[Volker]

It is easy to follow the commlink code to its sender. Which isn't a commlink. It's a Renraku Tsurugi.

[luckace]

"Meh, just take me to whoever is available. I can come again tomorrow if someone important isn't there."
Scarcrow walked faster and expected the girl to also speed up. Now that they finally had a trace he was getting impatient. This guy has balls if he hunts in broad daylight... Or he's simply a maniac.
"Five and seven, la? Does that mean anything? The kid's age, bullets he fired? And how is the killer armed?"
I might have to get my actual weaponry before we take him on.

[gilga]

Mark reply I can do but not from the garbage. Lets meet tomorrow?

[Volker]

The girl didn't. She walked you to the Hive in what seemed to you a leisurely pace. Then she enters the building, leaving you behind to wait. And wait. And wait just a little longer.
Finally she comes back with a young good-looking boy.

"Who's that?", he asks with some temper. "Oi, over there. You were looking for me? Name's Riker."

[gilga]

A bit later in his car Mark prepared to hack, he augmented his logic with magic and then plugged his mind into hot sim. Tracing the icon required 2 marks and Mark proceeded carefully.
His RCC was especially modified for sleaze, he set it for maximal noise reduction and set the smoke and mirrors and other software high enough. He carefully designed the configuration for maximum success likely hood and took a deep breath before his mind started crunching numbers and security protocols.


Configuration:
5 program slots:
1. SnM
2. VM with  Stealth +2 to hack on the fly and Signal Scrub -2 noise
3. noise reudction (empty slots)
Total noise reduction 2 from signal scrub, 3 from RCC 2 more from vectored signal processor, 1 from throdes.
Overall 8 noise reduction -3 noise from SnM total of 5 noise reduction and limit of 7.

Mark need to aquire 2 marks and only then he can pinpoint the physical location of the device.

improve logic (F6)
Improve logic: 14d6t5 7
drain
drain: 13d6t5 6
Hacking rolls:
Hacking: 2#19d6t5 8 4
If Mark got his Marks on the device: He'll load a program to augment DP (limit 6) an roll intuition + computers + brand loyalty + hot sim.
Trace Icon: 14d6t5 7
 
only 6 hits are kept the trace Icon roll if Mark got that far is done with 8 noise reduction (Smoke and Mirror not active.

[luckace]

"Riker, hm? So you're the one young Bikki shot? I'm Scarcrow, I investigate the brainwashing-incident. I could perhaps help the poor kids that are still inside that damn temple, but I need information about it. The temple, and this Iceman.
Suzanne said you might be useful...?"

@Cinder, Mark:
<<At the hive now, north-west. Chit-chat with Riker, the guy li'l Bikki tried to shoot. Will send u any important information.>>

[Jack_Spade]

<<Be carefull with that one. Riker is one of those guys we have a file on. Went to juvie prison half a year ago for an attempted robbery of a Chinese hotel owner. Actually a prank gone wrong. The system - in its infinite wisdom - sent him to a really brutal place. When he got out he had stabbed to people and was probably more of a criminal than before. His parol officer notes that he is now in the training league for combat bikers. A pretty angry young man - and not a particular smart one. Take care.>>
Cinder replied

To the others he said: "Ok, would it be possible to talk to Bikki? His perspective and knowledge will probably be the most important."

[gilga]

The hacking is successful and I quickly and skillfully baypass the firewall. If only I could market myself better I'd be a nova hot decker. I keep my focus long enough to get the second mark on, almost being punched by the latest security update, but the second mark is there and I should now perform the trace. Sadly, I cannot cast new spells while in VR and I have to proceed without the augmented intuition. Nevertheless, the trace progresses well  and I watch as i get a closer and closer lock on the device.

When I am done, I send a message to Cinder >> Cinder, this is Mark - the com-link you wanted to lock on is in these coordinates. Do you want to go do a house call?

[Volker]

Mark

Sorry for the late IC reply and thanks for your own initiative!
Frozen Yoghurt's deck is the master of a whole PAN, linked to his very own persona. It basically resembles a well-clothed male elf. Only very subtle items, added in a very sophisticated and sick but styleful way, give him a scary appearance. The eyes look luring and a bit restless. At a second glance you can see that the pupils resemble those of a wolf. The movements are a bit odd. Fluent und elegant in general, they are interrupted by sudden jerks and turns. The teeth are whiter than they should be, and a bit bigger. Scars seem to prolong his lips, making his mouth appear wider, and giving him an ever-lasting maniacal grin. The fingernails seem to be a bit more pointy than usual. And under his elegant jacket, there's a T-shirt with advertisment for Frozen Yoghurt. Only the smiley on the pack of Yoghurt is crying because someone tries to screw a drill into its teeth.
You found the sick bastard, no doubt about this.

Unlike the other way round, he doesn't seem to have noticed you. He lazily browses through a catalogue of trendy suits while in RL, he appears to be in a spa. It's about four or five kilometres from here, at the far end of Thamel. The studio's called the "Temple of Wonders" and you wonder what wonders the Temple of Wonders might feature.

Scarcrow

"Uh-huh, that's me. And what're you? A cop? A saint? Why should I trust you? And what do you want to know?"
Cinder's message came in time. Though there doesn't seem to be any apparent threat to you. After all, he's a fifth your weight, and so are his weapons.

Cinder

"Bikki? Uhm ... yeah, sure. I think ... I think it should be possible. Would you... would you care to enter the Hive? Otherwise I can try to bring him out, but I'm not sure whether he would come out to see you.

[luckace]

The troll sighed with disappointment. Jeez, these kids are less trusting than my ex.
"Do I look like a saint? Or like a damn cop?
I'm basically a private investigator, someone pays me to get behind the temple's schemes. So the more information I can get about this, the higher the chances you see your chummers again.
Also, I work together with the cop your pal Lucky contacted.

If Riker decides to trust him, he continues:

Well, we're workin' on a couple of things here. The temple, at first. Do you know anything about where the kids might have been taken?
And then the Iceman: what's his trick? He's awakened, a gunman or what?"

@Cinder:
<<Thanks, let's hope for him that he doesn't try to stab me>>

[Jack_Spade]

"...Later. I just got information from my friend. We have found Frozen Yogurt. Don't worry, we'll take care of him.
I'll come back."
<<Great work Mark. Yes, we'll go to him asap before he notices we have found him.
Scarecrow drop what you are doing and get to this address. We'll meet there.>>

[gilga]

Mark texts Cynder >> Okay on my way. I am not skilled in combat but I'll locate my care in close so that I can run him over if he tries to escape. There are also some drones I can deploy Let me know if any of you need a ride. With that Mark entered his car and started driving, hoping that catching this mystery Forzen Yogurt will shed some light on this story.

[luckace]

"...ah, hold on... Jeez, we got him! My partner located the Iceman, we'll take care of him. Shall I give him a kiss from you?
Here, this is my commcode. Gimme yours if you have one and I'll tell how things go with your enemy", he says to both Riker and Suzanne. "And for drek's sake, I don't have time to play the why-would-I-trust-you-game now."

If they're not willing to give their code to Scarcrow(granted they have one), he just gives them the finger and gets moving without it.

@teamspeak:
"Props to Mark. I'll be on the way."


Not sure if such details are important, but just in case they are:
If the distance is to far to to be quickly reached by walking, he looks for a taxi willing and big enough to take him, or - if unavailable - asks Mark for a ride. I guess since Cinder and Scarcrow both are at the hive, Mark could pick them both up at the same time, or they could share a taxi.

[Jack_Spade]

Cinder got back to his bike as quickly as he could and drove off. He debated if he should go and fetch the shotgun but decided against it. The gun was not legal for him to carry off duty and although he could technically arrest FY for his murder attempts, that would remove him from the "enhanced interrogation" he had in mind for the scumbag.

<<I'm on the road. Scarecrow, I'll meet you at the front door. Mark cover the back exit. If you can have a non lethal weapon ready.>>

[Volker]

Scarcrow

"You sure as hell don't. So, who's telling a private investigator to help us street scum? No one cares for us. So what would you want?"

On the assumption that Scarcrow somehow manages to ease his discomfort:

"Waitwait, you said: the higher the chances I see my chummers again. Who're you talking of?

"Yeah, I do have an idea where they're taking them, though I dunno precisely. I've been in there and I saw where they came from. It's a private sector of the temple. It's huge, though. I think they do some brainwashing in there. God-damn Pashupati people I s'pose. I killed one of them bastards, slashed his neck right open."
Forgive and correct me if I RP him wrong. It feels I didn't get the "right" Riker...
"This 'Iceman', 's just what the kids call him. His name's FY, that's Frozen Yoghurt. He sure as hell is an utter psycho. I don't believe he uses magic, though. Anytime he attacked, he just shot. But I'd bet your arse that he's tuned up. Totally brainfucked, that piece of drek. Once my pal shot a salvo of three bullets after him. That cruel fuck now pays us back, bullet for bullet. Some day one of the other boys tried to shoot him. I dunno how many bullets we're ahead, but I'll sure as hell rip his guts open with my knife if I can catch this-"
At this point both Riker's volume and vocabulary are difficult and shameful to express in a written text. His eyes seem to glimmer like coals, and were you not a troll weighing half a ton, Riker's wrath would've scared you. He's angry as a Tasmanian devil, and he's ready to rip anything in half that comes between him and his bloody revenge.

"...ah, hold on... Jeez, we got him! My partner located the Iceman, we'll take care of him. Shall I give him a kiss from you?
Here, this is my commcode. Gimme yours if you have one and I'll tell how things go with your enemy"

"You got him! No fucking way I'm gonna let you deal with this son of a bitch while I'm playing Carrom leisurely. I'm going with you and there's nothing you can do about that, big one."
He grins widely and, unconsciously, pats the hold of his knife. You're pretty sure you can't reason with him. Either you knock him out, or he'll be with you.

Cinder

"You already found him? Wotcha, seems we got on the lucky side finally! Pay him back what he did to us. We have some words to talk to him, too!"

I think a taxi will do just nicely.
As soon as I know how you handle Riker, we'll change setting to the spa.