The Shopping district, AKA the Slums.

[Bernard]

”There it is!” Keiko exclaimed pointing out the neon green dribbler headed north before it passed.

Keiko's connected to the precinct server and began running the plate through her positronic mind core. The make and model as well as the vehicle’s owner and home address would be in her possession in short order. From there she could run another search upon the owner to see if he was in the system regarding previous felonies. All that, if the initial inquiry wasn’t flagged as a stolen vehicle. At least then she had the option to call in proper back-up if needed.

Her taxi made the left turn as directed, pulling into the slums district as the sketch Artist's sedan made its way down the street towards them.

"Where to now miss? You getting out?" The driver asked.

”Nope, we’ll loop around just ahead, and follow that teal sedan.”

”I just saw you and the mark.” The detective communicated to her partner. ”I’ll swing around and provide an additional set of eyes. Heads up, you may have picked up your own tail. I’ll follow the artist until I'm sure. I’ll let you know once I close the gap. If I'm right, then you can pass off the van and take the Artist on a goose chase. While I follow her contact in the black van.”

[FG Admin]

"Wait, what?" came merle's response. She didn't understand what just happened but followed her orders regardless.

"Okay, just tell me what to do. So far, it looks like they're heading back the same way the sketch artist just came from..." she informed as she continued to follow the black van a safe distance to not get spotted. She eased off the accelerator a bit more in case she needed to turn off down a side street, but the van continued heading north on Warden at a steady speed.

Meanwhile, the sketch artist followed the main road for awhile, then unexpectedly turned off her path and began to head west, towards the Osiris marketplace. Her speed increased as she weaved around a few cars to create distance, then she pulled down an alley way and slowed down, then making another right turn into another larger hidden alley that wasn't visible from the main street at the end of the road. This alley, was lined with a series of old abandon car garages. It was here the she parked the car...

((Dice log is back up. Let me know which one you prefer.
Search roll: 45... nothing but ghosts and shadows... I decided to write the post from the sketch artist perspective. If Keiko gives up the chase and follows the black van instead, I'll will fill in the details for where it goes.))

[Bernard]

((Observation-Cat and mouse- roll= 94 +20 (level2) = 114 success?? ))

The unwitting caravan continued heading north on Warden at a steady speed following the lead of the black van. After a while the teal sedan containing the sketch artist turned off the path set by the neon dribbler and her mark and began to head west, towards the Osiris marketplace. Her speed increased as she weaved around a few cars to create distance. Keiko ignored the deviation choosing to aid Merle in her pursuit.

”All clear.” The female detective announce to her partner.”Seems I may have been a bit over zealous in my assessment. I’ll keep an eye out just the same. Still waiting on the plate check. I’ll let you know if anything pops.”

”I'm a few cars behind you. You’re doing great. Warden’s a popular travel route so you shouldn’t draw any attention. If the mark turns off I’ll take over the role of the eye while you reposition yourself to avoid unwanted suspicion should it arise.”

((I prefer the original die roll site))

[FG Admin]

Merle grew suspicious, she had an idea about what was going on.

"Okay, got it!
Umm.... Hey Keiko, I think I know what's happening... I have a bad feeling about this. I think they just pulled a switcheroo on us." Merle warned.

"I could be wrong, but I think that sketch artist was just a scout. I think we're going back to the hospital. Maybe she just needed to know the target was really located in that room." She said as they headed further north. It only took a few minutes for them to travel the distance to reach the hospital again. 

"When you catch up I'll head down another block and loop around. Let me know what you see." Merle said as she continued down the road.

The van on the other hand, slowed down and turned east back towards Vaiacane, confirming Merle's suspicions. The black van parked in the farthest spot across from the hospital and shut the engine off. Merle spotted Keiko's car and decided to continue down the road and go around the long way as they had discussed. 

The computer beeped, showing that the car was registered to a Mr. Jay Byrd, the picture was that of a thin middle aged man with long dark hair and a thick beard that covered most of his face, the look gave him the appearnce that resembled a hairy lumberjack. 

The man driving the car was oblivious to the fact that he had been followed. He opened the door and got out of the black van, but he looked a bit different from the picture on the police database computer. He was dressed in a thick dark navy winter coat, had short dark hair with flecks of grey, and wore black dress slacks with matching shoes. He was clean shaven, but otherwise he looked like the man that the car was registered to. He didn't look very aggressive, just really tired and like life had taken its toll on him the past few years. 

He fluffed his jacket and adjusted it around his waist a bit,  then turned towards the car and leaned forward as if he was talking to someone inside. He didn't speak for long, only a few seconds, then closed the door and walked towards the hospital entrance to go inside. 
 

.

((Sorry, I actually forgot about the roleplay. I'll try to get a post up either tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday.))

[Bernard]

"When you catch up I'll head down another block and loop around. Let me know what you see." Merle said as she continued the pursuit of the black van turned east back towards Vaiacane,

Kieko followed the prize and the van soon parked. Seemingly oblivious to the fact that he had been followed the worn man stepped out of the van fluffing his jacket and adjusted it around his waist. He turned towards the vehicle, leaning in as if he was passing on last minute instructions to someone inside.

” Looks like your suspicions were correct Merle. Possible associate in the van although I think the suspect may have just armed himself. I’m following the mark inside the hospital. Keiko notified her partner.

”Pull over here.” The female detective addressed the taxi driver pointing toward the Viacanne entrance. She reached out with her wrist band and tapped the pad. electronically transferring the funds to settle the fare. ”Thanks you’ve been most helpful.” She commented as she exited the vehicle.

The suspect had a fair head start and Viacanne covered a lot of space. While she suspected the destination and purpose of his visit she couldn’t be one hundred percent certain. Keiko quickly called upon another asset of her computerized brain and attempted to scour social media to get a better understanding of this Mr. Jay Byrd as she made her way to the room where Damien Vega was recovering.
The detective would begin her search for the mysterious visitor there.
”Still no sign of the mark. I’m headed to the recovery room now. You may want to stake out that van just in case. I’ll update you shortly.”

"Humph, Jay Byrd." She snorted as she pondered the double entendre.

((Shameful you forgetting like that. Keiko's thinking may carry her to a revelation to the identity of the "Blue Byrd" but not without social media conformation that the sketch artist is his daughter. "No it couldn't be.....could it??? ))

[FG Admin]

((I know, a lot is going on. But I'm still here! And... you are on the right train of thought! I should reveal now before we progress further that Mr. Jay Byrd is an alias, the car is registered under a fake identity. Some digging will reveal the falsified documents.))

The mysterious man walked near the hall that would lead him to Damien's hospital room, then stopped and peered around the corner, he saw the two officers stationed there, and casually turned away. He found a chair in the waiting room and took a seat, picking up a magazine from the nearby coffee table and slowly began to flip through it. It looked like he wasn't going anywhere for awhile.

Meanwhile, Merle looped around the block and found a parking space on the far side of the hospital building. She located the black van with the matching license plate and stopped the car. "Eyes on the target, I don't think we've been made. The van is just sitting there. Looks like they might be keeping tabs on this Damien kid. I wonder what's up?" Merle said.

"I'll stay here for as long as I can. If we stay the night, I might order some food and have them deliver it to the hospital. Let me know if you want anything." Merle offered as she stretched in her seat and settled in the car. It looked like they might be in for a stakeout.

[Bernard]

((Observation-Wait and observe- Roll= 87 +20 (skill) = more than enough isn't it??))

By the time Keiko had made it to Damien’s hospital room she found the mystery man flipping through a magazine from a chair in the waiting room. It looked as though he wasn’t going anywhere for a while. A quick glance down the hall showed the two guards still on duty with Carlyle nowhere to be found.It was then Merle acknowledged she was onsite and had eyes on the black vehicle.

”I wonder what’s up?” Merle asked.

Not quite sure.” The Asian detective responded walking up to the admissions desk.. ”But I’m in agreement with you something’s not right. I’ll check it out while I’m here. Take out sound good. I’m up for anything. It looks like I may be here for a while.”

To someone listening in, the conversation may be construed as a concerned patient getting checked out.

” I’d like to see Doctor Hyogo Atsu.” The Asian detective affirmed to the attendant at the desk. ” No rush, It looks as though you are quite busy today. I’ll just take a seat over here until she’s available.”

Keiko knew all too well that her sibling would be almost impossible to track down coming in and out of the rotation between the two facilities. One thing puzzled her as she took a seat behind the man with the dark navy coat. It was odd that Mr. Jay Byrd had no social media footprint she could find. Wasn’t everybody connected somehow?

She would have to comfirm her suspicions from another angle. Keiko sent a text message to O.P.D. switchboard asking the name of the independent artist that provided services on the witness deposition on the 15th. Once she had that name she would proceed with a similar social media search to see if a connection the salt and peppered mystery man arose that may confirm his identity as well.

Grabbing a magazine from the table there was nothing left to do but wait and observe. Sooner or later something would break.

[FG Admin]

((Not sure how much to include here, so I'll just put as much as I can so you can get a feel for the characters))

"Roger that. I'll let you know when it arrives. I'm pretty sure our mystery van won't leave without our mystery man." Merle confirmed.

The mysterious Jay Byrd stayed planted in his seat, slowly thumbing through his magazine. He did look up at Keiko briefly, but he didn't pay her much attention.

The police on the other hand did, they had no problem looking into the matter and didn't take long to respond to officer Hyogo's request, even despite her reputation being slightly marred by recent events.


"Sure thing, give me a moment to look her up." Came the reply.

"Let's see here.... her name is Abigail Holmes... Not sure what you're looking for, but we have a few things here on record... Hmmm... yeah, I'll just send you the data packet we have on her and let you read through it."

~Miss Holmes file had quite a few things about her life and career.
Age: 25.
Eyes: Blue.
Hair color: Strawberry Blonde.
She has a degree in law and criminal justice, but is currently a sketch artist for the OPD. Her file showed that she graduated a little over a year ago but never put that degree to good use. she also applied for a job as a CSI, but later canceled her own application shortly after the Consumer attack on the OPD headquarters.

She also had a debriefing file that showed she was at the station at the time of the attack, but the file's details were locked behind a higher level of clearance.

She had an active social media presence for a while, a pretty normal young woman with cat videos, music videos, a few things from her days in school about politics and law, but shortly after the Consumer attack, all posts stopped and her social media presence abruptly died. There was nothing new within the past six months. ~

[Bernard]

((I never did get Keiko’s skill update after the previous encounter in the burbs))

Luckily for the female detective her request went through without questioning. Keiko sifted through the information contained in the data packet. The girl was gifted. Smart. Puzzling was why the details of her debriefing file regarding the Consumer incident at the station house would require security clearance.

Exploration into Abigail’s social media accounts were just as puzzling with no connection to be found regarding the mysterious man seated in front of her. After the outbreak she not only withdrew her application at the OPD but it was like she suddenly dropped off the face of the earth. What happened that night? She wondered.

As the hours passed Keiko began to feel more and more fatigued as the day progressed. The mysterious man had yet to make his move. Perhaps he was just an observer in case the archer was moved. The prospect of food was growing more appealing. Crappy coffee was doing little to stimulate her body. Being up all night solving crime as a secret super cop definitely had its disadvantages. Thing was, she felt rejuvenated having accomplished more good in one night’s work than she had been able to achieve behind the badge of late. The man in custody at the end of the hall was a testimony as to those achievements.

If she were to continue she would need a persona. Samurai;..... Bushi;....Ronin;...Justice;……Deliverance;……Vindicator. Nothing seemed to exemplify who she was. A name forged in her mind.
NAMIMKO!
It meant Child of Law
”Atsu?!? The detective queried faintly recognizing the voice that uttered the name.

It was then she felt a strange sensation initiated by a…….. touch. And with it, the weary female seemed to be rocketing through space. In an instant she came to rest. Something felt……… different. There was somebody there with her. Aya?…
She could hear her sibling’s thoughts as clearly as they were one.

Confusion.

And then the sensation was gone almost as quickly as it began.

”Keiko!” Aya’s voice registered in the detective’s conscious mind.

”Aya?”” She sought confirmation noting her wheel chair bound sibling’s hand resting upon her shoulder.

”What just happened?” The confused quintuplet asked in return.

”You mean, I wasn’t dreaming? You felt it too?”

”Yes! But?……”

[FG Admin]

((Forgot all about Keiko's skills. I had a list of all her feats going, but my laptop died and I think I lost the text document... I'll just redo them all.
+5 Agility
+5 Marksman
+3 to Observation
+1 to Intimidation
+2 to Distraction))

The encounter with the siblings and their psychic connection went unnoticed, and everyone around them continued on with their business. As the night fell, one of the guards yawned and stretched his arms.

"Hey, I'm going to grab some coffee and some chili dogs from down the street. You want one?" he asked.

"Sure, make that a double for me!" Came the reply.

"For sure, bro." the officer walked down the hall and turned towards the exit to leave the hospital, leaving his comrade alone to keep watch. The hospital was quiet, no emergencies, no one rushing back and forth. The man in the blue coat also yawned, then he put his hand to his ear. "We're clear." He whispered barely under his breath as he sunk down into his seat and closed his eyes. He made no further movements.

Meanwhile...

The woman dressed as a blue jay, and called herself by the name of Brave Bird, was standing on the top of the Hospital rooftop.

The police station had given her the new moniker "The Kingfisher", another type of blue bird known for its ability to swoop down from its high perch and catch its prey undetected. This new namesake suited her perfectly because she was currently perched on top of the hospital, about to swoop down to catch her prey. She had waited until the cover of darkness had shrouded the area so that she could travel unseen, then used her crossbow to grapple onto the rooftop from a nearby alleyway. From there, she navigated over to the north-western wing of the hospital, where she perched 4 stories above her prey's hospital room.

She attached her grapple to an AC unit and made sure it was secure, then walked to the edge of the building. She jumped over the side, her blue poncho flaring out as she dived towards the ground. Her body-harness that was attached to her combat suit kept the grappling wire in place. She adjusted the tension to slow her fall, then swung in mid-air to the side of the building, spinning as she did to turn towards the window-lined wall of the hospital to come to a stop. She planted her feet firmly on the wall, then repelled a bit lower to move to the floor she needed to be on. She used her feet to hop from window to window to come to her prey's resting room.

Damien Vega, room 421.

She held her place and reached into her utility belt to remove a small thin pick that she placed into the windowsill and slid it into the latch to move the lock out of place. She proceeded to very carefully push up on the outside window to slide it open. It was tough to move from the outside, but she eventually got it to open for her. She pushed off the wall with her feet to swing back, then shifted her weight to move into the window as the momentum carried her through. She touched down on the floor and unfasten the harness using the quick release lever.

She pressed a finger to her ear. "I'm in..." she spoke softly.

She walked over to the bed of Damien Vega, and very carefully placed her black leather gloved hand over his mouth.

"Hello, Yellow Jacket. I think its time we had a talk..."

((Stealth Roll: 60. SUCCESS!!))