[Spycraft/S9] A Simple Heist

[Codename: GhostFox]

The weak moonlight succumbed to the strands of dark clouds drifting over the Regency's capital city.

A perfect night for a heist. The target site is just a few blocks away.

The wheelman guided the car to a smooth stop, pausing to confer with the man in the passenger's seat, the B-and-E expert.

These men are not destined for the boredom of driving a desk and filling out all the paperwork that comes with being a government employee. These men were spies who lived for danger, glory and wounds (or was it the undying adulation of the women? )

Highly skilled, suave and competent, Gheist and Raven are two of the Republic's greatest weapons against those who threaten Avan's interests and security.

A few hours ago, the two operatives were going about their daily lives in Avan's capital, Lodun. The two operatives were summoned by the Control Officer and given a simple task. Within an hour of receiving their instructions, a sub-orbital passenger shuttle screamed across the globe, transporting the Section 9 operatives to the area of operations for this phase of the mission.

The stress of high-speed travel and the importance of their task is nothing compared to the excitement of being out in the field. Doing what they do best. Protecting their country. Protecting the world.

But there are times, when one wonders. All this secrecy and hype for a small wooden box?

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Lord Rendelstoke has passed away without an heir. In his last will and testament, Lord Rendelstoke indicated that upon his death, the Lionsgate Metropolitan Museum will inherit part of his collection of objets d'art.

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Gheist and Raven are familiar with the Rendelstoke family's tumultuous past. In the 19th century, the late Lord Raymond Peter Rendelstoke's great-grand father and grandfather were at the epicentre of controversy. Prominent scions of the North American aristocracy and members of the Chamber of Lords, the Rendelstoke patriarchs vociferously opposed the imperialistic policies of the Regency of North America. The Rendelstokes campaigned for the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of the North American colonies and denounced the war-mongering of the Regency's allies, the Republic of Avan.

After a short stint as a theatre and film actor, Raymond Peter's father, Charles Timothy, served the Regency as a flamboyant diplomat. Despite his assignments to back-water posts, Charles enjoyed his work. He enjoyed alcohol and women even more, developing a reputation as an incorrigible womanizer. In the 1930s, Charles Timothy died of malaria while on short expedition. Raymond Peter was just eight years old.

Lord Raymond Peter Rendelstoke was still wounded by the loss of his father. Raymond Peter abandoned politics and public life, concentrating on his business ventures and his growing collection of antiques, art objects and memorabilia.

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Our desk-jockeys have pored over the catalogue of items entrusted to the museum and identified an item that is of particular interest to the Department of Central Intelligence and Security.

Catalogue ID: 2A-53

A fine and rare Anglo-Indian jewelry box made of sandalwood on bracket feet with ivory filigree engraved with pen and ink held with silver headed nails having a compartment at the top of the box with a mirror in the lid. The box is locked and the whereabouts of the original key are unknown.

Height: 9.5 inches
Width: 15.75 inches
Circa: 1875

Though the antique box is valuable, Section 9 is not so much interested in the antique box as it is in finding out what the box contains. The DCIS believes that the contents have strategic value.

Your primary objective is simple:
1. Open the jewelry box, retrieve its contents and return them to Section 9 for analysis.

Time is short as it is and it is imperative that the mission be executed swiftly and successfully. Other parties will no doubt make an effort to acquire the contents as well.

In order to throw-off any potential rivals, the operatives are instructed to replace the box's original contents with a decoy: a genuine antique necklace. The cameo necklace depicts a woman and a child, dressed in late 19th century formal-wear.
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((EDIT: Fixed URL for image))

 

[Vardeman]

Gheist gives his equipment one last check as he mentally reviews the intel he's received on this building... best entry and exit points, alarm systems, and security cams, number of guards and their standard patrol patterns, location of the package and how it's protected. He turns to Raven and says, "Alright, you know the plan. 'Calico' is change freq's, 'tabby' is 'I need backup', and 'alley cat' is 'I need a distraction'. He holds up the necklace for a moment, admiring its simple beauty, and then places it into one of many zippered pockets of his black stealth suit. "Stay frosty, Raven, and we'll be out of here in time for last call.

V

 

[Festy_Dog]

Raven smiles, looking in his backpack one last time to ensure he has everything.

"Too right," he replies to Gheist, and in one graceful movement is out of the car and shutting the door quietly.

He puts on his radio headset and turns it on, switching to the agreed frequency. Once Gheist is out he locks the car, yellow lights blink momentarily and he smiles again.

"Turbocharged Holden V8 Commodore SS, this is what the cops use back home," Raven slips the keys into a pocket of his black fatigues and starts on the short walk to the target.

 

[Codename: GhostFox]

Gheist gives his equipment one last check as he mentally reviews the intel he's received on this building... best entry and exit points, alarm systems, and security cams, number of guards and their standard patrol patterns, location of the package and how it's protected.

Section 9's junior operatives and researchers have put together a summary for Gheist and Raven. The Lionsgate Metropolitan Museum's security consists of three layers:

The outermost layer consists of the alarm and monitoring systems in the Museum's perimeter:

On the ground: There are several service entrances. In addition to a security camera, these doors are secured by an electronic combination lock and a magnetic card reader.

Below the ground: Our snoops discovered some city and construction plans that show an unusual design and a flaw that might be worth exploiting. A section of the city sewers is connected to a service tunnel that links the museum's utility station with the main buildings. The utility station takes care of sanitation as well as HVAC systems. Expect to encounter electronic combination locks and magnetic card readers. No, not in the sewers, but on the entrances leading into the museum complex.

Above the ground: Some sections of the museum have sky lights. Some wall-crawling action is required to evade the guards and you can be sure that the skylights are rigged with an alarm system. There are no skylights in the South Eurasian wing but there is a skylight in an adjacent section, the African wing. This may appear to be an attractive approach, however we have don't have a lot of intel regarding the security of the sections above the ground. The ultimate decision lies with the operatives in the field.

In any case, Section 9 Control cautions you to keep your senses sharp and look out for any surprises and less obvious security equipment.

The second layer of security protects the interior of the museum. Each gallery and room is monitored by an electric eye and is protected by a web of laser tripwires.

The final layer of security is around the package. The package is located in the 19th century gallery of the South Eurasian wing. The antique box is behind enclosed in a glass cage that is hooked into a sophisticated alarm system.

After hours, there should be around 3 or 4 guards accompanied by dogs. There is a lot of ground to cover so 2 guards are on patrol while there is at least 1 guard at a central command station located in the basement level near the tunnel from the main building to the utility station. Should an alarm go off, expect several squads of private security guards to arrive within 3-12 minutes. We only expect local law enforcement to make an appearance only when the private security guards are unable to handle the situation.

Section 9 Control regrets that there was not enough time to conduct a more thorough analysis and obtain the specific schematics, but this intel should be of some use.

((This info grants Gheist and Raven a +2 bonus to skill checks that involve sensing, avoiding and disabling the sensors and alarms but only for the items identified above. For example, If there should be a trap door somewhere, and I'm not seing there is, the +2 bonus does not apply.))

 

[Festy_Dog]

Raven stops by a manhole and galnces about for pedestrians (spot +3).

"Going underground appeals to me, how 'bout you?" He asks casually, "We can get the jump on the guy in the central command station that way. Just about shut down all security, maybe find out about any tid bits of security we don't already know."

 

[Codename: GhostFox]

It is very late into the night and there are no pedestrians in the vicinity. If they choose to go down the manhole, Raven and Gheist could do so without being seen.

 

[Vardeman]

"My thoughts exactly," Gheist replies in a gravelly whisper as he squats beside the manhole cover and pries it up with a mini-crowbar. "Hold this up a sec, while I scan below."

With his hands now free, Gheist will slip the mini-crowbar back into its pocket, flip down his night-vision goggles, and scan the sewer below (Spot +7, Listen +5). Assuming all is clear he will climb down the ladder in to the sewers, get his bearings, and be ready to head off towards the museum's utility station as soon as Raven is ready to go.

V

 

[Codename: GhostFox]

A slight odour rises up from the darkness accompanied by the the soft gurgle of water and waste. The weak moonlight pours into the manhole and Gheist cannot see anything out of the ordinary just beneath the manhole. However, he realizes that the night vision goggles will fail to penetrate the inky depths of the sewer. There is very little ambient light in the tunnels for the goggles to amplify.

 

[Festy_Dog]

Raven nods and keeps the manhole lifted with one hand. With his other hand he takes out a glowstick and activiates it, dropping it down the manhole.

"Its not very bright but it'll be enough for our night-vision equipment," he notes, and blinks twice in quick succesion, switching his starlight lenses on.

 

[Vardeman]

Gheist, assuming the enhanced light reveals nothing out of the ordinary, slips down into the sewer system, waiting at the bottom of the ladder for Raven to join him (if possible, staying out of the actual sewage and on whatever walkway is available). Getting his bearings, he will head for the museum's utility station with as quiet a step as possible (Move silently +14).

V