Liam's shots landed center mass, and Ted struck another glancing blow. This was enough to distract the rifleman from Hasan's approach. This time his backstab landed. The rifleman slumped forward, torpid.

Hasan scooped up the prisoner without delay and made for the exit. As they climbed up the manhole, the radio started coming through again.

"We're coming topside," Hasan reported.

"The car is clear," Jacob said. "Tyr is making a mess across town, but they don't seem to be taking the bait."

"There's a roadblock on the highway out of town," Pockets said. "Better go up the logging road via the Iron Graveyard."

"That works for me," Hasan said. "Better drop me off at the hideout with my quarry. I don't think Tart 'n' Tiny is gonna be too happy to see me. Especially while I'm wearing a Tremere stole."

The car was parked under the shade of an elm tree. Nothing stood in between them and escape.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:45, Sun 13 Dec 2020.

"Give me a moment," Liam said, pressing the battle rifle into Ted's hands. "I'll make for the car. If no one comes to intercept, you follow. There's a Faraday bag in the back. We'll bag the grenade launcher and strip it later."

"And Ted, you're driving. I'm still drunk."

Scrambling out of the culvert, Liam broke for the door of the cruiser and prayed to God no one was watching.

Jacob's intel proved accurate. The trio made it to the cruiser unaccosted. There was plenty of time to put the launcher in the bag when he and Hasan were crouched in the backseat. The staked Witch-Hunter was poised in the passenger seat, serving as an effective deterrent for any Redwatch who may have considered pulling them over.

Their first stop was Hasan's hideout in the Iron Graveyard. Ted parked under a rotting overpass, and Hasan worked at unloading their prisoner.

"You sure know how to throw a party, Liam," Hasan said. "But until we figure out this curse, don't count on me for much. I think I'm on the DL right along with Pockets."

"Christ, do I ever," Liam concurred. He was starting to sober up. A little. "You can start by purging his bonds to the pyramid and then binding him to you or Jacob. Make him release the curse. But I'll talk it over with the boss when I get back."

He reached out to embrace Hasan. "Thank you. I'd say I owe you one, but I think right now we're square," he said with a wink. "I guess I'm done looking for a haven in Verdant Falls. At least for now."

Hasan returned the embrace, before hoisting the Witch-Hunter on his shoulders. "I'll let you know how things are progressing, but I have a feeling you'll know when he lifts the curse. I'm more worried about what I'm gonna do with myself. Miss ain't gonna want to lift a finger to help me out."

He shifted the weight on his shoulders, and made off on the short trek to his hideaway. Ted waited patiently in the car.

"You better hurry home, Liam," Pockets said over the radio. "They just sent your photo out over the wire. Mooks aren't going to be so placid towards you anymore. Plus... something's up with Robyn. I'll tell you more in private."

"I can talk to Miss. Merry Christmas, Hasan. Stay safe."

Liam turned back towards the car and nodded at Ted to take the wheel. "We're on our way back. See you soon."

Mercifully, the drive home was uneventful. They headed up the old logging road, and through the burned skeletons of the forest that the Redwatch had ravaged a few short weeks before. Ted's hands trembled on the wheel as they drove, which they did in relative silence. It was slow going, as they proceeded with the headlights turned off, but they reached Robyn's haven without further opposition. Pockets was waiting in the garage when they arrived. It was about an hour before dawn.

The two Kindred spent a short time passing Ted off to the villagers. He was badly shaken and likely needed some recovery time himself. On the way back to the house, Pockets was finally free to speak her mind.

"So Robyn took Hank off for a hike in the woods this afternoon," she said. The memory of Hank's betrayal was still fresh in Liam's mind. Melanie was still suffering the aftermath of her overdose. "She showed up back here just before sunset, alone. She told the others that a Redwatch ghoul had attacked them, and she'd buried him out in the woods. When I talked about it in private, she told me there was no ghoul, and she'd killed him herself."

Liam received the news in silence. He was mostly sober now. He also stank like an ashtray which was somewhat novel for him. Despite his habit normally he gave off no scent at all. “I wish I could say I was surprised, but I’d wondered if Robyn would take matters into her own hands so to speak. There’s too much on the line - and I haven’t exactly gone and made it easy on her tonight,” he added. “Still, for all his faults, I’m not sure this is what Hank deserved.”

“Did she say anything else?”

"Yeah," Pockets said, clearing her throat. "But I'll let her tell you herself. Let's just say I'm not so sure it isn't what he deserved."

Liam nodded. "I'll go talk to her. We've got a lot to discuss. There's a present for you in the back of the cruiser. Long range drone. I figure if anyone can put it to good use, its you."

"Oh, you sweet sentimentalist," Pockets said, rubbing her hands together. She headed straight for the garage.

Robyn was in her office, with the door closed. She bade him to enter when he knocked. She was seated at her messy desk. The clutter had been pushed to the edges, and an arrangement of tarot cards was occupying the clean spot. As Liam approached, she laid another card on the spread, and studied the arrangement carefully.

"Quiet night?" she said dryly.

"Well the first part was nice," Liam said, taking a seat across the desk from Robyn. "Very cosy. Can't say I'll be going back again though."

"Mmm," Robyn said noncommittally. "While you were out, I finished work on the binding curse." She nodded to the messy table in the middle of the room. On top of the tallest pile was a neatly bound sheaf of papers. The cover bore arcane symbols beyond Liam's ken. "I've already scanned it, so we've got copies, but that one's for your friend. Take a look."

Most of the knowledge contained within was too technical for Liam to understand. But he could make some sense of the nitty-gritty, and what had happened to both Pockets and himself.

[I've shared the rule notes on the Path with you.]

"There's a small wrinkle, though," Robyn said as Liam leafed through it. "I want to deliver it to her myself. I don't care how we make it happen, but that's non-negotiable."

"Okay," Liam said nodding. "We can work something out. Miss is free to move about the city." Bring Robyn to the Chantry seemed less appealing all things considered.

"Are you okay?"

"Divination is hogwash," Robyn said. "I've spoken at length with a being that can see the future, and I know predestination is a crock. It's only good for looking at the present. Organizing our thoughts. Identifying what's important. Encouraging us to make decisions we're already on the fence about making. Helping us live with the ones we've already made."

She drew another card, and held it in her hand. She lowered her head as she laid it down, and studied the board. "I knew going up there that I was going to kill him. Along the way... He figured it out, too. And we both just kept... pretending. Talking like it wasn't going to happen. But I could hear the fear in his voice. I could see in his eyes that he knew his life was ending. He just didn't know when. I... I felt the kindest thing to do would be to surprise him. It was the kindest thing for both of us."

She looked back up at him, tears running down her face. "I've killed people before. In firefights. One of them was even before I met you. But this... It was so different. It feels different."
This message was last edited by the player at 08:50, Mon 21 Dec 2020.

Liam stood and made his way around the desk to Robyn's side, sitting back against the edge careful not to disturb the tarot cards. He reached for Robyn's hand.

"You did what you had to do. All of us make choices. Hank made his. You made yours. I made mine. Now we have to live with them."

He glanced down at the Tarot. "What do the cards say?"

Robyn took a breath, getting her emotions back under control. She squeezed his hand as she outlined the spread to him. There were six cards, arranged in a plus sign, with two in the middle.

First, she pointed to the centre cards. "My present. Ace of Cups, Inverted. Emotional loss, creative blockage, emptiness. The problem? Inverted Temperance. Imbalance, recklessness, and hasty decisions." She looked up at Liam. "Doesn't take a psychic to know that I'm torn up over the decision I made, and it's going to affect my ability to finish the book."

She pointed to the left. "Influence from my past. Nine of pentacles. The fruits of a great labour. I'm a little fuzzy on this one. It could mean the allegiances I've made along the way - you, Jack, Maeve, Nex. Or it could mean the Cure. Or both. But I know that I've got a lot going for me."

Then, the right card. "Influence from my future. The moon. Illusion, or the unconscious mind; intuition in the face of uncertainty. I hate this card, really. Even as Tarot goes, it's vague. But I don't believe in seeing into the future, so it's right where it needs to be."

Then above. "The conscious; what I'm focused on with regards to the problem. The High Priestess, Inverted. Repression. A disconnect from the inner self. It fits very well with the problem. I've lost my way."

She pointed to the card below. "The unconscious. What's affecting the problem that isn't so obvious. Three of swords. Heartbreak, and grief. To me, this says that I've been affected by this in ways I don't yet understand."

She slowly dealt four more cards, arranging them in a vertical line to the right of the cross.

As she lay the first card, she frowned. "My influence. What I bring to the table. Six of Swords. Transition, and not the good kind. Unhappy, and unwanted change. Letting go of something I don't want to let go of. My innocence, perhaps? What was left of it. Not really sure, but maybe you've got some insights."

As she looked at the next card, she scoffed a little, and smirked despite herself. "External influence. What others bring to the table. The Magician. Funny, when we're dealing with all these Tremere. The cards aren't usually literal, so I'm inclined to believe it's more about willpower, skill, and resourcefulness. You know anyone like that?" She nudged him a little.

She studied the next card, and nodded before she placed it. "Hopes or fears. Nine of cups, inverted. Unhappiness, underachievement, or hubris leading to failure. Seems pretty on the nose. I'm concerned that I'll lose myself, or I'll fail to publish the cure in time for it to make a difference."

She shuffled the deck, and looked up at Liam. "The final card is the outcome. Again, I don't believe in this stuff, but let's hope it's not Inverted Tower." She took a breath, and drew the card. "Whoa... Ace of Wands. Creative inspiration, new passions, renewed energy. Sounds like the cards think everything is gonna be okay."

In response to the Six of Swords, Liam shrugged his shoulders. "You give up a little more of yourself every time you delve into the Book," he suggested. "Or perhaps its Sunny? Maybe its time to let go?"

When the last card turned up aces though he smiled. "You see? The cards think everything is going to turn out okay. Lets hope they're right."

"Something that I'll have to reflect on, I guess," Robyn said with a frown. "And keep my mind open to." She hugged herself uneasily. "If things were normal I'd be seeing a therapist. Not sure if I want to talk about what happened with Joyce though."

"For Joyce's sake, probably not," Liam agreed. "You can always talk to me though. I promise you, I've been there."

"And its looking like you're stuck with me. I can't fly and I can't run. I can't even heal these bruises, and its a good thing they weren't worse."

"That's terrible," Robyn said. "But with any luck, Miss will have the knack of things in a couple of weeks. Til then, you're just going to have to slum it on the ground with the rest of us plebs."

"Lets hope so," Liam replied. "I've got an open invitation to meet with Flores in Bar Harbor. A man like that, I don't want to keep waiting long."

"Good time to be away," Robyn said. "I think I'm going to hunker down and write. And think. And hone up on my new magic. Just so long as we have that meeting before you go."

"I'll sort it out," Liam assured. "But for now I'm going to turn in."

"Merry Christmas, Robyn. Hopefully the cards are right and its a better new year."

[5 xp for the scene, plus a grenade launcher]