A Troubled Little Town Called New Hope, Part 2 - RPLOG
Participants
Date
Sunday September 8, 2019=Log=
The tilled land north of of New Hope remains somewhat intact; as the group approaches, they can identify what was once a sprawling field of crops, now reduced to dust and sand by the arid Arizona air. Well, all but the first field on their left, but it too showed signs it wasn't liking the dryness. It's clear that this field was the one being used to feed the modest population of the settlement, with how it was the only one maintained in any sense and how the dirt path was far more beaten-down leading towards it than it was going beyond.
With the time turning to dusk, the land has begun to turn dark. The one exception rests at the north end of the farm on the right-hand side, a faint flicker of flame refracted through the windows of one of the buildings, one presumably once used to process goods obtained from the surrounding fields. The cat woman -- who had introduced herself as Rosa to the rest of the group -- had properly directed the other four towards the building.
"Riley should be in there, yes." The prostitute dismounted off of Zophah's horse once the vixen reached the hitching post. "He always made a point to follow... well, I suppose 'being obsessed with a routine' would be the best case to put it. Always asking to do it the same way every time, getting a touch upset if I didn't come within a certain timeframe, and still insisting on paying me even though I stopped asking for coin three months ago." She smiles to herself, some memories jostled free in her mind as she approaches the metal door. "Mind reviewing our... plan, please?"
"Catch the goon, squeeze him for information, maybe drag him at gunpoint to his fellows and use him as a human shield." Magnus tosses out with a chuckle. "Alright, maybe not that last part. If he stops being a problem and gives up the information, then you can do with him as you please. Not like we have much say in that anyway." His shoulders shrug deeply. "I have a few clues myself as to where those dirty rags might be dragging their festering flea-bitten asses from, but let's hear the fucker out first. Can't really confirm that's where their homestead is, but if we have a match, then... that'd be good to know."
He then casts a glance towards the feline. "Here's a question for you though. If'n your fellow refuses to cooperate, how much are we allowed to rough him up?" Magnus asks as he cracks his knuckles. "The best solutions are often the simplest, but... that might involve the breaking of kneecaps and well... it takes a lot to recover from that. If'n you want us to be delicate with the sod, then that's where I'll leave it. But... keep in mind it might be the deciding factor between you folks having the bandit problem dealt with forever, and... well, only temporarily."
The fennec sighs softly and casts a glance at his team. "We rode for six days to get here miss, I ain't thinking anyone will be too happy to do that again. Not unless the pay check is fatter'n a sow six years of cake frosting and sugarwater. If they open fire, we're firing back. Ain't no way otherwise. Not unless someone pulls a miracle of verbal coersion out of their back pocket..."
Zophah dismounts from the horse as well, taking a look around before speaking. She speaks with flowing words, like she is imagining a scene better than will actually happen. "We surround Riley, get him to confess to the location of the server, then if his love is true we can let Rosa take care of him while we move on to recover the server. I'm sure we can convince him with Rosa's help to repent his evil ways." She then turns to Rosa and adds "Your boyfriend in there is an insectoid, right? I can barely see him inside."
Nena tucks her hands in the pockets of her jacket, following along. Her tail flicks as she regards the building. "Hopefully I can talk some sense into him. I was a bit of a... Person of ill repute back in the day, maybe I can talk him into 'reforming' too. You never know. I'd rather not rough him up too much though if we can avoid it. Or at all, even, perhaps..."
Deciding to try a different avenue of investigation, Zen relaxes and rests until it was time to head out for a clandestine rendezvous with the cat woman's contact. How fortunate it would be if they were able to get all the information they needed out of a single source. Even should it prove to be a waste of time, they would still be able to do some scouting around of their own around the farm. When dusk rolled around and it was time to move, the kitsune mounted up and followed the rest towards the farm to the north.
When asked about what the plan was, Zen takes a moment to listen to Magnus speak. Nodding at a few points, he adds, "Right, I understand you don't want nothing bad to happen to him... But that is up to 'him'." He gives a sly grin to Magnus and adds, "Not only that, but even should he want to turn over a new leaf, I'm certain the settlement will demand some level of retribution. Seeing as to how cooperative he is, I might be inclined to put in a few good words to lessen his punishment."
With Nena and Zophah trying to talk about a more peaceful resolution, Zen nods again, "Right, well, far be it from me to say what'll happen, but I hope you aren't planning on talking your way through the entire gang. We only have Rosa's word on this guy after all, who knows what he is truly like... as well as the rest of the gang for that matter." His eyes dart around to survey the area, looking for anything out of place.
After a short pause, Rosa turns to Magnus. "If he turns violent..... you may hurt him." That's all she says on the matter before addressing Zophah. "Yes, he's of an ant mutation. And..." She steps away from the door, letting the agents prepare to set up an ambush against Riley, still inside the building and -- as far as anyone could tell -- unaware that a trap was being prepared right in his proximity. "...I'm thankful that you four are willing to help me instead of just... roughing him up and all." Her warm smile is visible in the light of the setting sun.
Magnus raises his leg and prepares to kick the door in, though... his head clicks that his team wanted to try a peaceful approach. Lowering his foot down, he gives a nod to Zophah and sighs softly. "Go and try to talk some sense into the bastard. If that doesn't work, then I'll get involved and make him wish it had. There's a new poison I've been brewing that I've been itching to test anyway." Magnus chymes softly and stands aside for the others to enter before he does. His ears flit upward and he focuses on his hearing, scanning for what may happen around him, the footfall of someone running away perhaps... anything suspicious, really. "Might be best if I stay out of his line of sight right now. I'll keep an ear on the situation."
