(Good Guys) Do Things the Right Way

[Robert Cross]

Balaclava's mention of the Nox sets off alarm bells in Cross's head. That is not good. Even if Burly is pushing back on the idea, it's out there and will only be a matter of time.

Like Jacob, though he can't know it, the Burned Man also briefly considers taking out the two men immediately, or at least taking them captive, but that's not the plan. So he keeps himself under control.

The names Bates and Keyes. Seems these are the ones directing this operation. And directing it toward Citrus Heights. At least for now. Balaclava is keen on changing that. Perhaps he should be the one that Cross pays a visit to first. Two birds, one stone: a source for information and removal of the individual advocating for a redirection of their efforts downtown.

He'd like to get a closer look at the "new information" being pinned to the board, but he's not sure if there's enough room for him to maneuver. If there is, Cross will approach carefully. If not, he'll hang back in position, continuing to observe.

[Alessandra]

1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-09-24 10:26:33		Ale rolls 4 to (Dex+Stealth)-1 Unskilled+2 (10 Again)		3, 7, 10, 5, 5		1 success

[Yumyumcrow]

Ale slides from one pooling shadow to another. The clueless night manager remains so - even when he passes right by the Gangrel on his hurried way to the toilet facilities. Maybe he had others things on his mind?

Jacob can get some good, clear views of both men while they work. Intelligence + Composure to fully commit their faces to memory.

Cross can attempt to get closer if he wishes. Dexterity + Stealth -2: the garage is only so big, and its filled with a car, some shelves, chairs, and two men moving around. The Cloak has built-in protections but they can only go so far before the Dark Art fails.

Vickie is in another part of the city, van idling. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

"We will get to down town, okay? If thats what you think why don't you talk more with Keyes. You know, butter him up? Ever wonder why I always get paired with you? It 'cause I don't take Keyes' shit, man..."

"Yeah. I know. He's all full of it. Says he's been around. Got connections. Don't believe a word of it."

There is a pause as Balaclava makes his way over to look at Burly's new information.

"Why don't we...?"

"No. No fucking way. I am not that stupid. We are not going up against gangsters here!"

"We -ah- could recruit."

Burly doesn't even grace that with an answer. Now its his turn to walk over to the shelves, mentally tallying their supplies.

"Just a suggestion..." Balaclava added defensively.

For clarity, Ale is now in position as well, hidden by mundane means

[White]

OOC: I didn't read how WP expenditure works properly, please disregard the last three dice.

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-09-25 11:52:16		Jacob Maddox rolls 10 to Memorize Faces (Int + Comp + WP) (10 Again, WillPower)		6, 8, 7, 5, 2, 3, 1, 4, 8, 9		3 successes

[Robert Cross]

Cross continues to observe, becoming more and more nervous about their plans concerning downtown Sacramento and the Nox. This problem would need to be dealt with before it got that far.

As Balaclava and Burly focus on the new information added to their board, Cross debates with himself about trying to get a little closer. It's tight in the unit, and if he fucks this up his cover could be blown. On the other hand, any piece of intel he can glean will prove helpful in the nights to come as they formulate a plan to take these fuckers down.

Pragmatism or necessary risk, which will it be?

Just as he's about to make his move, start creeping toward the board, Cross remembers, We have the fucking key... Indeed, he can come back whenever he likes to check on their investigations. Jesus, Cross. You idiot. He'd nearly put the whole endeavor in jeopardy over his desire to learn all he can.

Instead, he stays put, keeps watching.

[Alessandra]

Making it past the night manager, Ale will make her way towards where the car went and will look to slip in between units once she has visual of the car again.

[Victoria Stamford]

Victoria had waited long enough for the group to get settled and relaxed in their HQ. They needed time to drop gear and hopefully be a little more vulnerable than before. She ensured her blush was active to help mask her true nature, at least at first glance.

She had her driver swing back around toward the unit and stopped halfway down the row of units, with the lights off before exiting the vehicle and approaching the correct unit quietly. She trusted the others to be in position by now and hoped that they would realize her approach would be the signal to move it. She ensured her khukri was readily accessible, beneath her jacket yet out of sight.

She was confident in her stealth abilities so after a brief moment of consideration scrapped it before approaching more openly. Victoria would approach the open door in a non-threatening manner. If the men are inside and not immediately hostile she will speak.

"Excuse me boys," she said slightly distressed. "You haven't seen a little dog around here have you?"

Sorry about the absence from the thread for a while. I was a little distracted elsewhere. I'll do better in the future.

[Yumyumcrow]

Shock registers on the lean face of Balaclava.

Burly jumps, knocking one of the boxes from the shelf. Surprised he tries to grab it but fumbles badly, causing a cascade that sends more of their shelved supplies crashing to the floor. Metal things spin and roll unhelpfully under the car. Desperately, the burly man can only look helplessly at his precious boards, open and exposed to unwanted eyes.

"Fuck!"

" ... No. No we don't see any dogs around here. Saw a cat once. Maybe your dog went chasing the cat?" Balaclava says in a flat monotone after a lengthy pause. Hard eyes stare at Victoria.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-09-30 23:59:26		Balaclava to be scary rolls 7 to Manipulation + Intimidation (10 Again, WillPower)		3, 1, 1, 4, 5, 7, 1		failure

I mean, really. Who goes out to self storage in the dead of night? Dangerous people! Thats who. And ... He had been reliably informed that the bribes paid, they had the run of the place till morning. The owner and his night manager were shady alright! Who else did they cut that kind of deal for! Maybe its a sign of how much this new hunter still had to learn that he didn't put the pieces together right then an there.

In any case - he stares. A hard stare. An intimidating stare framed by surly silence. He tried too hard. He must have been cracking mirrors for weeks perfecting that look.

Or maybe its just that Vickie is a Vampire. And a powerful one at that.

[Robert Cross]

When Victoria shows up, Cross grits his teeth. Partly because of the pressure of her superior Beast, and partly because she's just raised the stakes significantly. He has to trust that she knows what she's doing.

Cross watches the exchange, holding his position, waiting to see how Stamford's gamble pans out. Still, he's already working on his next move in his head: at the first sign of violence, or threat, he'll crouch down behind the car, drop the cloak, and pop back up, gun drawn. Ready for action.

It would be easier to simply appear, but the Masquerade requires that care be taken. Especially when dealing with Kine who seem so close to the Truth.

His only hope is that the others have moved in during the interim. Without Ale and Jacob in place, this could get a little difficult if things go south.

[White]

Jacobs only recognition of Victoria coming up is a slow blink. What's her plan? As the shelves relieved themselves of their contents Jacob flinched. He felt sorry for the Hunter, that would be a hell of a pain to clean up. Did we see the same cat? In any case, Jacob walked a bit closer, about five meters away from both Balaclava and Victoria, careful to avoid disturbing anything on the ground. He took a deep breath, an unnecessary action, and slowly removed his hands from his pockets. His eyes flicked arrhythmically between the three figures before him.