My thanks to Digital Boy for submitting this writeup! -wm
When last we left off with our patchwork group of street samurai and corporate field operatives, the elusive Senjou was nowhere to be found, and this had a good many people running around in a good many directions, with much wheelspinning and backtracking to go around.
After regrouping to discuss alternate plans after the failed attempt by some hired muscle to detain and relocate Detective Spooner, Em received a phone call from Hametsu Hotaru, a shatei of the Los Angeles Yakuza family indicating that she knew the location of Senjou, and was amenable (I don't know the full details of Bethany's prelude and why, precisely, she had the interest in Senjou, otherwise I'd reference it here) to some assistance in retrieving Senjou from the custody of the Rolling 20's, whom had liberated him from the Golden Tiger tong, who were responsible for his original failure to appear at the designated meeting at the HMS Bounty on the evening of the 14th.
Reiji, Brian and Em discussed matters, and it was decided that Rei and Em would meet with Hotaru-sama at the wharf, and would proceed from there into the DMZ to meet with Big Slick, leader of the Rolling 20's and negotiate with him to secure the release of Senjou into the custody of the LA Yakuza.
An uneventful, if protracted, ride through the DMZ ensued, and Hametsu and Big Slick exchanged brief pleasantries and began negotiations. Big Slick, not wanting to directly involve the Rolling 20's in a power struggle between the tongs and the Yakuza (any more than he already had by taking Senjou from the tongs) wanted relatively little in return for releasing Senjou to Hametsu and her entourage, merely insisting that his original bargain struck with Officer Murphy to secure the return of the bodies of his slain gang members be honored. Identifiying herself as an associate of Murphy, Em reiterated the promise to find the bodies if at all possible and return them to Big Slick and his gang. His demands having been met, Big Slick released Senjou and returned his posessions and the group made a beeline back the way they'd came, exiting the DMZ. Meanwhile, Jacob Riley, a security contractor for Hotaru, was busily following up leads on the disappearance of Senjou, ultimately to no avail as Hotaru by then had secured Senjou's release from captivity, a state of affairs she was distinctly unhappy about, and had no problem communicating to Riley her displeasure at his performance to date.
After exiting the DMZ, the entourage, after some deliberation, opted to retire to neutral ground in the form of the Top of the Weston for lunch to discuss how they would proceed. Hotaru ordered Riley to scout the area, and stand by near the Weston and await further orders. The group arrived, but as soon as they debarked, Senjou headed for the door, thanking Hotaru and company for his freedom, but not wishing to remain as he questioned Hotaru's intentions, particularly with regards to his continued existence. Em intervened, pointing out to Senjou that at point, if he were to simply walk away, he'd likely be captured again by the tong's, and likely be killed outright, and persuaded him to sit down and conclude the original business transaction from the previous night. Seeing the logic in what Em had to say, Senjou agreed, and they continued on to the Top of the Weston where they were greeted by Brian Nolan who had also been phoned. After ordering their lunch, the dealing began in earnest. Senjou, Nolan and Houston completed their prior arrangement and agreed to the data purchase. Em agreed to share the data with Hotaru at no charge in exchange for Senjou's freedom. After speaking with Senjou privately at some length regarding various subjects, including the infiltration of the Yakuza families in Japan by elements from the Chinese mainland, Horaru agreed to release Senjou, on the stipulation that he remain available to answer more questions pertaining to the data he was selling. Negotiations and lunch being concluded, Senjou and Brian left briefly to visit a bank where Senjou had secreted a hard copy of the data, as the original chip had been taken from him when captured by the tong, and returned to the Weston (not before noticing a microlight reconnaisance drone orbiting overhead), received payment from Em, gave her the data, which was promptly copied and shared with Hotaru. Hotaru, having accomplished her objective, returned home to make contact with her superiors and digest the implications of the days events.
Upon receiving his freedom, Senjou made ready to hit the street, knowing full well he was still a hunted man. Em, knowing that she still needed Senjou and his knowledge, offered him a business proposition: in return for protection and a nominal fee, he would remain with Em and Rei, and would provide any knowledge he might have regarding the data he was selling.
Agreeing to this, the group made their way in seperate vehicles to Em's apartment. Jacob Riley, having unknowingly mingled with the group at the coffee bar in the Weston while the business was being transacted, tailed Rei and Senjou as they made their way through LA midafternoon traffic towards Em's apartment. Receiving a belated call from Hotaru that his services were no longer required, he broke off and exited the freeway, just as Rei noted him tailing them. Rei, Brian, and Senjou eventually find their way to Em's apartment in a working class neighborhood of slightly run down apartments.
Settling in, Em produced a jammer to ensure their conversations remained private and decided on a plan of action. First off, Senjou recounted how he'd been struck in the neck and woke briefly in what appeared to be a hospital, then next in the custody of the Rolling 20's, so it was decided to seek the services of a street doc to do a bodyscan to see if the tong had left any unwanted electronics. Finding only a tranq dart, and removing it, they proceeded back to Em's apartment.
After discussing the situation, it was decided that Detective Spooner was still a loose thread that needed to be tied down, what was his role in this?
What connection did he have to the tongs, Yakuza, Rolling 20's, and the missing bodies of the gangmembers from the previous night. Brian, having nearly been pinpointed after attempting to use an exploit in the LAPD's main firewall, secured another exploit and was able to gain entry via a "side door", in the form of their email server, and planted a trojan that Em concocted to DMZ a port on command. Securing all the related files from the Bounty incident, it was found that Murphy had called in a robbery in progress, a call to available units issued, a response by Spooner indicating he was enroute, and a subsequent report of a false alarm, also by Spooner.
No mention of casualties or anything else to indicate the violence of the previous night. A plan was initiated to attempt to lure Spooner into an ambush. The bait being a fictional videotape and subsequent media investigation. However, Spooner wasn't having anything to do with it. Plan B was then formulated, hire a contractor to secure custody of Spooner to innoculate Em, Rei, Brian and Senjou (and their respective employers) from having to kidnap an officer of the LAPD.
Unbeknownst to the group, Jacob Riley, having been stiffed of the remaining 50% of his contract fee by Hotaru, obtained Spooner's cell number, and called and arranged a meeting with him and informed Spooner of his knowledge of Senjou's whereabouts and his tribulation with the tong, Rolling 20's and Yakuza. Having failed to work the LAPD angle, Jacob receieved a call from a fixer for a possible contract, to cuff and stuff a subject and deliver them to a predetermined location in good health for interrogation. He named a figure for his services, and waited for the client's response.
Meanwhile, Brian, Em, Senjou and Rei debated, and finally opted to call Hotaru and see if she could provide contact info for Big Slick. Hotaru was contacted, and named a price of $1K to deliver a message to Big Slick, which was declined. She also indicated that her business and interest with Senjou were done and she had no further use for him. Brian was able to get Big Slick's number through his own network of contacts, and Senjou elected to make the call to Big Slick. Slick was offered Spooner in lieu of the bodies of his missing subordinates, but declined, stating that he did not want to deal with the consequences of kidnapping an LAPD detective. Just as they were, reluctantly, deciding that they would have to ambush Spooner on their own, Brian received a call from his contact, the operator had reduced his asking fee for the assignment considerably. The decision was made to hire the contractor to deliver Spooner to the storage unit that had been scouted out the previous day.
As he was smoking a cigarette and sipping coffee, Jacob received a call back from his fixer, the client accepted his fee, and the job was a go. The target's name came as a bit of a shock, none other than one Detective Spooner of the LAPD, to be delivered, alive and kicking to a storage unit in the City of Industry. The irony of it all. Calls were made, a contact who had a contact at a veterinarian's office to obtain a tranquilizer and dart, a visit to the nearest gun store for zipcuffs and a stungun, a visit to the local Rent a Wreck to secure anonymous wheels, and lastly, a phone call to Detective Spooner with an urgent breaking update. The meeting place, MacArthur Park, half an hour. At the appointed time and place, Jacob lets Spooner into his car, and begins to spin a yarn about Senjou, waiting for an opportune moment. The moment comes, Spooner glances out the passenger side window for a moment and his gaze lingers, Jacob's hand moves with inhuman speed for the stungun in his jacket, and then to Spooner's bare neck.
Shocked and dazed, his voluntary motor system jumbled by the 50kV lovetap, Spooner manages to draw his pistol, but is unable to bring it to bear.
Grabbing his wrist with one hand and the syringe with the other, Jacob wrestles the gun from Spooner's grip, but not before Spooner squeezes one round through the floor of the car, stabs the seat where Spooner's shoulder was just a moment ago, then finds the mark, delivering Detective Spooner into the realm of dreams, and a quick trip to the City of Industry and a brief stay at the U Stor It.
But did they grab the right man? Or is Spooner a puppet dancing on a string?