(Gangland) The War Room II

[Derek Menzies]

The Nox, Elysium. One of the meeting rooms within the VIP sub-level, beside the coat rack and stairs.

There isn't much time left until the private party that Derek saw referenced on the Fuego's calendar. He and Arturo hadn't gotten much from their visit concerning their primary targets. But then they had infiltrated the restaurant without exposing themselves, as far as they knew. And there was no real time limit other than the Prince's patience with them.

Derek is sitting at the end of a conference style table within the room. He comes with a shiny new backpack, with tons of pockets and dividers for his laptop and many tools, gadgets and accessories. All in all it's an expensive treasure trove. Otherwise he's clad in his usual black hoodie and grey jeans and sneakers.

He sends a text to Elettra Vitale and Arturo Garcia to get an ETA on their arrival. He's not worried about them showing up so much as what sort of plan they would agree to.

Equipment: Laptop, Smartphone, Athletic Shoes, WiFi Sniffer, Keystroke Logger, Handcuffs, Voice Disguiser, Bugs, Bug Sweeper, Wiretap, Hidden Camera, Tracking Device, Lock Picks, Electronic Kit

Cross - Just keeping you in the loop

[Madcap]

And so enters the son of Bruja.

Madcap steps in without introduction, neglecting to knock before he chose to enter. Arturo had said to meet here on this day and at this time, surely if others were to be here as well they had been told of his coming.

Per usual, the Bruja was dressed in his usual black leather jacket, possessing abundant patina, alongside worn blue jeans, a pair of good, broken in black shitkickers, and an old gray t-shirt. As he was in the Nox, the man was unarmed, as his punch dagger along with it's bootsheath now rested in the hands of the club staff. Then again, was an adept of Protean ever truly weaponless?

Pale eyes surveyed the assembled Kindred. Elettra, as before, beckoned only a desire to maim and destroy from Madcap's Beast. Arturo, on the other hand, beckoned calls to dominate and fights to prove Madcap's strength. Derek, however, was a mystery. The Beast did not react as it had with his compatriots. It was silent. This pleased the Bruja. Nonetheless, the Beast's reactions to the others were pushed to silence by Madcap's will and, finally, he spoke.

"Garcia, Vitale, Mitnick," he said plainly, greeting each in turn, "You need a shitkicker, eh?"

Madcap was not an idiot. He knew his burgeoning rep in Sacramento painted him as a brute. The classification was grossly unproven and naive, but at this early stage the Bruja didn't mind. It was all the better to create a network of allies. Once that was done, then Madcap could address the words of the ignorant. Until then, they could wait.

Equipment as listed. Items of Note: Leather Jacket, Punch Dagger (in the hands of the Nox staff), and cruiser motorcycle (parked outside the Nox)

[Derek Menzies]

The presence of three predators in such close proximity sharpens Derek's senses, and he stiffens as if ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. He has to fight against his instincts and rely on logic to keep his cool.

"Mr. Garcia. Priscus Vitale. Thank you for coming. And..." Derek looks to the least familiar face when he arrives. His mannerisms are straightforward, the same with his speech. While Derek welcomes the efficiency of language, he cannot help but feel irked.

"Our fourth then." Derek looks to Arturo for confirmation before continuing. "I appreciate your coming at short notice. It's Madcap, isn't it? This is a matter given to us by Prince Antinori to investigate a suspected unacknowledged Kindred, a poacher, that has enthralled a Kine in her service. We are told that the suspect goes by the aliases 'The Accountant' and 'Diego Martinez', and that they are the owner of The Fuego restaurant in Sacramento. He employs muscle by the name of Eddie Sharp, and has a female accomplice, name unknown. We have orders to learn more about these individuals without revealing ourselves."

Derek opens up his laptop and begins navigating through some notes. "From my online searches, The Fuego is officially owned by an American holding company that has ties to Juarez, Mexico. I've identified the manager, Nate Engleby, and an executive chef named Paulo Almeida. I haven't come across anything to suggest their being under Kindred influence. Mr. Garcia and I have been inside the restaurant. We did not sense the taint of any Kindred presence, though they may be able to mask themselves like myself."

"I explored the second floor of the restaurant and found a notice that a private party is said to be held a few nights from now, at 10pm. All I know is that it concerns an individual named 'Juan'. I believe this may be another alias for our elusive poacher. I suggest we try to observe this party and identify The Accountant as well as their cohorts."

"Questions?"

[Madcap]

Madcap listens to Derek's explanation for Garcia's call. Alessandra's Domain was being encroached upon and, like a good little Prince, she was pushing other Kindred to deal with the problem while she sat on her perch. Derek, it seemed, was the brains behind the operation. Which made sense. The man's communications was direct and stiff. He'd make a good Invictus... and he probably enjoyed better status in the eyes of the Prince than those assembled. Even Elettra had been damned in a small way. By merely being a Dragon, she was denied access to the feeding boons their shared haven afforded.

So that brought up a question Madcap needed answered before he signed on for jack shit. Two actually.

"Let me get this straight, a disgraced Bishop damned to near-starvation and a Dragon, who has had the feeding grounds of her Chapter House barred from her, are helping you investigate a poacher because the Prince, who did these things to both of them, asked them to," he asked, keeping his tone blunt and clear, "Why are they doing that? Moreover, why the hell would I? My disapproval of the Prince ain't exactly been private."

Madcap would lean against the wall.

"Now I ain't trying to dissuade your investigation, Mitnick," the son of Bruja continued, "but your asking three Kindred who've been badly snubbed by the Prince to help you. Two have agreed, which is fine, but I ain't the kind of wolf that takes a whipping and submits just because some --"

Madcap wanted to call Alessandra a bitch. He really did, but that would be counter-productive to his goals with the query. So he took a moment.

"Some sovereign," he said finally, "thinks they can rest on their laurels. The way you describe this Accountant, I'm getting the feeling he's associated with the same criminal elements our dear Prince seeks to dominate. She might have told you this was about Domain security, but pull your head out of your ass. She's using you to secure her empire."

He let the statement sit.

"I know I'm rambling, so let me give you all the floor," Madcap said, before shifting his gaze to Arturo and Elettra, "Why are you two helping?" Then to Derek, "And why should I?"

[Derek Menzies]

Derek nods to Arturo, noting his additional information about the general manager. It seems he had a chance to investigate while he was sneaking around the second floor. "Yes, I agree we should prepare contingencies," he says approvingly. He's sure the Prince would prefer discretion, but assuming a perfect and non-violent outcome may be naive.

A small smile flickers over his expression towards Elettra. "Sometimes, yes. But if our target is present, he will sense you for your true nature. However, I understand you possess the Sight our Clan is renown for. Perhaps you can identify our quarry and learn more about him."

Madcap, however...

Derek twists his head, finding difficulty in staring at the dominant predator, and so only holding a straight gaze for mere seconds at a time. "Your...presence in this Domain is by the grace of that same sovereign. Naturally, Her Majesty only wishes that her subjects pay their due. There are Kindred within this city that are working quite diligently to ensure a safe and secure Domain. Whatever your complaint, know that in allowing such threats to exist unchallenged that you are yielding the Domain's Blood stock to any poacher that would squat here uninvited. It is more than just the Prince's problem."