We meet Wrench for lunch at a McHughs near our place. Our employer was pleased and may have additional work. There might be work in a week or two. This would be a more substantial run. We tenatively agree; he'll be in touch.
Derek researchs Brant Commerand (Gabel). There are thirty year old employement records in Germany, but nothing else.
Bianca and I head out to scout the Lantern. It's been closed down. I ram the back door and we head in. The place looks like it's been stripped down. The bathroom has a broken mirror, it looks like something was impacted into it. We pull the mirror down. Something roughly spherical impacted into it. There is some blood and hair. On the floor of the main room is written "SURGieS MUST DIE." It's red spraypaint.
While we're searching the bar Bianca hears a footstep. We duck down. A light approaches. We hear steps from two people. They check the bathroom, then head toward the bar. They overlook us. Based on their conversation, it sounds like cops. They head out. Bianca sneaks after them to ensure that they left. Outside she hears some motorcycles pull away.
After confirming that we're alone again, Bianca and I resume our search of the bar. There is a floor safe. Bianca spends about fifteen minutes and cracks the safe. Inside is a file folder, an optical chip holder, three cred sticks, and a silcenced Ares Predator.
We search the office and storage room without benefit.
We check the apartment upstairs, but don't find anything.
Jane gets in touch with someone doing some research. Her mother made a withdrawal into a certified credstick. Two hours later another account for the same amount was opened in a new name. Jane now may have an address for her mother. If it is her mother, then she's been wearing trenchcoats and hats.
Bianc and I meet Derek at a You Should Not Eat So Much. Derek checks the credsticks. One is certified andhas 500¥. One is cetified and has 2,000¥ a long term parking permit for a downtown lot. (This is a lot one of our cars was parked in before.) The last is an ID for Nicholas Brandenberg and looks like Gabel.
The optical chip is highly encrypted. He tried to break into it, but chip attempts to contact the outside world (Derek already broke the outside world connection). It looks like a simple script, Derek turns it off.
The papers include licenses: liquor, food, business. There is a print out of a digitally signed will. It's Danks and wills everything to his wife. There is a similar will for Kommerand, it gives everything to Dank, then Dank's wife. For both wills the fallback is to Kommeran Industries. There is health insurance paperwork for some employees, including Brant Kommerand and the Gefsons (Dank and Susan). The paperwork includes a home address.
Bianc and I grab Jane as we head to what we hope is Gabel's home. It's fifty story corporate building. Kommerand's home is suite 931. We park in the visitor's ramp. Jane scouts astrally. On her way in she is intercepted by some sort of French boulder spirit.
We regroup back at the safehouse.
Derek has been checking into the things we found. He can't crack the encryption. The ID suggests that Brant Kommerand and and Nicholas Brandenberg have the same address. Brandenberg has two empty bank accounts with the First Federated Bank of UCAS. The accounts were emptied the day after we lost touch with Gabel. The balances prior were about 20,000¥ and 100,000¥. The also had an account with Zurich Orbital. It was closed at the same time because it fell below the required minimum. It had about 6,000,000¥). The Zurich account had not been touched in the previous 90 days (other than being emptied). The smallest account had small pay ins and out, mostly minor store payments. The medium account had about 50,000¥ deposited in late July.
All three accounts were drained electronically to a bank in the Caribbean using three different accounts.
Derek checks the matrix address that the optical chip attempted to contact. It's from a cheap provider who specializes in minor usage. Viloteen is the company.
Bert and I check out the Stuffer Shack. It's a large, two-story Stuffer Shack. There is a single employee in a secure room. There is an office on the second floor.
This evening we head to the coffin motel Jane believes her mother is in. It's the E-Z-Sleep. The coffin in question is empty. Jane scouts it, there is a depressed mood.
Outside Bert hangs out. Some gangers are heading down the street. A bit later three people in baseball caps and trenchcoats head by, they appar to be heading to the motel. The five gangers call to the trenchcoated figures.
Jane checks things out astrally. The three folks in long coats are dual natured. The appear to be healthy ghouls. One is female.
One of the gangers says to the group, "So are you coming to the party tonight?" One of the trenchcoats replies, "You bet we'll be there. Is this like last time, or more like our kind of party." The ganger assures them that there will be something for all of them. "Make sure all of your people show up." It starts late, 3 hundred (3:00 am?).
The gangers approach Bert's van. One smacks the window, but finds that it doesn't break. After a brief conversation, Bert ignores them. He baits them a little, then drives off.
The ghouls pass me by. One of them makes eye contact and smiles. He's got recessed, faintly glowing eyes, and sharp teeth. They head up.
The three ghouls enter three coffins. The coffin in the middle is the one we believe Jane's mom is in. Jane is watching astrally from the coffin. Sure enough, it's her mom. Her mom says, "Fuck." "Hi," replies Jane.
They talk. Her mom confirms what is obvious, that she goblinized into a ghoul. She mentions that she is considering moving to the Carribean where attitudes are more relaxed. She gives Jane a disposable cell number. Jane will try to wire some money.
We head off to the Stuffer Shack. Jane scouts the office astrally. It's a small room with a safe in the wall. The mood is one of general amusement.
1 karma for humor.