[Jack_Spade]

While they prepared the ascend, Isaint made sure the Priestess received the team's comm code. 
<<As you might have noticed, I'm the nominal leader of this group. I don't and can't give you orders - you are a professional yourself and I won't explain your job to you - but I make requests. And when I do it's usually for the benefit and well being of the whole team.
In that spirit I'd like to know which talents and specifically which spells you possess, so that I can understand where you'll be most effective.>>

[Aria]

[Sunday July 5th, 2076; Embankment Tube Station, London Below]

With a new addition to the team you make your way, surprisingly unmolested, out of London Below to the more prosaic London Underground station of Embankment, and from there to London Above.  For the more sensitive of the team the growing prickle caused by the artefact is increasingly uncomfortable but at least from here you are on the right side of the river to get to your original starting point without, hopefully, too many more hurdles.  Of course the West End barrens are no picnic so you need to be on your guard, but plu ca change?!?

Finally you are on the approach to Angel’s and ridding yourself of this damn thing that is a painted target on your backs…well Arthur’s anyway…

Except the place appears, at least on the surface, to be deserted…

***

#30

[Jack_Spade]

"Are you fucking kidding me!"
Isaint hadn't finished the sentence before he began composing a message to their Johnson: <<What's going on. We have the object but the bar is deserted. You are sorely trying our patience.>>
He made sure to set Torrent and the rest of the team in CC.

[DireRadiant]

[Yukika Karasu -Sunday July 5th, 2076; Angel's, London]

I enumerate my qualities to the Polite Oni. Of course these are merely facts. A knife is a tool that can destroy or aid.

<<Yes. I am a Shinto Priestess, in which role I serve the Kami and in turn they serve me. I have the gifts of healing, circles of protection, the ability to know all the objects in my near sight, and the ability to alter peoples moods. In combat I can fight near or far with a knife. For the fighters amongst us I can offer a shield of lightnings. In my service as a Priestess I support a very large community from which I can discover useful information or uncover uncommon and discreet services. My position and skills as a Priestess also is an advantage in working with most people. And finally, the Old Man and I cannot catch each other at cheating at card games.>>

There are some secrets best kept from everyone. Such as my ability to mold their minds to my will and have them follow my commands unerringly. While useful, these methods do not result in long lasting positive relations.

While no one is paying attention I put a bandage on my heel. It has a pink cat on it.

I follow as now we walk all over above ground.

It is typical of this day that there is no one at the meeting spot. It appears the best way to ensure someone disappears is to arrange a meeting with this group.

[adamu]

Crappy as that damned dingus had him feeling, Al chuckled instead of scowled as he sidled up to Isaint. Sometimes all you could do was laugh. "Like it says inna Good Book, jefe, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice.......heh heh......so here we are, second time inna row, dicks in our hands, an' no one ta..." then noticing the ladies present he shifted his words."Er, hot cargo an' no buyer. That's it."

He peered around, watching to see if the SWAT-ninjas would hit them again this time, or if the place would just blow up. Or both. "Still, ya reckon we ougtta take a closer look, make sure nobody's home? Even an empty grave can tell a story."

[Jack_Spade]

"Yeah, but we'll let drones and spirits do the heavy lifting this time. One blown up building was more than enough. Damn it. Torrent  needs to step up his game on the client search.

Mrs. Karasu, Rick, please send one of your spirits through the house to look for bombs or any other nasty surprises left behind for us.
Robin, Half-Pint, please do likewise with your spy drones.

And get your weapons ready.

I tell you, if the Johnson has vanished, we take that thing and the remaining FAB packs, pour it into a concrete block and drop it into the Thames."
Isaint looked around, searching for any clue or sign of an ambush.

[Aria]

[Sunday July 5th, 2076; Angel's, West End, London]

The reply to Isaint's message is terse and not a little pissed off

<<Watch your tone!  I need to make sure you frag ups are clean before I take possession of the goods.  You are the ones that potentially unleashed FABIII on London.  When I am sure you are clean and that you haven't picked up a tail, then and only then will you receive payment.  Go inside, there's a chem sniffer and diagnostics suite in there, scan yourselves and upload the results to the designated host.  If you are all still there by morning I will arrange for the package to be picked up and your funds will be transferred.  If not you are on your own, but don't expect to work in the UK again, I will drag your precious reps back to the stone age.>>

***

[Sunday July 5th, 2076; Elsewhere, London]

Torrent reluctantly placed the call

"Monarch, they have the package but there has been a wrinkle.  They have brought down more heat on themselves than the J is prepared to deal with and he is making them sit tight until he is sure they are in the clear... Yes, I know, but we can salvage this, I will let them know the score, they are professionals above all else and whilst they will no doubt baulk at being told what to do, in the end it is their own interests to see this through.  Yes, I know, I'll get it done."

With that he broke the connection and reached for his other 'link

<<@Isaint & Team: Mr J has been in touch, he wants you to verify that you are clean before he takes delivery, I'm sure that you will agree that isn't unacceptable in the circumstances?  He wants you to sit tight and that probably doesn't appeal very much but I can provide you with a surveillance circle to mitigate any unpleasant surprises.  If you want to make your own arrangements like last time then I can't stop you of course...>> he left the rest unsaid but he trusted their intelligence enough to work out the implications of going off piste again...

***

#31

[adamu]

"Well, heh heh, that sounds 'bout eight ways wrong ta ol' Al, least bein' I don't fancy sittin' still while someone's gunnin' for me, much less when some deal-shiftin' suit's doin' the askin'."

He reached into his shoulder bag and pulled out a big brick of what appeared to be bright orange clay. Tossed it up in the air and caught it with a grin, all yellow teeth and leer. "Now my vote is we strap this here lump o' joy ta ol' Aku Aku's neck, set the timer ta maybe twenny minutes, an' feed the image to Mr. Money, see how much he wants it."

[obidancer]

Rick, please send one of your spirits through the house to look for bombs or any other nasty surprises left behind for us.

The services of Beings from the Metaplanes or from the Elements are too precious to be used for being the bait of an possible boobytrap. I will go myself.

With those word, Deckard sat down on and closed his eyes as his aura departed his body. He manifested and walked deeper into the Angel's looking for possible hodden souls or boobytraps.

When he came back to his body, he had found nothing and Al was offering something that would surely piss off the Johnson.

Whoa whoa whoa, easy Al. I doubt playing chicken  with the Johnson will make us stay in good standing. And I say playing chicken because we have, or should I say, we shouldn't have any intend of blowing up this thing right here. If anything I'd go ISaint route and drop it deep into the Thames.  If we have till tomorrow before anyone comes pick it up, why don't we simply use that time smartly.
For one, some of us can do some legwork on maybe knowing more about the artefact now that we know what it looks like and the evil it breaths.  Second, playing sitting ducks is of nobody's liking, however we could get ready to counter attack if such a thing would happen. Nowhere did he mention we all needed to stay inside. The rest could spread out and get in position for support and counter offense.

What do you say? 

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn has followed along in the wake of the others, quiet and tactful.  Once it is apparent that the employer has stood them up she chuckles and shakes her head.  She is not used to being treated in this fashion by an employer and decides once again that arranging for work in this manner is not desirable.  Better to seek employment from a reputable AAA or even a crime syndicate.  At least they pay.  She sends in her drones to see what they might find and reports back the same as everyone else has.  The interior is empty except for the chem sniffer and diagnostic suite.

She shakes her head at Al and says, "Well, try not to blow yourself up, Al.  I am going inside to get myself and my service animal scanned.  At that point I will find a nice place to sit and wait.  Deckard, if you want that massage, we might have enough time."

[Jack_Spade]

You had to know Isaint for a while to recognize the expression on his face as really, really pissed off - mainly because his face was still mostly obscured by a thick beard.
"Thanks Al, as much as I'd like to follow through with that impulse, Rick is right.
But one thing is for sure: We'll not hang around this thing and wait until it taints the background of this whole city. You can bet that it will sooner or later attract some very nasty spirits. We never should have removed the FAB.
Likewise our contract said we had to deliver the package to this address - there never was any mention of guarding the fucking thing. Actually there was a lot that wasn't mentioned.
Finally, we have other business to attend. I gave my word to return when we finish the deal. The deal is finished with."

He again opened a channel to the Johnson, including the team and Torrent:
<<Watch it who you call a Frag Up, Mr. I-have-shit-for-intel. Our deal specified explicitly that we'd bring the object here. Nothing about keeping watch for you or to have it cleaned up. We already paid a specialist to decontaminate us and our gear. Meanwhile the astral count on this thing keeps rising - something you probably didn't know either.

We'll stick around exactly one hour at your little sniffer station. I'll even go so far as to put it into a airtight bag and spray the room with some disinfectant. But that's the end of it.

You think you can destroy my reputation for not complying with your inane behavior? You'll be surprised.

Hire some watchmen for all I care. This thing will draw some massive astral heat if you keep it at any place for any amount of time. If we are unlucky and this shithole sits on any kind of leyline I wouldn't be surprised if it taints the whole area in a few hours.

Oh and another thing: Whoever hid that thing knew exactly what he did by placing FAB packs next to it. If you play nice we might be persuaded to sell you some, since we recently came into possession of a stash tailor made to counter that artifact.

Good day to you Mr. J.>>

"Ok guys. We'll use the chemsniffer - can't hurt to see if we are somehow still hot. When we are done, we'll do the perimeter thing Rick mentioned. And if the Johnson hasn't complied by than I say we go out and buy some cement."

#342

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn considers the artifact then says, "ISaint.  I have pretty good relations with a couple of AAAs that are always interested in awakened artifacts and might know something of this thing.  I do not recall our employer saying that we had to keep this a secret, especially since it seems that someone else already knows about it.  If I contact these guys, we may get a visit or stir up a hornets nest, but do you want me to try?

[Jack_Spade]

"Thanks for asking. At the moment we keep what good faith we have. If the Johnson doesn't do his homework you may - very discreetly and without saying anything about who where and what  - inquire about it.
We dealt with an AAA strike team a month ago - that's an experience I don't want to repeat."
Isaint replied - a lot calmer than he had been a minute ago.

[adamu]

Al shrugged and followed Isaint inside. "Seems ta me a picture's worth a thousand words. If'n yer serious 'bout yer deadline - an' I hope you are - then a block of plastique on a timer has a way o' makin' a point. Course yer cement idea ain't without merits - got a solid, steady feel to it. But it's a lot of extra work, an' jist lacks the panache ya git with C6 on a shiny red digital countdown. Or, an' here's a thought, I got enough det cord with me ta pretty much mummify the thing - now that'd be a compellin' visual for ya."

He sighed as he let the silly machine run its diagnostics on him. resigned to a world of milquetoast half-measures.

But he would always have his dreams.

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn and her Al follow human Al inside and wait their turn on the instruments, uploading her data as required.  Afterwards, she finds a quiet booth and takes a seat with the Hell Hound at her side.  "I am going to see what I can find out in VR without going to my other contacts.  Please watch my body."  She sinks into VR and glides through the matrix to The Nexus, one of the three large data sharing groups in the world.  She identifies herself and uses pictures and descriptions of the artifact to try to fins any information available on it.