Play@YSDC

You reach the La Paz around 8:30 PM, and the place is already lively. There are people coming in and out, and unlike during daytime, it's mostly young folk drinking beer and laughing. You don't hear any music coming from inside at the moment - it seems the performance has not yet started. You don't see Elena around, but that's to be expected, as she's probably inside.

Holly is wearing a flowing silver dress with a plunging back that is sparkling with sequins. She looks around the bar, but everything looks jake to her.

OOC,I thought we were going to get here earlier so we could go backstage and meet the band. Sense Trouble roll: [dice]0[/dice]

Cameron:

"It's later than we expected, do you want to try and get backstage?"

Cam looks around, trying not to let paranoia get the better of him.

OOC,Sense Trouble (2 point spend) [dice]0[/dice] Only had 2 points left, might as well use them where we're expecting trouble. EDIT: that was genuinely meant to have been a 1d6 +2 roll, but I typed 1d6 without thinking. I'd have spent 3 points if I'd had 3 left. :mrgreen: If the performance hasn't started, we can try to get backstage anyway.

"Wait up..."

Christopher Fontana

Christopher makes sure that they've parked so that they can make a fast exit, should the need arise.
Following the others inside he looks around, scanning the crowd...

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
The professor brings his handgun, just in case.

You walk inside the La Paz into the sound of people talking and laughing and the smell of smoke and alcohol. As you noticed outside, the place is completely different from daytime. Even Tonio, behind the bar, appears to be smiling as he looks around the place with satisfaction. No one is playing music right now, but most of the instruments and equipments are already in place, so the performance should be starting soon.
As you slowly make your way towards the stage, Elena suddenly appears in front of you, wearing a stunning red dress that creates a lovely contrast with her complexion. She holds a small glass of wine, obviously red wine, in her left hand. She flashes her usual bright smile and lets her arm slip down to cross Ian's, so that they are now arm in arm. "Welcome to the party! How was your day in Mexico City? Javier and the others are over there", she gestures to some undefined point near the stage. "Do you want to talk to them now, or after the performance?"

"Good evening, Elena," says Holly with a smile. "Your dress is lovely! We had a very exhausting day, so we're looking forward to relaxing. I think I'd like to talk to the band now. Is Leticia coming tonight?"

Ian Morin

Ian's caught off guard with Elena's intimacy, feeling awkward, but also a little conceited. He can feel his cheeks getting warmer, but happily keeps her arm together.

Well hello, Elena. You look... great. He says in sincere admiration. "I think it would be nice to talk to them right away, so we can enjoy the night afterwards." He doesn't sound so sure he would be able to relax, though.

Christopher Fontana

Christopher is momently torn between 'grabbing' a table or taking the opportunity to talk to the musicians. Seeing as they don't even know if Leticia will actually be here he decides to follow the others and see what the band have to say.

Cameron

Cam hangs back a few meters from the others, keeping an eye out for trouble and a hand close to his gun.

Elena smiles as she leads you through the crowd and towards the stage, occasionally stopping to greet someone and exchange a few words in Spanish. She seems to be well known and loved by the people. "I've asked Javier and she said Leticia is not coming tonight. I didn't really expect her to, honestly. She hasn't been around for at least a few weeks now. But I think Javier is still working with her, even though... when I mentioned her name, he made a strange face. I don't know..."

Then you are at the stage, where you can see four people working on their instruments and equipment, preparing for the show. Elena calls out: "Javier! Here are my friends, the ones who wanted to record that song I talked to you about", she turns to wink at you, then steps aside as Javier gets closer.
Javier is a big man, in his late twenties-early thirties, with an hard face and a somewhat threatening atmosphere around himself. He wears simple, cheap clothes and a brown hat. He greets you without smiling, then says in decent English: "Hi, I'm Javier. Nice to meet. Elena say you want to do business".

Streetwise,The man acts as a tough guy, but you can see it's only an act. No scars, no tattoos. You have seen many like him, trying to keep up a show to impress other people, and in this case, their fans.

"Hi, Javier," says Holly, who does smile. "I'm Holly. It's nice to meet you too."

Ian Morin

"How are you? I'm Ian" He says with a nod. "Sure. Elena said you fellas are the best in town." He look at Elena, raisin an eyebrow.

Elena whispers, making sure only you can hear her: "Javier won't talk to any stranger, unless it's business. Go along with it", she then turns towards Javier and says, with her most charming smile: "Holly is a famous singer in Miami, and she has decided to add some... variety... to her music. So she's here, and she would like to work with some locals. Maybe meet other artists from the city, you know...", she lets her voice trail off as she gestures you to pick up from there.

"That's right," says Holly. "There's one artist in particular I was hoping to meet, Leticia. I heard she performs here sometimes, and that her music is like nothing I've ever heard before."

Christopher Fontana

Christopher decides that it might help if he goes and gets some drinks, to help with the 'negotiations' that Holly has started.

OOC:   Christopher will go to the bar and come back with drinks, beers and margaritas for the ladies.

Javier lets out something that's like an half-laugh. "Well, you can say that. Yes, I know Leticia. Work with her. But she not performs outside. Ok? Not anymore. We work at her home. They're doing jazz right now. Something like jazz. They want us to play while Leticia sings. Sings... well, that's not words. It's not language I know. I have no idea what she sings. Sometimes they just want us to play for hours with no singing", he shrugs. "Strange people. Dangerous people. No people for a miss like you. But they pay well", he adds at last, like some sort of justification.

Christopher,There are quite some people trying to buy something to drink. You'll have to wait a couple of minutes there.

"Just who are these people with whom she surrounds herself?" asks Holly.

Javier pauses for a second, looking at the other band members, who are still working near the stage. He seems to think for a few seconds, then says: "They are like a... religion... no, a cult, really. Around La Luz. They love her. And Nectar. You ever see that stuff? Don't know if they sell it in America too. They're big into it. Maybe they invented it, whatever it is. They give it to us for free, but really, I... would prefer to get away from them, and stop taking it. But we can't".

"It's around in Los Angeles," says Holly. "It must come from here. I may be able to help you defeat the addiction. I'm already helping someone else with the same problem. I'm not just a talented singer, I'm also an alienist. The human mind is very powerful, and it can be trained to become stronger, perhaps strong enough to resist. I can show you how, but you'd really be doing most of the work. It won't be easy, but it will be worthwhile."

OOC,Using Reassurance.

"Oh no, miss, it's not the Nectar. It's Konovalov. He's going to kill if we get out. And Brooks worse. He would already killed us... he gets angry often, and he's dangerous... but Konovalov stopped him. To "protect the investment", he said", Javier is noticeably sweating now.

Holly,You feel there's more he's not saying, but you'll need a 2-point Reassurance spend.

"My friends and I can still help you," says Holly. "We have a wide range of talents, and we already know some things about how those guys operate. We've tangled with some of their partners in crime in Los Angeles, and we're all still alive."

OOC,I'll spend the two points of Reassurance.

Christopher Fontana

Christopher hears the last exchange between the musician and Holly as he returns with a tray of drinks, which he sets down on a nearby table. They know that Brooks has left his apartment, some days ago and is probably out of the area but Konovalov was probably still about they needed to be careful and more prepared.

Christopher waited next to Holly seeing how much more information she would be able to get.

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
The Professor hangs around the bar, keeping an eye out for trouble...

Javier takes a deep breath, then continues talking to Holly: "Okay, listen. Konovalov made clear that he kill us if we say where we play. They take us...", he turns to Elena, "...
con los ojos vendados...". Elena nods as she translates: "Blindfolded". Javier repeats the word a little hesitantly: "Blind... blindfolded... they take us blindfolded, but we put it together. It's under the old villa... the colonial villa... on the corner of Moctezuma and San Pedro. Not far. I think they buy the place, yes, and dig underground. And there's really old stone, like Aztec old. And I don't know how down it goes, but really down I think. And they keep Nectar there. A lot of it." He pauses for a second, biting his lips, looking more worried than ever, then adds: "They kill me if they know I tell you this".

He is then called by the other band members, their voices breaking the sudden atmosphere of tension. "I must go. We start soon", he says, before leaving you. After a few moments, Elena says: "I knew this would be exciting!". There's a strange enthusiasm in her voice, the kind of immature and irresponsible one you could expect from a bored young woman of her age. Perhaps, a little more irresponsible than that. She's now looking at you with sparkling eyes.

Jonathan,You notice a man, a mexican, short, squared-off. He wears a coat and a fedora that's just too small, and looks distinctly out of place. He's looking at the others while they talk with the band, although he doesn't look hostile.

"Thank you," says Holly as Javier leaves. She nods to Elena. "Exciting, yes, but also dangerous. We're in over our heads, and the sort of people we're up against won't balk at hurting women. I took a beating early on in our investigation, and I'm lucky it wasn't worse. I know I'd welcome any help you could offer us, but you need to know what you're getting into before you do. Javier Luna is right to be terrified of Brooks and Konovalov."

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
"Looks like we may have attracted some attention," the professor whispers to Holly as he casually sips his drink. "We should depart from this establishment as soon as possible."

Holly nods. "Well, we should probably go," she says to Elena.

Ian Morin

"Yes, yes... let's go." He says, taking Elena by her arm again and going towards the exit. "Maybe TOO exciting. Did you saw the fear in his face? Holly's right. This is dangerous, Elena." He looks directly in her eyes with a grave expression. He turns to the group. "We need to think what to do about this villa. We need a plan."

Elena answers something that is lost in a sudden wave of sound coming from the band, that starts playing, and the crowd cheering them. You realize that the place is now completely full, with people packed together, pushing each other as they try to follow the music. You try to make your way towards the exit, with Elena following you, but it's a slow process.

Jonathan,The man you saw is now making his way towards you through the crowd, apparently trying to intercept.

Christopher with a 1-point Sense Trouble spend,You follow [b]Jonathan[/b]'s gaze through the crowd to a mexican man. You recognize him, he passed by on a car when you first came to the [b]La Paz[/b], and he seemed to be checking on you.

Holly holds on to Elena's hand so as not to lose her in the crowd, guiding her toward the exit.

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
The professor puts his hand in his coat pocket and grips his pistol as he makes his way to intercept the stranger before he reaches Holly and Elena near the exit.

Christopher Fontana

Christopher moves after Jonathan "That was the same man that I saw when we were here before, he drove past us and I definitely had the impression that he was interested in us." he says to the other man.

Christopher changes his angle a little as he pushes through the crowd, his intention is to come up behind their target and hopefully be able to make the interception without the other man knowing.

Holly, Cam, Ian and Elena keep making their way through the crowd, trying to reach the front door and exit the place. There are people moving and singing all around, and a growing sense of tension in the air - or perhaps, it's just your impression.

Ian Cam Holly,Roll Sense Trouble.

Meanwhile, Jonathan and Christopher are moving through the crowd as well, trying to intercept the man from different directions. He is looking at Jonathan now, and as they get closer, he starts to scream at the top of his lungs - still, it's bloody hard to hear with all the noise.

Jonathan,You make up this: [color=#008000]"...back...need... back...now!"[/color]. The rest of what he's saying is lost, but he seems to be gesturing for you to follow him.

Holly suddenly senses that something is very wrong.

OOC,Sense Trouble roll (1 point spent): [dice]0[/dice]

Cam:

OOC,Sense Trouble: [dice]0[/dice]

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
Knowing that yelling would be futile in this din, the Professor motions for the others to follow as he approaches the stranger.

Jonathan thinking:   "Perhaps this chap is trying to help us..."

Ian Holly Cam,Keeping an eye on Jonathan, you notice that he seems to be gesturing for you to reach him through the crowd - he's 7-8 seven meters away now. But then you see a man entering the building from the front door, a large mexican covered with tattoos, black beard and a scar over his right eye. There's something off about him, like an aura of danger of violence, and the way he moves, and looks around, as if he's searching for someone - you, most likely. Then he opens his mouth, revealing an unnaturally long tongue, that appears to be coiled inside his mouth. The tongue then darts out, once, twice, just like a serpent would do. And there's a [i]mouth[/i] on the tongue, full of teeth and another smaller tongue, and God only knows if the horror goes on again, like one of these impossible geometric paintings full of optical illusions and things repeating again and again like a spiral of madness. [ooc]Roll against a Stability loss, then you can act.[/ooc]

Jonathan,The man reaches you almost falling, grabs your arms to steady himself and starts speaking frantically: [color=#008040]"I'm sorry about the other guy, I really am, but we need to get out of here, from the back. They are already here, and it's gonna be a bloodbath. Those people... oh, fuck, I'm sorry, it's my fault, but we've got to run right now, please!".[/color]

Christopher,You see the man reaching Jonathan, and then he starts talking, but you can't quite understand what he's saying from where you are. But Jonathan appears to be gesturing for you to join with him.

Holly barely manages to keep her cool and refrains from screaming. She turns around, pulling Elena with her, trying to stay hidden in the crowd. "Back door, quick," she whispers.

OOC,Stability roll: [dice]0[/dice] Stealth roll (if needed): [dice]1[/dice]

Ian Morin

"Oh no no... not again." Ian's terrified for what he sees. He turns around, following Holly's lead. "Yes, the back door..."

Stability,[b]1[/b] http://orokos.com/roll/706347

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
The professor motions for everyone to follow as he yells to the stranger "LEAD US OUT OF HERE!"

Christopher Fontana

Christopher moves forwards towards Jonathan wondering what he and the stranger had been discussing. They seem to be heading towards the rear of the cantina and Christopher tries to speed up, pushing through the crowd.

Cam growls: "Christ... let's get out of here! Quick!", just as Elena is staring at the thug and screaming: "Did you see that? Did you see that?", but luckily her words are lost in the noise and don't attract any kind of unwanted attention. You push through the crowd until you all gather together. You can see more thugs entering the place now, but they don't seem to have noticed you yet. If they do, considering their methods, it could quickly turn into a bloodbath.
The mexican urges you to follow him: "Come on, let's go, let's go!", and he starts moving towards the back door. You follow him, moving frantically through the crowd, still dancing and singing and completely unaware of the terrible danger they all are in. You are almost there, when the shooting starts. They must have found you in the crowd, as you feel the bullets flying over your head and crashing on the wall in front of you. Even then, it takes a few moments for everyone else to realize what is going on. When finally the music stops, only two kind of sounds remain: the gunshots and the screams of those who were hit. And then, all hell breaks loose. People all around you fall from exhilaration into fear and frenzy, some of them running for cover, the others running for an exit. You can hear the thugs screaming in their horrible and inhuman tongue behind you, but you are at the exit now, and quickly out of there. Just a few seconds late, and you would have been caught in the madness. Still, you're not safe yet - your cars are parked in the front, and even with Huang Yan watching them...

"Shit!", Cam screams, "Huang Yan! We must go get him!", he takes out his gun and seems to be willing to run towards the front, but the mexican stops him, shaking his head: "Too late, they got him. I saw them. We have to go for now. If he's still alive, I know where they took him. I'll explain later, but we need to go now".

Then you realize that Elena is missing as well. She must have gotten separated from you after the shooting started. Was she hit? Was she just lost in the crowd? You have no idea. But you don't have much time to decide what to do. The thugs will eventually get to you, and the mexican keeps urging you to follow him.

Ian and Holly,You lose 4 Stability. Holly is at 0 now, and Ian at -3. You can't spend points from your investigative abilities, only from general abilities. Plus, all difficulties for any kind of roll is increased by 1.

Assess Honesty,The mexican seems genuinely willing to help you, but also genuinely scared. He is going to run away very soon, with or without you.

"I was holding her hand a moment ago!" cries Holly, looking around with wild eyes. "We need to get out of here! There's no more time, let's follow him. He seems all right to me."

Cameron:

Cam agrees, he can tell the stranger is genuinely terrified.

"Okay!"

He grabs the Mexican's jacket and shouts, "Lead the way, I'll watch your back!"

Christopher Fontana

Christoper hears Cam yell something about Huang Yan but he can't make out the context, he does notice that the the stranger shakes his head as if in answer and the fact that both of them look very agitated. Finally he manages to catch up with the others, pressing he way through the crowd.

Christopher follows the others, wary of where they are going but anxious to escape the cantina which has suddenly become so dangerous.

You run, leaving the La Paz and a couple of friends behind. No, not friends, you think. You wouldn't leave a friend behind - or at least, that's what you tell yourself. Allies. Acquaintances. Not that it makes you feel much better. But you must go now, regroup, reorganize.

It's cramped inside a single car, you all squeezing together, but there's not much choice. The mexican starts driving, and you speed through a mostly sleeping Mexico City for the next fifteen minutes. Then he stops, near an old and crumbling building, clearly uninhabited. "Here we can talk without being interrupted", he says, exiting the car.

He lights himself a cigarette, waiting for you to join him. He looks calmer now, more in control. "My name is Gonchi", he says. "I'm sure you have questions. I might have some answers for you. Then we can talk business".

"Thank you," says Holly, getting out of her own car and following him. "My name is Holly. First of all, I'm curious how you know so much about all of this."

Christopher Fontana

Well Mister Gonchi, I guess we should thank you for your intervention but I'd also like to know why you've been spying on us. I recognize both you and your car from when we first visited the cantina ..." Christopher trails off and looks at the other man, expecting an answer.

"Well, nothing strange about that, mister. I was just doing my job. Mr. Brooks paid me to keep an eye on you, among other things. I work for him from time to time", Gonchi says, calmly puffing out some smoke, as if there's absolutely nothing strange about what he's saying. "Well, I suppose I "worked" for him. After tonight, I have probably burnt that bridge, haven't I? Though it's probably for the best".

1-point Assess Honesty spend,He is forcing himself to appear calm, but you can see him tensing up. He doesn't appear to be a threat, but he surely is readying to defend himself if need be.

"I agree, though he's not likely to take it kindly," says Holly. "None of us are friends of Mr. Brooks, so you don't have to worry on that score. As his ex-employee, you'd make an important ally, and we're not the sorts to throw that away over petty revenge. You're better off staying with us. There is strength in numbers. How did Brooks come to be aware of us?"

OOC,Spending a point of Assess Honesty.

"I don't know. He gave me your descriptions. Well, not all of you. Not this guy, for example", he points at Jonathan. "He told me to keep some places under watch. The post office box, the Estudio del Manãna, some places he thought you might show up. He didn't tell me who you were, but I got the impression he believed you would meddle with his business. So one day I spotted you. And this is how this whole mess started". He takes a deep breath. "But I didn't want a bloodbath on my conscience. When I understood they were going to attack during the concert... Brooks pays well, but you can't buy back your soul, once you sell it to el diablo. No matter how much you pay".

"Thank you," says Holly. "I appreciate it. How did you contact Brooks, and when's the last time he communicated with you."

Christopher Fontana

Chrisopher shakes his head as Gonchi tells them that Brooks had hired him to find the group, something occurred to him ... "Hong on.. hang on, are you some kind of Investigator a PI?" he asks, remembering their encounter back in LA.

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
"Tell us what you know about the old colonial villa on the corner of Moctezuma and San Pedro. We know they store nectar there underground."

"Investigator? Well, sort of, I guess... I solve problems", he shrugs, then turns towards Jonathan. "That villa, that's where we have got to go. Look, I'm not helping you 'cause I'm a good samaritan. I've been following you, I know you're quite good, and if we work together, we can get rid of Brooks and his people. After betraying him, I can't go back to a normal life. And you're here for him, right? That makes us allies, then". He looks at you for a couple of seconds. "He is at the villa. He and his crazy bitch, De La Luz. Your friend as well, they have taken him there for sure. And that other fella that was with you earlier, what was his name again? Victor or something. He's there as well." He calmly takes out a gun. "We go there and end this thing. Konovalov is probably there, but I don't think there are more than a dozen of his thugs around at any time. With surprise on our side, we can take them out. I'm sure they expect us to run. That's why we have to strike. Now."

"You've been to the villa before?" asks Holly. "What can you tell us about its layout and defenses? What's the best way to get inside?"

Gonchi nods: "Brooks has bought the building closest to the old hacienda. It's blue and yellow, on two floors. That's where most of the people live, Brooks' thugs and some Nectar junkies. But that's not where they do their business - not the recording, not the Nectar production. Those things they do underground. I'm quite sure they have some sort of base... below, mostly inside the ruins of some ancient complex they dug out themselves. You can reach these tunnels from the new building, but also from the ruins of the villa. I'm sure, because they kept guards there. Why would they, if not to guard some sort of access?" He then adds: "That's our way in"

Ian Morin

"Sounds like it. You know how many guards are there? Also, could we take them out without drawing attention? I mean... how far are these ruins from the main building?"

Christopher Fontana

Christopher starts to feel a bit queasy, realising that Gonchi is hell-bent on killing Brooks and all his associates, it was one thing to defend yourself or your friends but to go and hunt these people just seemed wrong... a line that if they crossed would make them killers. Besides they had no way to know if Gonchi was going to double cross them, what was there to stop the PI from handing them over to the authorities? Or even trying to kill them? Or getting themselves killed or injured! A dozen guards sounded like a lot, they only had Gonchi's word that Brooks and his side-kicks wouldn't be expecting an attack.


"There's no way to be sure that they wouldn't be expecting us to come after them ... well to come after our friend. Why can't we inform the authorities, it's kidnapping after all?" Christopher says hesitantly.

"Are any of them on Brooks's payroll?" asks Holly. "There was a similar situation in Los Angeles."

Gonchi spits on the ground after hearing Christopher, and says: "Look, mister, you can't just come here, mess things up and then get cold feet. And it's not like you guys haven't killed anyone before, am I right? Lots of people are going to die if we don't stop them. Like it happened today". He pauses for a few seconds before continuing: "The cops are clean, I think. But they have rules to follow. And, well, honestly, can't say I'm all that clean. If you want to bring in the cops, I'll wish you good luck and get the hell out of here".

"I haven't actually killed anyone yet," says Holly, "but not for lack of trying. I did shoot that one gunman on the roof, but he survived and escaped. I took an oath to do no harm, but I've already broken it. And you're right, they'll do far more harm if we don't stop them."

Christopher Fontana

"All I'm saying is that a dozen armed people is a lot to take on." Christopher indicates the group with a sweep of his hand. "We should try and see what's happened to Huan though, we owe him that much..." he looks at the others "We can just see what the situation is, perhaps leaving this mess to the police will be the best thing to do." he shrugs, clearly unhappy.

Professor Jonathan Cornwall
"I'm no soldier, but we do owe it to Huang to see if he's still alive before we skip town. Besides we might also learn something useful to help us on our quest."

"Then let's go quickly," says Holly. "We don't want to leave him in their hands any longer than we must."

Christopher Fontana

Christopher nods reluctantly, "Yes, time is of the essence." He turns his attention to Holly "You have your medical bag to hand?" he aks.

"Always," says Holly, patting her black bag. "Let's hope we don't need it."

Christopher Fontana

Christoper nods and smiles wryly"Hope for the best, plan for the worst..." he then scans the others, "Does everyone have a firearm or other weapon?"

Jonathan Cornwall
"Indeed, I have my pistol. Let's hope I don't have to use it."

"And I have mine," says Holly, patting her thigh.

"Well, about that", Gonchi says, with a thin smile on his lips, "I've got some heavier stuff ready for the occasion". He opens the trunk of the car, revealing a couple of shotguns with a box of shells. "You know, plan for the worst and all that", he winks at Christopher, showing just a hint of amusement. "One is for me, you can help yourself to the other. But just make sure you know how to use it".

Ian Morin

Ian looks inside the trunk, and then to his friends, raising his eyebrows in doubt. "Well... We surely are planning for the worst." He says, taking the shotgun and filling his pockets with shells.