A Devil of a Job

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IamLEAM1983
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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Three nodded in the affirmative. "Everyone that could be moved has been moved. The two or three remaining kids with severe disabilities or other issues preventing them from being relocated are stuck with a permanent watch until this thing blows over. I can't recall the exact number of Changelings, though. Seventy-five or eighty, if memory serves me right. Jot thirty of them right off if you want to exclude the teenagers or those who haven't Changed, but who can defend themselves."

He tentatively held up a smartphone. "Archie has the exact census info on call, or I could just check in with the city's records, give you an exact number."

Aidan looked away for an instant, as if Preston were still in sight of the door, then stared at a blank spot off to the side for a second or two, and finally hurried around the bar.

"Tam!" he called out. "Tam, I've got an idea and I kind of need your help and Frank's with something!"

As he spoke, he thumbed his phone's Notepad into focus and hurriedly typed something, showing it to the others before tossing his phone to Aislinn and clambering down to the basement to meet with the Drifter.

We CREATE a Changeling, read the screen. Fake records and online presence. What did the victims have in common, beyond being kids? Ask Krampus - they were NICE KIDS. INNOCENT in a SPECIFIC way. Need to look at kids' belongings for patterns. Entice killer to step forward. Need the face of someone who's Fae-like enough + fancy Paradise holo-veil tech...

* * *

The laser washed over her retina, detecting it as what it essentially was; but otherwise fooled into thinking it belonged to someone in the Shipping and Receiving staff. This left Starr free to enter the cabin and ride it down to the garage.

"I'd love it if you had more options," hurriedly answered Travis, "but as much as this might feel like a game to you, there aren't any human-sized air ducts around," he joked. "The ramps aren't monitored and cameras only cover the sight radius and general areas where you'd be expected to be looking for incoming or outgoing cars. The short of it is that there's a ton of blind spots. Use them accordingly, but time your cover switches."

He scoffed lightly. "The next thing you know, I'll have to push a tutorial on stealth kills to your phone... Realistically, though - just don't be seen or don't do anything suspicious until you reach the mini-factory. I'll have access to Griffin's blueprints and workstations by the time you'll get there. You'll know you're there once you reach the bottom-most level and find what looks like an elevator shaft with no buttons."

There was a nervous, if mostly industrious silence. "You might lose me by the time you get there, though. Tech's progressed enough to keep cell phone reception clear two or three levels down, but this is getting to be too much concrete - it's not like Aldy's had a couple top-secret satellites launched. Plus, Nigel's turned his personal corner of the Shard into a Magitech version of Fort Knox! Turn all your electronics off on the last ramp down, or you'll have to have your entire Important Businesswoman kit re-purchased!"

Another scoff. "On the other hand, those sweet new Blackphone 6LTSs have pretty boss encryption capabilities... Maybe you should bork your kit - that'd convince the boss to give us all an upgrade - you could start leaving raunchy Facebook posts from super-secret I.P. ranges or undisclosed GPS locations..."
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TennyoCeres84
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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Aislinn read Three's notes and looked over at the Christmas devil. "Other than being good kids, what did the victims share in common? We need to see if there are any links between their respective belongings," she asked.
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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"And me without my broomhandle," Katherine muttered with a roll of her eyes. This was a common lament of hers whenever thrust into dangerous situations, and a reference to her favored means of self-defense; a genuine Mauser C96 semi-automatic handgun. "Well, before we lose contact, send me the maps and blueprints when you get them."

She paused as she was fishing for her keys. "So um... let's say things go all wonky, hypothetically. Let's say there's noise and someone gets, you know... hurt. Hypothetically."

In other words, what if it went from Splinter Cell to Max Payne, or whatever metaphor one cared to come up with.

------------------------

Mary glanced at the notes, frowning in thought. "Would need someone young enough," she mused. "The killer is targeting children, so we might be better off creating the presence of proud new parents, or some such." Again she turned to the Krampus. "How old was his oldest victim, to date?"

Charles came in, dropped a few more bugs into the bag, then decided to go after Aidan again. Nothing better to do, as it were.

Downstairs, Harry cocked his head and looked up. "What's he want?" he muttered, keeping his voice down for the benefit of Tam's hearing.
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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Travis could be heard grinding his teeth. "This is the Shard, Kat. It's Griffin Securities. The only place in the entire company's infrastructure where live ammo gets discharged is in Nigel's Gauntlet - and that's back here in Hope. You'll find rent-a-cops with flashlights and Tasers, down there. That's it. If you're spotted, you know how the procedure works - you come peaceably, even if this means enduring those fucking zip-tie cuffs, and wait until your own boys and girls in Legal publicly tear Nigel a good one, but privately keep it to polite requests. Guy's always used his thief cred for good, his corporate record is spotless, he's with Aldergard as one of the pillars of Hope's bigwig community... Guns are a non-issue down where you're going."

Still, he huffed out a breath. "Let's say our strung-out competitor really does try and snuff us out. Record proof of that - say, a few seconds on your phone - and that gives you all the legal background you'll need to deal with your attackers without reprisal. State your name and that you're unarmed at the moment of your filming it. Keep that phone safe, then go to town on the fuckers. One thing's for sure, it won't be anyone who's on Nigel's payroll."

Another delay followed. "Alright - For future reference, there's one last guard post right before the last ramp down. There's a reserve of Taser pistols in there for sure. Can't tell you how many cartridges, though. Still, that'd better your chances in the immediate, maybe give you the chance to go for an actual gun from one of your attackers.

To be honest, I'm more concerned about what you being hit would mean for Shield. If someone wants to take you out in relation to this case, then the kids back home are up for the same mess."

* * *

"Nine," replied the Christmas Devil. "Decent kid, wouldn't have needed to hear about me to stay straight. Pretty certain he would've been an upstanding Fae."

He pouted. "Eh, he's dead. He's better off, according to some. Either way, nothing's ever going to bloody that record... I don't remember all of the kids Obie sent me to check up on - there's thousands per year, how could I - but I think I know what's in their Special Sauce..."

Leaning back on the bar, he gave them his signature leer. "Sharp blue eyes and a killer smile. Not blue like typical human eyes, though - pale as ice. That's Oberon's mark, and consequently, the mark of a shitload of Winter Fae. The peepers, los ojos mysteriosos, the things old Kung Fu masters like to pluck out when you're being an asshole!"

Another pout. "Blue, periwinkle, purple, seafoam - any sort of iris that looks like those Fantasy contact lenses human kids like are sort of a typical Fairie Tell, hehe. We Winter folks tend to come in cold hues, Summer gets the warm ones because of reasons."

Still, the Krampus looked in the back door's direction. "Still, the kid seemed to be looking for something a little less obvious... On the whole, I'd say maturity tends to hit most Changelings a bit on the late side. A lot of fifteen year-olds still pack the Elijah Wood-esque Saucer Eyes look and just ooze with retained innocence."
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TennyoCeres84
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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Aislinn pouted thoughtfully. "So, if we set up a decoy kid, we need one with eyes with those qualities or masquerade someone with them. Contacts should be fairly easy. To be honest, it'd be better if our decoy can defend themselves. Plus, we don't have a lot of time to audition candidates, so maybe we could disguise someone from our group and then use the Paradise holo-veil tech to do the rest of the work?" she suggested.
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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Again, Krampus looked off to the door at the rear of the Harp & Blackthorn's main room. "My guess is the kid had that in mind. I, uh, I've never had classically good looks and I'd start breaking mirrors if I tried to look all doe-eyed - so count me out."

He looked at Mary. "Hm. Razorgirl's too shapely for your average Prepubescent Innocent Waif look, Drake couldn't manage it 'cause of all those soldier-twitches he's got and I really wouldn't trust Jenkins to give it a shot without churning out Vladimir Nabokov's worst nightmare..."

The former demon then pointed at Aislinn. "My guess is that leaves you, McConmara. Enough arcane cosmetics and we could swap the Perky Goth look for Hey, mom! I just got my first yearbook shot! vibes."
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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The twentysomething roane nodded, seeming fine with Krampus' suggestion. "That'd work. I had a client who works in special effects, so I think she could get a pair of fantasy contacts for me. I'll give her a call to bring over some cosmetics and those contacts. Have Tam get the Paradise tech, and we're good to go."

Aislinn noted the honorary Fae's gaze toward the rear entrance. "Is something wrong? You keep looking toward the back door," she noted.
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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"I'm not worried about the rent-a-cops with shock guns," Katherine replied. "Like you said, if bullets start flying it won't be Griffin's people doing it; hell, Griffin's people might be shot at before I am." No one was supposed to know she was down here, after all, and if they did it meant they were capable of listening in between her and Travis. In which case, the rodent had other things to worry about. "So I guess the moral of the story is don't get spotted, right?"

In any event, she reached the guard post, found it empty, and quietly appropriated a Taser for herself. "Nearly there, T," she whispered, judging the weapon. "Got those maps yet?"

---------------------------

Mary shrugged and took the backhanded compliment for what it was. "Winters is back there, last I knew," she remarked. "Burning that sigil, remember?"

As it happened, Jimmy came back in right then, wiping his hands on a rag. "It's done," he told them. "I intend to contract Amazo to scour the Cathedral and my own home for any more such wards. Miss Jameson, I count on you and the Drake boy to make sure my home is free of more bugs."
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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"Ninety-eight percent and climbing," replied the rat. "You just dropped a signal bar on my heads-up display. From what I'm seeing, the minifactory's vault is straight down the ramp and to your right..."

Katherine's audio would grow increasingly garbled over the next few seconds. "Turn off... stuff!" came Travis' chopped-up voice, even as her smartphone would grow unusually warm in her pocket. It was time to turn it off before the surrounding via cooked the processor...

* * *

Krampus shrugged. "Checking for the kid. I was referring to him, so I just looked over a shoulder. Don't worry your pretty face, there's nothing special about any of you."

He canted his head sideways. "Well - nothing that really warrants my usual attention. Like I told the AVIS lady, I don't make it a point to mess with people who haven't had it coming."
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Re: A Devil of a Job

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Aislinn scoffed lightly. "Well, I'm glad to hear that," she replied, taking out her phone to call her client for the favor.
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