IC - Chapter 1 - New York, January 1925

[Job]

DL left work a bit early to meet the group at the Coffee Pot diner, but half-jogging through the snowy streets, slipping and sliding, took time and he finally arrived at the diner to find none of his friends inside. He exited and saw the last of the group entering the Chelsea Hotel, across the street. "That must've been a quick bite to eat," he thought, as he crossed the street, dodging a few cars, and ran into the hotel lobby.

No friends were there to be seen. He gazed up at the staircase, whistled in admiration, and quickly walked over to the receptionist, asking, "Jackson Elias' room please? My friends just came through."

"Fourth Floor, sir," responded the clerk in a monotone, and then he loudly blurted "Ahem," as he frowned and glared down at DL's tracks of slush across the carpeting.

"Oh, heh, sorry," DL shrugged and said, "I'm in a hurry to meet my friends," then he turned and ran up the staircase, taking the stairs two at a time with ease, excusing himself as he brushed past well-dressed patrons on his way up. He arrived on the floor to see Amy, Jordan, and others clustered around a door down the corridor.

[Mr. Handy]

Amy has a good idea what sort of language was being spoken in the room.

[Job]

Dayton could see that his friends were anxious, and he even saw that one had readied a gun, so he moved quickly down the corridor to meet them, asking in a low voice, "Hey everyone, what's with the pistol? Is Jackson in trouble?"

[Mr. Handy]

Amy nods, her lip quivering. "There are intruders rummaging through his room," she hisses. "They were speaking some African language."

[Raiko]

Together Tremayne and Anderson attempt to kick down the door to room 410, although it doesn't break open on the first attempt, it does crack loudly, so they kick a second time.

This time the door finally succumbs to the pounding and bursts open, revealing the inside of Jackson's hotel room.

Before they have proper chance to look inside the room, a large man wearing a hideous African tribal headdress steps through the broken doorway. The intricately carved wooden mask completely covers the mans face, and features a long red tongue or trunk that protrudes grotesquely from the front of it's bestial visage.

In his hand he brandishes a wickedly curved machete-like knife, and ignoring the two unarmed investigators he immediately raises the cleaver to swing at James, even as the detective steadies his aim.

Beyond the thug, the three investigators catch a glimpse of a second masked figure climbing down over Jackson's balcony to the floor below.

OOC:   Everyone can see the machete wielding thug, only Tremayne, Anderson and James can see beyond him to the second masked intruder

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Are there any fire alarms that can be pulled in the hallway? Can we get to the stairs without having to go past the man with the machete? Also, is there blood on the machete?

[royya]

Clark will swing his filled hand suitcase to the man's face.

[Job]

Upon seeing the horribly-masked attacker with a machete, DL crouched low and readied for action. From his years of professional baseball training at second base, he'd become expertly capable in this position to react quickly, whether diving and catching line drive bullets from hitters or leaping over oncoming baserunners to throw a quick strike to first base. He sees James with his pistol drawn and the attacker raising his blade, but he also sees Clark swinging his suitcase. DL dives at the attacker's knees to take the man down, remaining low to the ground to avoid getting shot or hit by his friends.

Jump roll,[dice]d100[/dice] vs. 65% skill in Jump. [dice]0[/dice]

[andyw666]

Tremayne was stunned by the bizarre sight for a second. His first instinct was to drop into a boxer's stance, balled fists up in front of his face, elbows in tight. As the masked man moved past, Tremayne yelled "Stillman's!" and let fly with a lightening right jab to the attacker's kidney.

OOC:   Tremayne will make a punch attack.

[CrackheadC.]

James grits his teeth and squeezes off a round at the masked thug in the doorway.

Roll,Handgun 40%, I believe this should count as point blank range (double skill firing at a target less than player's dex (9) feet away), so 80% to hit: [dice]0[/dice]

Confirmation,I rolled an 11. That is less than 1/5th my point blank skill, but not less than 1/5 of my base skill. I'm not sure if this counts as an impale or not, after confirmation I will roll damage.

[Mr. Handy]

Amy screams when she sees the blood and bits of flesh on the machete, her blood freezing when she realizes that they must belong to Jackson. However, she has enough presence of mind to remain rational. She runs back the way she came to the stairway in the hopes of reaching a telephone in the lobby to call an ambulance, knowing that she'll be useless in a fight. She's relieved that at least she's wearing boots due to the weather rather than heels, so that she'll be able to handle the stairs quickly.

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 70) for seeing the bloody machete: [dice]0[/dice]

[CrackheadC.]

James' gun kicks heavily in his grip as his shot finds its mark in the machete wielding man.

Damage,[dice]0[/dice]

[royya]

Clark swings his handbag at te wounded man.

[dice]0[/dice]

[Raiko]

The masked assassin would probably have gone down anyway, smashed by suitcases, fists and speeding baseball players, but James’ .45 slug hits him straight in the chest and ensures that he will never get up again.

The thug’s lifeless body collapses onto DL as he slides in, but he manages to shrug it off and spring back to his feet without being covered in blood.

Jackson’s “room 410” is a small apartment, like all the Hotel Chelsea’s rooms. DL is now standing inside a short hallway with side doors that open into a bathroom and the guest/butler bedroom where Tremayne stayed last June.

The door at the opposite end of the entrance hallway connects to the main bedroom of the apartment. The balcony doors are open, curtains blowing in the chilly wind. The other masked assassin has now vanished over the balcony – descending to the floor below.

A double bed is visible near to the balcony windows, there is a body lying on the bed and a lot of blood on the bed and splattered on the window and walls.
Meanwhile Amy is running back towards the Chelsea’s big central staircase, desperate to reach the lobby telephone.

OOC:   It’ll take her a little while to reach the phone.

[Dave Syrinx]

Gerald awoken by the noise in Elias' room and horrified with the gun shot, looks at Irene on the other side of the double bed. He pushes her rather abruptly, "Are you awake?" He puts on his spectacles and a white shirt. Without buttoning it and leaving his trousers on the chair, he moves to the door. "What in all heavens is going on?", he mutters to himself.

[royya]

Clark goes inside, his suitcase ready to strike another intruder who might surprise him. Once he sees the body, he goes to see if he knows who lies dead over there.

[DrPeterson]

Jordan looks at the dead assailant sprawled on the floor. The smell of gunpowder and blood, combined with the hideous African mask transport him back to the Kenyan plains for a moment and that time he hunted Wildebeest with Jackson.
Jackson!

Jordan storm into the room with Clark and looks around, snarling as he sees the body on the bed.

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

[Mr. Handy]

Amy continues running, fighting back tears and hoping she won't be too late.

[andyw666]

Tremayne watches the masked man drop dead, more or less at his feet. "Well, that did the trick."

He races into the room and takes in the scene for a second, then bounds over to the balcony. "Come back here, brigand!@

With no further ado, Tremayne starts climbing down after the second assailant.

OOC:   Climb skill is 80% and he rolls [dice]0[/dice]

[kabukiman]

Anderson follow Tremayne for the second attacker.