[Stuttrboy]

Spokane firmly shakes hands with Vlad  My friends call me Spokane, don't see why you shouldn't.  My friends are Laughing Dog here, and this lovely young lady is Phil.  If you're drinking vodka, you better have them leave the bottle.   Phil here can pack it away.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad smiles at you and really smiles at Phil.  "A woman after my own heart.  If I was not already involved with the love of my life I would test you out.  But as it is, one can only have one woman at a time, no?  And I think mine would kill me if I cheated on her.  She is that sort of woman."

He laughs out loud as he pours more drinks and urges you to drink up.  He tosses his back and pours another.  "So come to the point.  What do you want of Vlad?"

[Stuttrboy]

Spokane offers a toast in Russian as Ivan begins to lift his glass.  За нашу дружбу! To our friendship

Между первой и второй перерывчик небольшой.  let there be little room between the first and second toasts (not a literal translation He adds as Ivan pours the second round.

We were actually hoping there was something we might do for you or at least assist you with.  We have captured some mercenaries that were involved in the attack on your bratva.  These mercenaries attacked a vory black clinic that a friend of mine runs and it appears these are the same men that were also involved in the attacks at Washington Rec and Mercy General.  They believed that your bratva was harboring the two survivors from both of those attacks.  We thought that it would be in everyone's best interest to pool our information and resources to end this disruption of our lives.  And of course, any excuse to drink vodka.  Выпьем за то, чтобы у нас всегда был повод для праздника! May we always have a reason to drink.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad smiles at you and toasts in kind.  "It is good that you know the Mother tongue.  It is too seldom that anyone not from there knows it anymore.  Once we were strong and feared, but now...........who knows.  Still, I do appreciate you coming to me.  I have already heard of your bravery and daring to capture these men.  I, too, have captured men from their attack on my neighborhood, but more to interrogate is a good thing.  Some of the others took their information to the grave, so I could use another pair.  What are you bargaining for in exchange for them?"

[Stuttrboy]

I don't actually speak Russian, I have Russian friends who have taught me a few dozen toasts is all.

You'd have to talk to Sasha about speaking to the ones we captured.  I handed them over to him in exchange for shared intel in this matter.  However I do have another source.  I'm not here to bargain, or wheel and deal.  I'm here in an open and honest attempt to share intel and resources to resolve a common problem.  In these situations it is better to have more friends isn't it?  Check with your connections in the organization I'm sure they will speak highly on my behalf.  Don't get me wrong I wouldn't mind a payday out of the situation and perhaps something will present itself, but my goal is to eliminate this current threat.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad smiles.  "Ah, a philanthropist, eh?  Most Russians do not trust philanthropists.  I am not most Russians but I am suspicious so I have already called others about you.  You are right, some people say some good things about you.  You must have pissed someone off, though, because at least one man does not like you.  Maybe you slept with his wife or daughter?  Be careful doing that in this organization, as some people do not like that.  But since it was not my daughter, sister, or wife, I do not care, so I will like you for now.  What is this other source you speak of?"

[Stuttrboy]

I am no philanthrophist,  we also have a score to settle with these men.

Who could I have pissed off...It wasn't Dragov was it?  I never slept with his daughter.  I wanted to I thought I was in love with her but we were going to wait and do it right.  He'll I basically sacrificed my life to save his daughter.  Was it Dragov?  I need to clear up this misunderstanding.  I know you don't want to reveal your sources it's bad form but if it's him please ask him to contact me.  I don't want bad blood between us.

The other source hacked and jumped into one of the drones watching your battle.  We don't have it fully decrypted yet but guess where the trail back to the owner leads so far?

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad shakes his head.  "You should watch out for Dragov.  He is mean, especially where that daughter of his is concerned.  Maybe I will talk to him for you.  Maybe.  It depends on what you can do for me.  Scratching backs, yes?  And I thought you were freely giving information away.  Was that just to tease me?  I do not like teasing, especially when my people have died.  Drone has to have been from powerful people.  Maybe syndicate or corporation?"

[Stuttrboy]

No I'm not charging you for this.  I just want us to agree to share intel and let us in on any actions you might take against them is all.  All I want is for you to agree to let us help.  So far we have trades it back to Knight Errant.  We are working on getting more specific information.  My partner and I had a little run in with them the other day when we paid a visit to the doctor that was at the scene at Washington Rec and Mercy General.  He was dead but his, er...assistant wasn't they had been tortured, but they let us go so they can't all be in on it, but there is definitely a mole.  Hopefully we can find out who as he digs further.

Have I convinced you yet?

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad looks at you and chuckles as he shrugs his shoulders.  Spreading his hands, he says, "And it goes to KE, eh?  Policemen are all alike, no matter the country.  Some good ones, but they usually get lost in the mix, but lots of bad ones.  But I cannot toss rocks because I have some KE on my own payroll.  Not as high as this would mean, but maybe it is time they earned their pay.  I will ask of this and share with you what I hear.  I will also share knowledge from captured men.  But tell me, why are you and partner doing this?  Not to help Vory, I think.  So why?"

[Stuttrboy]

The doc who runs that Vory street clinic is a personal friend of mine.  We are basically working for favors and what little money she has.  Like I said I would love a payday to come out of this but if not the sooner we can deal with these men the sooner she can get back to work and we can get back to our lives, with the added knowledge that the doc won't charge us for stitching up bullet holes.  This is the sort of thing I do for my friends.  Would you like to be one of them?  Asks Spokane holding out his hand.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad smiles and laughs out loud as he grips your hand in his.  "Vlad has made several new friends in the past few days.  Sure, I can be your friend and we can do favors fro each other, yes?  So, I will get dogs working and ask some questions about the KE fraggers and who has the kind of clout to pull this off.  I will share with you what I find out."

[Stuttrboy]

Excellent, let us trade contact information.

These goons appear to be outsourced from a Serbian mercenary outfit.  They have fairly intense operational security.  They've shot their own wounded and butchered the entire staff at that clinic just for having seen faces.

[Mercy Merchant]

Vlad laughs again.  "And do not forget that they are well armed and have good equipment.  They even had fragging armored cars.  Now where would they get those from, I wonder?  perhaps some sort of deal with the KE or the military?  Perhaps that should be looked into."

[Stuttrboy]

Pretty much any AA corp could provide that kind of ordinance.  I don't know if that's much of a lead unfortunately.  There's definitely a link to KE though and I have a guy working on that.  Have you learned anything from your guests, compulsory or not?