“No, I don’t,” Liam concurred. “Is this drain marked? How do I find it from the river?”

Augusto pulled out his phone, and called up a satellite image of the area. The facility itself was blurred out, but the river was not. He pointed to a spot on the embankment. "Hereabouts," he said. "It'll look like a black pvc pipe sticking out of the rocks. Might need to poke through some weeds. If you're a rat it'll be a much bigger landmark."

Liam nodded. “That’ll do nicely for the airbase.”

“Any idea where the local helipads are? Where are the helicopters grounded when not in use?”

"3rd and 5th precincts, the TV station, and the hospital," Augusto said. "Helipads are made to be pretty easy to spot from the air. You should have no trouble finding them."

The vest fit like a glove. The stab pad made it a little difficult to bend over, but it was a good addition to have, especially if someone tried to stake him. As he fitted the vest, the lieutenant unpacked the contents of the duffel. A brand new Saiga, freshly cleaned and oiled. It still smelled of cosmoline. Two 8-round magazines, a long 12—round box mag, and a cartoonishly large 30—round drum, all pre-loaded with buckshot.

"I throw in drum," the Lieutenant explained with a smile. "For fun times."

He continued to unload four 12-round boxes of buckshot, and a sturdy hard case containing a dozen HESH rounds safely ensconced in fitted foam. He also produced a tightly rolled Faraday bag that would comfortably fit a long gun. As a final gesture, Augusto placed his card on the table with a flourish. Augusto Deluca, Purveyor of Fine Imported Goods.

Once Liam was satisfied, the Lieutenant packed the bag up again, and included the masks and sports drink.

“I like him,” Liam said hitching his thumb at the exuberant Lieutenant.

He picked up the card and read aloud with a smile: “Purveyor of Fine Imported Goods.”

“Now isn’t that the truth.” Liam stood and took a cigarette out of the pack, tucking it behind his ear for later enjoyment. Then he hoisted the duffel bag over one shoulder before turning back to Augusto.

“The answer is yes,” he said, though Augusto hadn’t asked. “More than enough to kit out a nascent resistance I should think, with a few more besides to plug through the backs of some pesky witch hunters should it come to it.”

“Relax. With van Fokke souring on your enterprise tonight, I’m your new best customer and you’re mine. I think the two of us will get on smashingly.”

“Thanks for the drink. It’s always a pleasure to see you.”

"That's Anton," Augusto said proudly. "Quartermaster and head of inventory control. You ever need to know if we can get something, he's the man to ask."

Augusto was all smiles, but Liam could tell his night had been ruined. Even if it was only a fraction of his inventory, losing a property, a foothold in the most lucrative port on the eastern seaboard, and a big fat contract with a bunch of inept spendocrats all in one night was a lot for anyone to bear. But Liam's promise of more bullets didn't tug at Augusto's greed like he expected. He appeared more relieved than anything. Grateful, even.

"Liam," Augusto said. "This could be the start of a beautiful fuckin' friendship."

Liam gave a casual two finger salute off the forehead and turned for the door. "Have a good night, Augusto. I'll be in touch."

As soon as he hit the deck he paused and fumbled for his ear piece.

"Who's awake, boys and girls?" he asked. "Pockets, you listening tonight?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:00, Wed 12 Aug 2020.

"I think it's just me tonight, Liam," Jacob said. "Hasan's out with Tyr, reacquainting him with the city, and I'm still healing up from our last escapade. The life of the bullet sponge, as you know too well."

Liam laughed. "All too well, Jacob," he said. "I've got some bad news and some good news."

"Bad news is that van Fokke and Deluca have had a falling out after our little escapade. The Tremere have shut his enterprise down and the Liska is headed down the river towards Montreal."

"The good news is that every cop in the city is swarming around Pier 6 at the moment, so tonight's not a bad night for shenanigans if you had any in mind. I'm planning to pay a visit to the 3rd precinct myself, see if I can find a man about a helicopter."

"Helicopters," Jacob said. "Excellent idea. I'll get in touch with Hasan and they'll hit the fifth precinct. Tyr still has some anger to work out against the Tremere. Thanks for the report. Terrible news about Augusto. At least he can stop sitting on the fence and pitch in a little."

"We talked about that and he has some ideas," Liam said without elaborating. "We'll get into another night."

"Right now I've got to get moving. I'll check in at the end of the night, Jacob."

Liam waited for a reply and then removed his earpiece. Tugging out his red arm band he slipped it on along with the neck gaiter and moments later he took to the skies.

Heading for the 3rd precinct. Liam will scout it from the air.

"Have a safe flight," Jacob said.

The Third precinct, formerly the SIU offices, was basically a vault meant to house secret records. Its physical security was formidable in Jacob's day, and Liam had no reason to doubt that it had relaxed following the formal dissolution of the secret police.

Fortunately for Liam, he didn't even need to set foot inside. The helicopter was not on the pad. It only took him a moment to spot moving, flashing lights. One was out in the stretch between Riverhead and Verdant Falls. The other was quite close indeed to the Alhambra.

Liam circled once over head as he contemplated his options and then veered towards Riverhead. He had no way of knowing if Logan would be in that helicopter, but if he was in the other one circling close to the Alhambra it was unlikely he'd be able to extract him safely tonight - at least not until he changed course.

The helicopter was flying low to the ground, with one of its doors open. Bats were flitting in and out of the trees, moving with the chopper as it made a slow sweep of the forest. They were searching the woods in force tonight. It would not be a quiet extraction. On the other hand, an opportunity to kill more Gangrel.

Bats. And more than a few, Liam thought though it was difficult to know just how many as the tiny creatures flitted in and out of view. This was never going to be easy, Liam knew. But it was at least possible if he was smart about it. The horse was out of the barn waiting to be corralled. It just so happened to be surrounded by coyotes.

Liam set down behind the patrol far enough away that he felt comfortable to regain his human guise under the cover of the canopy.

"You and Tyr get the memo, Old Man?" he said, popping the messenger stone beneath his tongue as he dragged the Saiga out and fit the box mag into place. Liam hastily repacked the duffel bag and strapped it securely over his back.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:06, Wed 12 Aug 2020.

"Can't talk, sneakin'," came a hushed reply. Liam guessed that was an affirmative.

“You don’t have to talk, just listen. There’s two choppers up in the air tonight. One of them’s being piloted by a ghoul I plan to liberate. I’m tailing the helicopter near Riverhead, but I’m not alone out here. There’s a hefty number of Gangrel scouts in the woods.”

“IF you can swing it, I’d love for you to make contact just as I get inside. Just wait for my voice. Hopefully they’ll send up some flares and peel some of the heat away from me. At the very least any reinforcements from the Alhambra will head your way and not mine.”

“If my boys inside I’ll get him out. If he’s not I’ll drop the bird and head your way, because he’ll be headed there.”

“Capisce?”

Liam tucked the cigarette from behind his ear into his breast pocket. Things were about to get hairy.

“Shouldn’t take me more than minute to get inside. Give ‘em hell.”

Liam wasn’t expecting an answer but he did wait a moment just in case. Then he leapt to the air and veered towards the open bay door of the helicopter.

"Mm," Hasan said, not really listening. "HEY WE DON'T GOT TO BE QUIET NO MORE!" He added, presumably to Tyr. Automatic tracer fire lit up the rooftop as Tyr shredded through the helicopter with some manner of high-calibre machine gun. Several of the bats immediately diverted to the scene. Two of them flew into the chopper for orders. More of them transformed and hung on to the side to hear for orders. Then they too flitted off. With only a trio to guard them, the helicopter broke off and headed toward the precinct. They were likely low on fuel and useless as anything but a target in the fray. And apparently they'd just declared open season on helicopters. The light near the Alhambra opted for the safety of the skyscraper's rooftop.

As there was nothing stopping Liam from boarding anyway, he did so. Logan was in the pilot's seat, staring blankly ahead. There was a Blue armband on his shoulder. There was a vampire Liam didn't recognize in the co-pilot seat. He had a yellow band.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked Liam. His right hand disappeared over the front of his seat.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:26, Thu 13 Aug 2020.

Liam gave his head a shake as he regained his form inside the bay of the helicopter. "Well that's hardly any way to talk to a friend," Liam remarked. He reached for his spray bottle and spritzed the yellow band, trying to angle away from Logan so that at least one of them was still flying the copter. "Wouldn't you agree, Logan?" he asked.

Logan said nothing. His programming to ignore the comings and goings of vampires was overriding his ghoulish impulses. Liam had heard about ghouled mooks acting spacey when their blood bonds were in conflict. Hopefully, Logan would retain enough wherewithal to keep the chopper level.

The vampire shook his head and sputtered. He dropped the gun he'd grabbed from under the seat. "Wh-what'd you do to me?"

"You're free," Liam said simply. "But you're not off the hook yet, because I didn't come here for you and this helicopter still needs a pilot or else its going to get real choppy, real fast."

"What's your name, my friend?"

"My name is Hector Cortez," he said, turning around in his seat and fixing Liam with an intimidating glare. "I'm from the enclave in Bar Harbour. And I've been held against my will for the past two years. If you don't explain exactly what is going on here, friend, I will run this bird into some goddamn power lines."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 22:21, Thu 13 Aug 2020.

Liam glanced out the cockpit window at the rapidly approaching city lights and then out the side at their escort on the wing.

"I can respect that,” he said. “Alright kill the comms, and we'll talk," he said, nodding at the dash.

"Ten years ago the Tremere hit upon a way to bloodbond just about anyone with a modicum of effort. The Cams chose Verdant Falls to roll it out. The entire city is bonded down to the very last man, woman and dog." Liam snapped his fingers in front of Logan's unseeing eyes for emphasis.

"I've been gone a few years myself but it seems the Camarilla has stepped up their game. They're not just bonding mortals anymore. They’re bonding unwilling and unknowing Kindred too. I don't know who you are or how you came to be in Verdant Falls but the Cams found you somewhere and turned you into one of their pawns."

He pointed at Hector's arm band.

"That’s what the Yellow Band means. Forced conscript."

“Now I’m happy to entertain any other questions you might have but I might suggest we do it after we point this bird away from the city and deal with those Gangrel. Fair?”

He narrowed his eyes, and studied Liam carefully. "Deal," he said. Then he swung the chopper south towards the open sea. One of the escorts swooped in, and materialized on the landing strut furthest from Liam. Her gun was drawn. "Freeze," she said. "Who are you?"

A second escort landed on the strut closest to Liam. He was boxed in.

Liam looked down at the pistol in the shovelhead's hands. "Are you fucking kidding me?" he said, swinging the Saiga around. He didn't give the red-band a chance to answer. The report from the shotgun sounded like a cannon going off.

Took a guess at the dice from the player's guide, since I'm going to watch a show with a friend. If I'm wrong feel free to roll for me.

3 successes on the attack (spent a WP because I figured I really didn't want to botch inside the helicopter)

4 successes on the damage (dropping the 1s)

I think Liam can pop off a second shot (seems like the rate of combat shotguns is 3?). If so, the second die string is also below.

1 hit, 5 damage.

At this range I'm presuming that's aggro and gangrel 1 just turned to mist.

21:23, Today: Liam O'Farrell rolled 2 successes using 10d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed system with a target of 6 with rolls of 5,6,3,1,7,10,1,10,5,3.  Damage.

21:23, Today: Liam O'Farrell rolled 2 successes using 8d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed system with a target of 6 with rolls of 8,6,2,1,2,10,2,5.  Dex + Firearms + WP.


21:26, Today: Liam O'Farrell rolled 5 successes using 8d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed system with a target of 6 with rolls of 3,6,4,9,7,10,4,10.  Damage.

21:26, Today: Liam O'Farrell rolled 1 success using 8d10 with the World of Darkness 3rd ed system with a target of 6 with rolls of 3,5,7,5,3,5,9,1.  Dex + Firearms.

This message was last edited by the player at 01:27, Fri 14 Aug 2020.