[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant smirked, "My coat, and my form fit will work well enough for me my friend, though some ballistic protection for B., and Rowe would be appreciated."  He tapped his Ikon-Ziess cyber-eyes, "Built in flare comps, if these mercs are well equipped, they'll have the same, either implants, or in their helmets, so flash bangs might not be that effective.  Now, if you had frag or phospherous grenades, we could wear them down, but the problem is that those are both pretty damaging to your territory, and we want to contain the damage."

He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, towards the guest room he'd dropped his duffel in, "I've got a few clips with stick & shock ammo, might be useful for bringing a couple of these guys down, worked in Washington Rec, other than that I've got a few different SMG's and an assault in the bag."  He smirked as he ran through his checklist, "Oh, and in case me going through my checklist wasn't indication, you know I'm down for fragging a few of this bastards right?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad smiles widely and walks out of the room with you.  "Go get your equipment, my friend.  We will show these bastards why they should leave the Vory alone."  Outside the room, you can hear people talking down the stairs.  A man meets you in the hall, carrying several sets of armor vests.  He passes one to Vlad and offers one to you but nods as you shake your head.  Vlad takes two of them and heads off down the hall to the room Barbara and Rowena share.  "Meet me in the room.  Rowena might more prefer to have you help her with this vest, Yes?"

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant looked at the armored vest, considered a moment, and took it from the Vlad's soldier.  Then he turned to Vlad with a nod, "So are we making a stand here, or are we going out to meet them, prevent them from shaking down your territory looking for me?"  He looked back to Rowena's room, trepidation clear on his face,

"Any chance you have a safe room?  Somewhere to keep her safe, head down, hidden perhaps?"  He considered Vlad a moment, studying the man, "You know I'm ready to put these bastards down, but you'll need to give me a moment to prepare Rowe, as far as I know when I go in there I'll be waking her from a dead sleep."

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad nods and motions for you to go ahead.  "Yes.  There is a special room here.  Can put her in it.  Let me know if you can convince her to go there while you are fighting?  And maybe this is last stand.  But we will engage them as they come to the territory and draw them to make mistakes.  Still, truth is that it may be tough fight.  I would offer to put you in safe room as well, but am sure you would not go.  Will five minutes be enough to prepare your woman?"

[Zen Gypsy]

"Five minutes," he said softly as he turned and walked down the hall, first to his room, where he grabbed his duffel.  He slung it over his shoulder, and then walked to Rowena's room.

He stepped inside, saw her lying on the bed, went over and kissed her awake, "Time to wake up, we've gotten some new information Rowe, and we need to get you secured," he paused, "safe.  I need to know that you'll be safe while I'm out there, engaging the mercenaries.  They're coming for us, they have been for the last few hours, media, police, even K.E., has been calling the violence gang related, that's a cover.  They've been systematically moving through the barrens, searching for something."  He stripped off his long coat, removed his holsters, and the white long sleeve dress shirt he'd worn underneath it.  "Searching for us.  Me, they'll kill.  You, they want the code, which means they'll want to take you alive.  They call it debriefing.  Interviewing.  They mean interrogation, torture."

He buckled on the armored vest, it didn't give as much protection as his lined jacket, but he figured Rowe could use the longer jacket to protect her arms, her legs, whereas his exposed cyberlimbs were armored, designed to resist ballistic damage.  It was easier to repair and replace damaged components than meat, and he needed to keep Rowena safe.

He began to sling his holster over the vest, and opened the duffel pulling out his weapon cache, laying it out on the floor.  Weapons check.  Once complete he turned back to the bed, his lined coat in his arms, and began helping Rowe put the heavy coat on, pulling it over her shoulders, "I'm not trying to scare you Rowe, but I want you to know what we're up against.  Vlad and I will engage these sons of bitches at the perimeter of his territory, hit and run, draw them into blind alleys, dead ends.  I'll do everything in my power to keep them from this compound.  Knowing that your in the safe room, that you're hidden, that you're secure, would go a long way towards letting me focus on tactics and strategy."

He sat on the bed beside her, squeezed her hand, "I know this is terrifying, before you, facing odds like these, I'd shrug my shoulders.  If I died, that would have been fine with me, I should have died two years ago, when the extraction team broke into our corporate complex.  Now," he looked at her with something like fear in his face, "now, I have something to lose, someone I care for."  He paused, considered Barbara's harsh words from earlier, "someone who I want to live for."  He secured the jacket around her, flipping up the collar to protect her neck, and as he did so pulled her in close, a soft, probing kiss, that turned into something fierce, passionate.  "Someone I love."

Minutes passed, and he pulled from her embrace, breathing heavily, and picked her up in his arms, placing her in the chair.  He leaned forward, kissing the back of her neck.  "Now lets get you to the safe room, you've given him something to live for, and I am sure as hell not going to lose it, not tonight," he reached forward and squeezed her shoulder, "not ever."

[Mercy Merchant]

Rowena listens quietly as you talk, although she does pale a bit.  She just nods as you ask her to wear the coat and does her best to help you get it on her.  Her response to your kiss and your affirmation of love is to kiss you back, returning your passion.  "Then I will go to this room.  Give me one of those guns, just in case.  I don't know how to shoot, but how hard is it to point and pull the trigger?"  She puts her arms around your neck when you pick her up and holds tight, as if not wanting to let go.  Once in the chair, she nods again and lets you push her out of the room.  Vlad is in the hallway, talking to his nephew and two soldiers.  He nods at you and sends the others off. 

"There you are.  I was about to see if you two had left the building.  This way to the safe room.  I have already taken Barbara there.  Little vixen keeps saying she can be as good in the fight out here.  Finally had to threaten to shoot her knee.  Bah, she did not believe me.  Such a woman.  Come, let us go."  At the stairs, he takes the chair down while you carry Rowena.  The safe room is a large vault-like room on the basement level.  When the door is opened you see Barbara walking back and forth, her "assets" clearly showing why her nickname is "Bouncing Barbara".  She stops and stands with her hands on her hips.

"Boss!  Please tell this.....this......this gangster that I would be better out there."

[Zen Gypsy]

He hugged Rowena tight as he moved her into the chair, "There's a taser in the inside coat pocket, it's point and shoot, and should be more effective than a pistol at short range."  As she pouted, he kissed her full lips, "My weapons are all automatic darling, and unless you have reinforced titanium arms, with gyroscopic compensation, they could shatter your wrist.  Once this is over, I am sure Vlad could point us towards a firing range if you really want to practise."

~

As he met with Vlad, he listened to the man complaining about Barbara, he almost chuckled.  "You're the one who said you like strong women, and she's got a backbone of stainless steel, believe me." 

Once they entered the vault-like room, and he saw B. pacing, he knew they were both in trouble.  He approached her, arms out, palms up, in a conciliatory manner.  "Barbara, please?  The man's opened his home to us, offered us shelter, when he could have left us to the dogs, gangster?  There's no reason to insult our host.  Especially because I am the one who asked him to do it."  He looked from Vlad, and back to Barbara, he leaned his head closer, lowering his voice, "These guys want Rowena, for what's in her head.  The courier's access code.  I need her safe, and you're the one I trust to look after her."  He paused, and spoke, almost at a whisper, "Please?"

Then he turned to the instrumentation in the room, "Plus Vlad's cousin is going to be our eyes in the sky, and I figure if you can co-ordinate with our mysterious benefactor, you can keep Vlad's soldiers and I synched in, monitor the merc's movements, and their deployment.  it will help limit casualties.  Can you do that for me?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Barbara grimaces.  "Mysterious benefactor is right.  She is shut off, that or just not answering my calls.  She said she was tired and going to sleep and maybe she goes dark  when sleeping.  Some people do; it keeps them from being bothered while trying to get some rest."  She does seem to calm down as you talk to her.  Looking over at Rowena, she nods and adds, "You are right, of course.  OK, I will stay and worry about you."  She turns to face Vlad.  "But I won't give a damn about our gangster host.  He may be your friend, but he......he......well, he just is, I guess."

Rowena smiles at you.  "We will be fine.  I am sure that you will both make sure that Mr. Champagne's woman comes through this alive.  And that she gets to go home with Mr. Champagne."

Vlad claps you on the back and tells you that it is time to go see how the preparations are coming.  When you leave the room and head up the stairs, he turns to look at you.  "My heart is lifted, my friend.  I think she likes me.  What a woman she is, Yes?"

[Zen Gypsy]

He nodded a B., silently thanking her, "You'll be too busy to worry about me B., you're coordinating this whole thing, our defense.  Work with Vlad's cousin, keep me in the loop, we're not going to be able to deal with this incursion without you."  He smirked, squeezed her hand, "Hell of a long way from running background checks on cheating bastards eh?"  His face turned more serious as he glanced towards Rowena, and then back to Barbara, "Keep an eye on her if you can though B., she'll have nothing to do BUT worry.  And ...," he paused, heartfelt emotion clear on his face, "thanks."

He turned, went down onto a knee beside Rowena's chair, leaned forward until his forehead touched pressed against hers.  The skin felt cool, smooth, her hair tickled his eyes, he looked at her.  "You are, without a doubt, the strongest woman I know.  When this shit goes down, you are going to see things on those monitors, hear things over the chatter, and they may scare you, shock you.  Just know that I'm doing everything I can to keep you safe, everything we've said, everything we've left unsaid, it's still ahead of us, and for the first time in a very long time, I am looking forwards, not backwards.  And I have you to thank for that."  He pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing it softly, as he did so he squeezed her hand, and then stood up, his mirror shades snapping forward from the housings around his eyes, his face was all business as he walked out of the room, preparing for war.

~

Bryant laughed, the unlit slim dangling from his lips precariously.  "If you think gangster is a term of endearment, your mastery of the English language may not be as complete as you think."  He clapped a hand on his shoulder, "But if you want a strong willed woman, you've got your work cut out for you.  Now lets go see how your men are doing in their prep, I'll want feeds from your cousin's drones patched through to my comm, so I can pull them up in my display if needed.  Maps of your territory, updated with co-ordinates of our friendlies, and the merc's."

As he walked, he began shifting his weapons, his Crusader in the shoulder holster on his right side, easy access for a quick draw if needed.  The Ingram, his weapon of choice for suppression fire, located at the small of his back, held securely by a maglock holster.  His Praetor, his precision weapon slung over his right shoulder, riding his left hip, where it was secured to prevent it from swinging and interfering with the HVAR battle rifle he carried in both hands.  The armored vest he wore over his form fit bristled with spare clips, arranged for ease of access.

"We have to assume that they'll try to hit the grid, disrupt our comm's, our power, so protecting those areas should be our priority.  Fallback spots, choke points, alternate routes, we need to have those pre-planned and conveyed to our men, so that we can maintain discipline under fire.  These guys are trained, but they aren't necessarily professional.  The way they opened on the crowd at Washington Rec, sloppy, a professional would have extracted the courier with only minimal civilian casualties.  These guys didn't care."

He paused, brought the one handed his rifle, and reached into a thigh pouch, drawing a lighter, he raised an eyebrow to Vlad, and read his subtle nod correctly, he lit the Szczepanski and inhaled deeply, holding it until he felt the burn on that rough spot at the back of his throat.  He turned, looked back as the safe room door slid shut with an audible *thunk!* and closed his eyes.  He took a moment, turned, exhaled, the smoke curling around his head as he continued to walk beside his host.

"You got your non-com's secured, your sister?"

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad nods as you speak.  By the time you are upstairs you can see a lot of organized commotion going on in the main garage area.  The vehicles have been moved into the street and there is a crowd of people gathering.  You see a fair number of women in the room, many either wearing armored vests or putting one on.  SOme of the younger ones are walking around with trays of steaming mugs.  All are armed with some sort of submachinegun and a pistol or two.  Vlad clasps your shoulder.  "I am not sure what your impression of a Bratva is, my friend.  This is a family.  Men, women, children.  All of them, all of US, are related by oaths that no one else can understand or believe.  We will all fight to defend our place here, our home that we have adopted.  And see?  You cannot know it, but there are others here as well.  They are the shop keepers and waitresses at the bar, the strippers and prostitutes, the wageslaves that work in other parts of the city.  But this is their home and no fragging mercenaries, no matter how well trained, are going to just come in here and take what they want.  No, we will show these bastards what fighting a real Vory Bratva is like.  Access to my nephew's drones should be coming up soon.  You will see what they do.  We do not have military training, so will be at a disadvantage there, but we do have great advantages in knowing where everything in the neighborhood is.  It does you not much good to talk of fall back defense positions, because those words mean little or nothing to most of these people.  Just help me tell people where to go.  A source in the next neighborhood over tells me that the mercenaries have just entered there.  The gang boss there will not delay them but will fall on their rear after they pass into this neighborhood.  He is a good man and I told him I do not want his area damaged by him trying to resist these bastards.  So, I need to walk among by people and encourage them.  Will you come with me?"

[Zen Gypsy]

He nodded, looking through the crowd, he noted kids, children, and became intensely uneasy with the situation.  He leaned to his friend, and whispered, quietly, "Vlad, there are kids here.  If you put them anywhere near another gunmen, whether passing clips, reloading pistols, whatever, these guys.  These merc's, they're going to shoot to kill.  Kids Vlad, children.  Surely you don't mean to send them out as runners, couriers, get them somewhere safe.  Put them with B., with Rowe, it's got to be the better play."

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad looks at you for a moment, frowning, then shakes his head.  "No, my friend.  It is not meant to be that way.  These children are the future of the Bratva, the next generation.  Should I refuse to accept their help, I would be denying them the chance to prove their worth.  I did not order them here, but they know the Bratva is in need and come of their own, with the blessings and prayers of their parents.  Look about you....does it seem as if anyone is itching to leave?  No.  This is their home, too, Bryant, they deserve the chance to help defend it.  Yes, some may die, some will probably die.  As will some of the women and men who fight.  But it is better to die in defense of one's home than to sit by and watch it be invaded.  The Motherland has suffered many wars like this and always it is the same.  The children help the women who help the men.  All help defend.  And most of these children will not just be runners or passing out ammo...........no, they will have pistols and grenades and will be ready to use them.  I am sorry, my friend, but this is how it must be here.  Besides, if I were to try to stop them, they would not appreciate it and their parents would think less of me."

"That is why I strongly urge you to go back and let your woman do what she wants to do, not force her to be locked up.   And my future wife, as well.  They do not want to stay there, in that room of solitude.  They want to help, to be a part of what is happening.  At least go ask.  One is there because you told her to, and the other because you asked her to watch over the other.  But neither wants to be there.  I could see it in their eyes as we shut the door.  Your woman wants to be at your side, or at least where she can help with something.  Does it do her good to know that you think her weak and in need of that sort of protection?  And that Barbara....she is a fighter of great spirit and deserves to be here, too.  Wrestle with your conscience, Bryant, and imagine what you would feel like if you were in her shoes.  Would you want you man to take all the risks or would you want to be able to show him that you are strong and can help.  Certainly you will worry about them, but that is what love is.  Worry and care, but do not overprotect.  Eventually, she will not like the picture you are painting of her.  So, please reconsider your choice and allow them to be with us.  The mercenaries will not get her unless we are both already dead, I swear that to you as a brother."

[Zen Gypsy]

Bryant sighed, closed his eyes and inhaled on the slim, pulling the acrid smoke into his lungs.  Slowly he exhaled, blowing the smoke into a small plume, straight over his head before he turned and looked at his host, his friend, Vlad.

"It's like with the children Vlad, it's not something I like.  I know that I, in any engagement, would not target children, or non-combatants, but these merc's, we've seen them in action, they are unscrupulous.  They have no sense of," he seemed to struggle for the word, "professional conduct, loyalty, or honor.  Raleigh Investigations, that's where I work ... worked?  They hit our offices, killed staff who I'd worked with for a year now, possibly Raleigh himself.  At Washington Rec, they shot up a food shack, causing significant casualties among a crowd that included families, women and children.  A waitress who my eyes lingered on too long, whose smile was too bright.  All shot to shit because of these reckless, unprofessional, pieces of shit."

He reached out, clasped Vlad's shoulder, squeezed it tight, "Perhaps you are right, I didn't play fair, with either of them."  He shrugged, took a quick puff of his slim, turned and walked back into the complex, grinding the filter into the rain slick street.

He brought a fist to the door of the safe room, and pounded the code.  He stepped back as it hissed and opened, nodded towards the muzzles of the SMG's Vlad's soldiers had leveled towards him, and walked inside.  He approached Barbara and Rowe, where the two women sat, both sullen faced, he knelt beside the wheel chair, placing his hand over Rowe's, while he looked from one to the other.

"I owe you an apology B., I let me fear, my anxiety over this coming confrontation to control my actions.  I abused your loyalty, your trust, manipulated your sympathy.  I'm not sure what's going to happen in the next five or ten minutes, how organized, or prepared our opposition is.  I want you," he looked to Rowe as well, his face including her in his statement, "to be where you want to be, not where I want you to be."  He paused again, squeezed Rowe's hand, "Where do you think that you'll do the most good, Vlad's banking his entire territory on stopping these guys cold.  Every man, woman and child that his bratva protects is outside, and he's arming them all.  Families are putting their lives, their futures, on the line.  I can't really ask them to risk theirs, to protect mine."

He hoped the emphasis he put on the word 'futures', would not be lost on the woman sitting in the chair beside him.

[Mercy Merchant]

Monday   11 June 2075  0355  Vlad's Safehouse  Seattle Barrens  Seattle


Barbara's face brightens considerable and she comes to where you are kneeling, putting a hand on your shoulder.  "Apology accepted, Boss.  This room is so so protected that I cannot reach the trix from here.  I will go up and talk to Vlad then go to the room I was in before, so you know where I will be.  Those mercs might have a good hacker on their team, but they might not expect me and Viktor.  I trust you to keep us safe."  With that, she squeezes your shoulder gently and disappears out of the room. 

For your part, the men here are just so much part of the furniture.  In effect they don't exist, as right now your focus is on the girl in the wheelchair.  A rather common girl, normal in almost every respect until she came into contact with your world, your life.  Now......now she is a bit different.  Her life has changed immensely over the past couple of days.  She looks you in the eyes and says, "When will you truly understand that  Mr. Champagne's woman is deeply in love with Mr. Champagne.  You continue to give me options to leave you or go places "for my own good".  I understand why, but when will you see that I cannot exist without being part of your life.  I do not understand what has happened to me, or why, but I know that there is no turning back now.  If you love me back, we have a future.  If you do not, then, well, I will have to live with that.  It won't change one bit how I feel about you, though.  I want to show you that I want to help you.  My real desire is to be out there.  These people are going to fight and die because of us, because of me, and I feel completely unworthy of that if I stay in this room.  I am willing to take my chances out there, fighting with them.  I don't know what I can do to help, but there should be something, even if it is just to show them who I am.  Does that make any sense to you?  If it does, then please carry me upstairs and ask one of these gentlemen to carry the chair."

[Zen Gypsy]

He whispered as he scooped her up, "I truly am sorry.  Let's get you upstairs, we'll find somewhere for you with the second line, maybe you can help with the wounded, we'll talk to some support personnel.  You are a strong woman Rowe, and smart as well, you'll find a way to contribute."  One of the soldiers folded her chair up, and began to follow them to the stairs, Bryant nodded his thanks.

"The entire community is mobilizing, to protect their homes, their families.  Prepare yourself for that, it shocked me at first, but their are young children preparing defenses, cutting bandages, loading weapons.  Mothers, fathers, sons and daughters bearing arms.  This is going to be messy, and I don't like it at all.  Vlad says it's a point of pride with these people, doesn't make it any easier to deal with, but I can't change it, so I have to deal."

He looked at her in his arms, "Kind of like you choosing to be in the line of fire, can't change your mind for you, can only respect you for your choice and do what needs doing, yeah?"  He dropped a soft kiss on her forehead before they gained the top of the stairs again, the soldier shuffled passed them and opened the chair before nodding and returning back to his position.

He kicked the brakes so the chair wouldn't move as he transferred Rowe into it, then clicked the brakes off, as she got comfortable.  He ensured that the lined coat was secured around her torso, and fastened properly.  He reached his cold metallic hands under her collar, gently massaging the soft skin behind her ear as he flipped the collar up to protect her throat and base of her skull.

"Lets see if we can find Vlad, and lets meet the people who we'll be standing shoulder to shoulder when these merc's come looking, you ready?"