Scene #7176: Interlude: Vesper Lynd

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James Bond	An old woman lives alone. She survives seemingly on the kindness of strangers, leading a quiet life. She is called Zélie, and she is highly respected among the working people in Royale. Months ago, her granddaughter insisted she display the crescent moon in her window. She never expected to actually meet any Watchmen--much less have them as guests in her house. Fortunately, Zelie was perfectly pleased to do so. The police dragnet came and went, with Deelel, Vesper and Amelris able to evade it in the safety of Zelie's cellar. It's well-lit thanks to the brand new lightbulbs in the very old fixtures, and she's decorated it as a sort of second living room, with family photos hung on the wall and a sitting area. When the panic dies down in town, perhaps a few hours after Deelel and Amelris arrive at Zelie's house, those coming to assist with the interrogation will find assistance in the most unlikely places. Any police who appear to have made the Watch reinforcements are called away by rowdy drunkards starting a fight, distracted by cranes dropping their cargo, or pestered by annoyingly needy children. That just leaves Bond and Vesper. The British agent hasn't said anything since Zelie let him in. Since the old woman swatted the cigarette from his hand, he's been watching the stairs with his hand drifting close to his gun. His hair is slightly askew from the chaos in the hotel, his tailor-made dress shirt crumpled in places from the lobby sprinklers. Vesper is seated in an armchair, looking slightly less disheveled but much more human. She is pointedly staring at the tea cozy on the low table situated between the cellar's seating arrangements. Anything to avoid making eye contact with anyone in here.
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris is not a stranger to hiding out in strange places for some heat to die down. Garleans aren't the kind to just give up when you've done some rampage into their bases. The Red Mage have been very polite with the nice grandmother, giving her a respectful bow, filled with bending, taking his hat off and with tail/ear wriggling. Currently, he's seated on a dusty sofa in the cellar, with his vest off with a spool of strand in one hand and slowly patching up one of the burnt holes inside of of his vermillion clothing. He's relaxing for the moment, in this period of awkward silence, peering up as he look up. "So!" Amelris says, his voice clearly trying to break some of the ice. "Why not start at the begining about this, Ms. Lynd?"
James Bond	Vesper steels herself, once she's addressed. She sits up straight, and sighs. "The beginning..." "I had been out of university for two years when I finally got a job with Her Majesty's Treasury. I met..." She smiles faintly, recollecting happier times. "Someone. A pilot. He was shot down over Afghanistan--but I didn't find that out from the RAF." "I don't know what they call themselves, but they all carry the ring."
Tohru Adachi	Interrogations. Something Adachi always wanted to do while he was on the force, but never really got a chance to, bringing in the occasional country drunk and asking them why they were walking around in their underwear definitely not counting. The closest he ever got was during a murder case he himself started, but asking people questions you already know the answer to just isn't the same. Like hearing a joke you already know the punch line to. He's also definitely not going to count getting interrogated himself either, which is whole other can of worms which boils down to pistol whipping isn't fun when you're on the receiving end. Long, internal thoughts aside, the ex-police officer walks in, wearing a bright yellow rain jacket thrown over a slightly more respectable work suit. He adjusts his tie a bit as he clears his throat, before producing a clipboard and pen. It's mostly for show, given that the pen has long since dried up, but if one thing being in the work force has taught Adachi, it's that you get incredibly far by just pretending to be productive. "Alright. Don't mind me. I'm just here to take notes and play bad cop...Huh, wait... This /is/ the kind of interrogation where we get to play bad cop, right?" He takes another quick glance over the room, scratching the back of his head as he frowns a bit. "Ya know, I don't think it is."
Amelris Belthrone	"Pretty sure it ain't." The Red mage comments, a little blandly. He didn't expect to have... Adachi, ainnit? That's Adachi, from the descriptions. He don't think they've met in person and this is not really the time for a full meet and greet. "Right. A sort of... octopus kind of ring." Amelris answers. "Perhaps more like hydra-like." He motions with his spinning needles as he works on his jacket further. "What did they want with you? How did they started contacting you?"
James Bond	Bond nods along with Amelris, offering a response of his own to Adachi. "The old woman might not like it." Would Bond care? It's hard to tell, looking at him. With his eyes fixed on the stairwell, hand hovering next to his weapon, he looks more like an animal than a man. Like a caged panther pacing. Waiting. Vesper responds to Amelris. "At first, they didn't. They wanted me to know I was being followed. That they knew where I was going, what I was doing..." Her breathing grows shallow for a moment as she remembers tense walks home and the frightening feeling of being watched while alone. "That's when he showed up. 'Mr. White.'" She shudders. "He told me they had him--they had Yusef. And unless I did what they asked, they were going to kill him." "Anything they wanted, I did. So, when they sent me after James..."
Deelel	So here we were Deelel was making no effort to disguise what she was or how she was dressed. If anyone paid attention to her clothing while it could pass on some more modern earth there were no seams or stitching where they should be such on it. She was quite thankful to the old human for her help. She would resolve to try and do something for her when things were far more quieted down. Even if it just did manual labour for her to get things done around the property Those thoughts are pushed out of her mind for the moment as there is questioning to do. The program looked their guest over for a moment listening. "So they put a gun to the head of someone you cared for."
James Bond	Vesper nods at Deelel. "In my case, yes. There's nothing that's off-limits to them. They find what you care about, and they hold it against you--whether it's a person or something else."
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris closes his eyes. Yes. He remembers who he presumes was this 'Mr. White'. He WAS wearing a whole lot of white, afterall. If it's not him, well, that's a damn confusing nickname to give to someone. People eager to find what are your weakpoints and then ruthlessly. "And you haven't heard of him yet." Amelris concludes.
Amelris Belthrone	"By that... I mean the pilot and Yusef." Amelris clarifies, waving a hand.
James Bond	"If this pilot wasn't dead before, he probably is now," says Bond idly. "Whoever these people are, they're fast and organized." Vesper winces slightly after Bond's cold remark. But she doesn't deny it. "Yusef Kabira was his name," she says to Amelris. "They gave me just enough to want to keep going. Pictures, a phone call here and there... I was never asked to do something for them without also being threatened. They..." She frowns. Amelris, Deelel, Adachi and Bond are likely the only people she's talked to about this. "..never let us have those moments without trying to poison them for us. Every picture, he'd be beaten, or thin. Every phone call ended with him torn away by one of them." "You kept your composure well," says Bond coolly. It's a compliment, and it isn't.
Deelel	Deelel says "Do you know what his fate is right now?" Deelel seems more sympathic then again she wasn't coded up to be a spy. She will look to Amelris and Adachi for a moment. "Funny how it comes to that isn't it?"
Amelris Belthrone	Bit blunt but probably not wrong, Amelris muses. The Red Mage drops his sewing work for the moment to look straight at the woman, his ear flapping once. "You've got anything that belonged to them?" He asks. "Objects, photos. Probably more of Yusef."
Tohru Adachi	"Yeah. Tohru Adachi. Inaba's Disgraced Detective, at your service." There's a cheery tone to Adachi's voice, the kind that can easily be mistaken as genuine, but deep down, he's clearly annoyed. No shit he's Adachi, he's heard his voice on the radio. Yeesh, kids these days and their attention span. He doesn't dwell on his annoyance for long though, listening to the woman's explanation as he begins to pretend to jot down her story. It's becomes pretty apparent his writing doesn't line up with what's being said, and at certain points he's just clicking the pen to make noise. "Sounds like they operate a bit too much like the Yakuza for my liking. Though, can't say if you're ever going to see your pal again just yet. Dunno if these are the honorable kinda thugs or the ones that are gonna keep using you til you're not useful no more and get rid of you both on the down low." He throws out an observation, but really. There's not much to add. Or do. Nothing he wants to do, anyway.
James Bond	Deelel asks about Yusef's fate. "James..." Vesper stops herself, after a piercing look from the British agent. "/Bond/ is probably right," says the treasury agent to her. Adachi's remark is cause for further explanation from her. "They're the worst kind of people. He'll be killed, either to punish me or because he's no longer useful. ...but there might be other people you can still help. Here," she says, extending a hand to Amelris. A photo of Yusef Kabira--a handsome young man with brown skin and close-cut black hair. He and Vesper are smiling, with the breadth of London spread out behind them, as they enjoy a bright day together. "He gave me the necklace, too, but..." But the Octopus Group had it bugged, knowing it was precious to her. It's since been discarded. The photo is the only link so far. It's enough for the Echo. A helicopter touches down over a massive crater in an otherwise barren and lifeless vista. It's some manner of desert. The crater is home to a sprawling complex, patrolled by armed guards well-equipped for the heat. A man is pushed from the helicopter as it lands. His head is obscured by a black canvas bag. Out from behind him steps Mr. White--though today he isn't wearing white. "Move," he says, standing within the safety of the helicopter. A silenced pistol is leveled at the shrouded man's back. The vision ends as the prisoner is escorted into the complex. That must be 'the Crater' mentioned in Le Chiffre's files. It's massive--as if a Primal struck the earth and rendered it barren for miles around. But where is it?
Amelris Belthrone	This, sadly, seems like it might be the case by his assumption. The Red Mage stare at the picture, furrowing his brows at it. The Echo is not really something he can force or command at will, but usually, at times like this-- Yes, there we go, he can feel that headache coming. To everyone else, Amelris lets out a sharp wince, holding up his head with his free hand for a few moments. To him, however, he sees everything, as an helpless spectator to a grim scenario. After theses brief moments, he grunts, shaking his head quickly to clear it, his tail annoyedly thumping behind him. "Saw something." He gasps, reaching out for one of his water bottles, stealing a gulp to refresh his mouth. "A flying machine with rotors landing in a massive crater, some sort of desert. It's got a big complex with lots of armed guards there. Someone, with a canvas on his head, was being pushed by this 'Mr. White' at firearm point. He's inside the complex, as far I'm aware." He drinks another chug out of his bottle. "Sounds like the Crater mentioned in the Chiffre's files. That rings any bells to any of you?"
Tohru Adachi	"I see. Well, that sucks. I'll send you a fruit basket later or something." Adachi continues to faux write, clearly not that bothered by the revelation that this person is going to be killed. Which is totally because he's a professional and not because he's a sociopath who has little empathy. "So a helicopter huh? Man, kinda cliche. But I'm following. Any visible signs or satellite dishes in the area by any chance. I mean, assuming you know what the second thing is, kinda got a feeling you don't if you didn't recognize a helicopter." They stop fussing with the pen for a moment to ask Amerlis a question.
Amelris Belthrone	"Sattelite dishes are the big, circle things with a sort of pole sticking out in the middle, right?" Amelris asks, looking up at Adachi. "If that's the case, yes. I've seen two really huge ones."
James Bond	Neither Vesper nor Bond seem familiar. "When this world was in its infancy," explains Vesper, "Before the Multiverse, before humanity, there were a number of meteor impacts with the planet. That crater might be one of them," she muses. "It might just as well be man-made," says Bond. "I'll suggest a sweep after my debrief. It could take a long time to find that place." On the upside, if they're so entrenched as to have that kind of technology, they probably can't easily pack up and leave.
Tohru Adachi	"Huh. Guess you do. Good job. Anyway,just had to ask because even if you're a cold blooded murderer, you gotta get your entertainment somehow. And I doubt they're all sadists who get off beating the crap out of some guy. Also, communications I guess, but you know those sort of things aren't used just for communications." At this point, Adachi's given up on the clipboard, putting it down on an empty stand to reveal that he has written absolutely dick all. "Glad I could help though, was beginning to feel a bit like a third wheel. Though I guess I did make the mood more bearable."
Deelel	Deelel looks concerned to Almeris as he seems to have some sort of headache she pauses after a moment seeming to get magic or some kind of mind power is going on. "That's the case Amelris, and given the other environmental features we should be able to narrow things down with an on lin...." Deelel pauses for a moment "With some research." Yes, this world doesn't have the sort of information network she'd think about humans having till much later if they ever do. "And those which remain visible like you said would be fairly rare. Things tend to degrade over time. Still, there can't be too many craters like that, right? That's also correct it sounds like they just can't /leave/. If they have that much hardware setup." She pauses for a moment and pulls out the device she picked up earlier in this whole mess. "Anyone have experience with this? It's quite advanced and there are no brand or ID markers on any part of it. It's also a tracking unit of some sort."
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris downs the rest of his water bottle, pocketing the now empty bottle in his ripped jacket's pockets. "Hm. I didn't know that. That's... something to keep in mind, then. I am not familiar with the various Earth's histories." He straightens, giving Adachi a nod at his compliment, even if it was slightly condescending. He'll take it! "It was a good question. I would have thought of asking or thinking of it." Amelris rubs his gloved hands. "So. We've got a lead, of some sort, then."
James Bond	"That's true," says Bond to Adachi. "They could also be using them to intercept information." It'd explain how they're so easily mobilized, at least in part. Bond actually gets out of his seat to take a look at what Deelel mentions. He takes it, turns it over in his hand. His observations locate an antenna, which extends telescopically. "Radio frequency monitor," says Bond. "I'm guessing it's the receiver for the transmitter in that necklace." He looks towards Vesper. She nods. "Mathis could see me no matter where in Royale I was." "This was made specially, then. Either for him, or more generally for people in his position." "They have people everywhere," Vesper repeats with a shudder.
James Bond	"We do," says Bond to Amelris. "Two, in fact. If you feel bold, you could use the tickets you found. Showing up and taking his seat... it would turn a few heads. Maybe the right ones." He fishes in his pocket for something. It's a ring. Mathis', to be precise. He offers it to Amelris.
Amelris Belthrone	Amelris reach for the Ring, picking it up and giving it a look in the limelight, smiling a little. "If you're asking me to be a sort of bait just to see what sort of people and trouble comes my way..." The Miqo'te clutches the ring in, nodding. "I've done some stupider and more daring plans in my time."
Deelel	Deelel gets the last answer she needed about the tracker and will take it back if it's offerd setting it down. She then lost in thought for a moment thinking about the plan.
James Bond	"Alright," says Bond. "Here's what I suggest, based on what we know. We'll leave, one at a time, let Zelie's people get us out of here. I'll head back to my people, get them looking for this Crater--with the lead about the satellite dishes, they should have enough to go on to get us something solid." "Amelris and Deelel will attend the concert to try and draw them out while I'm on assignment. We'll get a layout of the place to you ahead of time--unofficially. That should give you an idea of your exit routes." It'd also give Adachi and any other reinforcements a way to coordinate their strategy ahead of time. "If everything goes well, I complete my assignment, we all get some solid leads."
Tohru Adachi	"Man. Wish I got saddled with the distraction job. I like causing a panic. But yeah, works for me." Adachi fiddles with his tie a bit, before buttoning up his rain jacket as he turns to head out. "Anyway, good... Chat? Man, I'd say 'good interrogation', but that just sounds odd... I mean, there wasn't even a single punch thrown for me to be saying that. Oh well, no point in complaining. Later." After his clownish ramblings, he finally leaves.