IC - 7 - The House - Everyone

[Mephistophilis]

1.30am Friday 12th March 2010, London Road, High Wycombe

Seven hours since Regina Balfour was abducted.

After a short five minute drive the leading marked police car cuts the flashing lights and comes to a stop beside the London Road, usually a busy thoroughfare but largely deserted at this time. The target house is around five doors down the road.

Kris parks behind the marked car and the ARV drives past the house and stops after it has passed a few houses.

Bates, Burke, and a female uniformed officer get out the marked car and join Kris, Simon, and Jocelyn. 'AFOs say the house looks quiet' says Bates, 'They'll stay in the car in case we need them, you take the lead Kris.'

As they approach the house they see it is a white fronted Victorian terrace sitting a little back from the road behind tall bushes. It is well maintained and stands out a little compared to the more run down houses that flank it. The dark clouds part briefly and a silvery crescent moon bathes the roof with an eerie glow.

The house appears to have two storeys, the left side of the frontage is a bay window and on the right a black PVC door with brass fittings.

There is no obvious sign of anyone in the property, no lights can be seen from the front of the house.

[Philulhu]

Kris walked quietly up to the front door and gently tried the handle, pushing down slowly to see if it opened or if it was locked.

[Mephistophilis]

Kris,Locked I'm afraid, roll Spot Hidden and Listen

[Philulhu]

OOC,Listen (35%) - [dice]0[/dice] Spot Hidden (40%) - [dice]1[/dice]

[Mephistophilis]

Kris gently tries the door handle, it seems to be locked and doesn't move at all. He studies the windows and listens intently at the door, hoping to pick up any sound that might be made by someone inside. He cannot hear anything but something catches his eye, was that something moving in the upstairs window?

[Mr. Handy]

"We need to cover the back door too," suggests Jocelyn. "If anyone's inside, we have to make sure they don't slip away. We may also want to enter through the rear. We'd be expected to use the front door. The back door would probably be easier to force too."

[Silver Priest]

"Chances are anyone inside already knows we're here," Simon points out. As opposed to earlier he is more tense, knowing well that this situation could devolve in unexpected ways that he wasn't prepared for. He's glad they have backup.

[Mephistophilis]

Bates signals to the uniformed officer, 'PC Holmes, take Miss Leigh round the back, cover the exit, see if there is any way in.'

She radios for one of the AFOs to join them so they have another uniformed officer present. He has not brought his weapon.

Jocelyn and PC Holmes find a small service road accessed further up the street and locate the rear of Lewiston's house. There are locked gates opening onto the rear of the property, fencing about 2m high surrounds it. An area of hard standing can be seen through the gates with garage to one side opening onto the service road. Beyond the concrete there is a well kept lawn and flower bed with a footpath down one side. The house shows no signs of habitation, with all the windows dark.

Jocelyn,Roll Spot Hidden and Listen

[Mr. Handy]

Jocelyn has excellent night vision, and she sees every detail. She also can hear decently enough.

OOC,Spot Hidden roll (60% skill) behind the house: [dice]0[/dice] Listen roll (55% skill) behind the house: [dice]1[/dice]

[Mephistophilis]

The wind is picking up but Jocelyn does not think she can hear any movement in the house. She also cannot see any sign that anyone is in the property, the windows are dark, but she does see a face peering down from the neighbouring house, a figure silhouetted in the upstairs window.

[Mr. Handy]

"From back here I can't see anyone home," Jocelyn reports over the radio. "The windows are dark, and I don't hear anything inside. There's a neighbour home, though, watching us."

[Silver Priest]

Simon remains where he is. This is not his wheelhouse and he knows it. Part of him wants to go and see the neighbor, but the chance to get a glimpse inside the kidnapper's house was an opportunity that proved too enticing for him to pass up on.

[Philulhu]

Kris looked over to Lucy Bates. ”I saw movement upstairs,” he said quietly.”There’s someone inside.”

Kris moved up to the front door and stood slightly off to one side. “Be ready with the ‘key’,” he said to Burke, and then leaned over and rapped smartly on the door. “This is the Police! Open the door and come outside!” he said, loudly and firmly.

[Mephistophilis]

Kris's knock rings out in the quiet night air. There is no answer and no sign of movement in the house, front or back.

[Mr. Handy]

"We can talk to the neighbour later, after we're done with the house," says Jocelyn. "The rear gates are locked."

[Philulhu]

Kris waved Burke forward. ”Hit it!” he snapped, pointing at the door.

[Mephistophilis]

DC Burke pulls on his gloves and steps up to the door carrying the red 'Enforcer' battering ram. He swings it into the black PVC door, punching a fist size hole with a loud crunching sound. He swings it multiple times and the plastic panels splinter and crack. When he is finished the doorframe is still locked tight but the panels lie smashed on the hall floor, the hole left is barely smaller than the door itself.

Through the hole can be seen a spartan narrow hallway with tiled flooring leading towards a closed door at the end. On the left, immediately before the door at the end of the hall, the bottom steps of a staircase can be seen. Slightly nearer the front, along the left wall, is another door.

OOC,Kris roll Spot Hidden, Simon too if you're going in

[Silver Priest]

Spot Hidden 25%,[dice]0[/dice]

Simon goes in right after Kris, his eyes looking for anything that stands out.

[Philulhu]

Kris stepped carefully through the broken door, his feet crunching on the broken fragments that decorated the carpet. He glanced down the hall and up the stairs.

”Thames Valley CID. Come out with your hands in the air where we can see them!” he shouted.

Spot Hidden,Spot Hidden (40%) - [dice]0[/dice].

[Mephistophilis]

There is no reply to Kris's shout.

The hallway is very spartan but Kris can see shading of the paint and nail holes along the wall suggesting there used to be pictures hanging.

OOC,It is pretty dark, as you go deeper in the house it will be hard to see. Will you be turning on the lights, using a torch, or walking in the dark?