It took some time, but after verifying their documentation and obtaining sufficient security, Stanley and Walter were loaned a modest vehicle by the hotel.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 00:49, Sat 19 Nov 2016.

Once the were in the automobile, Bishop removed the folding shotgun from the leather holster  that hung on his belt and was concealed below his overcoat.

"That thirty eight, and my Burgess are the only protection we have at the moment. We need to stop by a gun shop and purchase some additional weapons. After what the others encountered last night clearly the enemy or at least an enemy is here and very dangerous."

"But I guess that will need to wait until later. We should head straight to that shop and if anyone has discovered Morreti's handy work." Bishop suggested as he got comfortable in the seat.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 00:50, Sat 19 Nov 2016.

Bo quickly discovered that London wasn't the easiest city to navigate. It was huge and sprawling and the erratically winding streets seemed to change names every couple of blocks. Plus he found driving on the 'wrong side' took a bit of concentration.

Fortunately, Stan found a street map in the glove box. Between them they found their way to the location of the spice shop. Bo drove past slowly and stopped a half block farther on.

He pulled out the street guide and feigned interest in it to give Stan time to scope out the neighborhood.

Having sorted out the matter of the map, and having suppressed the urge to warn Bo that he was driving on the wrong side of the street on more than a few occasions, Bishop decided to started out the window.

Making their way through London, Stanley's thoughts drifted to Rosalie. He had never thought he could love again, but truth be told he ha never loved anyone the way he loved her. As the sedan rolled down the London street and approached the shop, Bishop forced away his thoughts and paid close attention for signs of anything strange.

21:31, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 63 using 1d100 with rolls of 63.  spot hidden 80.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:41, Sat 01 Oct 2016.

While pretending to study the map, Bo used the car mirrors to case the spice shop and the street.

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 44 for Spot Hidden 58%.

"You see anything, Stan?" Bo mutters, not looking at his partner.

From their mirrors, they could make out the front facing side of the spice shop. On the ground floor, there was a door and a shop window that appeared open. There wasn't any obvious activity down there they could make out from their position. Upstairs there were two windows that might have offered a view within if not for the curtains on the inside.
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:19, Wed 05 Oct 2016.

"No constable on duty outside the door. Suggests it hasn't come to the Yard's attention yet. Don't remember Vince saying anything about an open window though.

"We should probably stroll past the back door."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:57, Wed 05 Oct 2016.

"Agreed." Bishop said replacing the folded shotgun into its hoster before getting out of the car. Luckily the cold day of the winter morning justified the long heavy coat that covered the weapon.

"You make the pass. I'll cover you." Bishop said as they headed toward the alley.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:34, Thu 06 Oct 2016.

Locking the car doors with the key, Bo sets off along the sidewalk at a casual pace. As he goes, he stops to peer curiously into any shop windows. Arriving at the spice shop, he looks in the open window.

As Walter walked closer, he saw that the window was open halfway. He could see into the building's shop level, which seemed devoid of activity.

Bo turns down the alley toward the rear of the shop.

Coming to the back of the shop Bo finds a door on the first floor and a fire escape leading to the second floor.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:54, Tue 11 Oct 2016.

His coat collar, turned up against the winter cold concealed his features. Bishop found a spot from where he could see both Bo and the street while remaining largly unseen himself. As Bishop had practice quick drawing it and getting it into action quickly, the shotgun remained in its holster.

The open windows seemed to indicate that someone had already been here. Given that, Bishop scanned the area for anyone who might be watching the place.

15:29, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 66 using 1d100 with rolls of 66.  Spot hidden 80
This message was last edited by the player at 22:30, Wed 12 Oct 2016.

When Bo gets to the door, he reaches out his gloved hand to try the knob.

Walter finds that the knob doesn't turn, the door being firmly locked.

OOC:

Just to make clear, Stanley can't find a position to watch Walter, the street on the back side of the house, and the street on the front side of the house at the same time. Unless Stanley is a bird, or a Druid who can turn himself into a bird. As such, given that this is an open thread I'm going to assume Stanley came down the alley with Walter leading to the back of the house, but is going to hang back from the door to offer Walter any cover. This gives him full view of the back side of the house, and can see a tiny bit of the street on the front side of the house as well.

From his vantage point Stanley keeps on eye out hoping to get the drop on anyone who might be a threat to Bo. Looking about Bishop looked for the tell clouds of vapor that men released as they exhaled. On a cold morning it could often give away a hidden threat.

Bo lets go of the knob and drifts back up the alley. He goes to the front door and rings the bell. If there's no response, he knocks loudly.

If there is still no response, he heads up the street to the car.

OOC:

Let's have some rolls. Luck, Listen, Spot Hidden.

20:35, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 2 using 1d100 with rolls of 2.  Spot hidden 80.
20:34, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 90 using 1d100 with rolls of 90.  Listen 65.
20:34, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 87 using 1d100 with rolls of 87.  Luck 80.

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 68,84,22 for Luck 55%, Listen 40%, Spot Hidden 58%.
Made the Spot Hidden only.

As Walter and Stanley walked back up the alley from the back of the house towards the front, towards where they had parked, a lorry pulled up on the street in front of the house, blocking their path towards their car. One man sat on the right side in the driver's seat, and three more men got out and made their way towards the front door of the shop, rapping on the door.

From a distance, they almost looked like whites on account of their skin fairer skin tones, but both Walter and Stanley picked the men approaching the house out as Arabs. They could hear the men talking to each other quite loudly, but the sound itself didn't carry well enough into the alley between buildings for them to make anything out.

---

OOC:

That's not to indicate that they look familiar or are any specific faces they've seen, but just to indicate that Bo and Bishop recognize them as Arabs. (It was for your Spot Hidden) roll.

Make a Sneak or Hide roll to avoid detection. Subtract 20 from your result, as they aren't looking for anything.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:26, Wed 26 Oct 2016.

[Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 80 using 1d100-20 for Sneak 50%. Lovely.
How close are we to the truck? Does it close off the whole alley?
Did Bo go far enough down the alley to see whether it opens onto the next street?]

As the can he kicked goes clattering up the alley to bounce off the truck's front tire, Bo draws himself up to his full height and strides purposefully toward the driver, stabbing his finger at the man.

"Here! You! Get this lorry out of here. You can't be blocking the thoroughfare like that!

"Like me to run you in?"

"Just quick stop, I move truck if someone comes," he says to Walter, his English heavily accented.

Someone opens the door, and the three men waiting out front are let in.
 

---

OOC:

Quite some luck you've got there!

You're about 10 yards from the truck. It doesn't block off the whole alley, but it does partially obstruct it. And it does open onto the next street.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 24):

"Let me see your driving license, Sonny Jim," Bo says, determined to keep the man's attention fixed on him for another few moments, so Stan can get down the alley and out into the next street.

"You are not a police," he insisted, looking at Walter dubiously.

---

OOC:

Make a Persuasion check

"Right!" says Walter, sternly, "You're nicked, my lad. Switch off your engine and climb down out of there."

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 88 for Persuade 20%.

"You are madman, English," the driver said with a sneer, gesturing dismissively. "Get out of here."

18:26, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 67 using 1d100 with rolls of 67. Persude 71.
18:31, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 93 using 1d100 with rolls of 93. Spot hidden 80. Spot weapons.


Stepping up to back up Bo, Bishop, a large and formidable man put on his war face. Bishop's eyes scanned for weapons but came up empty. There was nothing to do but back Bo's play. If things turned ugly the big man knew he could pull his shotgun as fast a pistol. But that was a mess they did not need yet.

Speaking in an Irish accent he often adopted working unions back in the states "The man told you to get lost."

One man came out of the house speaking in  a foreign language, followed by three others who were carrying something large. It was rather flat, wrapped in canvas, and was about four by six feet in dimension. After they pulled it out, another man came up behind them, closing the door. They began making their way towards the truck.

"You get lost. We are going now," he said, clearly unfazed by Stanley's bravado.

Bishop looked at the man and decided to buy time until whatever was headed to the truck ended up in the truck. It wasn't going anywhere until someone got behind the wheel. The big man would wait until someone moved to get behind the wheel before he made his play. His shotgun resting in its holster could be brought into action very fast despite being folded at the moment, an old marine Bishop looked for the nearest good cover to move to one all hell broke loose.

OOC Bishop speaks Arabic at 25% did he understand any of it?

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 30):

"Yes, you better get going quick." Bo said, "And don't let me see you around here again." He takes a couple of steps back, away from the truck.

One of the men climbed into the back of the lorry and received the end of the object. The men carrying it hoisted it up, two continuing to hold it with the man in the truck. The third person who was originally helping to carry it also climbed into the truck and helped ease the object into the back.

As much as Stanley wanted to pull his shotgun and smoked the lot of them, instead he shrugged and backed away before turning and heading out of the alley, hoping Bo followed his lead. Had this been New York, Bishop would have muscled them. This was a different place, different rules and no connections.

Now was time to get to the car and tail them. They had a short time as the Arabs finished loading up the truck. The good news was that Trucks were easy to tail. the point was to find the nest, not to kill one or two snakes.


OOC Was going to open fire, but my computer died so I took it as a sign.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:39, Sat 29 Oct 2016.

"I'll have my eye on you, Sonny Jim," Bo says as he goes past the men loading the mirror, "The lot of you."

He crosses the street and strolls toward the car.

Bishops gets in the the car and quickly looses his hat and scarf, and place the folded shotgun where he can to to it if needed.

Motioning Bo to get in the car. Once Walter is in the car, Bishop motions him to get down and utility oder sight as he was the one the Arabs had a better look ato during their brief encounter.

"We can tailor them. With luck we can figure out where they are taking that thing. If the chance presents itself we can always take a shot at the mirror some place less busy then this."

Bo gets into the car and slides down in the seat.

Once they were all settled into the lorry, the vehicle pulled off and started winding its way through London, not seeming to give a second thought to Walter and Stanley - the perfect opening for them to tail the lorry through the maze that was London.  The vehicle wound its way through Soho taking a right onto Oxford Street, and then after some time a left onto Tottenham Court Road. The lorry slowed as it approached a gated compound around an old and weathered but elegant looking two story building. An old and sturdy high iron fence surrounded the compound, and a vehicle gate was opened to admit the lorry. Various other laborers could be spotted around the compound unloading crates from vehicles and bringing them into the building. After the lorry enters, they begin closing the gate.

Once they are well underway, Walter notes down the lorry's tag number.

Bishop kept driving. He drive around the place to try and get his eyes on the back to see if they might be trying to pull a fast one and slip out with the package out the back way.

"Be tough to spot it if they crate it up and sneak it out under our eyes."Bishop said.

Walter looks for an address of the building or any signboard indicating what is housed there.

"Big place," he offers.

"Wonder who owns it?" Bishop asked more people less to himself.

Seeing Bo having written down the licence number of the truck Bishop added "Bo jot down all the plate numbers of the vehicles around the place."

Driving around, they see a placard along the fence that says:

The Penhew Foundation
35 Tottenham Court Road

With no other automobile gates, it seems unlikely they would be making their way out with their bundle. The pedestrian entrance to the compound is open, and a couple of well dressed Englishmen walk out, making conversation with one another.

---

OOC:

Make a roll against a quarter of your Spot Hidden to be able to jot down any license plate information of vehicles inside the compound through the fence while circling in a moving automobile outside the compound for each vehicle inside the compound.


This message was last edited by the GM at 23:39, Wed 02 Nov 2016.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 43):

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 37 for Spot Hidden 58/4=15%.

I'll note that Bo tried to get the tag number while they were following the lorry, before it turned into the lot.

OOC:

Oh, he definitely got the Lorry's number, just not all of the vehicles in the lot as Stanley wanted.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 45):

Oh, okay.

Seeing the sign Bishop muttered "The Penhew Foundation .. son of a bitch."towards

"We need to place a call and leave word." Bishop said taking the car towards some place they could use a telephone.

As Stanley and Walter take one last loop around the block, they see another lorry with slightly dark coloration and a different tag number than the one they had followed exiting the vehicle gate.

"What do you think Bo?" Perhaps they pulled a switch. I think we should follow it." Bishop said ready to tail the new truck.

"You're the doctor, Stan."

OOC did enough time pass for the McGuffin to switch trucks?


Bishop did his best to follow the new lorry with out being spotted.


Putting himself in the place of their quarry "May be a set up Bo, keep your eyes open for anyone tailing us."

Bishop was easily able to follow the lorry that next left the compound.  The vehicle they followed was loaded up with a large crate, and making its way eastward over major thoroughfares when possible, but occasionally taking to smaller streets when needed to connect onto larger ones. Despite their best efforts, they are unable to spot anyone tailing them.

It made its way through Holborn, slowly working its way into Whitechapel, and it continued on eastward through Ratcliff and into Limehouse. Limehouse seemed to be a grim and dirty part of London, and as they drove through they spotted many of what might have been gambling dens and cheap housing, and saw that the area seemed to be mainly populated by immigrants, mostly of East or South Asian descent.

The lorry finally pulled up to the Limehouse Docks, a fairly busy area with plenty of warehouses near a variety of docks, with a smattering of ships sprinkled about. Traffic was fair there, so one more vehicle didn’t draw much attention. Finding a spot to park, they were able to see the lorry stop near a warehouse, and the workers began to unload a single large crate.

A man with skin the color of clay emerged from the warehouse, crossing his arms as he watched the men from the lorry unloading their crate.

---

OOC:

There is technically just enough time for them to have executed such a maneuver, though it would have had to have been near perfect execution, especially if they were to hide it from you. The crate in the lorry they're following now is different in dimensions from the one that left the spice shop.

To avoid being spotted Bishop kept driving. Looking over the place he looked over the place and the faces for anyone out of the ordinary. He took a moment to look for marks on the crate in case they tried to find it later. "Well this certainly seems to be quite the operation. It might be a routine shipment by the Penhew Foundation, but I cant imagine they would use and outfit like this to ship antiquities."

"We need to get to a telephone. I don't want the others waling into the Penhew Foundation blind."

05:47, Today: Stanley Bishop rolled 62 using 1d100 with rolls of 62.  Spot hidden 80.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:21, Fri 18 Nov 2016.

Bo eyeballs the warehouse, looking for any identifying sign, as they drive past, but his attention is captured by the clay-colored man.

Walter 'Bo' Brandon rolled 95 for Spot Hidden 58%.


"Check," Bo replies.

"If this Penhew fella is tied up in all this, things just got very complicated." Bishop said, a part of him wishing he had blasted away at the men in the alley.

Bishop back toward a better area where a pub might have a telephone and something decent to eat.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 00:50, Sat 19 Nov 2016.

Nothing seemed to stand out to Bishop as he scanned the area for details. No faces that seemed out of place there popped out at him, and he couldn't seem to make out any markings on the crate from the distance he was at. There were many ships all over the docks; Bishop made out the name of the one closest to the docks, a dilapidated freighter called the Ivory Wind.

Pulling out of the docks area, Stanley didn't have to drive far to find a pub. Easily finding parking, he pulled up on Narrow Street at a small pub called The Grapes, an alehouse that also had a humble menu.
This message was last updated by the GM at 00:49, Sat 19 Nov 2016.

Walking into the pub, Bo goes to the bar and orders two pints and a steak and kidney pie, while Stanley goes to call Avery.

Walter is served by a gruff, but polite bartender, who first lines up his two pints quickly, understanding the need of a man to do some hard drinking. He then goes back to the kitchen to tell them to prepare the steak and kidney pie.

Bishop placed a call to the hotel and spoke with Avery. He explained what they had seen, as well as the possibility that the mirror could have ended up at either location.

By the time Bishop returned to join Walter, he found Bo sitting there with two pints of a dark Irish stout the barman had called Guinness, digging into a hot slice of steak and kidney pie.

"Anything for you, big fella?" the barman asked Bishop.

"I'll have the same. If you could also pack us a bagged supper, sandwiches will do." Bishop replied.

After the barman left the table, Bishop spoke again "Spoke with Avery. Left our details. So far nothing from the others."

"Seems now we have two places to check out."

Having requested the same, the barkeep brought Stanley two more pints of Guinness and a hot slice of steak and kidney pie, and agreed to pack them some supper.

"According to Avery themail others were back at the hotel. Once we have eaten perhaps we should place another call and make a plan. Given the muscle we have seen where ever we operate I suggest we do it in force, and if possible armed. We might want to pick up a few more shotguns. Just in case." Bishop said quietly.

Bo swallowed a bite of steak and kidney and a gulp of stout.

"Probably we should go back to the hotel and see what Leo thinks. I'm not sure we want to get into a gunfight in the middle of London. Sneaky seems the better way."

"Sneaky is fine until some steps on a Sneaky floorboard, then we will need the cavalry." Bishop replied.

"Going back seems a good idea. The job will be best done at night fall. We'll just have to figure out whicheck spot to try first."

"Let's get back to the hotel and talk to Leo and the others. And find out what they've been up to."

[I want to join the other thread and get some input into the discussion.]

"Agreed, I'll call back and inform them we are on our way." Bishop said as he finished his beer in one long sip.

After he made the call, collected the bag lunch and paid.

Keeping an eye out for anyone watching them, he joined Bo at the car and headed back to the hotel.

OOC:

Go ahead and moved to the thread with the others, Chapter 2.3: Mirrors, Spice and Everything Nice [01/30/1925]