[d20 Modern] Gangs of Texas [PG-17] IC

[Catulle]

T-Bull's House - Dining Room
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

The shrill ring of the doorbell drew Amy out of her contemplation of the puzzle, forcing her to the realisation that she had been rapt in thought for some minutes. Kia's retreating back brought the girl back to the forefront of her mind, and as she left, Amy looked around the table.

"I think Kia has something, there. The gangs would represent a cheap and hitherto unexploited workforce from a certain point of view." She smoothed back her hair again, "Not to mention that we should take a look over that remaining specimen and the notebook too, if that's okay by you, Michael. Preferably before tomorrow morning." Another glance slipped across from her to Carlos, involuntary reflex.

Just let that be Jess at the door. She'll have the information to fill in some more of the gaps.

 

[Fanog]

T-Bull's House - Front Door
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

The dark clouds were drifting again, entering the house from outside. Something about this felt very wrong to Kia. She regarded the stern look on the Sergeant's face before being able to speak, her voice sullen and absent-minded. "Yes, he's here. A moment please..."

She walked across the hall and peaked around the corner into the living room. "Jason, it's for you... A Sergeant - Kramer?"

Kia remained standing in the hall, waiting for Jason.

 

[Keia]

Malcolm looked at Lamar, somewhat nervously, thinking that a dirty cop was already tracking them down. His mind rationalized that that was virtually impossible but it didn't stop the adrenaline from flowing and the energy build.

He looked to T-Bull, having wanted to talk to him about what he found out, but the look on T's face made the thought fall by the wayside.

 

[Velenne]

T-Bull's House - Dining Room
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

"Oh boy, another long night. And here I thought I'd never need that crap that taught us in med school."

"Jason, it's for you... A Sergeant - Kramer?"

Who knows he's even here? What the hell, is this a setup?! ... Whoa, calm down there cowboy, your little conspiracy theories have gotten you in enough trouble today. If Jimmy Hoffa's at the door with Elvis and a little grey alien selling Avon, you just stay right here in your little chair and try not to look stupid again.

Carlos does look at T-Bull though. A Sergeant; more cops. Good thing the big guy was on the right side of the law around here...

 

[KitanaVorr]

T-Bull's House
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

Sergeant Kramer stood in the hallway, sliding his cap off his head while he waited for Jason and T-Bull to approach. Noticing Tommy coming up, he motioned toward his partner. "This is Officer Tommy Swearingin....some of yous know him."

T-Bull nodded-having seen the guy around. "What's up, sarge?" he greets moving slightly so that Jason could fit in the hallway. Everyone in the dining room could hear what was going on. "What brings you hear?"

Ms. Winters comes out to hang on the doorway leading to the kitchen. "Oh god...its not about Jeffery is it?" Her voice sounds near tears.

Shaking his head, the sergeant allayed her fears only to rise those in others. "No, ma'am. It's about your sister, Detective Nguyen...Jessica."

At that, if it were possible, T-Bull's face paled.

"We found her car in an alleyway. Looks like its been shot at. There's alot of blood, but no body. We don't know where she is." Or if she's alive. was the unspoken addition to that sentance.

OOC: KIA, TOMMY, CARLOS, MIKE, LAMAR, MALCOLM, AMY but TCW is still in the car

 

[Velenne]

T-Bull's House
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

Holy ing $hit.... Carlos repeated the mantra in his mind. He could sense the impending chaos when T-Bull came unhinged, Amy started crying, and Jason went on the rampage. Times like these a guy has to ask himself one question: What would Mr. Belvedere do? Well Carlos, he'd diffuse the situation with soft, silky words in that elegant English accent and everyone would think 'Gosh, he's right.'

As the words ran through his mind, the young doctor looked around the room to guage everyone's reaction. In med school they make you take a class where you roleplay telling patient's families that their loved one has died. Natural causes, overmedication, the doc left the hacksaw in the patient's chest cavity, whatever the situation, you had to come up with a way to let them down easy and somehow keep from crying yourself. It was always easy in school (Carlos could BS with the best of them) but here he was and the cop had already spilled the beans.

Licking his dry lips, he tries his best,

"Well if there's no body, she must be alive right? So there's hope and that's what we've got. I won't believe a fighter like Jess would go down like that. Maybe they'll call with a ransom. I'm assuming you've got an investigation team on site by now right?"

He laid out all three principles he'd learned: logic, hope, and distraction. He hoped it was enough, figured it would be for the guys in the room, but somehow he always managed to screw up with the women. No doubt he'd get slapped any second now...

 

[Jemal]

T-Bull's House
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

Mike's face went pale... Another attack. Damnit, what the hell is going on around here, this was getting too out of control. Carlos shot, A bullet in my dad, and now Jessica.. Missing and probly dead..

Mike slowly shook his head "Somethings gotta be done about this." He whispered to Carlos beside him "Think Jason can do anything? He IS a f*cking cop after all, aint he? I mean we can't just take all of this laying down!" He realized his voice had been rising during the last sentence and clears his throat, looking around to see who else heard him.

 

[Catulle]

T-Bull's House
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

Jess!

Amy's mind grasped for something substantial to focus in on, some anchor against the tide. All her previous suspicions, half-formed thought processes conceived in the lucid moments of fear, terror and stress, all crystalised. Then shattered.

blood...

She shivered with a sudden chill, the rush of blood from her skin as it retreated bringing a tinnitus which shut out the sounds of the room. The scene played out to her in an eerie calm; she knew she had opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't hear what she said, if she had uttered anything at all.

shot...

The room took a crazy swing, rotating around the diagonal, and she had to close her eyes to stave off the rise of bile in her throat. She felt something touch her forehead, and she wasn't sure if it was her own hand or somebody else's.

body...

Searching for that lost anchor, she forced her eyelids open. Carlos was talking, and she locked onto that with all the concentration she could muster, willing herself back to lucidity.

...can't just take all of this laying down!

Sound returned, the dizziness remained. The doctor wasn't speaking any more, but Amy held that anchor for a few moments longer. She was not entirely surprised to find tears on her cheeks, though she didn't recall crying them. She panned around the room; Carlos to T-Bull, T-Bull to Jason, Jason to Mike. She kept looking to the others; Kia, Lamar, Malcolm. Finally, she settled her sights on the police in the dining room doorway.

 

[Fanog]

T-Bull's House
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

The dark clouds that had been gathering all evening, had to erupt at one point. As she heard the Sergeant speak, Kia's vision was obsured by them... The last Kia saw was T-Bull before she closed her eyes and everything went black.

Leaning against the door post, the young woman sagged through her knees, clutching her legs close against her chest. Her eyes opened but didn't see, staring blankly. She didn't blink and there were no tears. The sergeant's words kept repeating in her head, provoking visions of the bloodied car, and of Jessica. She could see the scene in eery detail, all of it summoned by her fears and imagination. She couldn't let the vision go, focussing on her imagination to ward off reality. Things I'm imagining aren't real. Just a moment more...

As she saw the car and Jessica's body, Kia heard a piano in the background, playing a brooding and lamenting song...

 

[Nuke261]

T-Bull's House
Fifth Ward
8:30 pm

Tommy had never felt more uncomfortbale in his life. What a situation to be in! What a way to start. About that time Tommy noticed Kia seem to slump against the doorframe and to the floor. Her eyes open, but she was definitley out of it. Tommy moved forward towards her. "Miss, are you alright? Miss...Miss.." He really was not sure what was wrong or what to do, but the situation was bad enough, he couldn't just stand there while these people fell apart. "Can we get her a cool towel or something?"