Episode 20: Bribes, Cams, Tasty Bits, and the Corner Pocket
Kyle sweet-talks the Sheriff. Kyle and Logan plant some bugs. Allison receives an alarming letter. Nip makes some virtual cookies and actual fighting robots. Cat tracks Harry to his home. Sam becomes a regular at Pistol Pete’s billiards table in Pleasantville.
Background
School vacation week is over. The repairs will soon be completed to Kyle’s boat, so he can move back in on Thursday.
Dramatis Personae
The client du jour:
Nucky Thompson, the recently elected Atlantic County Prosecutor, hires Fisher Associates to snoop on his political rivals: the County Sheriff and the County Executive—their homes and offices. He wants to know their plans, and he wants “no Watergate style fuckups” from Fisher Associates.
The grownups:
Kyle Vaduva: Burned spy.
Sam Fisher: Retired CIA black operative, assassin, cleaner, you-name-it.
Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and disgraced cyber researcher.
Logan Hawke: Former tech operative asset for the CIA, now tainted by Kyle’s burn notice.
Fijay: Expert driver and former Euro-something agent, tainted by Kyle’s burn notice.
Gerry Notts: Atlantic County Sheriff; politically, a Republican “separatist” on New Jersey statehood. He lives on the edge of Mays Landing in Hamilton Township.
Harry Hoar: “Very” Special Agent of LawDiv, assigned to bring Kyle to justice as a Really Bad Guy.
Jaclyn Radcliff: Cheerleader with big boobs who is Allison’s rival for Rudi’s affection.
Maria Figaro: Sam’s next-door neighbor and former girlfriend. 23 yo gorgeous woman, did PR for the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center. She turned out to be a ‘honeypot’ entrapment for—we don’t know who or why.
Mortimer Chambers: Atlantic County Executive. Politically, Democrat who thinks New Jersey should stay out of the Union. He lives on Lake Lenape in Mays Landing.
“Nucky” Enoch Thompson II : County Prosecutor of Atlantic County.
Trish Braddock: Porn star at Virility Visions studio and Logan’s girlfriend.
Tyne Lacey: Kyle’s aunt (mother’s sister), a widow, also foster and adoptive mom of several kid PCs and NPCs, she lives next door to Kyle’s mom Sharin in a big house.
The kids:
Allison Cole: 13 yo kleptomaniac sex pot. She lives with father.
Cat Fisher: Sam’s 16 yo daughter.
Nip Lacey: 12 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 2 years ago.
Crystal Snow: 19 yo, lives in Pleasantville with her boyfriend Jimmi Stevens. Crystal is a waitress at Pistol Pete’s Saloon on Black Horse Pike in Pleasantville.
Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.
Jimmi Stevens: Crystal’s boyfriend and professional car thief.
Rudi Marsden: 16 yo boy, junior in high school, punter on the football team.
The Action
Monday, 28 April 2042:
Evening:
Rudi buys a chipware socket for Allison.
Nip practices Romanian with Tyne, her mom. “What’s for dinner?”
Tyne corrects her pronunciation and informs her, “Rabbit stew.”
Zeph asks Nip, “Whatcha doing?”
Nip offers a robot battle—and they make a magnificent mess of the living room that Tyne pretends not to see, but which she insists they clean up before dinner.
Cat makes a paintball gun for Nip.
***
Tuesday, 29 April 2042:
Morning:
Allison gets a letter, which says, “I know what you did. Break up with him or I’ll tell.” The letter is printed in really sloppy, child-like letters, as if someone wrote it with their ‘off’ hand.
Nip talks with Cat in Romanian in the school cafeteria.
Afternoon:
Allison goes around to the places she has lifted things—the jewelry store, open air market, and the park—and looks around to see who is there. At the park, she observes three cheerleaders hanging out, one of whom she has previously observed near Rudi. She calls Cat and says, “I need a gun, a silencer, and a little C4.”
Cat laughs. “That’s really funny. I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” Then click, she hangs up.
After school, there’s a meeting at Sam’s office in Northfield. Cat grooms herself to look older. Logan wears a crooked tie. Sam looks appropriately spiffy.
Cat sets the agenda. “We have to bug Chambers’ home.”
Sam points out, “I am a Stealth expert. I might be able to get into places that most people can’t.”
Cat informs the group, “There’s a few cameras in the trees outside, connected with WiFi; receiver inside the house; wiring on the windows.” She recommends some specific bugs to use. Also, “We should use rubber bullets, small caliber. We don’t want to kill anyone if we are surprised at this.” Then she looks pointedly at Sam. “Stop staring at the ceiling, Dad.”
Logan agrees about the rubber bullets. “We can do that with one gun, yes. That’s a good plan, young child.”
Sam is on board with that too. “I’ll bring an Armalite pistol with rubber bullets.”
Cat warns him, “A shot to the head with that large a weapon still might kill an unaugmented person.”
Logan suggests, “What about a sling shot?”
Sam offers, “Or we could knock them out with a martial art punch?”
Cat agrees. “Yes, that would be okay.”
Logan recommends, “Bring two Armalites in case you need to kill someone; a DaiLung pistol with rubber bullets and a StreetMaster. No silencer for that.”
Cat and Sam simultaneously say, “I can make a silencer for that.” Then they squabble over who will make the silencer.”
Logan points out, “It’s on the mantel; a trophy gun.”
Cat speculates, “What night should we do this?”
Logan offers, “When you don’t have too much homework.”
Cat demurs. “I’m fine any day, except weekends. I try to keep those free to fuck Kyle.” Then she turns to her dad. “Do you need another day to psych yourself up?”
Sam protests. “Psych myself up for what? I’m not doing any wetwork.”
Logan observes, “He needs to get laid. You should pay Maria a conjugal visit.”
(GM note: Maria is Sam’s former girlfriend, who turned out to be a ‘honeypot’ plant of some sort—definitely NOT the person her ID said she was. As for whom she really is/was, nobody knows, and she has now disappeared off the grid.)
Sam kicks at Logan, who tries to dodge and fails. The damage is 8 stun points to the head.
Logan avers, “You hit like a bitch!”
Sam loses his COOL and starts to kick at Logan again. But Cat swiftly steps between them and tries to sweep Sam, who manages to dodge. Logan picks himself up off the floor.
Cat (wins initiative and) yells “STOP!” Sam recovers his COOL.
Sam warns Logan, “You say one more word about Maria, and you’ll be thrown through the windows.”
Cat points out, “The windows are bulletproof.”
Sam hasn’t forgotten that detail. “It’ll hurt really bad going through a bulletproof window.”
Cat declares she is “staying between you and Logan.”
Sam gets mad again. “Bitch!” He storms out and slams the door.
Logan claims, “He exaggerates his Strength.”
Cat says, “No, he doesn’t.”
Evening:
Sam goes to Pistol Pete’s Bar and Grille in Pleasantville, where he does some heavy drinking and plays billiards. The neighborhood is best described as “corporate light”. Being on the Black Horse Pike, one of the main roads in and out of Atlantic City, this strip of highway is reasonably well patrolled and relatively crime-free. Pistol Pete’s is a Western-style place with a big cactus out front. It has both bar and restaurant.
Logan cooks dinner for Trish.
Cat watches through the traffic cams to see where Harry Hoar goes when he leaves the office. At 6:20, he emerges from the Federal Building and drives to a grocery store. Cat invites Nip to join her in the surveillance. The two watch as Harry buys pot roast, some veggies, salad makings, milk, eggs, and some wine. When he pays with his credit chip, Nip successfully snags the encrypted transmission, and saves it for later. They then watch him drive to a four-story building in Ventnor City that overlooks some wetlands. It’s clearly a condo building.
***
Wednesday, 30 April 2042:
Morning:
Allison dresses really well, and is outside Cat’s house at sun-up.
When Cat comes outside, she sees Allison. “What’s up?” They get on the bus to school, and Cat clicks on her pocket jammer.
Allison shows her friend the letter. “They know my secret. Said they’ll tell if I don’t dump Rudi. I think it’s a cheerleader. Jealous!”
Cat takes the letter and puts it in a plastic baggie. “We’ll get it dusted for fingerprints later.”
Allison confesses, “I feel all vengeful and nervous.”
Cat assures her friend, “We’ll look into this.”
Allison thanks her and says, “I’m feeling so perturbed. These pissy little cheerleaders! Little TRAMPS!”
Cat desperately tries to change the subject. “Did you know that dynamite was invented by the same person who created the Nobel Prize?”
Allison is not swayed. “Doing anything I can—I want to blow off steam.”
Cat offers, “I’ll think of something.”
When they get inside the school, the same three cheerleaders Allison saw at the park are surrounding Rudi. Allison starts to charge towards them.
Cat stops her friend. “See the cameras?” She points. “Be nice for now. We’ll deal with them later.”
Meanwhile, Kyle goes to his meeting with Sheriff Gerry Notts and says, “I have a business proposition for you. We’re doing a pilot episode about local police on a small town police department. We think the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Department would be ideal for this.”
Gerry is surprised. “I never considered an idea like that. What would be involved?”
Kyle describes his idea then adds, “The Sheriff would be the main focus. Select some deputies, we’ll shoot a couple of hours of footage; completely real. And of course, we have a donation for the extra labor and such. We have a professional crew. You would have final say on what goes in and what gets cut out onto the cutting room floor. We want to show the police at home with their family; making the ordinary come to life. Making people sympathize with the small town cop. If the pilot gets picked up, of course we would add to the budget. There are always financial issues in small towns like this. We’d want to start right away. Shoot the footage within a week or two. Let me know if you’re interested. We can always go to someone else.”
Kyle puts an envelope on the table. “Here’s three thousand dollars now to help set up initial expenses. You’re a cop. I don’t need a receipt. We need some excellent people, if we decide to go with you.”
Gerry eyes the envelope, pokes it with a finger, and widens it enough to see the stack of bills inside. “You’re not wanting this back if I say no?”
Kyle says it’s fine to keep the money either way. Then, “I’ll call you again in a couple of days.”
Afternoon:
All that day, Allison sticks close to Rudi. Cheerleader Jaclyn Radcliff hovers nearby, but eventually backs off. Before that, Allison snaps a picture of Jaclyn. She also texts Cat, “Here’s the big-boobed Jaclyn,” attaching the photo.
Cat texts back, “I don’t swing that way.” And later, she tells Allison, “Now you can’t kill her.”
Cat, Kyle and Sam meet at the Northfield office. Cat asks Kyle, “How did it go?”
Kyle observes, “I expect him to check into me. Get a call from Harry Hoar, but fully expect him to say yes.”
Cat mentions, “Someone should swing by the County Executive office, and file for the permits.”
Kyle agrees. “I’ll send Fijay, as my personal assistant.”
Cat suggests, “You’re going to see the County Executive—to talk as the Producer. You should take an intern with you.”
Kyle asks, “You have anyone in mind?”
Cat does. “Allison. She’s an extremely well trained burglar. I can ask her to case the joint.” She continues, “We should use our skilled people. Build the bugs into the furniture, bugs that don’t look like bugs. All powered off the electrical system. So it won’t drain power.”
Kyle agrees. “Works for me.” He adds, “I’ll head over to the Executive’s office tomorrow.”
Cat changes the subject. “The burglary of the Executive’s home. That’s all set to go. We should plant the bugs as soon as possible.”
Kyle nods. “Tonight. I know I’m being followed. Drones over my head. So the recon is tonight?”
(GM note: Actually, no drones are hovering over Kyle’s head. Harry is using a different method. But Kyle doesn’t ‘need to know’ that.)
Cat corrects him. “No, no. We’re doing it tonight.”
Evening:
Cat calls Allison and tells her, “Kyle needs an assistant. This is kind of … you may need to get inside a place. Look around the County office. We want your opinion on how to break into the place.”
Then Cat goes to a sex-store type place, buys two ‘Maximum Lover’ chips and condoms.
Kyle prepares by bringing only one knife, no guns. He puts on his Stealth suit, and goes to Trish’s house in Mays Landing.
Sam again goes to Pistol Pete’s, where he does some moderate drinking and plays billiards into the wee hours of the morning.
***
Thursday, 1 May 2042:
Very Early Morning (2am):
Logan dons his own Sneak Suit. He and Kyle head for Mortimer’s house on Lake Lenape.
The outside cameras are indeed on the Net—but Cat fails her programming attempt to loop the cameras. However, the Sneak/Stealth suits allow our duo to get past them.
Logan successfully breaks through the window security system. The two enter the house and plant bugs all over: the dining room, kitchen, office, living room, bathroom, upstairs bedrooms. They also install two cameras at the front and back doors to catch anyone entering or leaving the house in the morning.
There are two guys in the upstairs bedroom; Mortimer and a lover. Kyle snaps a few photos of them.
With mission accomplished, the two head back to Trish’s house.
Morning:
Nip asks Fred what he likes to eat. Fred claims he’s not hungry. Or maybe that he doesn’t get hungry. But Nip insists on knowing what kind of cookie he likes. So he relents, and offers, “Mocha bits.”
(GM note: mocha for the caffeine because hackers all live on caffeine, and bits because he’s a cybernetic creature, for whom 8 bits make a byte.)
Nip proceeds to do some virtual-reality programming of a Mocha Bits Cookie.
Logan makes breakfast. He invites Trish for a date that night. She wants to learn to shoot—and go see a movie. Logan agrees to teach Trish how to shoot—one day a week, using a paintball gun.
Afternoon:
Trish and Logan spend the afternoon at the range.
Kyle, Fijay and Allison turn their cell phones completely off (remove the batteries)—and go to the County Executive offices to see if they can meet with Mortimer Chambers. And yes, they can.
Kyle explains, “I’m hoping to film a pilot episode of a new reality show centered on small towns. It would be a comfortable environment for both of us. We have a camera crew on standby. It would be a useful learning experience for students.”
Allison quietly roams around his office, checking things out.
(GM note: She rolls a 24 on casing the joint.)
She observes a lot of ‘neat freak clutter’.
Mortimer thinks the pilot reality show would be a good idea, and an example of why we don’t need to return to the Union. He makes a point of saying, “We wouldn’t be getting anything we can’t do or aren’t already doing for ourselves.” He offers to expedite the licenses Kyle will need, and introduces them to his Executive Assistant. Allison gets to “case” that office too.
Evening:
Logan and Trish go to the Red Dog Bar in Northfield’s combat zone. Logan sees a couple of guys eyeing his girlfriend, checking out her “assets”. Logan tells Trish to “watch this”, then walks over to them and asks, “You guys want a drink?” Before they can reply, he punches one of them in the face. The man goes down and out like a light.
Two of the guy’s friends leap to their feet, and challenge Logan. One knows some martial arts. The other picks up a bar stool to use as a club. After a few exchanged swings, Logan does some damage to the duo, which do little if any damage to him.
The bartender fires a shotgun into the ceiling and calls out for the fighters to “take it outside, boys,” then levels his weapon in the direction of the fight. The two bar regulars sit down immediately, hands wide open and empty.
Logan, however, clocks one of the now sitting men he was fighting with—and the bartender pulls the trigger on the second barrel, doing 1 point of stun damage to Logan’s leg.
Trish is appalled that Logan would think that fighting over her in a bar would please or entertain her in any way.
Meanwhile, Sam is having a fine time at Pistol Pete’s, winning at billiards.
***
Friday, 2 May 2042:
Morning:
Nip sends a text to Cat with the program for Mocha Bit Cookies. Cat makes a VR program for milk, sends that to Nip.
Nip texts Cat that she has improved the fighter robots’ steering mechanism. Will Cat help her test it out? Cat will.
Nip meets with the teacher supervising the Robotics Club, and describes her ideas for students learning how to build things, learning about servos. The teacher is suitably intrigued, and says we should do a fundraiser. The club members’ parents are likely to be able to fund getting some parts, and if they have a public contest of the fighting robots, it will attract other people to donate as well. They organize the first meeting of the Robotics Club.
Evening:
Cat gets dressed in cowgirl boots, Urban Flash miniskirt, and packing her knife and a gun. She heads for Pistol Pete’s to talk with Jimmi, who is Crystal Snow’s car-thieving boyfriend. Logan and Doc Freeman are at the bar too. Sam is once again at the billiards table.
Cat greets Jimmi, who is talking with Crystal in one corner of the bar.
(GM note: Crystal works here as a waitress.)
After exchanging the usual “How ya doing?” pleasantries, Cat turns her pocket jammer on.
Cat mentions, “We talked once before about you getting a license plate number for me that matched a specific make and model of car—the license plate of a stolen car?”
Jimmi admits this is the case. “I suppose it’s better if I don’t know what this is for?”
Cat agrees and gives him the specifications for Harry’s car. “The parts I wanted have come in. Someone is being a real pain in the ass.”
Jimmi takes note of the type of car, and observes, “I’m always happy to contribute to taking down pains in the ass.”
Meanwhile, Sam has seen his daughter enter the bar, and comes up behind her. “Hello, Cat. What are you doing here?”
Cat is startled to see him. “Dad! Wow. I’m having a beer and talking with my friends.”
Sam wants to know, “Don’t you have homework to do?”
Cat replies, “It’s finished.” Then she asks, “What are you doing here?”
Sam tells her he’s been playing billiards here.
Cat tells him to get ready to be humiliated at billiards. She strolls over to the billiards table and chooses her cue. Already nervous about his daughter’s presence here, Sam botches his first shot. Cat leans over the table to take her shot, exposing the fact that her underwear is a thong, and thereby attracts a rather avid audience.
Sam asks, pointedly meaning her skirt, “You want to go change, yet?”
Cat says, “Sure, I’ll get you some change.” She goes to the bartender, forks over a couple of bills and collects some coins in return, which she brings back to her dad. “Another game?”
Meanwhile, Logan is itching for another fight and has left Trish at home, which is all right with her. She recognizes the kind of mood he’s in, and is not keen on seeing him in another bar fight. Logan goes over to the biggest dude in the place, and does his best to Persuade/Fast Talk him that Doc Freeman thinks the dude looks like a faggot.
“Really?” the dude asks, sounding pleased. “Do you think he meant it as a compliment?”
Frustrated, Logan returns to Doc Freeman and offers to drink him under the table. Whoever passes out first loses.
Doc Freeman, never one to take the straight path when a crooked one is available, says “Hey, what’s that?” as a distraction, then shoots Logan under the table with a tranq gun.
The dart hits, but Logan calls on his LUCK to resist the effects—and wins. “You son of a bitch!” Logan exclaims. “I’ve half a mind to punch you in the face for some reach damage.” He reaches across the table and swings—but misses.
Doc Freeman pulls the tranq gun above the table and fires again. The dart hits Logan—who again stays on his feet, and swings across the table at Doc Freeman again. The doctor’s third tranq gunshot fells Logan. Doc Freeman pulls the needles out of Logan’s body.
Episode 21: Bar Fights Gone Awry
Logan seeks revenge for the outcomes of his bar fights. Cat and Nip intrude into Harry’s condo. Sam finds a new romance.
Background
After Logan challenged him to a drinking contest, Doc Freeman ‘cheated’ and shot Logan with a tranq gun. Also, at Logan’s previous bar fight, the bartender pulled a shotgun and shot him. Sam is upset that his daughter (1) trounced him at billiards, and (2) was out in public flouting a miniskirt and thong.
Kyle is away, taking his dad to an Alzheimer specialist. Geoff is ‘making the rounds’ and staying off the grid. Fijay is off having an extended weekend romantic fling.
Dramatis Personae
The client du jour:
Nucky Thompson, the recently elected Atlantic County Prosecutor, hired Fisher Associates to snoop on his political rivals: the County Sheriff and the County Executive—their homes and offices. He wants to know their plans, and he wants “no Watergate style fuckups” from Fisher Associates.
The grownups:
Sam Fisher: Retired CIA black operative, assassin, cleaner, you-name-it.
Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and disgraced cyber researcher.
Logan Hawke: Former tech operative asset for the CIA, now tainted by Kyle’s burn notice.
Boyd Crowler: Local fixer based in Pleasantville and Northfield.
Gerry Notts: Atlantic County Sheriff. Politically he is a Republican ‘separatist’ on New Jersey statehood. He lives on the edge of Mays Landing in Hamilton Township.
Harry Hoar: ‘Very’ Special Agent of LawDiv, assigned to bring Kyle to justice as a Really Bad Guy.
Luigi Garza: Rianna’s stalker ex-boyfriend.
Mortimer Chambers: Atlantic County Executive. Politically, Democrat who thinks New Jersey should stay out of the Union. He lives on Lake Lenape in Mays Landing.
“Nucky” Enoch Thompson II: County Prosecutor of Atlantic County.
Raylan Gibbons: US Marshal in Atlantic City Marshal’s office.
Rianna Prescott: Woman from Sam’s past. She is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend, an enforcer for the Mob in Night City.
Trish Braddock: Porn star at Virility Visions studio and Logan’s girlfriend.
Tyne Lacey: Kyle’s aunt (mother’s sister), a widow, also foster and adoptive mom of several kid PCs and NPCs, she lives next door to Kyle’s mom Sharin in a big house.
The kids:
Allison Cole: 13 yo kleptomaniac sex pot. She lives with father.
Cat Fisher: Sam’s 16 yo daughter.
Nip Lacey: 12 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 2 years ago.
Rudi Marsden: 16 yo boy, junior in high school, punter on the football team.
The Action
Friday, 2 May 2042:
Late evening:
Frustrated and annoyed by his interaction with his daughter, Sam leaves and goes to the Last Call Saloon in Northfield, a place in the combat zone area known for the owner taking bets on the outcome of fights. Here, Sam is the only man wearing a suit.
As Sam walks deeper into the place, the largest guy and two others slip away, one through the back door and others by sidling past Sam to the front door. Sam goes into the corner of the bar that is cleared of furniture, clearly ‘the place for fights’, and puts his suit jacket on a nearby peg. Then he turns to survey the room again.
One of the patrons takes him up on the challenge. At first, each circles the other, looking for an advantage. Soon, Sam makes his move—a punch to the left arm—and the patron takes a point of stun damage. The patron punches back—with a Slice ‘N Dice cyberhand—doing 4 points of real damage.
Sam is offended. “Is that how you’re going to play it?” He whips his wrists and his Spawn blades slip into his hands. He swings at the patron’s torso—for 17 points of damage that the patron’s skinweave and BOD soak up about half of.
“Satisfied?” Sam demands. The patron nods and backs away. Sam turns to retrieve his jacket—only to find it’s missing, along with his guns and his car keys.
Pulling his phone out of his pants pocket, Sam first calls Raylan, who says there’s not much he can do for Sam on this issue and at this hour of a Friday night in Northfield. “It’s a tad outside my jurisdiction,” Raylan explains.
Sam then calls the Northfield cops, who dutifully come over—not especially quickly—and take a report. Checking outside while waiting for the cops, Sam is surprised to see that his Max Interceptor is still there.
(GM note: Not really so surprising. Back when the campaign started, Boyd put out the word not to touch that particular car. The word has stuck.)
Sam calls Cat, and asks her to bring his spare car keys.
Cat drives home on her motorcycle, collects the keys and drives to the bar. By now, Sam is outside, waiting for her. A few wolf whistles greet her from across the street as she pulls up in front of the bar and tosses him the keys. Sam gets in. She heads back to Pistol Pete’s on her motorcycle.
Soon after her arrival, Logan wakes up. He sneaks up behind Doc Freeman and raises his fist—to punch him in the back of the head.
(GM note: called head-shot stun damage.)
However, Cat observed him sneaking across to the doctor, and does her own stealthy approach behind Logan. So when Logan raises his fist to strike Doc Freeman, she is both ready and in position to seize his wrist—which she does.
Logan then tries to sweep Cat, but she evades that. Cat then grapples Logan by the torso. Logan tries to escape, but fails. Cat throws him to the ground for stun damage. Logan draws his gun on the teenaged girl. By now, the bouncers have arrived, and tell both of them to leave. Logan goes outside first, and shoots two holes in Doc Freeman’s front tire.
Cat strolls over to her motorcycle, watching Logan with caution. Cat points at the security cameras. Logan puts his gun away. Logan takes a cab home to Mays Landing.
Doc Freeman comes outside, and Cat helps him change his tire. She says, “You know who did this, right?”
Doc Freeman says, “Yeah. That’s why I have a spare tire.” And he thanks her again.
Sam spends the rest of the night driving around in the Interceptor.
***
Saturday, 3 May 2042:
Morning:
Allison hangs out with Rudi.
Logan buys as much flammable liquid as he can find, and does an efficient job of finding a goodly amount.
Nip calls Cat and asks, “Are you working?”
Cat says, “Kinda. What’s up?”
Nip asks if Cat wants to go see a movie, and Cat says okay. They make plans for that evening.
Afternoon:
Sam gets home around noon.
Cat greets him and wants to know, “Where were you?”
Sam states, “None of your business.” And he heads for the shower. Eventually, he gets out of the shower and goes into his bedroom where he takes a nap. Soon, he is snoring.
Cat hears the water go off, and figures out he has gone to sleep. She gets dressed to go out.
Cat calls Doc Freeman and warns, “I’d be careful of him.” (meaning Logan.} “He’s kind of psycho.”
Doc Freeman agrees. “Yeah, he doesn’t handle losing well.”
Cat then calls Nip. “Bring your deck, and come on over. We’ve got some stuff to do.”
The pair does some Library Research on Very Special Agent Harry Hoar’s building. Nip finds some blueprints from the architect’s sketches. Further research finds an HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system diagram.
Cat then asks for Nip’s help in donning a disguise. Nip claims, “I’m the bebtist,”—and indeed she is in this moment. (She rolls a 10+ on the die.)
The pair drives over to Harry’s neighborhood and park around the corner. Cat sashays up to the door and peruses the names beside the buzzers. One indeed says Hoar. Cat takes note of the number, but tries to look disappointed like she didn’t find what she was looking for. The pair goes back to Cat’s house.
Evening:
After nightfall, Cat and Nip send a mini-bee to the roof of Harry’s apartment building. Cat walks a Grid Bug out of the mini-bee and sends it into the building through the ventilation system of Harry’s condo. It arrives in the kitchen, and explores. The daring duo find two different and overlapping sets of cameras. Harry is no fool. He knows someone might try to search his place. One set of cameras is DIFFICULT to find, the other set is NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE—but not for our teenaged prodigies! They find both sets, mark their locations, then retreat.
Cat had been hoping that the notorious ‘burn file’ that Harry has mentioned might be lying out in plain sight. But no such luck. Things are neatly put away. If the file is at Harry’s condo, it is in a drawer or other hiding place.
At Fisher Associates in Northfield, Logan makes 12 Molotov cocktails, which he puts into a cardboard wine-bottle case. He starts to store the case in the closet of his office, but realizes the volatiles will evaporate.
Logan puts on a disguise and starts to walk to the Red Dog Bar carrying the case of Molotovs, but realizes that will be awkward. So he takes a cab there. He gives the cabbie a generous tip, and gets out on the other side of the street, putting the case down. He looks around, and observes one traffic cam covering the street, and another security camera watching the bar.
Logan brings the case over to the front door, lights one of the Molotov wicks, puts it back into the case and shoves the box inside the front door. He then leaves.
(GM note: Of course, the Molotovs do not explode. The booze bottle with the burning wick must be smashed and shattered onto the floor or other hard surface. Only the volatile gasses explode and burn. Not the liquid fuel. Can you say “consequences will appear in due course?”)
Sam wakes up. He dresses in style, and takes the Charger to the Bottom’s Up, an Art-Deco themed bar in Northfield’s ‘corporate light’ zone, not far from the Fisher Associates office. People come here to relax after work, and to enjoy on weekends. On Friday and Saturday nights, there is live music. Fights are not tolerated here.
After a few moments, Sam hears behind him, “Oh my gosh! I don’t believe it! Sam Fisher!”
He turns. A woman in her mid-thirties is standing there. He doesn’t immediately recognize her.
She introduces herself. “I’m Rianna Prescott. Dennie’s little sister? I had the biggest crush on you when I was a kid.” She blushes a little as she says this.
The name ‘Dennie Prescott’ rings a bell. Sam spent time with Dennie and his family when Sam was posted in Night City, a couple of decades ago. Rianna was barely a teenager back then. She’s “all grown up now” in all the right places.
Rianna wants to know how Sam has been, and what he’s doing now.
Sam tells her, “I’m retired from Government work.” Then he asks, “How’s your mom?”
Rianna informs him, “Not so good after Dad died.”
***
Sunday, 4 May 2042:
Very Early Morning:
Sam and Rianna chat for a while. At 2:30 am, the Bottom’s Up closes. Sam invites her back to his house for drinks. Rianna indicates, “That sounds nice.” When he takes her outside to the Charger, her reaction is a big “Wow!”
When they arrive at Sam’s house, Cat is still up. She takes one look at her dad and says, “So—you’re just fine.”
Sam expresses surprise that his daughter is awake.
Cat explains, “Nip and I went to a movie. I stayed up because I was worried about you.”
Sam apologizes to Rianna for Cat’s attitude. Rianna says not to worry. “Teenagers.”
Cat goes to bed. Sam and Rianna snuggle on the sofa. Rianna soon falls asleep. Sam tucks her into bed in the guest bedroom.
Morning:
Sam makes breakfast and calls a flower delivery service. He places the flower on Rianna’s breakfast tray.
Cat comes into the kitchen in the shortest shorts she owns.
Sam remarks, “You’re not going out dressed like that.”
Cat informs him, “I’m not going out.”
After breakfast, Rianna goes to the shower to freshen up.
Sam and Cat talk about why Sam has been so upset with her recently.
Cat asks, “Why are you so angry with me all the time?”
Sam complains, “It seems like there’s always more bad than good happening between us.”
Cat claims, “I do a lot for you that’s good. I discovered that you were being set up by an enemy agent.”
Sam objects, “No, I wasn’t.”
Cat maintains, “There was a plot against you.”
Sam refuses to believe it. “What else do you think you’ve done for me?”
Cat lists them. “I’ve made your guns, fixed your cars.”
Sam maintains, “I paid for all that.”
Cat protests, “That’s hard for me to do on my allowance. Besides, I invested 50 thousand euros of my saved-up money in your company.”
(GM note: In a ‘previous life’, Cat accumulated a LOT of money. Most of it is not accessible to her. She gets a modest allowance from the people who control her funds.)
Rianna returns. She and Sam chat about stuff. Rianna tells him she was married and is now widowed. She has no kids. She lived until recently in Night City, and worked in NorCal’s Environmental Protection agency as a health inspector. She recently left the area because of some problems that she doesn’t want to talk about. Her husband was a salesman, who sold life insurance.
Then, Rianna says, “What do you say we all go sky diving?”
Sam is a little surprised. “You like sky diving? That’s unusual.”
Rianna blushes a little and admits, “Probably because of knowing you back then. That influenced a lot of my interests.”
Cat interjects, “Can I come? I love skydiving.” It is one of her favorite sports.
Logan spends the morning in Philadelphia finding parts for making a bomb with det cord to ignite a fuel tank.
GM note: Ooops. Logan should have made a Streetwise roll; det cord is not that easy to find. Oh well.)
Afternoon:
The three spend the afternoon sky diving. Cat repacks her own parachute, as does Rianna. Rianna and Cat get a chance to chat about girl stuff.
At Fisher Associates in Northfield, Logan makes two bombs.
(GM note: One is intended for the Red Dog bartender, the other for Cat.)
Evening:
Logan gets disguised, then takes a cab to the Red Dog Bar in Northfield, arriving around 5:30 pm. He chats up the bartender.
(GM note: the same bartender who used a shotgun to break up the bar fight in episode 20.)
Logan inquires, “What kind of car do you drive?”
The bartender replies, “It’s a beat up old thing. You?”
Logan admits, “I can’t afford one.”
The bartender offers, “Wanna buy mine? I’ll sell it to you cheap.”
Logan repeats that he can’t afford it. At 5:30, Logan goes back outside and finds a place to hide and watch the side parking lot. The bartender emerges at 7:00 pm, his shift over.
Logan takes note of the make and model of the car, its license plate, and anything necessary to recognize it again. Then he calls a cab and goes home to Trish in Mays Landing.
That evening, Sam cooks dinner, Rianna makes the salad and Cat makes a delicious flan dessert. Rianna bought some wine on the way home.
Cat goes to bed early. Sam and Rianna watch a movie and cuddle on the couch again. Then Rianna retires to the guest bedroom.
***
Monday, 5 May 2042:
Morning:
Sam calls Charlie, a PC arms dealer whom he knows, and says he needs replacement weapons. Charlie is busy, but says he will make time to replace the two electrothermal 14mm Big Governments that Sam lost earlier at the Last Call. Sam sends a payment to the weaponsmith.
Sam again makes breakfast with a flower for Rianna. They get to talking.
Rianna is curious. “So what do you do these days?”
Sam tells her, “I have my own company, Fisher Associates. It’s kind of like a security firm. We provide legal advice.”
Rianna is a little confused. “So—you’re a lawyer?”
Sam demurs. “No, we have a lawyer.”
“Oh,” Rianna replies. “I got the impression you were the lawyer. Security, hm?”
Sam expounds, “Yes, we helped a family that was being threatened. The daughter was kidnapped, the father being blackmailed. We caught the guy and stopped him.”
Rianna is impressed. “That’s awesome.”
Sam asks about her recent life, and she again sidesteps the question. He brings her into his home office and turns on the bug-jamming equipment. Then he asks her, point blank, “What’s on your mind—bothering you? I’ve noticed for two days now.”
Rianna tells him a man is stalking her. It is an ex-boyfriend, Luigi Garza. At first, he seemed exciting because he was dangerous. He was an enforcer for the Night City mob, so different from her husband. But then he got—controlling and borderline abusive. So she left. He’s made threats, followed her back in NoCal. So she came to the East Coast—and she’s worried he might follow her here.
Sam asks if she has a photo of him. Rianna says she erased them all from her phone.
Sam offers to let her stay with him. Rianna accepts, and goes to her hotel to check out. She returns with her suitcases then heads out to do tourist stuff.
Afternoon:
Sam calls Doc Freeman. “Can you call your Night City connections?”
Doc Freeman doubts it. “The last guy who came to see me from there, he went home shot.”
Sam asks him to come to his office. The doctor does. Sam explains that his new girlfriend has a stalker. “Can you send a message to Luigi to stop following her around?”
Doc Freeman protests, “That sounds like a dumb thing. No, I’m not going to do that.” Continuing, he expresses his concern about Sam pursuing the matter. “It would be nice if you don’t wind up dead, because if you do, I lose my share in your company. Don’t get caught, please.”
Doc Freeman leaves, and buys a new tire on his way home.
Sam asks Cat to come by the Northfield office after school. She does. He then asks her to look up Luigi on the Net. See if she can find any photos of him.
She performs a good Library Search and finds two newspaper accounts of alleged wrong-doing, one with a photo, plus his arrest record, which is long on assaults. His most recent official address is in Night City. He’s also spent 6 years in prison for assault.
As Cat gives this information to Sam, she says, “We need to talk.” But he is already heading out of the room. Cat says to the door closing behind him, “Thank you, goodbye, you’re welcome.”
When Sam calls Rianna, he learns she is strolling around the Boardwalk so he texts Cat to call him. She does. He asks with a worried tone, “Can you do me a favor, hon? Rianna is at the Boardwalk. Can you go down there and spend some time with her?”
Cat agrees.
Sam adds, “You can take the Max Interceptor. Just obey the speed limits.”
“Always,” Cat replies.
Sam signs off, “See you later at home.”
Cat dresses in jacket and slacks with a holdout gun and knife. She then calls Rianna to find out where she is exactly.
(GM note: After all, the Boardwalk is several miles long!)
Rianna tells her on the Steel Pier. Cat heads out and soon arrives at the Steel Pier.
Rianna points to the amusement rides, and the pair head for them. Cat mentions Luigi.
Rianna asks, “He told you?” [meaning Sam]
Cat admits he did. “It’s obvious he likes you.”
Rianna blushes a little, and exclaims, “Oh good! I like him too.”
Cat says she has some personal questions she wants to ask, and is that okay? Rianna says to go ahead. Cat has a litany: “Did you travel here under your own name? Use your name checking into the hotel? Use your phone while you’re here?”
Rianna replies, “Yes, yes and yes, though I did pay cash for the trip. I hoped that might throw off the scent.”
Cat remarks, “You might want to carry a gun. Learn how to shoot.”
Rianna nods. “That’s a good idea. Do you carry?”
Cat acknowledges that she does—“Sometimes. Dad has some enemies.”
Rianna supposes that’s true. “Though he’s not the kind to have enemies for very long.” She then talks a little about Luigi. “They keep him kinda busy. So I’m hoping he won’t have the time to come after me.”
Cat assures her, “We have ways of taking care of problems without leaving a lot of bodies around.”
Rianna asks if Cat has a boyfriend.
Cat admits she does. “But Dad just hates him.”
Rianna tells her, “That’s par for the course. Fathers are like that. My dad was like that with the guy I married.”
Cat wonders, “Your husband, how did he die?”
Rianna explains, “Carbon monoxide poisoning. Something with the heater in the basement malfunctioning. We were separated at the time. I was staying with my sister. When they found him, it was too late. It was pretty awful.”
On the way home, the pair gets some lasagna to bring home for dinner, as well as a delicious dessert.
Late afternoon:
Logan takes a cab to the Northfield office, then collects one of his bombs and puts on a disguise. He takes another cab to the Red Dog Bar. He double checks the location of the cameras—the traffic cam and the one by the bar’s entrance. He maps a path that will avoid his route being seen by the cameras, and sneaks into the side parking lot.
Logan finds the bartender’s car and slides underneath it. He successfully connects the bomb to the ignition so it will blow up the gas tank when the key is turned. He sneaks back out and returns to the Northfield office by cab.
Sam searches Rianna’s belongings—being very careful to put everything back the way it was. He checks for any sort of tracking device or other suspicious gadgets. But everything is completely ordinary. No tracking devices. No bugs of any variety.
Sam reprograms Cerberus (GM note: the cybered dog) to make sure he won’t attack Rianna.
Evening:
After a while, Logan goes out running. When he returns, he cleans his guns. When Trish arrives home, he asks if she wants to dance. Trish says sure and asks where. Logan says here. They dance.
(GM note: Logan rolls a 14, good enough not to embarrass himself.)
After a while, Logan ‘makes his move’ on Trish. They have a wonderful time in bed.
When Cat and Rianna arrive back home, Sam is playing pool. Cat asks if he wants another game. Sam says it’s getting late. What about getting some dinner? Rianna says they brought some lasagna back. Cat gets some plates and sets the table.
After dinner, Cat surreptitiously pulls some pictures of Rianna off the security cameras. Yes, Rianna seems like the real deal, but you can never be too cautious.
Sam brings Cat into the private office and asks, “Can you run Luigi through facial recognition? See if he has come through the airports?”
Cat looks concerned. “Airport security—that’s hard. They are private databases. I’d be committing a major felony to do that. Too many felonies involved to count.”
Sam pursues it. “I’d rather not have to worry about him being in the area right now.”
Cat accepts the challenge. “Okay. Can I bring a list of the information I need to the office tomorrow?”
Sam says sure, then wonders, “I could drop the photo off to Raylan and let him know? Ask him to look into it?”
Cat seems perturbed. “And tell him what? You might have a mob enforcer coming here to kill your latest girlfriend? Or because you’re dating another woman running away from the mob in Night City?”
Sam seems taken aback by Cat’s bluntness.
Cat goes over and gives him a big hug. “I apologize if I’ve done anything lately to piss you off.”
Sam seems to have nothing to say to that. He spends the rest of the evening hanging out with Rianna. Cat goes into her bedroom, and comes out later in bunny slippers. Rianna gives her a hug. Cat then goes to bed with a pistol under her pillow.
When Sam goes to bed, he leaves the door open. Rianna takes him up on this invitation. She goes into his bedroom and drops her clothes, gets into bed with him naked. They cuddle.
(GM note: And no, that’s not ‘what they’re calling it now’. Sam is being a complete gentleman here, despite a ribbing from his fellow players.)
Rianna tells him, “I feel so safe here with you.”
They go to sleep.
***
Tuesday, 6 May 2042:
Morning:
Logan makes breakfast, including muffins, and keeps one ear on the news. He hears there was an explosion at the Red Dog Bar last night—with one fatality, name withheld.
Sam makes breakfast and puts another flower on Rianna’s pillow.
Logan stays at the Mays Landing surveillance house.
Cat goes to school.
Afternoon:
After school, Cat does an extensive library search on Rianna, finding a fair amount of information. Sam’s newest romantic interest grew up in Night City, was on a winning track team in high school. Went to UCLA and got an MSc in Ecology with a minor in public health. She worked in NorCal as an inspector for their Environmental Protection agency. She married Randy Devins at age 21. They were separated when he died three years ago. Newspaper accounts confirm that Rianna was staying with her sister Elsie at that time. Pictures of her on the track team show a birthmark on Rianna’s inner arm, shaped like a skewed horsehead. Cat has seen this birthmark on Rianna’s arm.
Cat figures out some places she can hack into the phone lines in order to do some Net snooping. She then gets passenger lists from the local train stations and airports. None list a Luigi Garza.
Sam spends the day with Rianna. They go to see the Lucy-the-Elephant Building in Margate. Sam carries his other Big Governments [the standard 14mm pistols]. They take the pickup truck, placing a 12-gauge shotgun under the seat.
Rianna mentions that Cat suggested she learn how to shoot. Sam takes her to a weapons range and gives Rianna her first shooting lesson, where he watches for anomalies. (Does Rianna already know how to shoot? It’s clear she doesn’t. Yes, she holds the pistol in two hands, but her grip and stance are both wrong in an amateurish sort of way.) Sam happily teaches her these things. Afterwards, they get stuff for dinner and return home.
Evening:
When Sam gets home, Cat takes him aside and points out that no progress has been made on the newest Fisher Associates venture. She is surprised that he and Logan did nothing this weekend to bug the County Executive offices. Nucky will be calling, looking for a progress report.
Sam maintains he was supposed to wait for Kyle to return. Cat disagrees. He and Logan are both well qualified to sneak in and plant those bugs.
Episode 22: What Were You Thinking?
Logan crashes into the consequences of his mistakes, an event that exposes everyone to danger. Sam—as the boss of Fisher Associates—pays a price as well. Kyle and Cat dangle bait to entice Harry Hoar away from his condo so they can search for Kyle’s burn notice file. Allison gets framed by her nemesis Jaclyn at school.
Background
Logan made failed Molotov cocktails—that is, there was nothing wrong with the Molotovs, only the way he tried to set them off. He also car-bombed and killed the bartender who shotgunned him in Episode 21 (Bar Fights Gone Awry). Sam met Rianna, a woman from his past who had a crush on him as a teenager. And of course, Nucky Thompson is awaiting results of Fisher Associates’ bugging expeditions.
Dramatis Personae
The client du jour:
Nucky Thompson, the recently elected Atlantic County Prosecutor, hires Fisher Associates to snoop on his political rivals: the County Sheriff and the County Executive—their homes and offices. He wants to know their plans, and he wants “no Watergate style fuckups” from Fisher Associates.
The grownups:
Kyle Vaduva: Burned spy.
Sam Fisher: Retired CIA black operative, assassin, cleaner, you-name-it.
Doc Freeman: Former professor at UNLV, former assistant coroner and disgraced cyber researcher.
Logan Hawke: Former tech operative asset for the CIA, now tainted by Kyle’s burn notice.
Art Mulligan: US Marshal, chief of the US Marshal Office in Atlantic City.
Bo Crowler: Boyd’s dad, a “godfather” type in the local criminal element of Pleasantville and Northfield.
Gerry Notts: Atlantic County Sheriff. Politically, he is a Republican ‘separatist’ on New Jersey statehood, and lives on the edge of Mays Landing in Hamilton Township.
Harry Hoar: ‘Very’ Special Agent of LawDiv, assigned to bring Kyle to justice as a Really Bad Guy.
Mary Drucker: US Marshal and ‘Big Sister’ for Cat Fisher.
Mortimer Chambers: Atlantic County Executive. Politically, Democrat who thinks New Jersey should stay out of the Union. He lives on Lake Lenape in Mays Landing.
Nathan Forest: CIA’s Deputy Director of Clandestine Operations. Based at Langley VA.
“Nucky” Enoch Thompson II: County Prosecutor of Atlantic County.
Raylan Gibbons: US Marshal in Atlantic City Marshal’s office.
Rianna Prescott: Woman from Sam’s past. She is being stalked by her ex-boyfriend, an enforcer for the Mob in Night City.
Trish Braddock: Porn star at Virility Visions studio and Logan’s girlfriend.
Tyne Lacey: Kyle’s aunt (mother’s sister), a widow, also foster and adoptive mom of several kid PCs and NPCs, she lives next door to Kyle’s mom Sharin in a big house.
The kids:
Allison Cole: 13 yo kleptomaniac sex pot. She lives with her foster father.
Cat Fisher: Sam’s 16 yo daughter.
Geoff Stark: 15 yo fixer specializing in braindance chips; he has found a braindance addict to play the role of his father.
Nip Lacey: 12 yo girl with neon green hair, has amnesia. She was adopted by Tyne Lacey 2 years ago.
Fred: ferret and imaginary friend of Nip’s.
Haku Fujimoto: Mascot for High School football team. A 15 yo sophomore. Wannabe wide receiver, but is a skinny little guy.
Jaclyn Radcliff: Cheerleader with big boobs who is Allison’s rival for Rudi’s affection.
Rudi Marsden: 16 yo boy, junior in high school, punter on the football team.
Storm Snow: 16 yo boy, junior in high school, lives at Tyne’s house. He makes extra money by writing essays for college kids through the Net. He is a member of chess club and astronomy club.
The Action
Wednesday, 7 May 2042:
Early Morning
Cat knows that Kyle was due back late Tuesday night, so she contacts him and arranges an early morning meet. She is still shaken up about Logan pulling a gun on her last Friday night. The biogen believes that if the bouncers hadn’t been right there, he would have shot her. Cat told her father what had happened and his response was, “What did you do to provoke him?”
With her relationship with her “father” starting to disintegrate, a new woman entering his life, and her growing fear of Logan, Cat starts to feel her situation in Atlantic City is becoming tenuous. She thinks if she tells Kyle about the incident with Logan, it will just make things worse. Cat makes a fateful decision.
When Kyle and Cat meet she tells him, “Ask me that question again that you keep asking me.”
The former CIA agent hesitates briefly, but then asks, “Will you run away with me?”
This time she answers, “Yes, but we don’t really have to run.”
Kyle appears a little confused.
Cat adds, “First, I have to tell you something. I have been lying to you about who I really am ever since we met. Does it matter to you what my name really is?”
Kyle hugs her and says, “I know you and no, it doesn’t matter.” Of course, he has no idea what he is about to get into.
“There is one question I need an answer to,” asks the biogen. “I don’t know how to put this. I won’t ask if you love me because I don’t even know if I am capable of loving anyone myself. I think I do, but I am not sure. What is important is that in Romania, when everything started to fall apart, you had a choice: Come to me or go to the CIA. I don’t begrudge your choice then. I was an agent of a foreign power. With all the lies, how could you make any other choice? Now is different. I have to know. Where do I stand now? I will be at your side against all comers. You don’t have to put me in front of your family, but I can’t be second to the CIA. I have to know, is it us against the world?”
Kyle enfolds her in his arms and replies, “It’s us against the world.”
They are silent for a minute until she says, ”OK, I really need to finish the last four weeks of school, and more importantly help Dad finish bugging Mortimer Chamber’s and the Sheriff’s office. It will take me that long to make arrangements with my people.”
Kyle says, “They’re not going to let you just go.”
Cat smiles back, “Yes they will. I have an in with the leader of the Caitlins. It will be no trouble at all. I will explain it after we get out of here.” Of course, what she isn’t saying is that she IS the leader of that group of biogens.
“Oh,” Cat adds, “We have a job tonight. We are going to pay a visit to Harry Hoar’s apartment.” She then explains the plan to him after which she returns home before she is missed.
Morning
Cat calls Doc Freeman, tells him to get ready to drive Storm to New York City on a “mentoring” trip this afternoon.
Cat tells Sam at breakfast, “You could be really helpful if you were to do some night fishing tonight. Be seen under security cameras. And be prepared to pick up Kyle.” She specifies a pickup location close to Harry’s condo.
Kyle checks for bugs and ‘makes a mistake’—he leaves an area on the deck outside that can be overheard. Kyle then arranges for Storm to take his phone to New York.
Sam calls Logan on his special phone and tells him to get the bugs prepared for the County Executive’s office. And he’ll see him at the Northfield office. The bug preparation will take two days’ work.
Sam cooks breakfast for Rianna, complete with a fresh rose for her pillow.
Sheriff Gerry Notts calls Kyle and says sure, “Let’s meet and discuss your TV pilot idea further.” They make an appointment for Friday.
Afternoon
As Allison approaches her locker at school between two classes, she sees the Assistant Principal and a school security guard standing in front of it. The men are taking things out of her locker and putting them into a cardboard box on the floor. Allison sees them moving a Chemistry-supplies style flask containing white powder.
Allison immediately turns around and slowly heads for the exit. Jaclyn passes her with a smirk on her face. Allison pulls out her phone and texts “911” to Cat. They arrange to meet outside the building.
The kleptomaniac tells her friend, “I’m pretty sure Jaclyn put a bomb or something in my locker and called the principal.”
Cat asks, “Do you know how to make bombs? Could you have left fingerprints on anything incriminating?”
Allison denies knowledge of bomb-making, but cannot be sure about fingerprints. She tells Cat she intends to flee.
Cat tries to dissuade her. “Don’t run away. They’ll send you to jail.”
Allison observes, “You know I have a tendency to pick things up. So maybe sort of—If I did have such an item, it would be in my hot pile.”
Cat calls Geoff to join them and tells him, “Allison has a little problem. She thinks they found a bomb in her locker.”
Geoff offers to reconnoiter and see what he can find out.
Allison states she wants to put a bullet in Jaclyn’s head. When Geoff asks why, Allison says, “Because I hate her.”
(GM Note: Allison does have access to a gun. About a year ago, her foster father showed one to her and told her not to touch it. But of course, she searched for it and found it in a shoebox in the back of a closet. Plus, a silencer was there as well. However, no bullets.)
The two girls agree for Geoff to investigate. Geoff strolls down the corridor, which is rapidly emptying of students. The two men are looking at a piece of paper and talking quietly.
As Geoff lingers for a moment to glance into the cardboard box and listen to their conversation, the Assistant Principal looks up and observes, “Shouldn’t you be in class?”
Geoff agrees and says he is headed there, but has “a question for you. I want to start a new after-school activity club. Can we meet later to discuss this?”
The Assistant Principal agrees and they set a time tomorrow afternoon. Geoff asks for a hall pass to his class. The Assistant Principal signs one and gives it to him. Geoff reports to Cat and Allison the results of his foray: “It sounds like they think you’re stealing from the school.” He also got a good look at the contents of the box, which he describes, fairly accurately.
Allison goes to her next class. A security guard comes in and escorts her to the Principal’s office. The Principal shows her the contents of the cardboard box, which are:
– A flask of white granules labeled NaOH = sodium hydroxide, also known as lye or caustic soda
– A flask of zinc dust
-A copper sheet cut out into the shape of a snowflake
– 1 Bunsen burner
– A document on making golden ornament from copper
The Principal expresses disappointment. Allison was such a promising student. He then asks what Allison has to say for herself.
Allison claims, “I was framed.”
The Principal wonders, “Who would want to frame you?”
Allison names her nemesis, “Jaclyn Radcliff. She’s jealous of my boyfriend.”
The Principal chews on this for a moment then asks Allison where she was between 11 am and 12 noon yesterday, the period when the supplies went missing.
Allison tells him she was “with Mr. Hammond, the music teacher, discussing the mathematics of music theory.”
The Principal tells a security guard to fetch Mr. Hammond. He soon returns with the music teacher. Questioned, Mr. Hammond initially hems and haws and claims not to remember. Pressed futher, he confirms Allison’s alibi.
The Principal tells Allison she is free to go.
After School
Cat goes to Kyle’s boat. While still outside on the deck, the pair briefly mention him taking a trip to New York today. Kyle states, “If we get caught, I’m screwed.” Then they go inside where further conversation cannot be overheard.
(GM Note: This bait will, of course, be overheard and communicated to Harry Hoar.)
Cat heads home and talks with Sam, who starts to comment on the Op for tonight.
Cat objects, “No, this is MY Op. I would never give you advice on how to run YOUR Op.”
Cat changes the subject, and observes that she likes Rianna a lot. “I’m sure she’s not a plant. But we have to make sure.”
Sam gets huffy about Cat having investigated Maria, claiming that wasn’t necessary, that Maria was not a true threat.
(GM note: Maria was one of two gorgeous 20-somethings who moved in next door to Sam’s house soon after Kyle arrived in town. They sunned naked on the dock. Maria became Sam’s girlfriend. However, both Maria and the other woman turned out to have very good fake IDs. Maria was arrested; the other woman disappeared; Maria later also vanished after a prisoner transfer.)
Cat maintains, “Maria was not my fault.”
Sam leaves the room, slamming the door behind him.
Cat calls out after him, “You’re welcome for saving your life!”
Meanwhile, Geoff looks for and finds Haku, the football team mascot who is filling out nicely and likely to realize his dream of becoming a wide receiver next fall. Geoff explains that Jaclyn, the cheerleader, is making things difficult for Rudi’s girlfriend Allison. “Imagine if this mess affects Rudi. That could hurt the team. And you’re a man who can make things happen. You know the cheerleaders, which of them dislike Jaclyn. Maybe she could have some kind of accident during practice.”
Haku is alarmed by the danger Jaclyn poses to the team’s success. He says he will see what he can do.
Meanwhile, Allison walks by Jaclyn’s house. She observes three dogs in the yard. One dashes up to the fence, barking wildly. Two others stay by the house, but watch her pass by.
Allison heads for home, wondering where she can get some bullets. She calls Cat, tells her, “I want to do a drive-by.”
Cat replies cheerfully—as if Allison had asked to go shopping at the mall. “I’m busy tonight. Talk with you tomorrow at school.”
Meanwhile, Sam asks Logan how the bugs are coming along (Logan rolls very well, a 10+ on the dice). Sam also calls his tailor to order a new suit.
Sam then takes Rianna for her first shooting lesson, and watches for anomalies. (Does Rianna already know how to shoot? It’s clear she doesn’t. Yes, she holds the pistol in two hands, but her grip and stance are both wrong in an amateurish sort of way.) Sam happily teaches her these things.
Meanwhile, Cat heads for Nip’s house, where the neon-haired youngster is watching Harry in the traffic cams. He is indeed following Doc Freeman to New York.
They watch until the sun goes down. Kyle dons his Stealth suit and prepares for the mission, deliberately NOT bringing his gun.
Evening
The two teenagers pilot their remotes over to Harry’s condo. They land the remotes and check the outside of the building.
Allison comes over to Tyne’s house and asks to talk with Nip. Tyne knocks on her adopted daughter’s door. “Nip?”
Cat replies they are at the Library on the Net, and busy. They’ll call Allison back.
The budding Netrunners steer their remotes inside Harry’s condo, approach the cameras and attach taps to them. They look for and find the cameras in the hallways outside, watching the front and back doors. They also investigate the locks and security mechanisms on the doors. Then they loop Harry’s cameras. (Each rolls a 24.)
(GM note: Harry has a serious lock on his door, needing a 25 to pick. He is aware of potential risk and has extra reasons for not wanting anyone to gain access to his place.)
Kyle comes in the building’s back entrance and approaches Harry’s door, where he successfully picks the lock. (He rolled a 27.) Going into the bedroom that serves as Harry’s office, he notices an electronic security lock on the closet. Thinking ‘that’s weird’, Kyle successfully bypasses this as well. Opening the closet, he finds women’s dresses hanging there, along with a dresser containing women’s underwear and makeup. On a shelf are some videos—which Kyle soon discovers are of Harry wearing this finery and strutting in front of the room’s full-length mirror.
BINGO! Kyle has found the lever with which he can move Very Special Agent Harry Hoar out of his life. The disgraced spy continues searching the rest of the apartment, but finds nothing more of interest. He takes some underwear—which contain a few ‘interesting stains’—and lipstick, along with a couple of videos.
Nip suggests putting a fork in the microwave and setting it on ‘forever’, but Cat nixes that idea.
Kyle leaves the closet door open on his way out. Cat and Nip unloop the cameras and remove their remotes.
Cat calls Doc Freeman that the mission is accomplished. Storm uses Kyle’s phone to call his mom, saying he’s on a field trip to New York and will be home tomorrow.
Cat also tells Kyle (rather superfluously) to hide. Kyle agrees. He goes to a Motel 8, pays cash, and removes the battery from his other phone.
Allison calls Nip. “Can you look into events in my neighborhood about a year ago? Find out if anyone was killed or anything?”
Nip asks, “When do you need this by?”
Allison thinks sooner would be better than later.
Nip tells Cat about the information Allison wants. (Rolling a 19 and 29 on their Library Search,) the pair learn that yes, a store clerk was killed in a robbery about a year ago, not far from Allison’s home. It looks like her foster uncle was the shooter.
Also, Allison wanted to know about Jaclyn’s parents—Nip finds that her father is a dealer at Caesar’s in downtown Atlantic City, her mother is a clerk in the Atlantic City government office.
Cat goes home, purring like a kitten. Sam seduces Rianna. Logan seduces Trish.
***
Thursday, 8 May 2042:
Morning
Sam and Rianna go touristing.
As Allison and Cat approach the lockers, Allison pulls out her lockpicks when they near Jaclyn’s locker. Cat pushes the lockpicks back away, saying, “No, no,” and mentioning the security cameras.
Later, Fred announces to Nip that “I’M THE BEPTIST!” He has found the “shadowy man” in the picture of five people that Nip had optimized and searched for. Turns out he was a high school classmate of Miles (Kyle’s CIA handler in Romania when he was Zar; Miles is currently missing) and Delrick Bouchard (Kyle’s college history professor and mentor, now dead). The shadowy man’s name is Gregory Michaels.
When Nip gives Cat this news, Cat does a happy dance.
Meanwhile, at 8:30 that morning, Kyle calls Harry Hoar from a data terminal.
Harry says, “I had a feeling I would be hearing from you.”
Kyle indicates that “I loaned my phone to a needy student for a field trip.” Then, would Harry care to “join me for a little chat at the Convenient Diner?” Describing the location, Kyle adds, “Amazing how many people are here. Is it a date?”
Harry says he will be there in 15 minutes. Shortly before 9 am, Harry slides into the booth where Kyle is waiting and asks, “So what’s this about?”
(GM note: As if he doesn’t already know.)
Kyle embarks on a speech. “I’m stuck in this city. Trying to do good things. Doing lots of wonderful ‘file analyzing’. Piles of stuff from around the world. Then you come to town. My business gets disrupted. Major violation—going into a person’s home. You know how it is. You set the groundwork. I don’t dislike you, Harry, but I need breathing room. I want you gone. I want you out of my ass. This 24-hour surveillance has got to stop.”
Harry surmises, “I gather you’re not just asking out of the kindness of your heart.”
Kyle agrees. “You know what I used to do.”
Harry nods. “Assassinate people.”
Kyle demurs. “Not me. I was deep cover, infiltration, passing along information to the people up the chain. You’ve been watching me for months now. Have I assassinated anybody?”
Harry thinks this over. “Well, I have to admit, either there’s something hinky going on, or you are really, really, really smart and just biding your time.”
Kyle says, “I don’t have that much time to wait. I decided I needed to give you a nudge.”
Harry nods. “I see how that could be.” He pauses. “The missing items, do I get them back?”
Kyle counters, “My file. Do I get to see it?”
Harry capitulates. “That can be arranged.”
Kyle offers, “Let’s go someplace private.”
Harry suggests, “The park, or would you prefer inside?”
They opt to go to a nearby park. Once settled on a comfortable bench, Kyle informs Harry, “I have no idea why I’ve been burned. I’ve been a dedicated public servant. Some years back, I had to leave my son for love of my country. He thinks I’m dead.”
Harry murmurs sympathetic words. Perhaps he even means them.
Kyle returns to the current business. “The physical items—I’ll return them to you in exchange for my file.”
Harry asks, “And the rest?”
Kyle offers, “Deep sixed. You have my word. I need to clear my name.”
Harry agrees to the deal and they set a time and place to trade packages tomorrow.
Kyle asks, “How long until the surveillance is off?”
Harry replies, “I’ll pull it now.”
The two leave the park and go their separate ways.
Afternoon
Logan is again doing a wonderful job of making the new bugs. (Rolls a 34!)
Rianna claims it is “that time of the month” and wants to go home. Sam brings her back to the house and stays with her. He checks his office email.
Geoff meets with the Assistant Principal and says he wants to start a Math Team that would compete with other teams. ‘Mathletes’ are apparently The New Thing.
The Assistant Principal says sure, that would be fine. Geoff should “recruit a teacher to be the faculty advisor and write up a description.”
Geoff says he will.
Late afternoon, after school
Cat’s ‘big sister’ and US Marshal Mary calls Cat and asks for a get-together. They meet at the Convenient Café.
Logan gets a call from Trish. “What do you want to do tonight?”
Logan suggests dinner and a movie. Trish likes the idea. Logan asks what kind of movie she wants to see—and that would be a comedy. Trish says she will meet him at Marco’s Polo Lounge in Atlantic City (a restaurant).
Logan calls a cab to go there. When it arrives and Logan leaves the building, a rather hefty cop gets out of the back seat and calls out, “Logan Hawke, you are under arrest! Get down on your knees, hands behind your head.”
(GM note: This was the Lieutenant of the Northfield C-SWAT team. Fellow is heavily cybered. Unbeknownst to Logan, a couple of snipers are on on nearby rooftops and two other C-SWAT members around the corner of other buildings.)
Logan asks what he’s being arrested for. The Lieutenant simply repeats, “On your knees! Hands behind your head!”
Logan complies and surrenders. He is handcuffed and marched down the block to the Northfield Police station, where he is shackled to a steel table in an interview room. A little while later, the interrogation begins. The Chief of Detectives comes in and asks, “Where were you on the afternoon of Monday, May 5th?
Logan claims he was “In my office.”
“Anyone there can verify that?”
Logan says no. “There’s only me in my office.”
The Chief tells Logan that the bartender at the Red Dog Bar was killed on Monday evening. Logan replies, “That’s news to me.”
When Logan asks for a lawyer, the Chief tells him the charge is 1st degree murder, a BrainDance-able offense. He doesn’t get to have a lawyer.
The Chief continues to press Logan, saying they have witnesses who can place him at the scene earlier that day—plus they have his fingerprints on the carton of Molotov cocktails shoved into the bar on Saturday evening. Logan persists in denying any involvement.
About 1 hour after Logan’s apprehension, Nathan Forest, Deputy Director in charge of Clandestine Ops at the CIA, arrives with two ‘associates’ at the Northfield Police Station via helicopter from Langley, VA. Flashing badges and claiming “National security” authority, they take over the interrogation and stop all recording.
Nathan enters the interrogation room where Logan is shackled. He tells the former CIA asset, “This is bad. We can’t allow you to be braindanced. You know too many secrets. So you have a choice.” He holds up a syringe. “You can have a brain aneurism—right here, right now—or plead guilty to manslaughter and spend 5 years in jail.”
Logan says he didn’t kill anyone. He’s not going to plead guilty to something he didn’t do.
Nathan is nonplussed. He lays out the evidence the Northfield cops have. “They’ve got your fingerprints on the Molotov bottles and the carton. They’ve talked to the cabbies who drove you to and from the bar. They’ve run facial recognition on the traffic cam video and the video from the bar.”
Logan claims he only went to the bar once.
Nathan knows this is Bullshit with a Capital B. He states, “You went back with the Molotovs. You went back and asked about the bartender’s car. And you went back on the day of the murder. No, they don’t have you actually wiring the bomb, but they’ve got everything else.”
(GM note: At the time, I’d forgotten the second bomb Logan made—which his player told other players he intended to use on Cat’s motorcycle, with her on it. And good luck with that! Cat built that motorcycle. She would not take that lightly. Logan’s days were numbered from any angle you looked at it.)
Logan persists, “They can’t prove I did it.”
Nathan surmises, “You think you’re going to walk out of here? You know what happens then? Bo Crowler would pick you up. You know what he does to people who annoy him? He hangs them up on meat hooks.”
Logan grins. “At least they get their spines straightened?”
Nathan is NOT amused. “You think this is funny? Dude, they’ve got you. You’ve got means, motive and opportunity. You’re dead.”
Logan counters, “If I’m dead, what’s the point?”
Nathan clarifies, “Figure of speech. Point is, they’ve got all the evidence they need to put you away on Murder 1. So like I said, we’re not going to let them braindance you. You’ve got a choice: You can die here and now, or spend the next 5 years in prison for Manslaughter. Which will it be?”
Logan repeats, “I’m not going to say I did something I didn’t do.”
Nathan stares at him for a moment. “I take that as a NO to prison.” Logan does not refute him. Nathan calls in his two associates to hold Logan down. They deliver the lethal injection, which will read as a brain aneurism. R.I.P. Logan!
Meanwhile, about 20 minutes after Logan’s apprehension, Sam gets a text message from his IGOR program installed on the computer monitoring the surveillance operation. It says, “Protocol 37 violation. Call for details.” Sam knows this to mean there are ‘intruders’ (unauthorized persons) at the Mays Landing house where the surveillance equipment is.
(GM note: Search warrants were already prepared and ready. Both the Northfield office and the Mays Landing house are being searched.)
Sam calls for details and is shown a live video feed of Sheriff Gerry Notts’s face gazing into the surveillance computer screen (there’s a camera just above it). Gerry says, “Oh My God, that’s MY HOUSE!”
Another voice behind him says, “and that’s the County Executive’s bedroom!”
A (third) snickering voice asks, “Oh yeah? And how would you know?”
IGOR texts over this, “Destroy? Y or N.”
Sam clicks the “Y” button and turns to Rianna. “We’re going. You should pack your stuff. Do you like the Carribean?”
She says, “Yup,” and goes to pack.
IGOR causes the data at the surveillance house to ‘go up in smoke’ like on the Mission Impossible TV show.
Sam texts Cat, “Logan is busted. Op gone bad. Bail.”
Sam texts Kyle, who doesn’t yet have his phone back and therefore stays on his boat.
Seeing the look of concern on Cat’s face, Mary asks, “Something wrong?”
Cat replies, “My dad wants me to come home.”
Mary, who was told about the upcoming arrests and assigned to keep Cat away her home and office, asks, “Do you mind waiting a few minutes? There are a couple of things I would like to discuss.”
Cat says sure, and calls her dad. Sam tells her, “Rendezvous 24 hours, location later.”
Cat replies, “You know the Marshals gave me this phone, right?”
Sam packs his boat with his and Rianna’s suitcases, Cerberus the cybered guard dog, and some of his firearms. They head out to sea.
About 20 minutes later, two Coast Guard vessels and a helicopter approach his boat and tell Sam to “stand down. Return to shore.”
(GM note: Sam had NOT deactivated the boat’s 2 Lojack transmitters)
Sam goes back to his house. Raylan is there, along with Art Mulligan, the head of the Marshal’s office in Atlantic City, and a handful of other large, cybered-up Federal agents. Raylan asks Sam to “come down to the Federal Building.” Sam complies.
Art comes in to interrogate Sam, who has also been shackled to the table. Art begins by asking about the house in Mays Landing, “which you paid for. Trish and Lou-Ellen (Trish’s employer) told us where that money came from.”
Sam explains, “Logan was living in a bad neighborhood. He said he needed a new house. So I got one for him.”
Art seems surprised. “Do you often go around ‘getting new accommodations’ for associates?”
And as it turns out yes, Sam does often use his funds to help his friends and associates.
Art tells him what the Atlantic County Sheriff found there. “Surveillance equipment, pointed at the Sheriff’s house, plus the County Executive’s house.”
Sam claims not to know what Logan was doing.
Art says it’s a serious offence—Espionage—that Logan was engaged in.
(GM note: Yeah, and another braindanceable offence at that.)
“Plus they have evidence he made some Molotovs and a couple of bombs at the Northfield office of Fisher Associates,” the chief deputy adds.
Sam continues to deny any knowledge of Logan’s activities.
After a while, the helicopter with Nathan and his associates arrives at the Federal Building. Nathan again flashes his badge and takes over on ‘National Security’ grounds. Once all the cameras and recording equipment is turned off, Nathan goes into the room with Sam.
Nathan shakes his head. “Sam, I’m sorry about this, but I can’t get you out of this one. They’ve got Logan cold on Espionage—and you as his accomplice.”
“Me?” Sam asks. “How do they have me?”
Nathan points out, “You’re the boss. You know the saying, ‘The buck stops here?’ Well, that’s you. If you didn’t know what he was doing, you SHOULD have known. He was using your lab, your building, he was your employee. If he was that far off the reservation, you should have found out about it and pulled him back in.”
Sam acknowledges Nathan’s point and says, “That’s fair.”
Nathan continues, “Conspiracy for Espionage—that’s a braindance offense. And you know the agency policy on braindance. We’ve sent you in to ‘clean up’ situations like that. So, you have the same choice I gave Logan. You can have a heart attack, or plead guilty to Extortion and do 5 years in Medium Security.”
Nathan also informs Sam that Logan is dead, that he refused to go to jail.
Sam agrees to plead guilty and do the time. “Cat will be taken care of, so my only concern is Rianna. Can you make arrangements for her to stay at my house while I’m away?”
Nathan doesn’t know.
Sam asks for some time before they take him away. “There are a couple other people I want to see.”
Nathan agrees. “Sure, you’re a man of honor.” The CIA deputy director and former handler unshackles his friend and former agent.
Sam rubs his wrists, and asks if Nathan can look after his assets. Nathan agrees to see what he can do, but is pretty sure that “Everything has been confiscated.”
(GM note: Besides, Sheriff Gerry Notts and County Executive Mortimer Chambers are dialing their lawyers as we speak. Their civil suit will take Sam for every penny he’s got. Or at least that he doesn’t have stashed away in Swiss and Cayman Island bank accounts.)
Nathan asks whom Sam wants to see. He asks first for his daughter. Nathan replies she was last seen with her WitSec Marshal. The name ‘Albuquerque’ was mentioned. Nathan suspects that Cat has “disappeared down the rabbit hole.” Sam nods, knowing this is plausible and what’s likely to happen next.
(GM note: That would be Paraguay involvement and the White House extracting Cat from Albuquerque.)
Sam asks next to see Rianna, who is nearby, having followed Sam and the Marshals to the Federal Building. Learning of Sam’s fate, Rianna gives him a big hug and says she will buy his house if he wants her to stay there.
“You have money?” Sam asks in surprise.
Rianna smiles. “Yes. I only work because I like to.”
Next, Sam asks to see Doc Freeman, telling his business partner he’s been arrested.
Doc Freeman muses, “Drunk and disorderly?”
Sam tells him, “I wish. The company is done. Logan fucked up. He screwed the pooch. Everyone is fucked up. I’ve got to do 5 years in jail.”
Doc Freeman wonders, “Why?”
Sam informs him, “Because I was in charge of the company. Logan made bombs on company grounds.”
Doc Freeman recommends, “You should get a better lawyer than the one you’re using.”
Sam explains it’s this or braindance. “And you know the CIA takes a dim view of that.”
Doc Freeman understands. “So you cut a deal?”
Sam agrees. “I’m pleading to the lesser charge.”
Doc Freeman offers assistance. “What do you need?”
Sam says he’s fine. “Just letting you know.” He shows the doctor a picture of Rianna. “She’ll be staying at my house.” Sam adds, “Logan is dead.”
Doc Freeman says he’ll stay in touch.
Rianna and Doc Freeman talk about providing security for her.
Sam talks with Raylan, whom he asks to keep an eye on Rianna. He also tells the Marshal about Rianna’s ex, Luigi Garza, currently believed to be in Night City but a potential threat to her wellbeing.
Meanwhile, Cat is still with Mary at the Convenient Café. Mary takes a phone call, then tells her charge, “The shit storm is subsiding. But we’ll need to move you to Albuqueque. We’ve got a safe house already prepared for you there.”
Cat asks to see Sam before they leave—which Mary agrees to. The teenager then goes to see her dad, and turns on the jammer in her pocket.
First, Cat gives Sam a big hug.
Sam tells her, “Logan fucked us,” and explains what happened. “I’m doing five years. It was that or eat a bullet.”
Cat, who is fighting back her tears, inquires, “Anything you need?”
Sam has a list. “Rianna is buying the house. But all the private stuff. Can you hold it for me? All the illegal guns at the safe house? Nathan will take my personal military stuff. But they’re confiscating my assets. Keep an eye on Rianna if you can. I’ll be out in 5 years. Keep in touch.”
Cat says she will do what she can. “And I’ll send money for your canteen.”
Sam thanks his daughter “for everything. They’re sending me away. Tell Kyle I apologize. Tell him I’m sorry.”
Cat gives her dad a big hug. “I love you.”
Later that night at the WitSec safe house Cat makes a few calls from her cyberdeck. The first is to her Collective. She uses her code phrase for ‘get me OUT of here!’ The second is to Kyle, “They’re going to send me off somewhere else. Be ready in a couple of days. I’ll send a car for you.”
Cat then calls Allison. “I’ve been grabbed by the Feds. I’m going away.”
Allison tells her friend, “I’ll miss you.”
Cat assures her, “I’ll be fine.”
Cat calls Nip to say goodbye. Nip vows, “I’ll find you.”
Cat calls Geoff to give him the news. Geoff responds, “I’m sad to see you go.” As for the problem with Jaclyn, “I’m working on it.”
Kyle heads home and goes to bed. (GM note: Curiously, nothing happens to Kyle. It seems that Harry Hoar indeed ‘pulled the plug’ for him. And, there’s nothing in the evidence pointing to Kyle.)
***
Friday, 9 May 2042:
Morning
Kyle and Harry meet as planned. They exchange parcels. Kyle receives a copy of his burn notice file. Harry assures the former ‘analyst’ that the file is just as he received it—redactions and all.
(GM note: The file contains more black ink covering entire sentences than it does useful information. However, each ‘entry’ does contain specific times and locations as well as tantalizing clues to events.)
Kyle turns over the lipstick, underwear and some of the videos, explaining why he needs to keep a few “just in case”.
Each wishes the other good luck in their future endeavors—with varying amounts of ambivalence and sincerity. Harry tells Kyle, “Don’t take this the wrong way. I hope I never see you again.”
Allison gets a call from Mr. Hammond to come to his classroom. When she arrives, he indicates his memory is ‘unreliable’ and perhaps Allison can come over to his house for a photo session that evening. In frilly lingerie and caressing a tuba.
She agrees, giggling with a smiling face—pulling off her Performance skill to pretend she is cool with that (and does a very convincing job of it). Then she calls Geoff. “How do you feel about pedophiles?”
Geoff is not a fan. So they make plans. Geoff takes the silenced pistol that Allison took from the shoebox in her foster dad’s closet. The teenaged fixer will sell the pistol. He will also get the cab number that Allison takes to Mr. Hammond’s home this evening—and call the cops an appropriate amount of time later.
Afternoon
Haku calls Geoff with news: Jaclyn had an accident during cheerleading practice today. Her leg is broken. Geoff informs Allison, who celebrates.
Evening
Allison takes the cab to Mr. Hammond’s house. Geoff calls the cops on schedule. Allison does a good enough job of Performance to persuade Mr. Hammond she is “into it”—which is not terribly hard. He wants to believe it. The cops arrive and arrest his ass.
Geoff goes to Bo. He explains what the teacher has done and that he’s going to jail. Perhaps the teacher can “meet some new friends” in prison? Bo agrees that pedophiles should get what’s coming to them. He will look into it.
***
A few days later
The teacher meets a shiv; he does not survive the encounter.
A limousine pulls up in front of Kyle’s boat. A bodyguard-looking fellow comes and taps on Kyle’s door. Kyle emerges. The vehicle has twin flags on the front fenders, near the headlights. It’s clearly a diplomatic car—and the flags are of Paraguay. The bodyguard indicates they have come for Kyle.
Returning to the vehicle, the man opens the door to the back seat. Inside, a Caitlin waves at Kyle. “Are you ready to go?” she asks.
Kyle knows what a Caitlin looks like—Caitlin Prime’s picture was plastered all over the media some years back, plus every CIA agent has heard the stories of how she snookered the agency. And yes, Kyle’s bags are packed. He goes to the car. The biogen asks, “Do you need to stop for your funds or anything? Or shall we go directly to Reagan International?”
Kyle indicates the airport would be fine. En route, the Caitlin gazes at him unrelentingly, and mentions that “Mom has told us so much about you.”
(GM note: Long-term followers of our campaign may already know this. There are eight Caitlins, sisters, all cloned from the same stock. Our Cat is the original, Caitlin Prime, and the ‘Mom’ to the group.)
At the airport, a small sleek jet with the Paraguay flag is on the tarmac. The Caitlin escorts him to the plane. Then the car and its other occupants return to DC.
Once inside the aircraft, Kyle sees Cat waiting for him. The jet takes off, and they talk.
Cat admits she hasn’t told Kyle the full truth about who she is. “I’m the original. Caitlin prime. We’re all a little different. We do different things. But each of us—we’re there for all the others. We’re sisters in the fullest sense of the word. They’ve released my funds.” She hands Kyle an official ID. “You’re now a citizen of Paraguay.”
Then the woman who purports to be Cat’s mother, Olivia Ortiz, comes into the cabin. Cat introduces them. As they talk Olivia slowly morphs into another person by way of a disguise feature implant. In reality, this person is Mallory, the “Butcher of Malagay”, a Nietzschean supersolo, and neither human nor Cat’s mother. While Kyle is at present not aware Mallory is a biogen, he knows her reputation and is beginning to put things together.