The Bill Comes Due

The Bill Comes Due
Date 2085-03-12 GM Archtmag Location Outremer, Seattle Metroplex Status Threat Level: High
Factions Involved
ShadowHaven Fiendest	Rich People Private Security
Kadō No Significant Harassment Oberon	Private Security Guards

Summary

In which the runners help the 162s collect on an overdue bill from delinquent clients - with interest.

Background

In Dining and Dashing, SH runners helped the 162s identify some clients who stole from them and caused them to lose face within the underworld community - now the ghoul gang wants the job completed, and a lesson sent to those responsible which will make sure they don't get fooled again.

The Meet

Fiendest invites the runners to meet with her in a Redmond parking lot to discuss business. The two banshees arrive in a relatively subdued fashion, while NSH decides to fly her aerial battleship to the meeting; Fiendest and the other ghouls are slightly taken aback by this, but are nonetheless impressed, while Kadō and Oberon are unsure of what to make of it. Inviting them inside the derelict diner which the ghoul gang have appropriated as their own, Fiendest explains the situation and what she needs of them - namely, a message sent to some rich folks that stiffed them on a bill for long pork (to feed their recently-ghoul'd son Mark, who is currently recovering in the gang's custody). Considering the targets have the means to hire private security and are aware that someone is likely after them, Kadō manages to negotiate a price of 20,000 nuyen each if they are able to take out both targets in an appropriately gruesome fashion, plus the use of one of the gangs safehouses.

The Plan

A bit of cursory legwork reveals that the targets, Eric and Maria Turner, live on Anderson Island in Outremer, in a very nice beachfront house - and that they've recently contracted a strong private security detail. Social media searches reveal a mostly-happy marriage situation with little domestic turmoil save for Mark's situation, as well as the fact that their daughter Katherine has been staying at home and taking university classes online since her brother went missing some weeks ago. There's also a dog to worry about as well.

NSH proposes simply crashing her sky-boat into the house, or using explosives to take the targets out - while both would certainly make a statement, neither Kadō nor Oberon are comfortable with such a loud and brazen plan or the myriad of risks that it brings with it (the latter mostly because the dog might get hurt). Instead, Kadō contacts Hanzō Furukawa, who is teaching a class that Katherine is taking - she manages to get a bit of information about the Turner daughter, as well as contact info, in return for a request to let her live as "she's a good student".

After a drone fly-by of the island to scout out the property, take measure of the security patrols and map out their ingress/egress routes, a plan is concocted to lure Katherine (as well as the dog) out of the house and have the team's face infiltrate disguised as her while the B&E artist sneaks inside the traditional way and the rigger handles overwatch and acts as the getaway driver.

The Run

On the appointed night, Kadō contacts Katherine pretending to be Mark, telling her what happened to him and arranging a meeting between the two - he asks her to bring the dog and meet with him in Redmond without telling their parents. She agrees, outraged at how he's been treated and determined to make sure he's safe, saying she'll "get infected herself if she has to". The actual Mark is only semi-lucid, but the team convince Fiendest to ensure that he's sated and able to hold a conversation with Katherine when she arrives (and privately debate whether Mark's sister will end up joining Team Vampire or Team Ghoul).

Meanwhile, NSH manages to perform a stealth insertion for the team, subtly piloting her boat to the shore and dropping off the vamps. Kadō uses physical mask to disguise herself as Katherine and approach the house openly, bluffing her way past private security with a story about going out for a walk, while Oberon (clad in a full body chameleon suit to avoid leaving stray hairs behind) uses invisibility to sneak past the patrols and slip inside behind "Katherine" when she opens the doors (thankfully both manage to make it past the house's powerful ward). Avoiding the automated security measures within, the pair sneak to Eric and Maria's bedroom; Oberon uses a sound barrier spell to ensure what happens within won't be overheard, then creeps inside and nerve strikes the sleeping couple.

While NSH spoofs the DocWagon bracelets and accompanying bio-monitors for as long as possible, the pair "send a message" by draining the targets of both blood and essence - while they aren't able to get all of it before their victims life signs start looking wonky and the call to DocWagon is inevitably sent out, they're satisfied that "eating the rich" has been taken literally. Proceeding to messily end both Turners lives and beat a quick retreat, the pair get to the boat and speed off into the night before the AMRP "rapid-response" team arrives to find the bloody aftermath.

Aftermath

With the parents dead and the brother and sister (plus dog) reunited, a "happy" ending has been achieved. Katherine, wishing to stay with Mark, willingly chooses to become infected, going with strain I and leading to a totally-not-awkward siring by Kadō and Oberon (who don't want to see her essence go to waste).

Rewards

20k Nuyen (or up to 40k in Used Ware or Lifestyles for Infected) You can buy weapons/explosives up to 15 avail with that money, but not at gear rates

8 Karma

4 Bonus CDP

+4 162s Rep

Optional Contact: Katherine Turner at (C6 L3) - 8 RVP taken from non-money rewards. Kado gets 2 chips on her. Oberon gets 1 chip.

Optional Contact: Fiendest at 3 loyalty (2/3) - 4 RVP taken from non-money rewards

Optional Quality: Soul Swallower - Taken from non-money RVP

Optional Quality for NSH: Subtle Pilot taken from non-money RVP

Game Quotes

Fiendest (dismayed that Katherine chose Team Vampire): "Aww but ghouls are so cool though!"

Player After Action Reports (AARs)

Oberon

Always nice to see a job through to completion, and making inroads with the ghoul gang (plus securing myself a hideout and drop point for bodies) is a nice bonus. Gotta say eating the rich was a nice change of pace - worth exposing myself to that other vamp for sure. Pain in the ass with those DocWagon bracelets, but a nice test of my skills nontheless; I'll have to try this again sometime for sure. Not sure what to make of that Katherine woman - like, of course some rich girl would choose vampirism over ghouldom. Don't think she has the faintest idea of what she's getting into, and this might be a loose end that has to be wrapped up sometime down the line. Still, I wasn't about to turn down a free meal.