Play@YSDC

Timour had clambered into the car by the time Maks started gunning the engine, and he fumbled for his handgun deftly. The vein in his jaw pulsed as he ground his teeth. Damn it Gwen! He hated to leave her behind. She was a pretty one after all, but it wasn't the first time he'd run from a dame in hot water. It was his nom de guerre. It just had to be with those blokes, the ones they'd been so close to finding out about. What would they do to her?

Drive Maks! he barked, and aimed at the cultist on Gwen's back. His bullet swings wide, zinging past the cultist and causing Gwen to scream in terror.

OC

In the Alleyway, Behind the Tewfik's Shop

Nethaniel and Caroline dash along the dark alley through the fog. The backstreet is unpaved and slippery, and also strewn with loose bricks, boxes and other debris making it hazardous to run along.

Behind them the pair hear angry shouts of Arabic as their hunters enter the shop's small back yard; if lady luck is on their side they'll get away before the thugs spot them. From the other side of the buildings they hear the sound of the Bentley's distinctive engine and the sound of a gunshot. And still they can hear the sounds of Gwen's shrill screams.

OOC,Please make a luck roll for each of your characters Nethaniel=Luck65, Caroline=Luck70.

At the front of Tewfik's Shop.

As Maksim brings the car screeching around, Tewfik al-Sayed turns towards them his attention drawn to the car and the gunshot. Grinning manically and wide-eyed the Egyptian crosses the scepters in front of himself once more and begins to utter another incantation.

Behind Gwen one thug ducks, startled by the shot, he stumbles and almost drops his club; but the other tugs roughly on her hair, exposing her neck as he raises his vicious knife.

In the Alleyway, Near to Tewfik's Shop.

Nethaniel almost stumbles, but Caroline catches his arm and the two make it out of sight of thugs before they reach the alleyway. They can hear the murderous Arabs cursing behind them as they run, but the pursuit is disorganised now - some of the thugs are still following, but it's not all of them and they seem to be falling behind.

Ahead the alleyway bends sharply left, turning towards Arbour Street. The only other way out is through the back-yard of one of houses that back onto the narrow alley.

OOC,Although the alleyway turns back towards Arbour Street (the street where Tewfik's shop is located), it will emerge about 50 yards away from the spice shop.

"We could break our necks running through yards," Caroline pants. "The alley seems safe enough now . . ."

OOC - Maksim & Timour,Is Maksim driving away or ramming? I get the impression from your last post that he's going to drive away. Is Timour going to shoot again if he has the chance? At who? If you don't get chance to reply today, I'll assume that Maks is getting out of there and Timour will take a parting shot as the Bentley drive away.

OOC - Caroline & Nethaniel,If DSIG doesn't get chance to reply today, then I'll assume that he agrees with Caroline.

Maksim gets the hell out of Dodge (as the Americans say), hoping beyond hope that they can get away and that Timour's passing shot will take out either Gwen or that nasty monster with the weird looking rods. He swears in Russian, knowing that their retreating vehicle must be breaking poor Gwen's heart, but what the hell could they do?

OOC,Timour has time to take one shot as Maksim gets them the Hell outta there. Trixie just needs to post who the target is. I'm using the Hollywood method of synchronizing timelines, so the car reaches the alley just as the others run out.

Arbour Street, Soho - Near to Tewfik's Spice Shop

With a squeal of burning rubber the Bentley races past the Arab thugs and the still screaming librarian, Timour fires another shot as they drive past, but Maksim has no time to see who the target was, or if this bullet finds its mark.

Suddenly ahead him Maks sees his friends Caroline and Nethaniel dashing out of an alleyway into the glare of the Bentley's headlights.

Maks briefly brakes the vehicle, giving them the chance to throw themselves headlong into the back seat. All the while he's sending up a prayer to a God he doesn't believe in to take care of Gwen. Funny how even atheists turn to the Lord in times of jeopardy... He'd laugh about it later. But only after he'd drowned his sorrows in enough vodka to kill a small horse.

After running for what seemed like an endless time in the dark, Caroline, accompanied by Nathaniel, suddenly finds herself shading her eyes trying to see in the glare of a car's headlights. At first she feels defeated--Damn, they must've snuck around us!--but then she determines that it's the Bentley, pulling up for them. At the wheel she can just make out Maks, and the often-irritating Rukov has never seemed more welcome to her. As quickly as she can, she attempts to climb into the backseat.

In the Bentley's passenger seat Timour looks devastated, "Damn it Maks, she didn't run! I got the bastard right between the eyes! Gwen could have run!"

He holsters his gun as Caroline and Nethaniel are getting into the car, "That other brotherhood bastard dragged her away; she just let him!"

"Damn it! Get us the Hell out of here!"

OOC,I'll only post for you if it's holding up other players, and only after a couple of days. I thought about it for ages and decided that I didn't think Timour would shoot Gwen, I think he's more optimistic than Maks. :)

Nethaniel removes a hankerchief from the inside of his tweed jacket and dabs sensitively at the swet forming on his brow.

My word! Haven't had such a go at botany bay since I was a lad. We should head back to the flat and right quick mate! If Gwen sings, that dottie bird and the lot of us are brown as bread. We gotta clear out mates! Find a new hidey hole quick as the airs and graces so's we can plan our next move...

Maksim nods and speeds off towards the hotel, his teeth gritted as he hunkers down behind the steering wheel.

Caroline wishes she could disagree with Nathaniel or Timour--or anyone, really, at this point--but things did seem about as bleak as depicted. She puts a hand on Maks's shoulder as silent thanks and out of a desire to borrow some of the Russian's steadfastness.

Maksim nods once in silent recognition of her connection and then dons his pragmatism once again ... his mind whirring with ideas. "We get any time, I'm going to teach you all how to shoot a gun. For now, we get our things. We get a post office box, a big one, or a bank vault, or something we can hide our important notes and clues in. This way we can abandon hotel rooms real quickly with no fear."

As far as they can tell it doesn't look like anyone is following yet, but the engine of Tewfik's truck was still running when Maksim and Timour drove past.

OOC,If you aren't pursued then you'll be ok making another couple of IC posts here and then I'll swap you back to the Ritz Hotel thread on Monday. The journey takes about 15-20 minutes in these conditions without speeding. If you are pursued then the chase will commence on Monday :)