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World of Darkness: Attrition - The Demise of Dash Norton [FIN]


Adrian Moss

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2 a.m. May 9th, 2009

Okay, the address had been wrong. 882 Westwood was the in the UCLA Medical Center. Adrian called Jeremy to figure out what was going on, but since he had no idea, it was 'suggested' he come along and help them find the right abode. Sam and Adrian had back tracked to 1882 and found that wasn't an address either, but 1883 was. For shits and giggles, Sam and Adrian had checked it out. They parked in the strip mall next door while both of them wondered how one got and illegal sublet in this part of town. Adrian had his suspicions.

Sure enough, around back there was a second story entrance with police tape over it. They had their crime scene. While Sam looked around outside, Adrian called No Moss and clued him into their new sight. Now all they had to do was sit back and wait.

Adrian left Sam poking around the stairs and the the dumsters - it was a Coffee and Tea house - while Adrian snuck into a dark corner and then ghosted out to see what was watching the area. Satisfied they weren't being watched, he came back and joined Sam.

"You are going to be smelling this in the morning," Adrian cautioned. Coffee grounds were like that. On a more positive note,

"Here, let me help."

Followed by some aromatic fumblings,

"Were is Jeremy. His ass better show up soon."

Click to reveal..

Perception Test(16:11:41) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 9d10 and gets 1,2,2,4,5,3,1,10,3.

(16:11:48) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 1d10 and gets 3 = one meesly success.

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"Yeah great. Glad I wore work clothes. I got nothing but trash you?" Samantha had a small LED flashlight and was searching the alley with it, just in case. She eyed the door with the police tape over it. "We going in or waiting 'till your buddy shows up?"

Click to reveal..

(16:33:13) (Samantha): perception 6 dice

(16:33:18) ChatBot: (Samantha) rolls 6d10 and gets 6,7,6,8,9,2.

Result = 2 sux

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"Jeremy Noctis, this is Samantha Spaid - that's with an -aid, not an -ade. She's my mentor in the craft."

"We are waiting for Moss to arrive before we go up. ONe group quickly going in draws less attention that us moving up and down the stairs."

Looking to Sam,

"I brought my lockpicks if necessary."

Adrian smoothed himself down and kicked a rogue coffee cup away. Whatever they had found in the trash didn't seem to be overly useful to the over all picture - yet. Maybe in retrospect it might so they kept a few things laying outside the trash bins.

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Stepping out of the shadows at the corner of the alleyway Moss quips, "You called?"

He nods at Jeremy, remembering him from the nightclub, and looks Samantha over before sticking his hand out, "People call me Moss, any friend of Adrian's could be an associate of mine" he finishes with a smile and a wink in Adrian's direction.

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"Gangs all here. Let's go upstairs."

Adrian leads the way up and in the dark pulls something out of his pocket. Under the light of the moons and stars he attacks the lock with what is revealed to be a lockpick gun. Despite the bad lighting, Adrian attacks the lock with skill and vigor, popping it in under ten seconds.

Click to reveal..

Picking Lock, figuring a secure door lock needing seven successes

(19:48:21) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 8d10 and gets 4,6,5,8,7,8,1,8.

(19:48:32) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 8d10 and gets 9,8,4,8,5,10,4,4.

(19:48:42) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 1d10 and gets 4.

(19:48:54) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 3d10 and gets 9,2,10.

(19:49:11) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 5d10 and gets 3,9,10,3,7.

(19:49:21) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d10 and gets 6,7 = 10 successes and door pops.

"Okay", he says prying carefully the tap aside so the gang can slip in. He carefully closes the door behind them once he spots the light switch. Door shut, the lights come on and the group can now look around. first off, there was the sign of struggle and dusted prints then there was the blood stain on the floor where the body had bled out. Now all the team needed was to put the clues together and make some sense of it - find something the cops had missed.

Click to reveal..

Investigation roll, first ten minutes: Figuring a Forensic kit has been used, but we don't have it (+0) and the cops have been through here, but been careful (-2). (20:00:37) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 8d10 and gets 8,7,4,6,5,8,7,7 = 2 successes.

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Putting on a pair of surgical gloves from inside his bike jacket Moss carefully starts to examine the room, sniffing occassionally. When Sam and Jeremy give him a funny he passes it off as a touch of hayfever from working in the garden all day.

Click to reveal..

Wits+Investigtion = 3dice

(01:29:34) ChatBot: (Moss) rolls 3d10 and gets 8,5,2.

1 sux

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Sam nodded to the two men but kept her hands in the front pocket of her sweatshirt. She followed Adrian up and watched as he popped the lock with a pick gun. Once inside she looked around the room quickly before crouching down next to the outline of the body. She spotted a picture of a man and a woman, the victim and his girlfriend, she studied his features for a moment ensuring that she would know his appearance. Samantha's eyes shut slowly, "When did he die?" Adrian replied that it had been two days. Samantha nodded slowly and started concentrating. She focused her mind seeking to delve the past. Slowly the vision formed, it was like parting a thick fog and Sam knew it would not last long. The vision began to form and Samantha focused on the scene focusing on the attacker, the killer.

Click to reveal..

spending 1 WP to activate Postcognition

WP 3/6

Wits 3 + Occult 2 - 1 (within 1 week)

(20:22:04) ChatBot: (Samantha) rolls 4d10 and gets 7,1,10,2.

(20:22:09) ChatBot: (Samantha) rolls 1d10 and gets 4.

Result = 1 sux

Wits 3 + Investigation 3 - 2= 4 dice

(20:34:10) ChatBot: (Samantha) rolls 4d10 and gets 7,2,8,6.

Result = 1 sux

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The scene flooded into Samantha. The victim was sitting in his bedroom, watching the TV. The phone rang from another room, and he got up and began walking to reach it. He only had moved a few steps when the window spit out a small amount of glass, leaving a bullet-sized hole. The victim fell down, dead rather quickly. A flash, and the scene shifted to the the same room that Sam was in. Two men stood there, both dressed in dark clothing, and wearing crucifixes around their necks. One was twenty-something, blue-eyed, red haired, and quite worried. A triangular scar rested on his upper cheek. His companion was older, brown-haired and only a little less worried. The door was smashed open, accounting for their entry.

They glanced at the victim's body, which had apparently been moved, still bleeding. "Are you sure we shouldn't have contacted Crusader Irons sir?" The brunette to whom the question had been addressed glanced at him. "Malthus, killing the demons requires action, not hesitation. We'll let her know afterwards." Malthus scowled. "Nothing to show for it though. We are acting without orders, sir." Malthus' superior snapped harshly, "I'll worry about that. Now let's return to the safehouse." As they began to exit, Malthus muttered something, but the vision sputtered and disappeared.

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Cherry pie and coffee, acid and bile. Sam's stomach heaved and lurched as her mind snapped back to the present. Her gag reflex triggered and she felt the contents of her prior meal rising in her throat, hot and burning. Samantha stumbled to her feet and made a dash for the bathroom tumbling like a rag doll onto the cold white tile as she violently expelled the contents of her stomach. Dimly she was aware the her hair was still held back in a clip and was grateful. She pushed away from the toilet, now stinking of digestive juices and soured fruit. Sam gasped for breath. Gagging on the trail of fire burned into the back of her mouth. Her hand went to her mouth and she wiped away spittle and worse. She pulled a towel down and wiped her hand and her face before standing and using the sink to rinse her mouth out, gargling with cold water to try and assuage the pain and the taste.

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Adrian followed her, cycling down his senses due to the smell. His stomach was a dead thing, but it could still wretch from memory. He knelt besider her and brushed some of her hair aside were it threatened to slip its clips and get to her face.

"Hey there," he said quietly. "Is it this bad every time? Is there anything we can do to help out?"

Adrian leaned forward and around grabbed some kleenex. He handed it to her then reached inside his jacket and pulled out a stick of gum, offering that too.

Finally he adds,

"I hope it is worth it."

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Samantha nodded, "Yeah, every damn time. Believe it or not it used to be worse too. I think I'm getting better or maybe just getting used to it. Thanks." She took the offered gum and an offered hand and got to her feet. Adrian's skin was deathly cold as always; almost as always, she reminder herself. "They," Sam paused chewing the gum rapidly to try and flush the taste from her mouth. "They wore crosses, two men. One was young, a ginger, the other brow haired, older. The younger had a scar, here," Sam indicated high on her cheek. "The younger is called Malthus and mentioned a woman named Irons. They came in after he was dead too. Ugh, I need some air."

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Moss follows and leans on the doorframe of the bathroom, "Very impressive Sam. Adrian, I know someone who may be able to do something with that. Any indications that they are part of a larger group Sam?"

He calls the last back over his shoulder as he moves back towards the outline of the body, and looking back towards the broken window tries to work out where the bullet would hae gone if it went through the body.

Click to reveal..

Wits+ Investigation = 3 dice

(23:29:40) ChatBot: (Moss) rolls 3d10 and gets 4,2,10.

(23:30:08) ChatBot: (Moss) rolls 1d10 and gets 5.

1 sux

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According to the angle, the bullet would have stopped somewhere near the bed. However, there is nothing in the vicinity of the probable location.

Jeremy glances at Adrian. "How does she do that? I'd be surprised she isn't more aware of things. Where did you find her?"

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"She's a person, Jeremy. We found each other. I needed a job done and she provided the services. We've been working with one another for about a year now. When we met, I didn't know about her gifts."

Very seriously, he adds,

"I consider her gifts her business, just like I see what we are to be the same. It doesn't define us. What we do does."

"If she saw something else to share, I'm sure it will come out in time. It isn't like any of us just spent five minutes puking our guts out."

"As for that bullet ..."

Adrian looks around and goes over to were the body lay he crouches down and studies the ground intently. He then stands up and looks around the room.

"Here we go," he says as he walks over to a gouge mark in the wall. "The cops got the round, but it must have deflected off a bone to get here, so no help. He was shot standing up though, bu the way his body fell. I can't tell more than that, like if he was alive some time after that."

Click to reveal..

(18:40:52) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 8d10 and gets 6,7,5,4,7,2,2,8 = 1 success

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Moss wonders over and looks at the gouge mark, trying to estimate the size and type of the round.

Click to reveal..

Wits + firearms = 3 dice

(00:03:08) ChatBot: (Moss) rolls 3d10 and gets 8,8,9.

3 sux smile

What calibre roughly and pistol or rifle ammo that sort of thing

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"Christ, I'm right here dammit. 'Course I wish I weren't at the moment." Samantha made her way to the door, "I'll be out here for a bit. And there was a third mentioned, they gave her a title, 'crusader'. I'd doubt that this is limited to just a couple of people, unless they are very pretentious people." Sam stepped outside and sat down on the stairs her eyes closed and taking deep cyclical breaths.

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Moss straightens up from looking at the gouge mark and walks cautiously over to the window and peeks out, trying to keep most of his head/body behind the wall.

"point 308 rifle round, looks like similar tactics to what the group that tried to hit us at New Year used. Although I think that was a 50 cal on that occasion."

Looking out the window he tries to work out which building they most likely fired from.

Click to reveal..

Wits+ Firearms = 3 dice

(02:10:59) ChatBot: (No_Moss) rolls 3d10 and gets 9,7,8.

2 sux

"Last time they fired from the roof, perhaps we should try looking on the roof over there to see if there is anything worthwhile?"

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"I can go check it out. My eyes are good in the dark."

Adrian goes out and passes Sam.

"Sam, could you give us written descriptions. Give them to me and I can e-mail to the others. Hang in there."

He crosses over and finds a drain and gutter as he way up. Then he tries to shimy his way up.

Click to reveal..

Climbing(21:39:27) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 6d10 and gets 7,6,8,5,5,3.

(21:39:37) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 6d10 and gets 8,9,3,4,5,6 = 3 successes equal 30 feet = Rooftop

Investigation(21:41:40) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 9d10 and gets 8,2,1,6,7,8,4,1,1 = 2success for first 10 min.

(21:42:19) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 9d10 and gets 7,8,6,5,10,6,4,7,10.

(21:42:28) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 2d10 and gets 10,5.

(21:42:36) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 1d10 and gets 10.

(21:42:42) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 1d10 and gets 5 = 5 more successes in second ten minutes.

Climbing back down (21:46:00) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 6d10 and gets 5,5,1,10,2,4.

(21:46:08) ChatBot: (Adrian) rolls 1d10 and gets 8 = 2 successes/20 feet back down

It takes him some semi-embarrassing attempts, but Adrian makes the roof. He walks back and forth, ducking down her and there, staring back toward the window. It takes him nearly half an hour before he finds the proper spot, and calls over to have Jeremy confirm it by standing were the victim stood.

He also finds some other places, like the door they picked to gain roof access up here that remains still picked. He also finds the .308 shell casing as final proof. He baggies that, not sullying it with his prints. He then climbs back down and rejoins the others.

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Moss nods as Adrian describes what he found and shows them the casing.

"I know someone on the force, perhaps they could get a tip off and send someone to fingerprint that door on the roof. Sam, do you think you might be able to get anything from the casing, or does your thing work on locations?"

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"We can drop the shell casing back if that might help. As long as we get the information back I think we are down to informing thos in the Sup ... supernormal community who to be on the lookout for. We both tend to hide in the fringes of society, but the city is a big place."

"Putting the police onto some other evidence can't hurt us too much. I don't think they will find out much without the physical descriptions unless the prints are in a criminal data base and these guys are using their own credit."

"Suggestions anybody?"

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Sam laughed at Adrian as he attempted to scramble up the drain pipe and was soon feeling well enough to go back inside. Adrian returned shortly and held up a baggy with a bullet casing. Samantha nodded to Moss, "I could but unless those two didn't do the shooting then it wouldn't really add much and I would have to touch it to boot. We'll probably get more if we just let the police find it and dust it."

Samantha considers the situation for a moment. "One of us should make an anonymous phone call, claim to have heard noise from that building and seen somebody on the roof around the time of the murder."

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"Heh, probably shouldn't be me then. The british accent tends to get noticed, which is not what you want for an anonymous call."

He looks at Adrian, "There is that other person, you know the bitches boyfriend, he might be able to get something else from it, or he may not, but it might be worth a try before we drop it back and call it in."

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How Adrian digested and sorted out he infromation he had been given to him by by No Moss might have been classic comedy had there not been a real death involved.

Bitches boyfriend ... man and a woman he knew in context ... can't be Amber and Arr ... Sarah (eyes get big) and Lucian (eyes get wide as saucers).

Adrian walked over and leaned toward No Moss, looking for no one else being hopefully too close to hear,

"Yeah, no, don't ever call him that. He can," looks around fearfully to tall the dark corners fo the room," mess with your mind. Let's not going to them on this. Let's see what our skills and some foot work can do first."

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Moss nods seriously, "Yeah I know, but extreme circumstances of no names and all that, I couldn't come up with anything else to get across who I meant that couldn't easily be decoded or guessed at. I only mentioned him as I heard that they were thinking about bringing him in about the New Year thing."

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"Okay, Jeremy gets descriptions out to all of his buddies and I'll get it out to some of mine. They'll have to resurface if they are scouting out us and our locations. That's all we can do right now. I hate to say it, but until they decide to strike again, laying low is the best answer for your kind, Jeremy."

As long as they didn't have weird feeding requirements, they could stay safer longer. One's like Jeremy would be safe as long as they stayed in public, but Adrian had no idea how good he was at stopping a tail. Life over the next few weeks would be interesting.

Besides, maybe the cops would figure this one out for once. You never knew.

"Let's get out of here, gang. The longer we wait around, the longer we wait for the cops to find us."

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Moss nods his agreement to Adrian, but adds, "Ok, but can we go somewhere else to talk I wanted to ask Sam some more things that might help. If that's alright with you Sam?"

He checks carefully as he goes that he hasn't left any noticeable traces of himself in the area.

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Jeremy commits to memory Sam's description of the killers. Seeing everyone else out, he nodded. "I'll pass this on to the rest of the freehold. They track 'em down for us." Saying this, he walked out, and quietly closed the door behind himself.

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Samantha walked outside, "I'll see what I can do. Might be able to find these guys. I have a couple tricks." She looks at Adrian, as much a pointed reminder not to say anything as it was a reminder that she had found him the same way. "If any of you need me talk to Adrian, he'll find me."

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