Thadeus and Elias step into the narrow service passage, rain ticking off brick and chain link. Behind them, the woman in the jersey slips through the gate and eases it shut, staying a few paces back.
Marla
You two know a way off this block that does not run straight into the crowd?
At the far end of the passage, a man in a gray delivery jacket appears beside a dented utility cart. He freezes when he sees them, one hand still on the cart handle.
The Delivery Man
If you are trying to avoid the main streets, there is a service door through the parking structure. It is usually locked, but tonight... maybe not.
Elias the Shopkeeper
That gets us away from the front, right? We just need out, fast.
The delivery man glances toward the gate, then back to Thadeus and Elias, measuring whether helping them is worth the risk. The woman in the jersey shifts closer, breathing hard, waiting for an answer.
The Delivery Man
Follow the passage to the loading bay, then cut behind the structure. I am not staying out here to explain it twice.
✓ Quest Accepted
Find a way off this block
✓ Quest Accepted
Uncover the truth of the brother's legacy
“Try to examine the utility cart the delivery man is pushing”
SUCCESS (Fair Investigation, rolled +1)
Thadeus leans in and studies the utility cart. The delivery man keeps it angled like a shield, but the side panel is loose, wired down with fresh cord.
Inside the mesh basket sit grocery bags, a folded blanket, and a second set of keys clipped to a receipt with Elias's name on it.
Thadeus Jovanović
Those keys are for a door, not the cart.
A grease-smudged service map is taped under the cart handle. One route is circled in red, marked home.
The Delivery Man
You see it now? Elias asked me to keep this close. I was just trying to get him there quiet.
Elias the Shopkeeper
My brother's old place is on that map. If we use the passage behind the laundromat, we skip the worst of the block.
Marla
Then move. The street is getting louder by the second.
“Take the passage behind the laundromat, keeping an eye out for any rioters”
SUCCESS (Fair Perception, rolled +0)
Thadeus takes the lead, and the others fall in behind him as the alley bends toward the laundromat.
He keeps his shoulders turned toward the street side, watching the passage while he walks.
A distant shout rolls over the brick, but no one spills into their path.
The Delivery Man
Back here, then left after the vents. That gets us around the block.
Elias the Shopkeeper
My brother used to say this route saved time when the loading dock was jammed.
The woman in the jersey glances once toward the noise, then presses on with the group.
Ahead, the laundromat's side door and a dim service corridor come into view, open and waiting.
“Ask for the woman in the jersey's name”
SUCCESS (Great Diplomacy, rolled +1)
Thadeus Jovanović
What should I call you?
Marla
Marla. That good enough?
Elias the Shopkeeper
Marla. I can use that when I thank her.
The Delivery Man
See? Easier than arguing with traffic.
Marla gives a quick, tired nod, then falls into step without slowing the group.
Marla
I live two blocks over. Name's Marla. If we make it past the garages, I know a cut through the back lots.
Elias the Shopkeeper
Then we keep moving. And after, I owe you both more than thanks.
✓ Quest Accepted
Escort Marla past the garages
undefined / undefined
The service passage narrows beside a row of garage bays, and the delivery man stops short at the next turn. He lifts one hand, warning them back, as a hard rattle starts behind the chain-link fence to their left.
The Delivery Man
No. That is not supposed to be open.
A side gate stands crooked in its frame now, pushed inward from the other side. Light spills through the gap, and a helmeted figure in a security vest shoves an empty hand through the opening, feeling for the latch.
Elias the Shopkeeper
That gate was locked when I came through here.
Marla edges closer to Thadeus, eyes on the opening, while the delivery man glances between the gate and the parking structure entrance ahead. Someone on the other side of the fence calls out for the path to be cleared, and the latch jolts again.
“Can I see if the person in the security vest is a threat?”
YES (Likely, rolled 57)
Thadeus Jovanović
The vest is torn and stained with grease, not a standard uniform, and the person is struggling with the latch like they are trying to hide rather than patrol.
The figure stumbles through the gap, revealing a frantic, disheveled man clutching a heavy flashlight like a club. He freezes upon seeing the group, his eyes wide and darting toward the parking structure.
“Holding my sword towards the guard, demand to know what he's doing here”
SUCCESS (Great Diplomacy, rolled -2)
Thadeus raises the wooden sword, not striking, just setting a line between the man and the group. The guard halts under the beam, breathing hard.
Thadeus Jovanović
What are you doing here?
The Security Guard
Hiding. I lost the keys, then the gate jammed. I thought the lot was clear.
Elias the Shopkeeper
You were trying to get through here while people were running?
The Security Guard
I was trying to get to the office. My radio died, and I heard shouting from the street.
Marla
He is scared, not hunting us. That changes the shape of this.
The guard lowers the flashlight a little. Across the passage, the parking structure entrance waits in dim, half-hidden quiet.
The Delivery Man
If we keep talking, we stay here. If we move now, I can still get us around the block.
“Apologize to the guard for the disturbance, and allow the delivery man to lead our party around the block”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Agility, rolled +2)
Thadeus Jovanović
Sorry. We are not trying to make this harder for you.
The Security Guard
No, I know. I just got turned around. I thought I had the night under control.
Elias watches the guard for a beat, then eases back. The delivery man hooks a thumb toward the open passage, already moving.
Marla
We keep this simple, we all get out cleaner. That is enough for me.
Thadeus lowers the wooden sword and falls in behind the delivery man. The guard steps aside, letting the group take the route he could not.
The Delivery Man
Parking structure is through there, then we cut around the block. Stay close, and do not stop at the corner.
They slip into the structure entry, where the alley noise dulls to a distant roar. A torn map in the cart catches the light, and a handwritten note on it points to Elias's brother's old building.
Elias the Shopkeeper
He used to mark every shortcut like it was a promise. I remember that much.
“Follow the delivery man through the parking structure, and head towards Marla's home”
SUCCESS (Mediocre Agility, rolled +2)