CH3-02 Heading North

[carnage_lee]

Andy Wade

Andy looks up as the boy starts jabbering at them, he's vaguely aware that the boy entered a few moments earlier along with two men.

Andy thinking:   "Dammit.. what's going on here.. have we been rumbled... or are all strangers treated like this.."

"Sorry... I don't speak the lingo... Do you speak English?" he asks in a friendly tone and sneaks a look to Alex.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think he and the two chaps he walked in with want to know who we are, where we're from, and what we're doing here," says Liz. She smiles at the youth, trying to keep his attention while Andy signals Alex. "Sprechen zie Deutsche? Parlez-vous francais?"

[ghill]

Alex approaches slowly, looking visibly scared. "He wants to know who you are, where you from, why you are in town, why you ask so many questions about Maria...and when we leave, back for Tirana "

[royya]

But we are colleagues from the university archaeological department. aren't we ?
Jacob says, waiting for a confirmation from the others. This is the most reasonable notion a man can get.
Now if this lad is a member of a local gang, maybe we should take him to our side... He can support us with weapons and equipment for the right price against robbers.
He thinks to himself and whispers it under his breath to Andy, the nearest to him.

[ghill]

The boy looks at Andy with what he can only describe as contempt and he when completely ignores Liz, doesn't even acknowledge her when she talks to him. Just stands there clearly impatient for some answers.

Alex looks at you in turn. What would you like me to tell him?

OOC:   Jacob: considering the boys aggressive tone of voice, you'll have your work cut out trying to make a friend of him.

[carnage_lee]

OOC:   I think this is one of those times when it'd be really nice to be all sat around a table... We ought to have already discussed and come up with a 'cover story'. My inclination would be to come up with something... we're scouting for film locations... we're asking about Maria because she was meant to meet us back in Tirana she left a note saying she'd already left to come this way... or something like that. I don't want to just have Andy spout some story without everyone else's backing..

[ghill]

There is a short exchange between Alex and the lad, after which he leaves followed by the two men at the bar.

I said we were scouting for film locations... says Alex "weve been asking about Maria because she was meant to meet us back in Tirana she left a note saying she'd already left to come this way... He said we should leave and we weren't welcome around here

OOC:   Well Alex is reasonably worldly wise, he knows foul play has gone on which is why you are all up here, he's looking for an believable alibi

OOC:   Also guys - I've asked for Spot Hidden can you please do so if you haven't already done so.

[carnage_lee]

Andy Wade

Andy listens to Alex nods his thanks ... "So, who is. or rather are they.. local 'mafia'?

[Mr. Handy]

"Prolly something like that," says Liz. "They were armed, not just with pistols, but with knives or small swords. I don't fancy getting shot or stabbed." She almost says "again," but she catches herself. "You know, I could sort of get what he was saying, and I don't know a bit of Albanian. This must be because of what happened to me. Maybe it's not so bad. Ich bin ein polyglot!"

[royya]

hmm, what's that?
Spot Hidden: 1d100 12

[ghill]

Jacob recognises the knife swords the men carries he's seen one before when he was fighting the old man above the tattoo studio. In his mind the men aren't Mafia, they are clearly Verbtoi.

OOC:   Remember, the Verbetoi are a ethnic grouping in Albania, so the appearance of the Kopis like knives does not immediately mean fire and screaming and death. Well not immediately.

[ghill]

Greg waites for the men and the boys to leave the room before hissing. "Did you see the tattoo on the guys arm, the one by the bar its the same horse tattoo the old man in the tattoo parlour had"

OOC:   For the benefit of Andy and Albert, Greg recounts a fight he and Jacob had where they almost had their asses handed to them, by an old boy in his late 80's and an old woman who seemed as though she might have been dead for a year or so. The old man had a punch like a mule and one of those large knives, most interestingly Greg claims he saw the horse tattoo on the man moving just before he leapt through a second storey window and sprinted off down the street.

[Mr. Handy]

"Oh, great," mutters Liz. "Those guys."

[royya]

Adonai yishmor (God protects us in hebrew), He carried the a Verbtoi knife. It was identical to the knife the old man carried. You know, the old man with his zombie wife above the tattoo place.
Jacob whisper to the others.
We need to keep low profile and leave unless we are brave enough to catch, subdue him and interrogate him.

[Mr. Handy]

"He's got those two big guys protecting him," replies Liz, "We're not even armed yet. I'm scared of them snatching me, since I'll be in a room by myself tonight." She gulps.

[carnage_lee]

OOC:   Andy will ask Alex if he thinks they will attract more problems? If they're better off pressing on or staying put for tonight?

[ghill]

Alex turns to Andy a look of concern on his face. "These are mountain Verbetoi, they are not kind people, if we do not leave there will be no second warnings. But I think they will not return as long as they believe we are gone or going. Anyone sensible would leave first thing in the morning."

Behind him Lek says something in Albanian. He repeats it again when Alex glances at him “te luftoj verbti, te luftoj zjarr me qaj lotoj...it mean “to fight the Verbti, is to fight fire with tears” they do not follow the Kanun the laws anybody with honour would keep to"

OOC:   Kanun, is a set of customary laws developed in the 15th century infamous because they specify how murder was supposed to be punished, and how blood feuds could be conducted... in the mountains was and could can be changed for can and is

[carnage_lee]

Andy Wade

Andy thanks Alex and nods to Leq at his 'words of wisdom'; on balance he thinks it's ok to stay the night, yes they've been warned off but they've given a reasonable account as to their business in the area.

"I think we'll be OK as long as we move on tomorrow. But we had better be more careful in future, let's not let out guard down again and be more circumspect with any inquiries we make." he says to the others.

OOC:   If you want we can plan not to have anyone alone in a room for the night... just in case

[Mr. Handy]

"Right," says Liz, relaxing a little. "So, we'll stay here the night, then leave first thing on the morning, only to circle around and slip into the dig site. But we will need to buy stuff somewhere. If we do run into the Verbetoi again, we'll need to be prepared. You know, I'm starting to pick up a bit of Albanian."

[ghill]

Alex and Lek wake you in the wee hours. Alex has already paid for the rooms the night before and there is no one to see you leave but a sleepy concierge and the young man who guards the cars overnight.

Alex gathers everyone together behind the two vehicles while Lek pours everyone industrial strength coffee. Now is time for you to make decisions. First decision of morning is leave or stay, people must be stupid or brave to stay when we have a warning like last night's." Alex pauses long enough to take a sip of coffee, grimaces and puts four or five spoonfuls of sugar in the small cup, before he continues "We leave then we can take trucks back to ferry or even drive whole way. . He takes another sip of coffee, before adding two more spoons of sugar then satisfied, he continues. We already make sure every nosey person hear us making plans for leaving. Staying is fine, Go is fine, Lek and I already talk and we are happy whatever you say. Now If you want to stay do you want to go to the "night market" where we buy 'toys for boys', or do start looking for where first photo was taken straight away and see where this takes us? Your choices.

OOC:   Mr Handy mentioned a dig site, there is none - or at least none you are aware of. Just a reminder but the only evidence you had were the photos the first one of which would seem to have been taken in a small village only a short distance from Bajram-Currie. The fact you've seen the graffiti writing similar to that in the apartment would seem to indicate you are on the right track.