Chapter 1: New York City

[Dave Syrinx]

Outside Hotel Washington-

Staring up at the firescapes, Gerald again shouts, "ELIAS!?", then realizing Elias wouldn't take that route to exit the hotel, and in the same breath he relaxes as his fears of Elias plummeting to his death has been laid to rest. "OY, fellas! What you DOING?"

In doing so, he pulls at the firescape to get the lower part to the street. Then he starts to climb the stairs.

"Something must be amiss. They'll not get away with robbing mr. Elais."

As with most situations Gerald acts much before he thinks about consequences.

[Overlord87]

Oh, God, no...

Roger is paralyzed for an instant, then springs back into action as he sees Horatio charging the man. "Artemis, the women!", he shouts, before charging himself.

Spoiler:

Roger doesn't want to interfere with Horatio, so he'll jump in and throw a fist only if he has the chance. This is my roll for the attack: http://orokos.com/roll/361658

[RonaHattingh]

Marga steps into the room. And nearly faints when she sees the carnage and realises it Is Jackson on the bed. She turns towards Amy to tell her not to come in.

[Ritterton]

Artemis had surged in with Horatio and Roger them saw the horror on the bed. The sight and smell of death clicked his mind into his war days training. Margaret had followed him and he spun when he heard her gasp and her command to Amy to not come in. Taking his walking stick, he held it near both ends and walked back to door nudging Marga back towards the open door and batting Amy's entrance. He turned his head, and tried to see if his colleagues had tackled the man at the end of the bed.

This isn't good, this just isn't good at all. What had Jackson got himself into?

[Mr. Handy]

Amy's heart wrenches. She knows that whatever they're not telling her or letting her see must be terrible, but as long as she doesn't look, she can hold onto some sliver of hope by not confirming her worst fears. "What happened in there?" asks Amy, her lip quivering. "Jackson...is he hurt? Maybe I can help him!"

[kabukiman]

Anderson follow his companions. When he sees the horrific image, he is shocked. But then he only thinks in vengence and follow the two criminals.

[Ritterton]

"Amy, you best stay out there in the hall,"Artemis turned his head from the room back to the door still trying to bar her entry and block her from seeing the horror that remained of Jackson. He could hear a scuffle behind him in the room and realized that Roger, Horatio and Anderson were going to have to subdue the stranger or else he could find himself with his back to an apparent killer.

[RonaHattingh]

Marga takes hold of Amy's hand.

"We need to stay here and not be a distraction to the men."

Marga grips with her other hand onto her purse, ready to use it as a weapon if anyone except their friends come through the door.

[Ritterton]

Realizing that Marga was watching Amy, Artemis executed an about face with his walking stick's terminus held firmly in his hand ensuring the heavier end would be the business end if the need arose.

[Quatermass]

Horiato barrels into the man by the bed knocking him over and they land in a pile in the middle of the room. Roger moves up to help but he doesn't see a opening.
The other two men climb out the window to a fire escape and start to climb down. Anderson leaps over Horatio and the man on the floor and gets to the window.

Gerald outside climbs up to the second floor on the fire escape. He sees two men above him and they are climbing down.

[Dave Syrinx]

Gerald, having received no reply from the men suspects foul play takes hold of the railings and shouts. "Stop right there gentlemen!" He looks up at the two men and tries to get a better look at them.

[Mr. Handy]

Tears well up in Amy's eyes, threatening to burst out in a torrent. "Jackson..." she chokes out. If I don't see or know what happened, that means he might still be all right, she thinks, though she knows in her agonized heart that it must be very bad, or her friends would have reassured her.

[kabukiman]

Anderson climbs, following the criminals; he doesn't say a word to avoid to loose his breath.

[DrPeterson]

Horatio struggles with Elias's assailant, rolling over the floor, trying to disarm the man and overpower him. In struggle his hat comes and is end up against the cupboard.

Rolling to get the upper hand,[dice]0[/dice]

"Artemis, best help Anderson. Mr. Edwards and I can take care of things here."

[Ritterton]

"Right Horatio," Artemis replied and headed across the room towards the window that the two accomplices had just fled out of. Upon arriving at the window, he looked back at the struggle, then down out the window to see where the two fleeing men were.

[Dave Syrinx]

Down on the scape Thomson braces hinself and pulls out his only weapon he carries and points rigidly at the two figures. "Stop right there, or I shoot!"

Through the grated metal of the scape, he hoopes the illusion of his pipe and the change of tone will be enough to sway them from coming further down. Should it not help, he will poke the first one to face him in the eye with the mouth-piece.

A shame on such a craftmanship but a sacrifice he is willing to make.

[Overlord87]

Roger closes in on the two men rolling on the floor. If he gets an opening, he'll try to kick the hand holding the weapon, trying to disarm the killer.

Spoiler:

Whooooo I rolled a 1: http://orokos.com/roll/363702

[Ritterton]

Artemis climbed down the stairs trying to catch the two fleeing men with the odd head pieces. Further below he could see Gerald working his way up towards them. This could prove to be interesting rather quickly, he thought to himself.

[Quatermass]

Roger seeing the large knife in the man's hand steps on the man's wrist with all of his weight. The man cries out pain and lets go of the machete. Horaito quickly gains the upper hand as they wrestle on the floor. Horatio bends one of the man's arms behind his back and gets a strong hold around the man's neck. The man tries to bite Horatio but he is held tight and snaps at empty air.

The two other men are out on the third floor fire escape as Gerald comes up the stairs from the second. Artemis and Anderson start to come down the stairs from the fourth floor trapping the men in-between them. The white man looks up at Artemis and Anderson and brandishes a switchblade in warning. The other black man swing his machete at Gerald below him. The attack misses Gerald by scant inches.

[Dave Syrinx]

Being a cutting blade's edge from the other side, Gerald pokes the fella with his brandished pipe and knuckles.
"Shouldn't run with knives...", he gasps as he winces at the close call.

Upon missing the knock, he braces himself for a second round.

[dice]0[/dice]

[dice]1[/dice]