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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ThirdWizard" data-source="post: 5584382" data-attributes="member: 12037">They hit the highway on ramp eastbound at about 10:30 am, and Jack hurt like Hell. He was right, the bullet had missed his internal organs, so his stomach and kidneys were okay, as well as all those other bits of flesh floating in his abdomen. Missed his spine, too. But, the bullet hadn't gone out the back, so a surgeon had to dig around in his stomach to get it out, and every little bump in the black van was like someone was clawing out his insides. He bore the pain as they drove, having taken no meds. They would have muddled his ability to use magic too much. And they'd need whatever firepower they could muster. They didn't know what they were getting into exactly, after all.Of course, his injuries were a great aid for their plan.They were going to be making Mr. Hall a "delivery" on Tony's behalf: that being a very pale and beat up looking Jack. Hopefully nobody would know Tony's fate yet, and they'd get through without trouble. Two firefights in one day is just pushing your luck. They pulled the black van up to the pier where the Sea Horse was docked and looked out. There were six men on deck, all armed. Five of them were paroling the deck while one of them stood on the roof of the cabin with a rifle. Yeah. They definitely didn't want to try to take this group. At the warehouse, Tony had been otherwise occupied. These guys were just waiting for somebody to mess with them. Plus, they didn't want to alert Hall below deck.Jack took a deep breath. "You guys ready for this? Make it believable." His hands looked bound. It was really just a few loops with a knot tied to make it look like he was held. With a twist, it would just fall off."I'd tell you to do the same, but you're a little too in character," quipped Max.Jack grunted.Max and Emerald hopped out and walked around the back while the men on the boat watched them. It had started to sprinkle, and they could see lightning flashing in the bay. They tried to act natural as they pulled Jack out of the back and marched him up on board the ship."Delivery for Hall," Emerald announced loudly, not stopping as the three of them went for the cabin.Unfortunately, one of the men interposed himself between them and the door. "Where's Tony?" He looked the two of them up and down. "I've never seen you before..." He trailed off as his gaze went over the injured Jack. He prodded Jack in the stomach with his pistol. The reaction was a performance that couldn't be faked."Watch it," said Emerald. "Need him alive. At least for now." She didn't know for sure if that were true, but it was very likely."Tony's busy. We're subcontracting. We were just told to drop him off here," Max said, meeting his eyes.The man nodded a little, then called out. "Hey, Louis! We've got company!"A man walked out of the cabin, shotgun slung over his shoulder. He wore sunglasses and loose fitting clothes. He wasn't particularly large, maybe 5' 7" and lean, with a buzz cut. He looked over the situation, taking out a cigarette and lighting it, drawing it out for effect over perhaps twenty seconds. Max and Emerald didn't interrupt. He carried himself in a self-important manner that said I really don't care to everything around him.Eventually he walked up to them, taking a puff, and looked at the guy who called him out and said, "So what do they want?"Seriously? thought Jack. What does it look like is going on? Why do we even bother?"They say they have a delivery," the man pointed toward Jack, who tried to look weak and helpless. It wasn't difficult in his current state."Where's Tony?""They say he's busy.""As we were saying, Louis," Max cut in. "Tony subcontracted to us, and we're making the delivery. Tony's already paid us, and we agreed to complete the job. If you would be so kind, it won't take long."Louis looked him over from behind his sunglasses. "Max, right? I think I've seen your work before."His reputation preceded him. That was either good or bad. "That's right.""Sure, head down, then," he said turning away, and heading back inside, waving them after him.The man who had initially confronted the three of them let out a relieved sigh and went back to patrolling, immediately disregarding them as he continued his vigil. The man on the roof eyed them until they were inside the cabin."Down the stairs to the lower decks, past the galley." Louis then pulled his sunglasses up to his forehead, sat down, and picked up a Playboy.They went down as he said. As soon as they put some space between him and them, Jack removed the rope from around his wrists."I was worried you wouldn't be able to pull it off," said Jack."We still have to get out," said Max.As they reached the bottom of the stairs, they could hear the rain picking up above them. They passed doors leading to some cabins and a mess hall then reached a door at the end of the galley. Jack stopped, holding up his hand. "I think there's some kind of magic here. Wait a second."The others stepped back and Jack Looked at the door with his Sight. The Sight is a special sense that some more potent practitioners possess. Jack had trained for a several years before he could open his Third Eye and perceive the world through the Sight. It was a powerful, but dangerous tool. The Sight reveals things as they truly are: it sees through all illusions, veils, and it exposes curses and other supernatural effects. However, what you see stays with you forever - it cannot be forgotten. It burns itself into your memory, so ten, twenty, forty years from now it will be just as vivid in your head as the moment you See it. And sometimes what you See isn't something you want to remember.In this case, however, it was fairly straightforward. Jack saw a land mine on the door. He held his breath, looking it over. "A ward..." he whispered to the others, as if he was worried that a loud noise would set it off, "and a deadly looking one.""Can you get rid of it?" asked Emerald."I'm going to try." Jack licked his lips and examined it. He had to be careful how much power he put into his counter spell. Too much or too little and he might set it off. Finally satisfied, he nodded to himself and began drawing in energy and manipulating it, wrapping it around the ward, using his Sight to aid in his counter magic. When he had what he believed the correct amount of magic energy collected he released the it onto the ward, and the ward faded from his view. He realized he had been holding his breath the whole time and let it out in a long, groaning, sigh, as he closed his Third Eye. "It's done."The others let out their breath as well.They tried the door, but it was locked. Emerald looked it over and smiled. "Won't take long." Within a few second there was a click and the door was unlocked. "Try the same rouse, try to catch him off guard?"Jack nodded. "Might as well. You guys are armed, but that doesn't matter to me.""Lets do it, then." They stood on either side of Jack, opened the door, and stepped into the room beyond.[sblock]It's a very good thing they talked their way onto the barge. This encounter could have rocked them, and almost assuredly would have alerted Hall below.As it is, they bypassed it with some good Deception rolls. Aspects ROCKING IN THE WAVES, COLD WIND, LIGHTLY SPRINKLINGZones* East Deck* West Deck* Cabin* Cabin RoofBorders* East/Roof - None (stairs) or Fair (+2) climbGunman - LouisSkills Fair Athletics (+2), Good Fists (+3), Good Guns (+3), Good Weapons (+3)Physical Stress OOO (takes minor/moderate consequences)Notes Good Attack, Fair Defense, Weapon:3 shotgun, Weapn:1 switchbladeRiflemanSkills Fair Athletics (+2), Fair Fists (+2), Good Guns (+3), Average Might (+1)Physical Stress OO (takes minor consequence)Notes Weapon:3 rifleThugSkills Average Athletics (+1), Fair Fists (+2), Fair Guns (+2)Physical Stress OO (takes no consequences)Notes Weapon:2 pistol[/sblock]</blockquote>

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