Crossroads

[West]

The address Alessandra was given is at Mazanita and Coyle.

It's not an address that rings any bells, and is on the northwest side of town. It's just an address, right? But the warning bells go off when Google Maps show where it is, or as she drives there.

Between Lemon Heights, Del Paso, and Citrus Heights, it's a no-man's land that verges on the territories of the MOD (asians), Bloods, and Crips. The address itself is an empty lot, sheltered by small businesses on all sides. Most likely, property that was never developed because of cost and location. Now, it's just dirt, grass, and long shadows created by far away street lamps.

It's exactly the sort of place you wouldn't to be in the middle of the night.

A nondescript car that screams civil servant sits on the side of the road. A large four door domestic sedan with steel wheels missing their hubcaps, and shark fins and bumps for antennae bulge from it like warts on a toad.

Detective Joe O'Connell could be an attractive man. Tall, aquiline nose, and square jaw. But his eyes have seen too much, and his shoulders sag with the unseen weight of defeat without the dignity of a martyr. He leans on his car, staring up at the stars as a half-burnt cigarette curls gray smoke around him like a shroud.

Dec 2016

Life Is A Highway

Dec 2016

Jesse to Alessandra

Dec 2016

The Reeve calls Bea

Jan 2017

The Reeve calls Ishani

Jan 2017

Jacob to Alessandra

Jan 2017

Crossroads

Jan 2017

(3CM) La Sombra del Asesinato

Feb 2017

(3CM) Norteno's Trax

[Bea]

A dark grey sedan slowly rolled towards the desolate lot, the metallic Volkswagen logo the only conspicuous thing about the vehicle. Which, of course, was the entire point. If you had to meet someone in a proverbial no man's land in the middle of the night, rolling up in a car that screamed innuendos about your investment portfolio wasn't usually a good idea. Or, at least Bea didn't think so.

At the same time, though, it was hard to say goodbye to a luxury interior once you'd gotten a taste. That's what Bea loved about the Phaeton. Only the truly observant, or those with the expertise would recognize the sedan for what it was. And, sure, perhaps there were more important things to worry about than stealth status symbols when going to meet the iron fist of an undead monarchy in a deserted location, but the whole idea of concealed luxury, of concealed power, appealed to Bea. And leather seats were always a plus.

So, sitting comfortably, she brought her vehicle to a smooth halt about thirty feet from the other car, killed the lights, and put the engine to sleep. She slipped the key from the ignition and into her pocket, but then she placed her hands back onto the wheel and if she'd still had a pulse, her knuckles would have been white. She always had to fight off the urge to check the weapons sitting at her hip, and at her ankle. It was a vestige from another lifetime, a routine that had been pounded like a nail beneath her skin. Check and re-check. But that was a habit from a time spent in the sun, when subtlety and misdirection hadn't been as valuable as the bullets in her gun.

Regardless, the moment passed. It was time for a meeting. Bea just hoped Ale had given whoever this was a warning that other people were coming.

She opened the door to her car, and stepped out.

[Alessandra]

She arrived when Ishani Frost told her she’d be ready. If the Shadow wanted small talk, Ale would create small talk. But if silence was preferred, she’d respect it and not ask questions.

The location did set off alarms, but it wasn’t like it was an area she hadn’t used herself in the past. Having that many unstable gangs around could be an issue, especially if a turf war broke out while they were there. But locations like this were perfect for setting up and conducting meetings that skirted on the edge of what was legal.

The throaty Torino pulls up near the nondescript car, but not too close. She wanted a chance to observe the guy she was sent to meet. The other car would have caused her alarm if she hadn’t put out the calls to other Kindred.

A look was offered to her passenger, seeing if she was ready before turning the car off and stepping out. She pushed the blood through her cold, dead body as the door closed behind her. Feeling her skin flush with life and her heart beat those unnatural beats once again.

She had put her holster on before picking up Ishani, both guns were secure and loaded. The Savage was still wearing the same black leather pants and tank top. Knee high boots on her feet as well as her leather coat, unzipped.

He didn’t strike her as a threat, but she knew as well as anyone that looks could be deceiving.

Her Beast raises its head and issues a growl at the presence of the weaker Beast within Bea, and a nod was offered to her. Ale grabs the chains and pulls her Beast back into its place.

She continues towards the guy, “You Joe O’Connell?” asks the Italian.

[Ishani]

Ishani does not make small talk in the car. The fact that Alessandra is willing to drive in silence is a blessing to the Shadow. She did have some questions but she figured she was back up should things go wrong as they pulled into the empty lot.

She gives Alessandra a nod as they get out of the car, making sure to get the blood flowing in her veins so she at least appeared to be alive. She walks behind Ale and slightly to the right. She is not here to talk to this man, that's Ale's job. Especially when she didn't really know exactly what this was about. She glances at Bea as they pass but does not make any other motion of acknowledgement. The less this stranger could guess about the two extra women the better in her opinion.

She carried three knives in total. Two concealed under her leather jacket, and one in a boot sheath. Her jeans were tight everywhere but over the boots to help conceal the knife. She waited behind Ale as the woman spoke with the unknown man and kept her eyes on their surroundings.

OOC

-1 vitae for Blush

[West]

"That would be me."

Joe's voice is flat; disinterest that comes with the job and practice. He drops the cigarettes and steps around the car. His eyes efficiently size each up, random women out for a stroll. If his gaze lingers, it's only on pockets or sharp-edged bulges... until it gets to Ishani. It's been almost a decade, but he remembers her. He remembers everything about that night. He just can't talk about it.

It also means he doesn't have to ask if they're who he's waiting on.

"Thirty-One December, call comes in." He's moving, stepping into the lot. "Shots fired. First on the scene finds a pair of Nortenos. Three shots apiece, including one in the head that was probably for good measure. "One large luggage back with firearms and ammunition. Strange ammo, like tracer rounds. But they go 'boom'. The best part? A bundle of hundreds strapped with the 301 stamp. So we've got Nortenos way out of their territory and MOD money. MOD CI's say they didn't have a deal going down, so it's either the Bloods or Crips...

...using MOD money."

And explosive ammunition.

"Nobody knows anything, and it's about to boil over."

[White]

The 80 was late. Even with the urgency of himself, therefore, being late, he forced himself to walk, wouldn't do to draw attention. He flinched as he heard who could only be their contact already speaking, that or because of the two Beasts demanding attention. It was the worst when it couldn't make up its mind, you know it's fight OR flight right?

He nodded to the assembly but didn't really expect a response, instead of interrupting, further that is, he simply fell in line with the others.

[Hugh Everwood]

Jesse was muttering obscenities as he finally reached his destination, traffic having done him in that he really wished to have taken Alessandra up on her offer to pick him up. While he didn't mind none coming late to an event, he didn't as much when involving any form of information gathering.

At least he wasn't coming all that late, talking could only just have come to a start when Jesse went to park the black Nissan, slamming the door shut with a little more force than necessary before walking away and locking the car with the remote. Stuffing the keys into the pocket of his jacket, he made his way by foot to the meeting place, having not parked exactly in front of it just in case.

What case? There was always one, Jesse didn't like taking chances in things like this.

Nodding his head at the people already present and stood in silence at the back, catching only the last parts of what their contact was saying. His Beast trashing inside his mind at the presence of Alessandra's beast, wanting to flee her, while considering to bounce Bea to proof itself stronger to hers; Ishani and Jacob, fellow Shadows, didn't make his beast stir any, and it soon calmed down again, still hissing in its dark, dark cave.

[Bea]

Ah, wonderful, the press of bloodthirsty, jumped up monsters. How she hated it. Hated that their very presence was enough to make her blood crawl and shake her to her core, like some pitiful craven. She wouldn't mind introducing those fucking Beasts to some of those explosive rounds that O'Connell was talking about...

Which, of course, was what grabbed her attention most. More Kindred showing up, well, it seemed Ale didn't trust her as much as Bea had first thought, but that was hardly worthy of being breaking news. The same went for gangs squabbling over turf. The explosive rounds, though? That was fucking news. Armor piercing, even incendiary ammunition wouldn't have been that much of a surprise, buthigh explosive incendiary ammunition belonged in an entirely different league.

  6 successes to know about explosive rounds

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-01-08 00:22:01		Bea rolls 7 to Explosive rounds? (int+firearms) (10 Again)		10, 10, 8, 8, 10, 3, 6, 7, 3, 10, 7		6 successes

Bea is rolling to know about HEI ammo (such as what calibers can it come in), and hopefully to know something about what sort of availability/cost it would take to procure. Hopefully I got the right roll...

[West]

Even with a -3 Difficulty, Bea is left with an Exceptional Success.

Bea knows that theoretically any hollow-point or tracer round can be re-packed/converted into an incendiary/explosive round, and that the effect largely varies depending on materiel and armorer skill.

Furthermore, she knows that the various permutations are non-existent in Sacramento, above and beyond the associated legality issues. More availability information would require an active seeking/Allies test rather than spot knowledge check.

[Alessandra]

She listens intently, arms casually crossed.

Damn! Rounds that explode?! Those were like the holy grail of her of ammo. Not easy to get but damn fun to use.

But sounded like someone, or a group was trying to stir the pot, but which gang?

“Well, that’s quite the mess, though one that was planned out. But I have to wonder if it’s both of them, working to take out a shared target, before turning on the other. Either way, it’s going to get ugly.” And cause a lot of problems.

"The bullets, were you able to get any finger prints from them? Or were they similar to any used in previous murders or crimes?” maybe someone slipped up. “Lets face it, most of the gang members aren’t known for being too bright. Do you or anyone know have any inside ties?” Her on the other hand? She was more careful.