Editing Paradise City:Dave Kline Got Murdered (section)

=The Story So Far=

'''GURPS Cyberpunk: Dave Kline Got Murdered (A Journal)'''

This is a journal for the game. I'm dividing the journal into days and scenes. At the end of every scene I'll put any clues or follow ups that I can think of. Note that, in the early scenes, the clues might be trivial or likely red herrings. I'm including these anyway for the sake of completeness. In order to save space and time I haven't included all the information about the targets, the company, the hospital, and so on, though I have noted when and where the information was obtained. All of this information is included on a separate page called: GURPS Cyberpunk: Dave Kline Got Murdered (What the Team Knows So Far).

The Story So Far....

'''Day One/Scene One (The Briefing) April 6th, 2106'''

At 4 am one fine morning in Paradise City, our heroes (Jacob Alexander, Vicki McMillan, Adam Patteson, Dave (Anvil) Sampson, and Matthew Chan Wing) are awoken by the dulcet tones of Jenny Darwin their fixer informing them about lucrative job she has managed to secure them. A client has agreed to pay them $200,000 each (minus her 15% of course) to track down the murder of his father, and they'll get the same money if they hand him over the police as they would if they killed him. Quickly the group agree to meet with the client in the Downtown area in one hour.

An hour later the team arrive at Café Roche in Downtown, where Jenny and the client await them. The client turns out to a 14 or 15 year old kid called Kline. His father, David (Dave) Dmitri Kline had been murdered and now the kid wanted our heroes to find out who had done this and make them pay. Kline claimed that his father had no real enemies, though he did have disputes with some of his tenants. He also told them that his father's body was still in their Towers apartment, on the 90th floor. The team decide to go there to check out the scene of the murder.

'''Day One/Scene Two (The Towers)'''

The team arrive at Dell Street in the Towers, where Dave Kline's apartment is located in the Cypress Heights building. They discover two armoured police vehicles are parked outside the building. They split up in order to try differing approaches to gain entrance to the building and to also gain more information about what is going on.

Adam, in his role as a doctor, talks his way into the lobby where he discovers a small group of police standing around the body of a security guard. The guard (Mikhail Clarke) had had his cervical vertebra shattered with a brunt broad object. Whoever did it was very fast or took the guard by surprise, since his shotgun was halfway out of its holster.

Anvil questions the client some more and discovers the kid had been had last seen his father about 7.30 am the morning before, he got back at 1.30 am this morning (having attending a party) only to discover his father's body. The last he'd seen him he'd been on the telephone trying to find an exterminator.

Jacob scans police bands but is unable to find anything of any relevance.

Matt contacts a friend in the police who gives him the name of the primary investigator, Bill Davies, a sergeant, and he tries to bluff his way through the lobby and to Kline's apartment, unsuccessfully due to the cops hostile attitude.

Vicki, having gone into the alley at one side of the building, enters through a window and then lowers a rope for the others. Jacob, Matt, and Anvil soon climb up the rope and the team, with the sole exception of Adam are reunited. They get into an elevator for the 90th floor. After enduring this era's version of elevator music (a huge television screen pumping non-stop "news") they arrive at their destination and enter Dave Kline's apartment.

''How long was Kline on the phone? Did he, in fact, find an exterminator? As a businessman he'd be constantly on the phone. This could help narrow down the time of death. Maybe we could check his mobile phone records on this matter.''

''Try to find out about Clarke's autopsy. Might give the team some more indications of the weapon used and the capabilities of the psycho. Was it a cybered fist or something else?''

'''Day One/Scene Three (Dave Kline's Apartment)'''

Dave Kline's apartment is expensive looking. It also has blood splattered all over it, from the walls to the ceiling, in the midst of which is the body of Dave Kline. Matt's examination of the body indicates that rigor has already set in, consistent with Kline having been killed sometime during the night. His hands indicated that he hadn't gone done without a fight. This is confirmed by marks Matt saw that indicate the victim had time to get off a few shots before the psycho closed on him, and killed him. Vicki's inspection of the broken window and the walls of the alley (at the ground floor and just below the window) indicated that the psycho had climbed up the wall using a "special tool"* and then broke in Kline's window to gain entry to the apartment. From the clues so far the team conclude that a cybered individual was most likely responsible. The same individual then went down the stairs, killing the security guard on the way. The only other mystery in the apartment is the safe.* Why lock up a safe and also have security devices on that safe when the devices are useless (the poison having been drained from it)? It didn't look like the safe had been rifled, but the team, not knowing what was meant to be there, couldn't tell if anything was missing.

Adam then comes up to the apartment and has a look at the body. He swiftly notices that Kline's heart was missing. Scar tissue indicated that Kline had had previous heart surgery. Contacting the client the team discover that Kline had had his heart replaced at Yardley-West-Templeton Hospital, in Westgate. Vicki and Jacob check out Kline's computer (and find no leads) and then join Anvil in cleaning up the apartment; they decide to leave the body where it is and leave the building, joining up with the others.

Matt goes down to the security desk and tries to bluff them into giving him the security feed. After telling them all he knows about the murder, without divulging the client's name, they throw him out onto the street. Puzzled by his easy escape, he soon discovers that someone is watching him, ready to tail him when he moves off. He shakes the tail and heads back to the team's car.

''Find out about tools needed to drill holes in the alley walls. How hold are they to get a hold of?''

''The safe. Ask client about its contents. Does it have anything to do with the killing or is it (most likely) a red herring''.

''Go back and get a hold of the security feed when they're not on high alert (suggestion made by Jacob and never followed up on)''.

'''Day One/Scene Four (The Hospital: Part One)'''

The team drive into Westgate to visit the Yardley-West-Templeton Hospital. Adam talks to one Doctor Miguel Robinson, as one doctor to another and, after Kline's son tells him he is looking for the murderer of his father, he hands the whole file over. The heart belonged to one Richard K. Stone, a junior supplies manager with New Horizon Investments. Bingham’s spine was broken in an automobile accident and he was dead on arrival. In accordance with his company’s health policy, his corpse was plundered for parts.

''Note, that is was sometime just after this scene that Adam dropped out''.

'''Day One/Scene Five (The Underground)'''

The team search for other similar cases in the media. They discover that Anna Alexandrovna of  Armistice Road, Church Hill, was recently murdered. The killer had climbed up the side of the building, sawed through the bars, killed her, and removed her lungs. The same or similar MO to the killing of Kline.

They also discover that John Uesagi, a warchief in Clan Madison, had been murdered the night before and his spleen was removed. Clan Madison and Clan Eight-Tray two gangs from the crypts had been at war for a long time, and this would only serve to heat things up, as everyone (but our heroes) believed Eight-Tray was responsible for the killing.

With these two other, similar killings, the team comes to the conclusion that they're after a serial killer who's taking body parts. They wonder whether they all come from the same donor and try to find out about him. Unfortunately they discover he had a fake address: Apartment B, Floor 28, 200 Mead Street in the Church Hill area. The apartment only goes up to 26 floors and is the highest building that has ever existed on that site.

They discuss their next move at the bar called The Underground, a two level bar in an old train station on a disused spur line.

''Why not go and check out that building? Why was it chosen as the phantom address of the phantom Richard K. Stone?''

'''Day One/Scene Five (The Crypts: Part One)'''

Firstly, however, they decide that they will go to the crypts to talk to Clan Eight-Tray and find out if they were the killers. Vicki informs them that they knew that they hadn't killed Uesagi and that the team were after the same killer. After a very tense talk between members of Eight-Tray and the team, they get out of there in one piece, convinced that their psycho was indeed the murder of John Uesagi, and also with the name of someone to contact in Clan Madison.

Having taken some time out to discuss what they're going to do next, the decide to split up to do some investigation of the donor and also to talk to the Madisons

'''Day One/Scene Six (The Crypts: Part Two/The Hospital: Part Two)'''

As midnight approaches on day one, Vicki and Jacob head deep to Baker Street, The Crypts, deep in the heart of Madison territory. After tense negotiations, they discover that the kill was made in the same way: the killer climbed up the wall using pitons, defeated security, and then killed Uesagi and all of his warriors without any of them getting away. One of them had his head bashed in, like the security guard, with a blunt and heavy object, maybe a store-bought leg. Some kids said they saw a big guy in a stained brown coat and a hood like a raincoat hood hanging around the alley. Bors, one of the Madison leaders, said that they'd be interested in joining in on a little revenge if the team found the person responsible. As they leave the building they are followed by a few people they are sure are Madisons. They turn out to be a couple of gangers that Vicki and Jacob had pissed off earlier, and they attack! After some combat the two gangers are left the worse for wear for not dead. They stumble off, badly injured.

Meanwhile, Eren Kajian is employed by Vicki; Matt had left the team after feeling that disaster was looming. Eren joins up with Anvil at The Underground and is briefed about the case. The two drive back to Yarldley-West-Templeton Hospital. During their investigation they discover that there is no evidence of the automobile accident, a very strange event considering that it was supposed to have happened in Westgate. They also discover some details about New Horizon Investments, and that, though there are several Richard K Stone's in Paradise City, none of them died within the last 12 months and none of them has ever worked the company. Kline and none of the other murder victims are in any way collected with the company either. However an investigation of the company's records reveals that the company and the hospital are owned by the same megacorporation, and the former CEO of New Horizon Investments is the current CEO of the hospital, one Adriana Wellesley. A poster on a website reveals that Wellesley was let go from New Horizons because she wanted to be a dictator.

Having reunited at Anvil's place the team discuss what they have learnt so far, and speculate that maybe Wellesley had some guy murdered and the organs were donated by accident, meaning that she's covering her tracks by having the psycho get the body parts back. It is that this point that Adrian Griffon, another newly hired team member comes into the apartment and introduces himself to everyone. Having a brainstorming session, the team decide to go back to the hospital disguised as an ambulance driver, patient, and trauma team, trick their way in, and access the records they need.

''Tell Clan Madison what we've uncovered so far, and that the Hudson Kings might be involved in this''.

''Investigate Adriana Wellesley through computer records; try to find out everything there is to know about this woman; if possible get her mobile phone and email records''.

'''Day Two/Scene One (The Hospital: Part Three)''' April 7th, 2106

Having taken possession of a black market ambulance, carefully painted to make it look like part of the Yardley-West-Templeton fleet, the team, Griffin driving, hurtle up to the hospital entrance and park. Using some legal knowledge and some good acting, Jacob (playing the patient), Eren (a medtech), Vicki (another medtech), and Anvil (a cop), con their way into the hospital and into an emergency room. There they drop their acts and Vicki ties up the administrator and the medical staff, gagging them with socks. Having done this they head for the administration wing to break into their computers. Using the administrators key card Jacob is soon in and getting the records they need. These reveal that "Stone" was declared dead on arrival and his body was sent to the morgue and marked for cremation. He was described as male, 32, with olive skin, and brown eyes, and was blood type O. His body parts went to 9 people, among them David Kline (heart), John Uesagi (spleen), Anna Alexandrovna (Church Hill). He also gave up his cartilage, both eyes, both kidneys, his muscles, a sheaf of nerves from his spine and large sections of his skin.

Having triggered multiple fire alarms, the team escape in the confusion, only to discover that Griffin has disappeared. They'll have to walk it. The team walk towards the checkpoint where their weapons are. On the way the discover that Jenny has hired two more people: Friedrich Allen and Katherine Swinbourne. On their walk to a cafe to meet with the new team members they discover that a group of gangers have them in their sights: all dressed in long gray trenchcoats and huge black mirrorshades, their hair is black and buzzcut neat.

''Since the body was marked for cremation it may be that a stuff up occurred when the body parts were taken''.

''Maybe someone who has a contact with the police can get them to check missing persons records for around the time of "Stone's" death''.

'''Day Two/Scene Two (The Trenchcoat Gangers)'''

Having triggered multiple fire alarms, the team escape the hospital in the confusion, only to discover that Griffin has disappeared. They'll have to walk it. The team walk down Victory Road, towards the checkpoint where their weapons are. On the way their discover that Jenny has hired two more people: Friedrich Allen and Katherine Swinbourne. Phone calls are exchanged and they arrange for the entire team, including the new people, to meet at a nearby cafe. Whilst Allen and Katherine drive towards that cafe, the others start to walk the short distance only to discover that a group of gangers have them in their sights. All dressed in long gray trenchcoats and huge black mirrorshades, their hair is black and buzzcut neat, their weapons are pointing at the team. For gangers to be operating this close to Westgate is very unusual. During the ensuring fire fight Jacob and Anvil are injured, Jacob getting a bullet hole in one his cybernetic limbs whilst Anvil takes a shot to the stomach. All of the other gangers, with the exception of one who fled, are killed. Just as the cops storm out of Westgate, Katherine screeches her taxi around the corner and picks up all of them, with the exception of Vicki who ran in a different direction, killing a ganger as she went, and then headed down an alley. Katherine easily loses the cops and then heads to a street doc, Dana Fivefour, that Eren knows about. On the way there they contact Allen and let him know the change of plans.

'''Day Two/Scene Two (The Street Doc)'''

At the street doc's place, where Anvil is tended to by Doctor Fivefour. Katherine calls Vicki, finds out where she is, and then goes and picks her up, ferrying her back to the street doc's place. The entire team is now reunited. They speculate that the person behind these murders had them tailed to the hospital and set the gangers on them to shut them up, permanently. A search of the news records by Katherine and Allen reveal that the gunfight has been put down to a fight between rival gangs (whose names vary in different news accounts) and that there is no mention of a taxi being involved. They also reveal yet another murder possibly involving the same killer: a cop and her partner were killed on Netflixe Parade in The Towers and one of the cops had her spine revealed. The Redemption Channel, where this news report was found, also mentions a ganger or gangers who wore a trenchcoat, mirrorshades, had buzzcut hair, and had silver crosses on his lapels, making them identical (save for the crosses) to the gangers who had earlier attacked the team. Allen contacts the channel, via his secretary Laura, and gets her to tell them that she saw gangers at the time of the firefight, and matching the description the gangers they were after, in Victory Road trying to break into Yardley-West-Templeton Hospital. The doc having done what she could for Anvil, the team head back to Victory Road to get their weapons. Luckily nothing happens, though they do see a picture of Anvil shooting a ganger as the cover of an album called Kill the Fucks by the Short Hardwires. They then head to Jacob's place, Jacob having donated his place as a makeshift HQ

'''Day Two/Scene Three (Jacob's Place)'''

The team gather in Jacob's place. On the way there Allen contacts a police friends and manages, by the dint of a little lying and a little telling of the truth, to get some details about killing of the young cop. It turns out that Sarah Freeland and Sanji Damien Vonnegut were the victims. A check of the donor records reveals that Sarah Freeland did indeed receive organs from Stone, nerve fibers from his spine and from other places. The cop goes on to tell them that the investigating officers are looking for a guy called "Billy Dancer" who had known the cops and had not been seen since the killings. The were also looking for a gang called the Hudson Kings who had also gone to ground. Apparently they wore trenchcoats. Katherine knew that the Hudson Kings were based around Hudson Street and that were a cheap gang-for-hire.

At Jacob's place a long brainstorming session takes place. Finally, after some wrangling, the team decides to place surveillance devices at the residences of each potential target, and also to set up a phony company to reduce the chances that the team will be connected to certain actions they take in the future. Anvil calls Jenny and arranges for an advance on the money promised them, since they need to buy not only the surveillance devices but also heavy armour and weapons, all the better to hunt down psychotic murderous cybered individuals. Katherine and Vicki decide to scope out the place of residence of one of those targets, Anvil and Allen team up to set up the company and buy their supplies, whilst Eren and Jacob man the phones, so to speak, back at their new HQ.

''Find this "Billy Dancer". Maybe he'd witnessed the killings and that was why he disappeared''.

''Find these Hudson Kings: are they the gang that's been after the team?''

'''Day Two/Screen Four (Church Hill/The Shopping Trip)'''

Katherine and Vicki drive to Church Hill and the residence of Captain Philip Abu-Assad who lived at 15484 Construction Road, Toyotomi Urban Palace (an area of Church Hill), and who was a retired army officer who had recently gotten some skin grafts from Stone. Whilst Katherine drives around the streets, familiarising herself with them and looking for good areas to set up the cameras, Vicki sets off on foot to the captain's place. Both of them pass a club called "El Diablo" a place that Katherine discovers is open all day and all night, with a special performance the next night by the diodic-punk band Sonicthonic, starting at midnight and going until four AM. Vicki discovers that the captain's place is down an alley off Bird Street and, in reaching the door, passes a muscled bald joeboy giving everyone the mad-eye. Katherine contacts Vicki and lets her know that the captain might be paranoid, and that there's a $10,000 price on his head.

Vicki speaks to the captain through his vault-like door and he is, indeed, paranoid, asking if she works for the government. Vicki, thinking the joeboy might be scoping the place, or might even be the psycho himself, snaps a picture of him with her mobile phone's camera. Enraged, the joeboy storms towards her, demanding she hand over her phone. Upon her refusal he draws his gun. She, in turn, draws hers and a gunfight starts. Despite several close range shots the joeboy does not go down. The captain then opens his door, armed with a rifle. Vicki manages to grab his arm and get them both into the building, closing and locking the door behind her. The joeboy futilely hammers at the door. Katherine hearing the gunshots, drives as quickly as she safely can to the alley and parks. By the time she gets there the only thing she can see is the joeboy hammering on the door. Thinking that he is the psycho she aims and fires, but misses. She drives quickly ahead, past the alley, and parking on the corner, waiting for the joeboy to come around it so she can ambush him. Nothing happens. Meanwhile, in a desperate fight, Vicki severs one of the captain's arms and then contacts Katherine for help, having failed to stem the bleeding. Katherine, having discovered the joeboy had fled, does indeed help, taking a skin scraping in the process, and, after feeding the captain's dog, and dropped Vicki off at her place to wash up, she takes the captain to the nearest hospital, The United Foods Company of America Charitable Hospital, having already alerted the rest of the team to what happened and arranging to meet them there.

Allen and Anvil drive to the Justice Complex. Allen enters the building and proceeds with the process of registering his front company (Consolidated Secure Solutions, Incorporated), putting each of the team members in the records as employees. He also gets maps of the areas where each of the potential targets lives. Having done this, the two of them drive to the Midtown area where they have no problem getting all their electronic gear, and then they pick up another new team members, Lars Blackpool, hired earlier that day by Jenny. The three of them then go to the Downtown area and a shop called 4Warned & 4Armed were they buy their armour and weapons. They then return to Jacob's place where Anvil and Allen brief Lars about the job they've been hired to do. They soon get a phone call from Katherine letting them know that Vicki is in trouble. Despite the fact that it will take an hour for them to get there, they hop in Allen's car and drive up to Church Hill, arriving at the The United Foods Company of America Charitable Hospital.

Jacob, using his computer expertise, pulls information for each of the remaining (live) people on the list, and gets a photograph of each of them. They are Angela Starsky, Victor Lebedev, William Price, Del Kim, and Captain Philip Abu-Assad. After sending the pictures to the team he also digs into their credit histories and reports. Noting that Captain Philip Abu-Assad has bought a lot of weapons and armour and is wanted by several credit card companies (with a $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest), he lets Katherine know this.

''Use the joeboy's picture to do a search for him on the Internet''

''Make sure we put cameras at the captain's place as well. Make sure we do something about/with the dog''.

''Remember to ask Jacob to make an electronic address to receive the DNA information when Katherine does get it to a lab, something that won't be traced back to the team.''

'''Day Two/Scene Five (The UFC Hospital)'''

The team, with the exception of Jacob, Eren, and Vicki, meet up at the hospital. Allen, pretending to be the captain's attorney, fills out some forms; he also names Katherine as his sister and next of kin, something that annoys her as she doesn't have false ID under the name of Katherine Abu-Assad. Anvil decides to go back to Jacob's place to keep him company, whilst the rest of the team at the hospital, along with Vicki who shows up at about that time, go to a Chinese restaurant called Gar Lok where they enjoy a Chinese banquet. Allen assures Katherine he will get a fake ID so she can pretend to be the captain's sister, no charge, when he realises how angry she is. Afterwards, Vicki returns home for some well earned rest, whilst the others return to Jacob's place (with some food for him and Anvil), where he has finished configuring the bugs and also provided some old smoke detector boxes and spray paint to disguise them.

''Make sure Allen does get that false ID''

'''Day Two/Scene Six (The Asylum)'''

The team drive into The Asylum and the building of Angela Starsky, one of people on the list, to plant their cameras. Across the road from it they see a bunch of punks, sharing a milk carton which isn't likely to be filled with milk, and are hooting and bouncing on and around the wreck of a cheap new four-wheel Rendolant. Not wanting to get into another fight the team drive around the block whilst they decide what to do. Katherine comes up with the idea of finding an underground event in the area and directing them to that. It turns out that an Asylum road-thrash band, Ralph Nicholby, is starting a gig nearby and, after driving by them again and telling them that, the punks start heading over there. Another trip around the block, and the team park their cars. They find two dead bodies in the wrecked car, their throats slit. With buzzcut hair, long trenchcoats, and mirrorshades, they are very obviously part of the gang that the team dealt with earlier in the day (the Hudson Kings?), and they are not long dead. A search of the bodies reveals that one is (or has ID for) Carl Dayvid Andrews and the other has ID with a few names, those being Rob Springer, Rob Catch, and Rob Baggins. Having pocketed these items, the team place their cameras on the mural of the wall opposite, disguising them as best they can and, having made a call to Starsky to make sure she is still alive, prepare to head to the residence of their next target.

''Do some work on the streets and try to find out who killed the two gangers: were they casing Starsky's place?''

''Use the ID discovered on the bodies, and do some Net searches, finding out about the dead gangers.''

'''Day Two/Scene Seven (Downtown or We Meet At Last! Eeeeeeek!)'''

The team drive to the Downtown area in order to set up surveillance on Del Kim, another of the people on the list. Del Kim turns out to be the livein owner/manager of the Last Grenadier, a bar situated on ShibaWeis Road. After some preliminary outside surveillance and research, which reveals the fact that weapons are prohibited and that the bar closes from 9am to 2pm, Katherine, Lars, and Allen, prepare to go inside to do some further reconnaisance and, hopefully, work out where exactly Kim's residence is, whilst Jacob and Anvil remain in the street outside, in Katherine's car. The entire team remain in contact via radio links. Allen enters the building, leaving his gun with the bouncer, followed a minute or so later by Lars, who leaves behind his knife. Katherine is the last to enter the bar; she doesn't leave her gun or knife at the front, due to the fact that she left all her weapons back at her car. Having entered separately, to minimise the chance that people would realise they were a group, the three team members reunite at the bar itself. The team members soon spot Del Kim himself, sitting at the far end of the bar, on the service side, chatting with friends. They also see a doorway behind the bar. Whilst Allen engages the bartender in conversation, Katherine goes to the ladies' restroom, to investigate the possibility that the psycho might be able to see it as a method of entering the bar. She discovers that the place is very clean and hygienic and that she, at least, being nimble, could get into the restroom via one of the windows, though it would probably not be able to be opened from the outside without destroying it. She returns to the bar. 

Meanwhile, Jacob and Anvil see a pair of battered red sedans pull up to the front of the Last Grenadier. Inside are a group of about eight young adults who look very familiar to the team: buzzcut haircuts, trenchcoats, and mirrorshades. The Hudson Kings, presumably. Anvil alerts the team members side the building, whilst Jacob prepares to distract them with his assault weapon. Allen then saunters towards the front door, keeping tables as cover between him and the exit. Allen is followed by Lars who gets his knife back from security, before moving to the exit. Katherine remains seated at the bar, in case the attack is a diversion for an actual attack on Del Kim, armed only with a heavy duty glass and a full bottle of beer. The eight gangers exit the sedans and start heading towards the Last Grenadier and the apprehensive bouncer. Jacob sprays one sedan with bullets, taking them completely by surprise. Three of the gangers react by standing around like idiots, two start to go for weapons, two dive for cover, whilst the last grapples the bouncer who is trying to make a break for the bar. Jacob drives away from the scene as quickly as possible. Luckily, the panicking people in the street keep the gangers from getting a clear shot at the car. At is at this point that, Arnold Perkins, the newest member of the team, shows up. In the ensuing gun battle, he kills three of the gangers, whilst Lars and Allen take another one prisoner, but not before one of the gangers fires a gas round into the bar. Finally, Allen bluffs, making the gangers believe that the team are a police SWAT team. The bluff works and the remaining three gangers run for it. Allen takes his "prisoner" to the car to question him. During the following conversation, the ganger confirms that they are the Hudson Kings and reveals that they were hired by the "metalman" who told the Kings that the team were bounty hunters after him, mercenary street ops working for the corpse. 

Inside the bar the customers, panicked by the gas round, are trying to make a break for it, panicking even more when they realise that the back door is locked. Something starts battering that back door down. Katherine jumps over the bar to use it for cover, taking her metal bar stool with her, and fills a mug with hot water to use as a weapon when the psycho (for the team is sure it is he) finally breaks down the door. When Arnold comes into the bar, trying to help, Kim mistakes him for an enemy and starts talking shots at him with his shotgun. Fortunately, Arnold dodges each time. Unfortunately, that means the shotgun is empty by the time the door is broken in.... The backdoor smashes in, revealing the 'thing'. It wears a battered brown trenchcoat and a wide-brimmed hat and is more or less in the shape of a human being, but the proportions and angles are wrong. The 'thing' is likely 99% machinery, with the chest being too cylindrical and the limbs too thick, like telephone poles. The "hands" are metallic, slablike, and fingerless, covered with thin stick-like silver manipulators. The "head" is hidden by the hat, but is too small for a human head, barely big enough for a face, and certainly too small for a human brain. The 'thing's voice is obviously artificial, sounding like a "cross between an electric organ, a razor and an old combustion engine", and accompanied by static. Turning towards Del Kim it says "How can he live without his kidney". Seeing this 'thing' the team realises they are out of their league. Even Arnold, the most cybered individual in the team, isn't a match for it, and Arnold is badly hurt trying to hold it up. The team in the bar, along with Del Kim, flee for Allen's car, Katherine using her mug of hot water and beer bottle to good effect, distracting two gangers who suddenly show up, so that they she and Kim can get past them, whilst Jacob uses Katherine's car to run them over. The two cars speed safely off, Jacob's distraction being enough to have stopped any pursuit. The team decides to lie low and start heading for the Salariman Easy, a fly-by-night hotel, with Del Kim and the ganger along for the ride as well.

''Question the ganger about the "metalman". What did he mean by "working for the corpse": the corpse that the parts came from?
''Should we call the cops? It looks like we may be out of our league''

'''Day Two/Scene Eight (The Salariman Easy) '''

The team arrive at the hotel where Allen books a room for them all. The team makes sure that Del Kim and the ganger, along with the team members to look after them, go up the back entrance from the parking garage.

Once in their suite of the rooms, Jacob and Katherine look after Arnold's wounds, whilst Anvil and Allen question the captured ganger, who is still under the mistaken impression that the team are cops. 

He turns out to be Multipack Goodwin of Nineteen. 2904 B Stewart Building, 1000 Arcadia Road and he reveals that the metalman hired him and the rest of the Hudson Kings a few days ago, when the team first appeared, through a fixer by the name of Geo Schlesinger, and it was he who set the Hudson Kings on the team in the firefight outside the hospital. Recently, the main team was sent against Del Kim whilst another team to Angela Starsky in the Asylum (presumably the two bodies found earlier). The next target was to be William Price, the 14 year old who lives in Church Hill (though the ganger noted that that might change with the team's interference), whilst Victor Lebedev and Captain Philip Abu-Assad were also listed as potential targets. Allen tries to spread the rumour that Captain Philip Abu-Assad is already dead, putting the blame for the severing of his arm on a team of Hudson Kings. The Kings were ordered to remove the relevant organ from each body, not to injure it in any way, and to put it on ice. They also discover the Kings mostly likely had nothing to do with the murder of the two cops and Multipack, when threatened with this, says that he'll help the team get the metalman; the team lets him go with the story that he escaped the team.

The team discovers very little about the metalman through all of this, but they do discover that he drives a black Ford Abrams that he can jack into with a rollcage, armour, teched out engine, and a very nice stereo system. This is necessary, since he isn't his legs are too big for him to fit into a normal car. They also discover that he has rifles, possibly has longarms, and is probably ex-military.

Having told the Del Kim he could go (he claiming to have a safe place to lie low) and let Allen's contact know a part of the truth (that the Hudson Kings shot up the Last Grenadier and were working with a cyborg, and that one of the targets was Angela Starsky) the team start to argue about how to take out this fully-cyborged killing machine. A tentative plan is made that involves junker vehicles, bombs,(maybe) EMP devices, and possibly getting the gangers whose warchief was killed along for the ride, and then the more tired members of the team (including Katherine) get a few hours of precious shut-eye before the real work begins.

'''We could possibly follow Multipack and discover more about this metalman.'''