Play@YSDC

Z-Day - 5:20 PM Central Time - Brooks High School, Omaha, Nebraska
In the lobby-
Doug led the way into the lobby, followed closely by Darnell and then Roy, who was lugging Erica. Heather brought up the rear, still walking backwards and pointing the barrel of the M-16 back at the door of the security office in case anyone tried to follow them.

The lobby was deserted, as were the halls leading away to the north, east, and west. The double front doors were still completely barricaded, so there would be no getting out that way.

"Which way, mon?" Doug asked Darnell.

OOC,[b]Darnell[/b], roll Listen. The base skill is 25%.

Darnell did not hear anything. "Well the adults want us out of the school so I say we go to my house which is only a few blocks away from here. Mom was supposed to work this morning so if she was infected she was infected at the day care she works at instead of at home and if not she should be safe there and we should be safe as well. But I say we take the bitch with us as added insurance cause I do not trust that cop bitch. She will shoot us down as soon as she can."

In the lobby-
"I like the way you think, buddy," said Roy, clutching Erica tighter. "We're keeping her."

"We totally can't go there now," whispered Heather, glancing back at the door to the security office. "They might have heard you and stuff."

"I know a place," whispered Doug. "I'll tell you when we're outside. I meant, which way do we head out of the building? Don't say it, just lead the way."

Darnell thought for a minute and then dug into his pocket where he found a love note he had written to his girlfriend earlier that day along with a pen. He wrote on it and then said, "We will go upstairs and take more hostages then we can be left alone." He then passed the note to the group which said: We will go down the hall to the north stairs but slip out the fire exit in the auditorium! Someone watch our backs!
Darnell then led the way down the hall to Auditorium and north stairs.

In the lobby-
Roy lugged Erica as he followed Darnell, with Doug right behind him. Heather brought up the rear, keeping her eyes and her M-16 trained on the lobby.

In the north hall, ground floor-
Darnell led the way down the north hall, with the others following after him. They passed the doors to the bathrooms on either side of the hall, and then the door to the shop classroom. Two sets of double doors on the west wall led to the auditorium. Each of them had a metal bar that ran through the handles designed to keep the doors closed, apparently as part of an attempt to block off the doors to keep any zombies from getting in through the auditorium. The double doors to the gym on the east side of the hall had no such obstruction, nor did the single door at the north end of the hall that led to the stairs.

Darnell cursed and silently pointed out the bars. He then nodded to the gym and entered there quickly and quietly.

In north hall, ground floor-
Roy hauled Erica through the doors to the gym, blood still dripping from her scalp. Doug and Heather followed.

In the gym-
Darnell and the others entered the big gym, which was deserted. The athletic supply closet remained open as it had been left, and next to it stairs led down to the locker rooms. Without electricity, it was completely dark down there. Two fire exits led out of the gym, one in the north wall and one in the east.

Darnell headed for the fire exit in the east wall.

In the gym-
Roy lugged Erica outside after Darnell, and then Heather and Doug went out too, letting the door close behind them.

In the construction area-
Darnell and the others emerged into the construction area east of the school building. The first thing they noticed was a battered red 1965 Ford Mustang idling on the grass just southeast of the building. The next thing they noticed was Keith Stewart emerging from the east stairwell, right near the car. Heather smiled when she saw him and waved, then pressed a finger to her lips.

OOC,[b]Darnell[/b], roll Listen.

Southeast of the school-
Keith stepped outside not far from the car. When he did, he saw an odd sight to the north, just outside the fire exit leading out of the gym near the northeast corner, in the construction site. Darnell was carrying a bloody baseball bat leading a group of his fellow students. Roy was carrying Trooper Erica Spears with one arm, having slung her over his shoulder. She had been badly injured, and a serious wound on her scalp was oozing blood. Heather Anderson was with them too, carrying an M-16, and he saw her wave and signal to him to be quiet. Also with them was Doug Marley, carrying a baseball bat that was even bloodier than Darnell's.

OOC,[b]Keith[/b], roll Listen.

[Listen 40%: 95]
Keith nods to Heather to indicate he understands. Seeing the blood, body and weapons he has no wish to be involved. He backs away from the group as casually as possible.

Darnell stood in the contruction area and tried to see if he heard anything. He did not hear a thing however. Darnell pointed to the car and started that way.

In the construction area-
Roy, still carrying Erica, along with Heather and Doug followed Darnell and got closer to Keith and the car. As they approached, Keith could see that Erica, while unconscious and badly injured, was still alive.

"Now that's a sweet ride," whispered Roy.

Doug nodded. "Let's jack it, mon," he replied.

"Hey, Keith," said Heather quietly with a smile when she got near. "Why don't you come with us? I know you totally don't want to stay here with those losers. There will be enough room for all of us if we lock the bitch in the trunk."

OOC,Everyone, roll Spot Hidden.

[OOC, Spot Hidden 35% (1d100=45)]

Wide eyed at the motley group and the suggestion of stuffing a person in the trunk, Keith nervously replies to Heather: "Uh yeah," then a grin spreads over his face, "hell yeah! Let's split."

Southeast of the school-
Darnell led the group over to the car. As he did, he spotted out of the corner of his eye that the car had been left unlocked with the keys in the ignition. He also saw that there was a hole in the south side of the fence large enough for the Mustang to pass through. Heather took no notice, but Roy caught a glimpse too. Doug was too focused on getting out to notice.

"It's not locked, and the keys are still in it," said Roy. "We can get out through that big hole in the fence."

"I'm totally driving," said Heather, opening the driver's door and slipping in. She flipped the trunk release. "The engine's still running, even."

"Shotgun," said Doug, getting into the shotgun seat. "I'll guide you, and I'll hold that M-16."

Heather handed it across.

Darnell got into the back seat first and slid over to the right. Keith got in and sat in the middle of the rear seat. Roy stuffed Erica in the trunk and locked her in, then got into the left rear seat himself. Doug passed the baseball bat back to Roy.

Roy and Darnell noticed a man appear on the roof, and they recognized him as Adam Donnelly. He was not armed, but he had clearly spotted them.

"We'd better make like a tree and get outta here," said Roy.

Darnell said, "Hit it Heather Baby."

"Yeah! No-one will tell us what to do - ever again. I'm so stoked to be with you guys."

Outside the school-
Heather hit the gas pedal and turned the wheel, steering the Mustang through the hole in the fence. "Like, which way now?" she asked.

"Turn right," said Doug, and Heather did. "My dad owns a warehouse a ways northwest of here. He's got a whole posse working for him. They've got guns, drugs, anything we could ever need! Keith, your old boss is dead, mon. He killed my uncle and he had to go down. You don't need him any more, anyway. It's too bad we couldn't bring my sister, but dad will make sure she gets picked up."

Roy glanced back at the school. "There's the principal, coming around the corner to the construction site. Keith, your buddy Miguel's with him." Darnell caught a brief glimpse of them too before the Mustang roared past the school and the building blocked them from view.

OOC,[b]Darnell[/b] and [b]Keith[/b], roll Spot Hidden.

[OOC, Spot Hidden 35% (1d100=30)]

"Hey, Doug, the man had it coming. I'm glad he's dead - now I'll have a new boss."

"Miguel you say? He's a good kid, there's no chance of stopping these wheels for him to jump aboard?"

Darnell said, "We can't take everyone with us and I never liked that principle. He will try to talk us into being arrested or he is helping the man get a bead on us to shoot us down. If you stop Heather I will come over that seat and drive away." While he was saying this Darnell was looking around and he saw something.

On the street-
"Like, no way am I stopping!" said Heather. She caught a glimpse of something in the road ahead.

"Yeah, mon, the principal would have our hides," said Doug. "Maybe my pop can pick up Miguel when he comes for Lisa, later." The conversation distracted him, and he didn't see anything.

Roy wasn't paying much attention to anything outside the car.

Everyone but Roy and Doug could see a small group of people walking in the distance ahead. They were some two blocks away from the school and heading closer. The people in the car recognized Tariq al-Tikriti and his son Ali (who rode a bicycle), Lori Desmond, the homeless man Alvin Drummond, and the dog Murray that always followed him around. There was also a woman in her late thirties, as well as two unfamiliar men with Middle Eastern looks.

"There's some people up ahead," said Heather. "Which way do I go?"

"Turn right," said Doug, pointing at the intersection ahead, one block away from the school. Heather did as he directed and the car rounded the bend. The pedestrians were no longer visible.

Keith:
"Heather, Doug you're right, no stopping - 'School's out for ever'," he chuckles.

On the street-
"For sure!" cheered Heather. She drove through the streets of Omaha following Doug's directions. The area was deserted, but she had to steer around a number of wrecked cars - or sometimes take a detour when they were blocking the road. They soon reached a commercial district with plenty of warehouses.

"That one," said Doug, pointing out one warehouse in particular.

Heather pulled up outside one of the bay doors and parked the car in front of it. She shut down the engine and made sure to take the keys.

Darnell said, "Maybe we should park the car inside in case cops or someone comes looking for us or the car."

Keith:
"Darnell, yeah, I reckon you're right - although, there aren't too many cops about."

"So what's the set-up inside like? I can imagine a new and profitable career for me in pushing drugs to the needy - and there sure ought to be a lot of them!"

Outside the warehouse-
"Good thinking, mon," said Doug, getting out of the car. "With the power out, the only way to open the big doors is manually, from the inside. I've got the warehouse keys, and we can go in through that smaller door on the right." He took out a ring of keys and headed for the entrance, a normal-sized door with a small square window. "We've got plenty of drugs stored here. Most of them we don't make ourselves, so it'll be hard to get new supply, but we do have hydroponics in the basement where we grow our ganja. Once you try that, you'll never go back to plain old weed."

"Okay," said Heather. "I'll, like, wait in the car until you open the doors."

Roy got out of the car and joined Doug at the door, rubbing his sore ribs. "You guys comin'?" he asked.

Darnell said, "I will stay and protect Heather. I can drive the car in once you get the doors open."

Keith:
"Yeah, I'm comin'.
"Hey Doug, I need a relaxing smoke."

Once they were alone Darnell said to Heather, "Were you friends with my ex? Did she really stab me in the back and fuck that Kyle being the mother of his child?"

Outside the warehouse-
Doug unlocked the small door and went inside with Roy and Keith.

"I can totally drive just fine," said Heather to Darnell, still sitting behind the wheel. "We don't need to play Chinese fire drill. I wasn't, like, LaTanya's friend and stuff, but I did hear gossip. She and Kyle were screwing back when they were still a couple, but then she broke up with him and hooked up with you. I didn't hear anything about her and Kyle getting together after that."

In the entry hall-
Doug led the way into the warehouse, down a long hall with more doors on the left and right and one at the far end. "Dad!" called Doug. "Yo, Dad! You here?"

"Doug?" came an older man's voice with a Jamaican accent from somewhere to the left. "Thank Ras Tafari it's you! We were just about to come looking for you. Is your sister with you?"

"No, she's still at school. I'll explain everything in a minute. We've got a hot car outside we need to bring in. I've also got Keith Stewart with me, but he's with us now. Chuck Lubachek is dead, mon!" He opened the first door on the left and walked through, motioning for Roy and Keith to follow.

Darnell sighed and said, "Well she told me and everyone else that Kyle was the daddy of her new baby. That is why I could not kill him. If my ex is having a baby and its his he needs a daddy. if its mine, well I made my choice and if I go back they are just going to hang me anyway. So nothing behind me now. Only ahead."

Handy,Is Heather dating anyone?

Keith:
"Sir, I wanna work for you, be one of your gang. I've a track record in peddling drugs and extorting cash at my school - I'll make you a nice profit."

In the entry hall-
"We're on the main floor," replied Doug's father.

Doug opened the first door on the left and waved for Keith and Roy to follow him. They all went through.

On the main floor-
Doug, Roy, and Keith entered a vast warehouse floor. In the center of it was a green Volkswagen minibus. Its doors were open, and five men with dreadlocks were gathered around it, checking their guns. One of them, a man in his mid-thirties with a MAC-11 submachine gun in his hand and a Desert Eagle and a large knife on his belt stepped forward and embraced Doug. "It's good to see you safe, son," he said. "You'll have to tell me what happened. Lou, Malcolm, open the bay door." Two men, one of them huge and toting a shotgun, the other of average height with a rifle on his back, went over to the door that Doug indicated and began to raise it manually.

"I know you told me to keep a low profile, Dad," said Doug, "but it couldn't be helped. I found out that Chuck Lubachek had murdered Uncle Jacob. The police went to arrest him, and I went with, but I was so angry and I was worried that they wouldn't be able to hold him. I drew my piece, but this security lady Rachel Cohen knocked me out and they took my gun. I woke up in the security office where they had Chuck locked up. That's when these guys burst in. They wanted to kill Kyle Rogers, who brought guns and bombs to school and was going to kill people. You should have seen it. I snatched the keys to the cells from that dumb school security guard Jerry Law and opened Chuck's cell. Then Roy here knocked him into next week with his baseball bat!"

"Yeah," said Roy. "Then Darnell and I went to kill that punk Kyle's ass, but Darnell wussed out at the last minute and saved his life."

Outside the warehouse-
As Darnell and Heather waited, they saw the bay door in front of them begin to slowly rise. They saw the two men lifting it and the others on the main floor of the warehouse. When the door was open high enough, Heather pulled forward into the warehouse.

On the main floor-
Heather drove the Mustang inside and parked in a large open space, near the VW minibus.

"Anyway," continued Doug, "the cops showed up and broke down the door, but Darnell and Heather over there clobbered this lady cop Erica, and Roy grabbed her and took her hostage. We ran into Keith on the way out, and Heather suggested that he come with us."

Doug's father smiled. "You showed real initiative, my son," he said. "I'm so proud of you. Malcolm can lend you his pistol until we can get you a new one." He extended his hand to Keith. "I'm Damon Marley. Welcome to the posse, mon. The stuff we sell is much better than that pathetic weed your old boss had. Ernie, give him a free sample."

A thin man stepped forward and took a fat joint out of his pocket, offering it to Keith. "Here's our best ganja, mon," he said. "It's strong stuff."

"Wesley's our sawbones," said Damon to Roy. "He'll get you and Doug back into shape. I am in your debt for taking out that bastard Lubachek."

Darnell got out and said, "Sir I am in your debt for hiding us. But i am afraid that the bastards may come here if they followed us. We need to stand guard and since i have nothing else going for me now can I join your crew as well? i am a good runner and have a very good throwing arm so I can throw motov cocktails or whatnot."

"The more the merrier," said Damon with a grin. "You and Heather helped Roy, so you'd be welcome to join too. We need to go get Lisa, so we can't just hole up here. How would anyone find us, anyway? Were you followed?"

Keith:
"Mr Marley, I'm pleased to be here."

He lights up. Huskily: "F_ckin' A1."

On the main floor-
Damon chuckled heartily as Keith took a puff. The ganja was indeed powerful, its scent invigorating him as the smoke wafted up his nostrils and into his lungs.

Wesley opened up a first aid kit and put some ice on Doug's forehead. Doug felt better, but not completely. "You and Roy are going to need a lot more treatment," Wesley said.

"This Rachel, she beat you?" asked Damon.

"She only hit me in the head," said Doug. "It was Jerry Law who damn near broke my arm."

"Where did you get that M-16?" asked Malcolm, admiring it.

"I took that off Erica," said Roy. "Oh, that reminds me. We don't just have a hot car - we have a hot girl too. Heather, pop the trunk."

Heather nodded and unlocked the trunk. She opened it to reveal Erica lying scrunched up inside, her scalp a bloody mess. She was still unconscious but breathing. "Like, you should have seen it," said Heather. "She went after Darnell, and he totally cracked her in the head with his bat. Then I socked her one. Bam! Bitch goes down!"

"We can lock her up in one of the empty storage rooms," suggested Lou.

"I'll have a look at her later," said Wesley. "Doug and Roy come first."

Malcolm unholstered a Glock and handed it to Doug butt first, along with some extra magazines. "Here you go, mon," he said. "You can give it back when you get one of your own. You should let one of your friends use the M-16 for now."

Doug handed the rifle back to Heather. "Thanks," she said. "I can totally use a pistol better, but this is pretty cool."

Keith:
He grins at the goings on around him: "All this is so cool."

Darnell said, "Actually Heather counts as a hot girl as well so that is two hot girls we have. Anyway, if you want to go back to the school we can and I will join you but they may be waiting for us there to kill us all. But I am a lowly soldier and will do what you say sir. Do you have any food however, I am starving."

On the main floor-
"Yeah," said Heather in response to Keith. "This is totally awesome!"

"We've got some food here," said Damon, "but we have to get my daughter back before we worry about eating. Once she's safe, then we can relax. Doug and Roy should stay here with Wesley so they can get patched up, and they can guard the warehouse and the prisoner while they're here. I will need the rest of you to come with us just in case things go wrong, but I hope you won't need to do anything or even be seen. They have no right to hold Lisa. If they try, we're taking her back, one way or another."

He led the group over to the VW minibus, a rusty relic of the 1970s, and opened the side door. "Here's the plan. Darnell, Keith, and Heather, you'll ride in the back of the bus. The windows are tinted, so you won't be seen. Ernie is driving, of course, and Lou rides shotgun. I'll ride up front with them, and Malcolm will ride in the middle. We drive to the school, and I demand my children back. We act like we don't know that Doug has left. When they tell us he's gone, I insist that they let Lisa come with us. Everyone, get aboard." The Jamaicans got into the van, except for Wesley and Doug, and Heather got into the back seat and slid over.

"Like, come on, guys," she said.

While they were discussing this, Wesley and Roy lifted Erica out of the trunk and walked to the back of the main floor. Wesley led the way to a line of storage compartments, all of which had padlocked metal doors. Wesley took out a ring of keys and unlocked one of the compartments. He opened the door to reveal the empty storage space, some five feet across and ten feet deep. They placed Erica on the floor, then closed and locked the door.

Keith:
He climbs into the back of the minibus. Whispering: "Darnell, Heather, do you think it's wise to go back to school so soon? Hell - we only just got away from there."

Darnell says, "This will all end bad. I am used to it however. I am a black man and that is all I have to face. The streets and pure evil being done to me." He thought for a bit then said, "Heather, don't mind me asking but do you have a boyfriend or anything?"

Keith listens to Darnell, "You sound really down. This is 2010, black folk are not treated like shit anymore - no one would allow it."

"Any volunteers to speak to Mr Marley? to question whether returning to school is a good idea."

Darnell said, "You so hot on the idea you do it dude"

On the main floor-
"A boyfriend?" said Heather. "Like, the guy I was seeing is probably zombie chow, but you never know. I don't know if we should go back there or not, but look at it this way: they'll totally never look for us there."

Damon drove the minibus out through the open garage bay door.

"Roy, make yourself useful and close the door while I treat Doug," said Wesley. "When I'm done with him I'll see to you." He wasn't able to do much for his injured arm while Roy went over to the big door and pulled it shut.

Outside the warehouse-
Damon pulled out onto the driveway and turned onto the street, heading south. Behind them, everyone in the bus could see Roy close the garage door.

Darnell said, "So since it is the end of the world and stuff how bout me and you get together baby. I can show you things that will make any woman scream for more." He put his hand on her leg and rubbed.

Keith:
"Hey Damon, what's the plan?"

In the minibus-
"Yeah, maybe," said Heather to Darnell.

"Once we get there," said Damon, "Lou and I will go inside the school and ask where Doug and Lisa are. Everyone else waits in the bus unless something goes wrong. They won't see you through the tinted windows. Once we get Lisa, we get her back to the bus and drive out of here, back to the warehouse."

Keith:
"Okay Damon."

Darnell leaned forward and put his hand on Heather's leg rubbing toward her privates.

OOC,[b]Erica[/b], [b]Roy[/b], and [b]Doug[/b] are moving to the thread linked below. Everyone else remains in the current thread.

Captivity

In the minibus-
"Like, not here!" said Heather. She took Darnell's hand and held it in her own. "Wait till we're alone and we can get a room and stuff. I don't want all these guys watching us."

Ernie drove the minibus through the streets of Omaha. It didn't take long to reach the block the school was on. It was possible to see out through the green tinted windows, but not in. Chuck's auto body shop and the attached convenience store were on the right side of the street, and the school was on the left. Ernie parked the bus on the street, not far from the large hole that had been torn in the fence southeast of the building. There was nobody visible on the street.

"Okay, we're here," said Damon. "Sit tight, we won't be long."

Malcolm looked out the window at the auto body shop. "That son of a bitch Chuck may be dead," he said, "but what about his bitch of a mother? Maybe we should take her out too, mon."

"Not until we have Lisa safely back."

OOC,[b]Darnell[/b] and [b]Keith[/b], roll Spot Hidden.

Keith:

[ooc: Spot Hidden (1d100=69)]

"Sure thing, Damon."

Mr. Handy,Keith wants to get away from the gang and back into the school. He'll exit the minibus (when the coast is clear) and run to the school, heading in a different direction to Malcolm etc.

Keith:

"Malcolm, can I nip round the side of the minibus and take a leak?"

Darnell spoke up and said, "Yeah I have to take a leak as well. Can I go too?"

In the minibus-

Darnell Jones,[b]Darnell[/b] [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2474450/]noticed[/url] that [b]Dr. Helene Saunders[/b] was on the roof of the school, watching the minibus. He also saw [b]Donald Woodridge[/b] peek briefly out of the east stairwell's fire exit before ducking back inside, as well as [b]Rachel Cohen[/b] looking out the window of the auto body shop on the other side of the street.

Heather glanced out the window, but she didn't see much.

"Too risky, mon," said Malcolm in response to Keith and Darnell. "Someone might see you." He took a look outside himself, but noticed nothing.

"Malcolm's right," said Damon. "Just hold it in. Lou and I should only be a few minutes. In and out. We'll be back at the warehouse before you know it." He looked outside too, not seeing anything of note.

Lou noticed something out the window. "We're definitely being watched, mon," he said. "Some chick in the auto body shop, an old woman on the school's roof, and an old man just looked out the nearest door at the school." He opened his door, he and Damon both got out, and then he shut the door.

Ernie looked out his window, but couldn't quite see anyone.

Keith:

"Okay.
"You know, I don't understand why we have returned to the school?"

Darnell said, "Keith shut the hell up. You wanted in on this venture now they are in command and we are just privates. You want to advance, do what your ordered to do."

Keith gulps. "I'll complain no more," he says timidly.

In the minibus-
"Hey, the boss needs to pick up his little girl, mon," said Malcolm. "He won't be long."

Through the windows, the people inside could see Damon and Lou go through the hole in the fence and onto school grounds.

Darnell Jones,[b]Darnell[/b] saw [b]Rachel[/b] move away from the window.

Darnell said, "This may be a trap guys."

Keith looks nervous and begins to sweat. "I've gotta get outside of the minibus or I'm gonna piss my pants." He rises from his seat.

Darnell pushed Keith down and said, "I said stay down. You choose to come with us now you will live your choice! Move again, and I will hurt you bad."

Keith gives a whinny of fear. He produces a pistol that was hidden in his pants. Waving the pistol around:
"Don't fuck with me! I'll shoot anyone who tries to stop me."
He reaches for the door handle (to get out).

Darnell shouted in fear and grapped Keith.

In the minibus-
"Sit down, mon!" hissed Malcolm at Keith, unslinging his rifle. Ernie looked back and drew his pistol. Heather just sat and watched as Darnell grabbed Keith and reached for his gun arm.

Meanwhile, Lisa Marley came running out of the door of the auto body shop. "Father!" she called, hurrying towards the minibus. Back on the school grounds, Damon and Lou turned around and rushed back through the hole in the fence to meet her.

"My little Lisa!" cried Damon, sweeping her up in his arms and spinning around, tears of joy running down his face.

OOC,We're in combat now. [b]Darnell[/b] has acted this round, and has successfully grabbed [b]Keith[/b]. [b]Keith[/b] cannot attempt to parry, as his hands are not both empty. He may try to Dodge, and if he succeeds he will be able to exit the bus this round. He will not, however, be able to attack whether he succeeds or fails. He may decide not to try to avoid the grab, but instead to counterattack [b]Darnell[/b]. He may not fire the gun, as he and [b]Darnell[/b] are now struggling for it. He may roll a Grapple of his own to try to get it back, but the base skill is only 25%. He may instead use an unarmed attack, and if it's a punch he may declare a knockout attempt, though [b]Darnell[/b] might be able to parry if you hit. He cannot parry with a punch, as his hands are full grabbing [b]Keith[/b], but he could use his leg to block by rolling Kick. The base chance for that is only 25% as well. He may not Dodge, as he has attacked this round.

[ooc: Dodge 24% (1d100=28)]

"Gerroff me! I wanna get out."

In the minibus-
Keith sprang for the door, but Darnell was a touch faster. He wrapped his arms around Keith's waist and held onto him just inches from the side door.

Outside the bus, Damon carried Lisa over to the door while Lou pulled it open. Both men were surprised when they saw the scuffle within, and Lisa gasped.

"Whatever you're doing, knock it off," said Damon. "Lou, get in the shotgun seat. I'll ride in the middle with Lisa and Malcolm." He put his daughter down in the center of the middle seat before climbing in and pulling the door shut. Lou opened up the passenger door and slid into the seat, slamming his door. "Ernie, mon, get us out of here!"

OOC,[b]Darnell[/b], as it turns out, [b]Keith[/b] faiied to Dodge (barely), so you are still holding onto him. You get to go before him, so you may take whatever action you wish. If you want to try to snatch the gun away from him, make a second Grapple roll. You may instead use any of the other options that can be exercised once you've Grappled someone that are listed in the rules.

Keith's body goes limp and he drops the gun:
"Darnell, please don't hurt me!"

Darnell held onto Keith and said, "I ain't going to hurt you boy but you need to think. I want to go see my moms too but if we let you go now, then you will be tourtred by the assholes in there and they will get from you where we are. Once we get Lisa back and exchange the pig or let her loose then we will let you go too comprende?"

"Yes, I understand."

Darnell grabbed the gun and stuck it in his pants.

Handy,Weapon info please on pistol?

In the minibus-
Lisa looked around in shock as Ernie pulled out with a screech of tires. "Father, what's going on?" she asked. "Doug-"

"He's fine, sweetheart," Damon assured her. "He's back at the warehouse, and Wesley is looking after him. We're going back to join them now." He frowned at Keith as the minibus made a sharp left turn. "What's this about you trying to leave, mon? I thought we had an understanding."

"Wait, you have Erica?" said Lisa. "What are you going to do with her?"

"We'll discuss everything when we get back to the warehouse."

"They know about it, but I didn't tell them where it is and they don't know."

"Good girl!" said Damon, hugging her.

Ernie steered through the streets of Omaha, heading back to the warehouse. Soon it was visible ahead.

OOC,[b]Darnell[/b], the pistol is a Beretta, and the stats are shown in the Locations and Weapons thread. I've moved it from [b]Keith[/b]'s weapons list to yours.

"I'm sorry, Mr Marley. I felt the need to get out of the minibus - I do get a little nervous!" Keith emits a goofy laugh.

[ooc: Fast Talk 45% (1d100=91)]

Keith stammers and stumbles over his words: he is altogether unconvincing.

In the minibus-
"Do you think I and I am a fool, mon?" asked Damon, glowering at Keith. "You were trying to split on us! Try that again and we'll lock you up right next to that lady pig! Darnell, keep a close eye on him."

Ernie pulled up into the warehouse's driveway. As he did so, Roy raised one of the bay doors from within easily with his ample muscles, and then Ernie drove inside. Wesley was at the back of the main floor, treating Doug's injuries.

"Everyone out," said Damon.

Darnell grabbed Keith's arm and said, "Come on you!"

"Alright! Alright! Take it easy on me, will you?"

Darnell said to Keith, "Shut it you. You break the rules of the gang again and I will personally come after you and if you ever pull a gun on me I will kill you got it?"

On the main floor-
Darnell hauled Keith out of the minibus. Damon helped Lisa out next, and was followed by Heather, Lou, Malcolm, and Ernie. Wesley was bandaging Doug's head, and a pile of Erica's clothing was nearby. Roy closed the garage door.

"Doug!" cried Lisa, running over to him and hugging him. "What happened to you?"

"That Jerry Law beat me up," he said, "but I'll be all right. Wesley is doing a fine job."

"Hey, Mr. Marley," said Roy, "I took a bulletproof vest off of Erica. I'm way too big for it, but it's about your son's size. I figured I could trade it for a gun, ammo, and some drugs. Heather, you can have the rest of her clothes if you like."

"Yes, I think we can work something out," said Damon.

Heather looked at the boots and clothing with obvious distate. "Like, I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that stuff," she said, tossing her hair. "It's so unfashionable."

"Fine, I can trade them too. Lisa's too small for 'em, but I'm sure you can find some use."

Lisa noticed the pile for the first time. "What have you done with Erica?" she asked. "You took off her clothes?!"

Keith says to Darnell: "Yeah, I got it. I'll be a good boy now."

Darnell said, "Good!" He released Keith but said to Roy, "Keep an eye on him will you?" He then turned to Heather and said, "Ya want to go somewhere and get to know each other better baby?"

On the main floor-
"I dunno," said Heather. "This place is kind of a dump. I've never been in this neighborhood before, so I don't know what's around here."

"Probably best not to go wandering around," said Ernie. "Just stay here tonight. It'll be dark in an hour or so, anyway."

Roy went over to Keith. "What the hell did you do back there?" he asked.

"Oh, he only almost gave the game away," said Malcolm. "He tried to get off the bus and run out on us where everyone could see him."

"Roy did it," said Doug to Lisa while Wesley continued to treat him. "When he was searching her."

"But why, for the love of Jah?" said Lisa, frowning. "Why are you doing all this? What's going on here? Guns, ammo, drugs?!"

Damon put an arm around her. "Lisa, my darling," he said, "I know this comes as a shock, but you have to understand that we did this to provide for you and Doug. We are in business. This is how I am able to afford to buy you so many fine things."

"Chuck Lubacheck killed our uncle Jacob," said Doug. "That's why he had to die. And Erica tried to stop us from leaving, so we had to take her with us."

"But you'll let her go now, right?" asked Lisa.

"We can't," said Damon. "She saw what your brother did."

"You're not going to kill her, are you?!"

"No, no, we just keep her here until we can figure something out."

"Roy, Malcolm: I had an attack of nerves -- all the zombie shit has taken a hold of my mind -- and need a rest, that's all."

On the main floor-
Malcolm frowned, clearly not impressed wtih Keith.

"It's almost time for dinner," said Damon. "We have some MREs put away here for emergencies, and this certainly qualifies. It won't be as good as what they serve at school, but it'll fill you up. Before we eat, there's time for a quick tour of the warehouse. Who's interested?"

"I'll have to pass this time," said Roy. "I gotta have the doc here take a look at me once he's done helping your son. One of those things cracked my ribs, I think."

Darnell whispered to Heather, "We can tour this place and then slip away. Then I will show you a good old time baby."

Enthusiastically: "Yeah, a tour! I'd like to have a look around."

On the main floor-
"I've never been here before," said Lisa. "I'll go on the tour too."

"I'm, like, totally interested," said Heather. "Where do you make the drugs?"

Damon laughed heartily. "All in good time," he said. "Let's start here. This is the main floor of our warehouse. Everything that happens here is legitimate, and so is everything we store up here. Our operations are hidden. I'll show you that later. Follow me, everyone." He went through an interior door to the hallway that ran alongside the main floor. Lisa and Heather followed him.

Keith follows along too. He says to Darnell:
"Hey man: drugs!" and laughs goofily.

Darnell followed behind, his eyes on Heathers nice ass.

On the main floor-
"We make and store the good stuff down below," said Damon, leading the small tour group out into the hall.

Wesley continued to work on Doug's head while Roy waited his turn. He was about halfway done now.

In the entry hall-
Damon led the way into the hall and turned left, heading down its length. He stopped at a nondescript door on the right about two-thirds of the way down the corridor and unlocked it. "The way down is through here," he said.

Keith nods, showing interest in the tour.

Mr. Handy,Keith will note any escape routes: fire exits, windows, etc.

In the entry hall-
Damon stood aside and let everyone enter the door before following them through.

Keith Stewart,[b]Keith[/b] saw no windows in this hallway, but he did note two exits. One was the front door through which he had entered, and there was also a similar door at the far end of the hall that was most likely a back door.

In the storage room-
Damon had brought the group into a windowless storage room containing shelves full of small boxes. "Let me show you the basement," he said, sliding a set of shelving that was against the left wall to the center of the room, so that it was flush against the shelves on the right wall. He bent down and reached for a section of the floor that had previously been under the shelves and would have been very hard to detect as anything unusual. Taking out a key, he stuck it into a concealed keyhole and turned it. Then he used the key to raise what turned out to be a trapdoor, which had a hinge on the underside. Narrow stairs led underground. He took a flashlight off of the shelves and shined it on the hole. "Down there, one at a time."

Darnell walked up to Keith and put his arm around him. "Go ahead big boy. You first."

In the storage room-
Keith went downstairs first, with Darnell right behind him. The stairway could only accomodate people in single file. Heather was next, followed by Lisa. Damon brought up the rear, holding the flashlight up so others could see.

In the basement entryway-
The stairs led down to a small room. Damon flipped a light switch at the bottom of the stairs, and the room was illuminated. It was bare, with concrete walls and a floor to match. The only feature was a sturdy, locked metal door. Damon took out a ring of keys and unlocked it. He swung the door open. "Our hydroponics room is through here," he said, motioning for the rest of the group to enter. The room beyond was vast, and light from the entryway didn't penetrate far.

Darnell walked up to Keith and put his arm around him. "Go ahead big boy. You first."

"No, you're the big boy. The ladies just luurve you."

"Wow!" says Keith looking around. "Safe down here, eh Damon?"

On the main floor-

Roy McCrumb and Doug Marley,[b]Wesley[/b] was only a couple of minutes from finishing his treatment of [b]Doug[/b] when there was a metallic banging on the bay doors. [b]Malcolm[/b] held a finger to his lips and motioned for [b]Lou[/b] to join him. The two of them crept across the floor to the open door to the hall with their weapons drawn.

In the basement entryway-
"That's the idea," said Damon. He ushered the group through the open door and went in behind it.

In the hydroponics room-
Damon flicked a light switch on the wall next to the door. Fluorescent lights overhead lit up the vast space beneath the warehouse. There were a few other doors leading off of this room, most of which was taken up by several hydroponic tables. Over each one was an ultraviolet light. "This is our grow operation," said Damon. "As you can see, we grow plenty of ganja here. More than enough for what's left of the city. Those are UV lamps nourishing the plants. The light isn't visible, but it's there. We'll need to retool some of the hydorponics to grow food. We have enough food put away for a little while, but it won't last forever."

"Like, wow," said Heather. "What other drugs you got?"

"We have cocaine, both powder and crack, as well as heroin. That stuff needs to be imported, which won't be happening any more by the looks of things."

"What about crystal meth?"

"We haven't dealt in meth. I guess we could make it if we wanted. Wesley's bright enough to cook that stuff up."

"It's all very impressive.
"Can I eat some of your food?"

On the main floor-

Roy McCrumb and Doug Marley,[b]Roy[/b], [b]Doug[/b], and [b]Wesley[/b] heard [b]Malcolm[/b] say from the hall: "That's far enough, mon."

In the hydroponics room-
Damon laughed. "We've got some upstairs," he said. "When we're done down here, we'll all have dinner. I guess you must be hungry."

"Like, totally," said Heather.

"How come the lights are on down here?" asked Lisa. "I thought the EMP device at the school knocked out all the power."

"We have a generator down here," said Damon. "I'll show you that next. What EMP device?"

"Oh, the scientists built one. That's what took out all the zombies in town."

"Really? Then we need it. We'll worry about that a little later." He led the way across the hydroponics room to a door on the opposite side.

"But we had a generator at the school, and the electromagnetic pulse fried it!"

"I'm guessing it wasn't shielded by tons of concrete." Damon unlocked and opened the door, leading the way inside.

In the generator room-
On the other side of the door was a big room, though nowhere near as large as the hydroponics area. At the back of the room was a large generator that produced a smooth humming sound. Cables led from it into the concrete walls. "This is why we have electricity down here," said Damon. "The lights upstairs haven't worked in the last hour, but that's probably because of the pulse."

Keith-

"Cool! And your power is as safe as houses. This warehouse is the place to be when zombies are rampaging outside."

In the generator room-
"That shouldn't happen any more," said Lisa. "Not around here. The pulse device will make sure of that."

"This is totally awesome!" said Heather. "Nobody will, like, ever find this place."

"Yes, this is the safest place to be," said Damon. "Okay, back to the hydroponics room. Then I'll show you what else is down here." He ushered everyone back out of the door.

Keith followed, keeping-up an enthusiastic manner - without over doing it.

On the main floor-

Roy McCrumb and Doug Marley,[b]Malcolm[/b], and [b]Lou[/b] entered the main floor, along with an ugly man in his thirties. "Thanks, [b]Wesley[/b]," said [b]Doug[/b]. "You did a good job, mon." "Any time, [b]Doug[/b]," said [b]Wesley[/b]. "You're next, [b]Roy[/b]." "Hey, fellas," said the new arrival. "My name's [b]Brian[/b]. What happened to you guys?" "[b]Roy McCrumb[/b]," said [b]Roy[/b] as he sat down next to [b]Wesley[/b], [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2622284/]who got to work[/url]. He [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2622287/]wasn't able to do much[/url] considering the severity of the injury, but he was doing well enough. "Got squeezed near to death by a zombie." "And I'm [b]Doug Marley[/b]," said [b]Doug[/b]. "I got beat up by a couple of rent-a-cops." [b]Brian[/b] examined the Mustang. "Nice wheels," he said. "Too bad about the damage. I could restore her for you, if you like. I'm good with cars."

In the hydroponics room-
After everyone left the generator room, Damon locked it up again. He then led the group to the left wall and opened a door there. "We got living space down here too," he said, indicating about a dozen cots in the barracks-like room on the other side. "This is where you'll be staying."

Darnell smiled and said, "Heather we can do it right here and right now baby."

"He-he, go for it brother!"

In the hydroponics room-
"I could totally go for it," said Heather.

Damon chuckled. "You two kids knock yourselves out. This is your home now."

"Let's go!" Heather took Darnell's hand and went into the bunkroom, closing the door behind them.

Lisa rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything.

"Well, not much else down here you'd be interested in," said Damon. "We've got space down here to store our illicit goods. Drugs, guns, that sort of thing. We keep the legit stuff in the warehouse upstairs. You ready to go back up?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. I'm still hungry too!"

Darnell looked at Heather and smiled. He moved in to kiss her

In the bedroom-
Heather returned Darnell's kiss, wrapping her arms around him and pulling his shirt over his head.

In the hydroponics lab-
Damon ushered Keith and Lisa back into the entryway, then followed them.

In the basement entryway-
"We'll all get something to eat upstairs," said Damon.

Keith Stewart-

"Thanks, Damon."

In the bedroom-
Heather sat down on the bed, pulling Darnell with her, and slowly unbuttoned her blouse.

In the basement entryway-
Damon and Lisa followed Keith upstairs.

In the storage room-
Keith, Damon, and Lisa emerged from underground back into the darkened storeroom.

On the main floor-
Wesley was almost halfway done treating Roy's injury. Ernie walked away from the vehicles and ducked out into the hall for a minute, leaving Brian Stevenson with Malcolm and Lou.

"Yo, boss!" called Ernie from the hall. "We got us a visitor!"

OOC,This is the end of Chapter 5, and congratulations for surviving! Feel free to continue posting and roleplaying, but there will be no more dice rolling until Chapter 6 starts. The gap between chapters will constitute about 15 minutes of game time.

Darnell gets it on with Heather...he does not need 15 minutes to do so however as HE IS A MAN!

OOC,The story continues in the Omaha section of Chapter 6, in the thread linked below.

Bad to the Bone