IC-Chapter 1-Red Money(Terry Williams only)

[Midnightlight]

Spoiler:

1d100→ [1] = (1) for the idea roll

Terry scratched the back off his head for a moment, and thought for a brief second.

"Yeah, well...I just don't want any more request jobs, alright? I think it's better that way." he chuckled.

[Mr. Handy]

Jimmy laughed too. "Yeah, this is the last time," he said.

As Terry thought about it, he realized that there could be a better way to find and obtain the Morpheus without resorting to traditional methods of burglary, or at least not solely those. He could return to the building during the day on Thursday, posing as a student. That would allow him to get his bearings and maybe find out where it was kept. There was some risk involved, as the people he was following might recognize him if he ran into them again, but it wasn't as dangerous as trying to break in again after his earlier failed attempt. It might also be possible to steal some keys during the day that he could use to access the building whenever he wanted. If he prepared himself better and didn't leave telltale clues such as an open door, he still had a chance to pull this off. It might also pay to do a little background research on the people involved, find out if they had any weaknesses. The conversation he had heard snatches of at the bar provided some clues. Apparently Dr. Anderson had a son named Brian whose whereabouts were unknown. Perhaps he could be of use somehow, if he could be located. Five hundred dollars was a lot of money, and it would be a shame to pass it up.

[Midnightlight]

Terry thought for a moment, then decided to ask Jimmy a few questions.

"Well, I know you probably won't tell, but I'm quite curious about who it is that asked for this thing anyways. But I think I risked quite enough for you to tell me. I could have been caught." he finished.

"And, do you know anything about a guy named Brian Anderson? He's apparently that professor's kid." he asked, not giving Jimmy a chance to respond to his first question.

[Mr. Handy]

"I've never heard of Brian Anderson," said Jimmy. "Maybe there's a way you could use him to get at the stuff. As for who hired me, my clients pay a lot of money for me to keep my mouth shut. You're probably better off not knowing anyway."

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], if you want to press the matter, roll Fast Talk.

[Midnightlight]

Spoiler:

The roll failed, but oh well. 1d100→ [92] = (92)

Terry spoke up, responding to Jimmy.

"Oh, come on. We're friends, aren't we? You know you can trust me. Have I ever betrayed you?" Terry pushed, but had a feeling he wasn't going to convince Jimmy.

"Either way, forget about it. I'm fine with not knowing." Terry scoffed.

"But, besides that, have you heard anything interesting around town? I haven't had a chance to find anything to have you sell, so I'm a little short on cash. But, it is July after all. I'm sure some people must be going on trips somewhere, right?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Yeah, lots of people head down to the Jersey Shore while the weather's hot," said Jimmy. "Plenty of empty houses in town on the weekends. Not so many on a Wednesday night, but there's bound to be some."

[Midnightlight]

"Well, I suppose that would work then." Terry commented, after a brief moment of silence. "Well, I suppose I should get going. I just wanted to tell you about what happened. You think anything interesting is going to happen this summer?" Terry said, standing up.

To him, it was about time to leave. It was late anyways, and he didn't want to keep Jimmy awake too long. Holding his hand out to shake Jimmy's, he pondered for a moment.

He could make another attempt at the school again, maybe at about 3 in the morning. But, if he got caught, that was it. If he was going in this time, he was going in prepared. He began making a mental note of things he could take on the job.

[Mr. Handy]

"You can be sure of it," said Jimmy. "The moon landing's in a few days for one thing. And next month there's going to be a big concert in upstate New York. They're saying a couple hundred thousand people are going to go there. Well, if there's nothing else, good night. Be careful the next time you try to get the stuff."

[Midnightlight]

"I'll be sure to watch out for myself." Terry spoke, and walked himself out. Time for him to go home and prepare. He was sure that this time, things would be different.

[Mr. Handy]

Terry's Apartment - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10:30 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terry began the long walk back. Half an hour later, he was home again without incident.

[Midnightlight]

Terry began to go through, mentally, what things had gone wrong. The guard had heard him. That much he known. So, all he could do is be more careful. Maybe it would be best for him to cover his face too, as he was sure if the guard saw his face this time, he'd be in trouble. As for protection, he didn't really want to hurt anyone. But it would be bad if he was caught. It was time he brought a weapon of some kind.

Taking some fruit from his fridge, he sat down and began thinking about it.

[Mr. Handy]

Terry realized that his chief mistakes had been lack of preparation and leaving the back door open. He was sure that the guard had noticed the open door and investigated as a result. Had he closed it, he probably would have had the run of the building. He did have a weapon - his sap. Carrying around a deadlier weapon was possible, but without training it probably wouldn't be all too effective if he had to use it. Still, it could be useful for threatening someone if he got backed into a corner. However, if he did get caught, having a weapon in his possession would land him in even worse trouble, especially if it were a gun. Jimmy probably knew someone who could fix him up with a gun, but he wouldn't be able to afford it. Even a cheap .38 Special would be beyond his means. Either he could steal a gun from somehwere, or he could steal the means to pay for one, but both options were risky. If he wanted a knife, he could easily just take a small one from his kitchen. Wearing a mask was an excellent idea. He could make one rather quickly by taking an old wool cap he had and cutting out holes for his eyes and mouth, then pulling it down over his face.

If he tried again tonight after the excitement died down, he'd at least have a chance. However, campus security was likely to be even more alert after his earlier attempt. Still, that would probably be the case from here on out. With luck they wouldn't know what he was after in John Morgan Hall, and they wouldn't expect him to come back after scaring him off the first time. Waiting until morning and then going inside pretending to be a student so he could learn his way around and find out where the Morpheus was kept was a thought too, but that carried its own risks. If people there remembered him, especially if he started asking questions, they might put two and two together.

OOC,All of this was given to you because of your excellent success on that earlier Idea roll, so you didn't need to make another one this time.

[Midnightlight]

Terry pondered on the thoughts for a time, taking into consideration the chances of failure versus the chances of success. It was probably best to go with a mask this time around, and maybe bring a weapon. But he had strict rules for himself when it came to heists. He would never take a human life, unless his own life was in serious danger. Even then, the guilt would eat away at him. This time, things would be a little different. And hopefully, he would steal that blasted drug.

Terry prepared, making a mask to conceal himself, but thought of other things he could bring along. Maybe it would be a good idea to take a nap though, as he had no other means of occupying himself until 3:00.

[Mr. Handy]

Taking a nap seemed like an excellent idea to Terry. He could use a little rest before trying again, and this would allow him to get about four hours of sleep. Being tired when going on a job would hurt his chances.

OOC,Let me know if there's anything else you want to do before you're ready to leave.

[Midnightlight]

Before taking his nap, Terry wrote in his journal.

"Just got back from visiting Jimmy. It didn't work out too well. Maybe I'll have a more sucessful chance later. I'm going to take a nap before I head out."

Closing the book, Terry didn't bother undressing before climbing into his bed. Terry always had the habit of setting his alarm so he woke up on time everyday.

Spoiler:

Any hints on what to do next?

[Mr. Handy]

Terry slept undisturbed for half the night - until the alarm clock began ringing at the time he had set it for, awakening him suddenly.

OOC,I gave you a bunch of hints above. What you do next is entirely up to you. If you want to obtain more information first, you'll have to roleplay it, but there's a limit to what you'll be able to find out in the middle of the night. Did you want to wake up at 3:00, or wake up early enough that you could get back to John Morgan Hall at 3:00?

[Midnightlight]

Terry wanted to keep sleeping, but sat up and glanced at the clock. The time was 3:00, and Terry had considered setting it a little earlier, but figured this would be good enough. Standing, Terry took his mask, along with his tools. Getting a quick glass of water, he drank quickly, and set out for the school by foot.

[Mr. Handy]

John Morgan Hall, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
3:30 AM - Thursday, July 17, 1969
It took Terry a while to walk back to campus. Without his bicycle, it would be harder to make a getaway if he were spotted again, but it also removed the danger of the security guard recgonizing and confiscating it if he was still around. There were only a few hours of darkness left before morning, but he didn't expect things to take that long. One way or another, it would probably be over before sunrise.

Soon he got within sight of John Morgan Hall. The building was darkened, and there was no sign of activity anywhere nearby. The same options of how to get inside were before him as he had encountered last time. The big front doors stood closed at the top of the stairs, and there was also the smaller door at the rear of the building.

[Midnightlight]

Slipping his mask on, Terry remembered how well his last entry went, through the back. Security would probably be tighter, so the front door would be his best bet, although it was more than a little brazen. If things went bad though, he'd probably bolt just like last time.

[Mr. Handy]

There was nobody around at the front of the building at this hour, but even so, Terry crept stealthily through the shadows to the front door. Trying the handle, he saw without any surprise that it was locked.

OOC,Roll Locksmith to try to pick the lock.