She pulls it out and checks it with a frown.
What the hell...
"Do you want me to get on the ground or drop my gun?" Jacque holds his arms up in the air, while slowly turning around to face the cop. " 'Cause I could do both at the same time, it just might get... awkward, y'know?"
He hoped to God Nicole got the text, and that she was getting the fuck out of here. If she could get out. He was still wondering about the parent's role in this mess. Regardless, his only goal right now was to stall this guy, giving Nicole more time to escape the motel.
Jacque grinned, "Officer, could I see your badge? I mean after all, you might not even be a cop, I don't know, maybe you're just a guy with a gun who likes to dress up. Hell, you didn't even tell me what I'm being arrested for."
OOC