"For any buildings that matter, well, it wouldn't do any good," Jim said. "All the public records on file with the city are falsified. But the real plans exist. People had to build it, and they may need to maintain it someday. I can get you the details of the construction company that'd have them. But getting your hands on the plans is another matter."

“I don’t want buildings,” Liam replied. “I want a map of the sewers. Old maps. Pre-digital. I’m looking for someone down there, and you can bet they’re not on any current municipal plans.”

"The sewers?" Jim said. "They're a mess. Some of those plans are as old as the city. They're all at the municipal maintenance depot up near the Iron Graveyard. I can request them, but it'll take a while. Or you can cut through the red tape and procure them yourself. Your call."

"No, that's perfect," Liam said. "I can get them myself. I just didn't know where to look."

"Does the city own any property in the docks? The Camarilla have all but ceded the whole district. I wouldn't mind throwing together a safe house down there, and I can't imagine the city's making much use of its holdings there if it has any."

"There's a homeless shelter we can't do anything with," Jim replied. "It hasn't been maintained in over a decade but I can guarantee you won't be disturbed."

“I’ll check it out,” Liam said appreciatively. He smiled. “It’s really good to see you again, Jim. It’s been far too long.”

He reached for his phone. “This is me,” he said, texting Jim’s burner the word ’me’. “If you get into trouble, call me, I’ll come as quickly as I can. If you need something, send a text and I’ll drop it in the shed.”

Unless Jim had questions for him (which would have been entirely reasonable under the circumstances) Liam turned back into a cat and curled up on a recliner to nap until the house’s bedtime.

Jim did have many questions, mostly about the state of the city and the fate of the Garou. Liam was able to answer some of these questions, but the return of the security detail meant he had to leave him to soak in the bad news.

Eventually, Moira joined him upstairs, and the two were left alone for the evening. Jim balked several times at administering the cure, and eventually waited until his wife was well asleep before spraying her.

Her nose twitched, and she turned in the bed. Her dreams became fitful, and she thrashed in her sleep. Finally, she snapped upright in bed, panting and gasping for air. She looked around, waking from two nightmares at once.

Jim quickly sat up beside her. "Moira," he said. "Moira it's okay. I'm me."

"Jim? My God, what's happened? The kids? The pack? H-how long have-"

Jim carefully took his wife in his arms and held her. "Ssh, it's okay. We're free, and the kids are next." Then to Liam. "It's okay, Liam, you can come out now."

Liam trotted smartly out from beneath the bed, arched his back and stretched languidly back into his usual guise.

"Hello, Moira," he said. "Sorry to drop in unannounced like this."

"Liam, what did you-" Moira cut herself off and gasped. "Oh God, the Caern. Liam, Jim... The Caern is gone."

"I know, love," Jim said, rubbing her back. Tears were running down his cheeks. "Liam just told me."

"I led them there. Keisinger. Those Nazi fucks. They made me take them there, and then they made me watch. They MADE ME WATCH..." Her words came out in a strangled cry. Her breathing quickened, and her whole body went rigid.

"I'm going to kill them all," she said. "Starting with the one downstairs."

’Christ almighty,’ Liam breathed. His gut wrenched at the depravity of Keisinger and the horrors to which Moira has been subjected. He supposed though he couldn't be surprised at the depths to which the Redwatch would sink to punish their captive populace.

“I hope you do kill them. Especially the one downstairs. I feel the same way. But I’d strongly caution against starting tonight.”

“The whole city belongs to them right now, Moira. I can’t put it any more starkly than that. The good news is their fingers are starting to slip, and they haven't noticed yet.”

“The one downstairs may be a simple matter, and the troop truck parked up the street wont be expecting you. But they have scouts flying overhead all night long and at some point they’ll start waking up your friends and neighbours to hunt you. Even if you can outrun them for a good long time, Jim can’t.”

Liam didn’t even mention the children.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:53, Sun 06 Sept 2020.

"How do you propose to get us out of here if the skies are being patrolled?" Moira asked. "And I promise you I'll kill him quietly so the boys outside don't hear. Happy?"

"Can't be done," Liam said, shaking his head emphatically. "Not tonight. Not with the transport right outside your house. Not safely anyway."

"Another night, sure. If that's your decision, I can help get you out of the city. But that begs a larger question. What are you hoping to do? Jim and I talked for a bit before you came up. If you're hoping to hit back at Keisinger and the Camarilla, you're best positioned to help with that effort right here where they think you're their pliant subjects. And when the day comes when the mask slips you'll be right here waiting to lunge for the throat."

"If that's not acceptable to you and you just need to get out with the kids, I'd understand. It's a lot to ask of anyone, and I'm not in any position to make requests of either of you. I can only present you with options. We're growing a resistance. I can get you to them instead. Either way though, I can't move you tonight."

"Liam, what the fuck," Moira said. "You snap me out of this living hell, and you can't even get me out? Why don't you just put me back under?"

"Moira, that's not fair," Jim said. "They've been fighting this on their own, and we're-"

"No, Jim," Moira snapped. She got up out of bed. "I'm not safe here. Our daughters aren't safe here. I don't think I can pretend to dance to his tune. Not after what they've done. What he's done."

“I said I can’t get you out tonight,” Liam replied. “It took me two nights just to fly here. I set out yesterday to reach you but a scout picked me out of the air over the downtown core and tore my wing up. We crash landed on the top of a high rise and within fifteen minutes a helicopter was in the air and the whole block was cordoned off by cruisers.”

“The cruisers are the trick to moving people and goods around the city at night. The scouts more or less ignore them. We have one with the LoJack yanked out. But if I pull up out front and start loading you up that ground crew is going to notice.”

“It’s been ten years, Moira. I can get you out of the city, but tonight isn't a good night for it.”

“You can take your chances during the day of course but I can’t be there to help you, and I can’t offer much advice. I know the ghouls still keep watch over the city with the VFPD under them but you won’t have the scouts to contend with.”
This message was last edited by the player at 13:58, Mon 07 Sept 2020.

"Any chance you can send out that cruiser to get us at dawn?" Moira asked. "If not, we can make for the Ridge on our own and meet up with you tomorrow night." She stretched, and cracked her neck to the side. Her skin began to grow thick with fur, black with only a whisper of gray, like her hair.

She'd grown two feet and added on about a hundred pounds of muscle onto her frame - which had remained remarkably toned through the Redwatch austerity - by the time she finally ceased to grow. Liam had seen the Glabro form many times, but it had been a long time.

Liam looked from Moira to Jim, and back to Moira. After a moment he nodded. This was happening one way or another. "Jim, keep that phone close to you. I'll see what I can arrange."

He slipped off his holster and passed it over.

"One round in the chamber but it packs a mean punch. I sincerely hope you don't have to use it."

Two families. Two drivers. How the hell was he going to make this work?

"Guess we won't be working from the inside after all," Jim said.

"Jim, go wake up the kids," Moira said. "I'm going to take out the trash." Moira didn't seem to care either way who Liam decided to follow.

Liam didn't follow either, figuring both Gordons had their respective tasks well in hand. Instead he reached for his ear piece.

"Jacob," he said, once it was firmly in place. "I'm at Jim's and, well - Moira's opting for extraction. Tonight, as luck would have it. It wasn't really a discussion."

"Either I help them or she's going to do it herself. I've convinced her to sit tight until morning, but that's it."

Moira stalked away down the hallway without a sound.

"Well, shit," Jacob replied. "That... Complicates matters. Are they going to be staying with you? Or are they fleeing the city?"

"To put it mildly," Liam replied. "Although an outcome that was foreseeable in retrospect. We'll just have to deal with the fallout as it comes."

"Robyn's my next call. So long as she's onboard I intend to relocate them to the compound. I'll keep you posted."

He was already texting with his free hand.

Thoughts on bringing a werewolf back?

He'd been given strict instructions about vampires, but this was nebulous territory. Liam hit send.
This message was last edited by the player at 13:02, Tue 08 Sept 2020.

Robyn was currently in the throes of the book. No reply came.

Liam took the ear piece out and dialled Pockets. “Come on, pick up, pick up, pick up,” he muttered.

"Yo," Pockets said on the other end. "Was that you texting Robyn? She's...indisposed."

“Yeah...” Liam replied. “That was me. I figured she might be.”

“You know how you told me to be careful about who I spray because sooner or later the Tremere will notice? Well things didn’t go quite how Jacob hoped. Moira wants to get the family out.”

He glanced down the hall.

“And I’d say we’ve passed the point of no return,” he continued after a moment.

“I need to ask you a favour. Find out who’s driving Hank in the morning. They’ve got to make a stop in Rosewood after the drop off to pick up a family of four. And if Robyn comes around have her check my message.”

“She made me promise not to bring any more vampires around without a heads up, even in an emergency. Moira’s no vampire, but I’d say we’re not far off from an emergency.”

“And I promise, no more spraying people for at least a couple nights. Scout’s honour.”

Pockets breathed a heavy sigh. "Can you make it look like they were taken by force, maybe? I don't see her having a problem, but I can't speak for her. You sure you can't convince them to stay?"

There was a loud thump downstairs. Loud, but not loud enough to alert the patrol outside.