(Invisible Hands) Spy Get-Together

**Cabochard** · Mar 18th, 2015 07:19 PM

Rina waited in her room in the shady little motel on the outskirts of Folsom, for the arrival of the others. She'd left the receptionist at the front with instructions to send anyone asking for her up to her room as quickly as possible, and had gotten an affirmative grunt, which, she assumed, meant yes.

The Shadow had her things laid out on her bed. Her lockpick set, her weapons, the amulet, and her phone, the message she'd received from the buyer opened up so she could show the others. The rest of the room was as bare as someone would expect. The lights were still off - sometimes she forgot normal people couldn't see in the dark - and the bed was undisturbed except for the items dropped on it. The drapes were pulled all the way to prevent anyone peeking in. The only item that had been left out that was moved was the tv remote; the glasses, bible, and the little card for room service were left exactly where one would expect they had been found.

Rina waited for the arrival of the others, sitting in the dark in the seat left kindly enough right next to the door. If anyone she didn't like entered, she'd have the jump on them, hopefully.

**Gerald Baker** · Mar 18th, 2015 08:01 PM

Gerald gently taps on the door to the hotel room with the little crystal handle of his cane but does not wait for an answer. No, his knock is simply to announce his arrival. And she should be happy for it. He opens the door carefully and steps in. Typical low-cost motel room, by the looks of it. And Gerald "Twice-Dead" Baker must be a car salesman or something, by the looks of him. He closes the door jut as carefully. Then he smiles in greeting, knowing full well that the little Shadow isn't the type to smile back and start spouting pleasantries. Fine by him, either way.

"Good evening. Might have been less so if I had stumbled into the wrong room." For them, anyway. He smiles at the thought. "Shame, really. Would have loved to catch a bite." He looks around the darkened room once more, eyes slowly returning to Rina.

"Who else is coming?"

Mar 19th, 2015 08:01 PM

A quick, precise rap on the door answers, at least in part, Gerald's question. The creaking of the door and the entry of another nearly confirms it. Lanky and spindly, the man is a non-entity and a void where a Kindred should be. What does the tranquility hide? Outside of David, no one but a single man in Minneapolis knows what lurks beneath that veneer of peace.

David knows it intimately. That cracking, scratching, cawing voice in his blood constantly wanting, constantly demanding blood. Seeing Gerald, the cacophony of discordant hisses and guttural moans to act on black desires increases. Who is the young upstart who carries with him such a dismissive posture? Another phony who would no doubt run in the face of the stronger Shrike. David's companion wants to show the man power and to rend him like one rends the the wings from a fly before finally destroying him.

The Mekhet Pricus muzzles the Companion and smothers its demands beneath logic and his own Will.

“Madam Whip,” David says meekly, the nebbish scholar turning his attention to the Carthian, “Sir.”

**Cabochard** · Mar 19th, 2015 08:16 PM

Rina nods at Gerald as he arrives. "Mr. Baker." She doesn't deem it necessary to answer his question until Regan arrives, shortly after. Then, she stands, nodding at her Priscus. "Priscus Regan is the only other I am expecting. Mr. Regan, this is Mr. Baker. I have called him in to assist, as I believe he may be of use to us." Inhuman shields were always useful, after all.

Rina pauses to compose the information in her mind, turning to Gerald. Had she still needed to, this would have been the moment when she would have taken a deep breath. "Mr. Baker, as I informed you, I was unable to reveal much to you over the telephone. This is no longer an issue." Another pause. "I am bringing you into an investigation and infiltration of the Society of Penelope. Our actual information about the Society is rather scarce, so I will tell you how we came to this. Several months ago, the fall of a man named Ezekiel Smith from a window brought myself and one other, a Mr. Galilei, to investigate his apartment. There we found two people, one Ehtar, though we only learned his name later, and a woman who went by the name of Rameses."

"After a brief scuffle." That's right, she used the work scuffle. "Mr. Galilei and I were forced to flee the scene before the police arrived, as were Ehtar and Rameses, under the geas of Mr. Galilei. I called Mr. Regan." Her hand indicated the other Shadow. "For assistance, and we returned to the scene. Our investigation turned up an amulet, a book, and a bag of diamonds. At the same time, Mr. Smith returned, not quite as dead as we had imagined. He took us to a motel, and informed us of the name of Ehtar, and that the Society was potentially dangerous to us. After that, Mr. Regan created a copy of the amulet, and I worked to get the attention of the Society. As it happens, I have succeeded."

Rina steps over to the bed, picking up her phone and showing the message to the other two. "I have called you here to discuss our next move."

Mar 20th, 2015 05:41 PM

“Mr. Baker,” David repeats and greets in the same measure, falling quiet as Rina moves to explain her piece of the current puzzle. Delicate hands tilt Rina's phone as he reads the message, silently nodding.

“As to why this concerns us in the first place,” answering the obvious question, “the Society have attacked our interests within the City. They are quite keen on hoarding the secrets of the Strange which, invariably, puts our Club at odds with theirs.” The Mekhet Priscus looks towards Gerald somberly, “Should they attack again and we are unable to rebuff it, they pose a threat to the Masquerade.”

Turning attention back to Rina, David questions, “What do we know of this Mr. Ranger?”

**Gerald Baker** · Mar 20th, 2015 09:44 PM

Gerald turns to look over his shoulder as the door raps in answer. After a brief moment, a smile alights his face in recognition. The man with many titles who graced me with words in French. "Au plaisir de vous voir." Giving the other, smaller Shadow a nod, Gerald remains quiet and allows her to continue. He listens with a waning and waxing interest as she mentions names and organizations that he knows nothing about. This is certainly the most he has ever heard Rina speak at one time - he would smile in amusement if he wasn't here on business. All of this has a purpose... it would be best to humor her.

The Ventrue is no fool. Self-assured, perhaps, but not in any hurry to alienate himself. He nods along where appropriate and promises himself to pay enough attention to remain actively engaged. After glancing down at the note, Gerald follows after David's inquiry.

"Did you know of him before he came looking for this trinket?"

**Cabochard** · Mar 20th, 2015 10:59 PM

With her discourse on the situation complete, Rina retreats back into her typical quiet, watching Gerald. His question and David's were easily answerable, at the same time. "No, we did not know him, and I have yet to investigate him. I called you here as soon as I got the message." She nodded at the phone. "As to our next move, I suggest we find a secure location to draw him too, and then one of us will meet with him, and discuss getting us within the Society, in exchange for the amulet." She looks at David. "How long do you think it can trick them for?"

Mar 21st, 2015 08:06 PM

“Un plaisir de vous voir aussi,” David replies to the Ventrue in genteel French touched by a sixties cool affectation. David never quite looks at Gerald as he speaks, turning his attention inward instead as he mulls over Rina's information.

“It depends, perhaps on a few factors: how well-read Mr. Ranger is in the occult and if he understands how to spot a forgery.” The Mekhet Priscus takes a step to the left and then the right, “And it also depends on how much they believe what we tell them. Unfortunately, I'm a poor liar.”

Looking up David adds, “It would be best if Ranger can get us into the lower levels before we make a more specific move.” Back to the Sea King, “I know this is all very new to you, Mr. Baker. Do you have any questions?”

**Gerald Baker** · Mar 21st, 2015 09:30 PM

Gerald looks to the male Shadow expectantly. He's going to make a forgery of some arcane trinket? Apparently these two had already planned things out before Gerald agreed to assist. It make him wonder why they even asked him here.

"This 'Society of Penelope' is foreign to me. Is there anything about our mutual enemy that I should know?" Anything remotely useful?

"Oh, and you needn't worry about lying about the artifact. I will attempt to convince this Ranger that the amulet is authentic. If he does not believe me I will simply force compliance. I may even make him think he already knows the artifact the be authentic." A confident smile. "It's what I do."

**Cabochard** · Mar 21st, 2015 09:41 PM

Rina nods at David, then turns the fullness of her attention on Gerald. The fullness of her attention, and the fullness of her irritation. "The problem is not merely Mr. Ranger. I trust in the forgery's ability to trick him. What I do not trust, necessarily, is its ability to trick Ehtar, who presumably knows quite a bit more about it, and may at some point have held and examined the amulet, not to speak of any supernatural ability he may have to verify it." Seriously, the man who could ignore a knife wound and had been looking for an artifact for a fair while? He would know how to figure out if it was real.

(Invisible Hands) Spy Get-Together

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