Two hours later, Alex reaches Carnegie Square alone. Dev remains at the café with the locked network segment, the recordings, and the intruder’s abandoned credentials.
Near the alehouse’s side entrance, Voss waits beneath a security light: a tall young adult woman in a dark wool coat, with close-cropped black hair and a narrow scar along one cheek.
Before the meeting can begin, Angela Stone crosses from the square. She is a middle-aged woman with a sturdy build, copper-brown skin, silver-streaked curls, and a weathered green field jacket.
Angela Stone
I followed a financial lead, not Alex. This transaction record surfaced after the café intrusion, and it links payments from Voss’s operation to the person who planted Matthews’s name.
Angela extends a clear evidence sleeve without stepping closer. The printed record shows staggered transfers, a shell account, and a payment timestamp minutes after the café’s printer message.
Voss
I recognize that document. It was not supposed to leave the settlement chain, and this meeting is no longer private.
Voss’s attention shifts from Alex to Angela. The alehouse door opens behind her, spilling music and warm light into the square, while both women wait for Alex’s response.
✓ Quest Accepted
Establish a workable alliance against Voss
✓ Quest Accepted
Expose the financial network behind Voss’s operation
“Does Alex know who Angela Stone is?”
NO, BUT (Unlikely, rolled 42)
Alex has never heard the name Angela Stone. Nothing in his records, contacts, or recent warnings identifies her, and her sudden appearance adds uncertainty rather than trust.
Angela Stone
You do not know me. That is preferable to knowing me through a compromised file. I am an independent financial investigator, not part of Voss’s operation.
Angela keeps the evidence sleeve extended, its contents visible beneath the security light. The payment trail contains a routing reference and a settlement desk code absent from Alex’s earlier copies.
Voss
Angela was not invited. She found the outgoing payment and followed it here. That does not make her evidence false, but it makes her timing dangerous.
Angela Stone
The consolation is practical. The settlement code points to Office 4B, the same concealed desk already connected to Elias Ward’s receipt. I can identify the releasing institution if the record stays intact.
The alehouse music swells behind Voss, masking the square’s quieter sounds. Angela does not ask Alex to trust her, only to recognize that the financial trail has opened a lawful route forward.
Angela Stone
I will answer questions about the transaction, the code, and my source. I will not ask for the child, the hidden group, or anyone’s location.
“You do recognize Office 4B from your own digging. You turn to Voss. "You sent people to tail me.... to attempt to violate the sanctity of my own home. That alone is enough for me to want to see you and whoever you work as a lap dog for buried so deep in a federal penitentiary that your name gets forgotten within a year. And, you know what they say... play the game, win or lose, when it ends, you still lost." Your eyes lock hers as you speak to Angela. "I think I have enough info to fill in the pieces to your puzzle, if yer willing to play nice."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled -2)
Alex Mishyma
You sent people to tail me and tried to violate the sanctity of my home. That alone makes me want you and your lap dog buried in federal prison. Play the game, win or lose, when it ends, you still lost.
Alex locks eyes with Voss, then turns to Angela. The security light catches the evidence sleeve, while alehouse music covers the scrape of his shoe against the pavement.
Alex Mishyma
I recognize Office 4B from my own digging. I think I have enough information to fill in the pieces of your puzzle, if you are willing to play nice.
Voss
You recognize more than you should. I did not authorize anyone to enter your home, but I will not pretend my people were not watching you.
Angela Stone
Then we have a workable exchange. I will show you how Office 4B released the funds, and you can tell me what your digging established. No names or locations involving the protected child.
Angela lowers the sleeve between them and reveals the routing reference, settlement code, and releasing institution. The cost is immediate: her source can identify the disclosure, and the trail now marks Alex as a participant.
Angela Stone
The institution is Harbor Meridian’s correspondent bank. I will cooperate, but once we compare notes, whoever monitors this chain will know the leak reached Carnegie Square.
“"Tit for tat," you reply. "You're also getting Voss along with the bargain. In exchange for my information? My name is Ghost. And nothing more. I would say you are getting more out of this deal than I am. But I am willing to make it, if you are?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Alex Mishyma
Tit for tat. You are getting Voss along with the bargain. In exchange for my information, my name is Ghost, and nothing more. You are getting more than I am, but I am willing if you are.
Alex offers the alias without surrendering his identity. Angela studies Voss, then the payment record, weighing the added value against the danger of accepting both sources at once.
Angela Stone
Agreed. Ghost, then. Your information and Voss’s access will be exchanged for the release path, the correspondent bank, and the Office 4B connection. No child, no locations.
Voss
You are trading me as though I were a file. Still, the bargain is sound. I will confirm what I know about the watchers and the payment channel.
Angela opens the sleeve fully and places the record beneath the security light. Voss remains beside the alehouse entrance, exposed to the same transaction and unable to retreat from the exchange without breaking it.
Angela Stone
The funds left Harbor Meridian’s correspondent bank through Office 4B, authorized by a settlement credential tied to Voss’s operation. I will give you the institution and release timestamp.
Voss
And I will identify the handler who ordered the Matthews diversion. You wanted leverage, Ghost. Now you have it, provided you can use it without exposing the protected group.
Quest Complete
Expose the financial network behind Voss’s operation
Skill Upgrade: Security Superb→Legendary
“"Leave that part to me." Forsaking the empty thumb drive in your pocket, you instead slide off your belt slightly, removing the real data drive, extending it out as you take the record. "We have an accord."”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +0)
Alex leaves the empty thumb drive in his pocket. Instead, he loosens his belt, removes the real data drive, and extends it toward Angela while reaching for the sleeve.
Alex Mishyma
Leave that part to me. We have an accord.
Angela accepts the data drive and places the payment record into Alex’s hand. The exchange is quiet, deliberate, and visible beneath the security light.
Angela Stone
Agreed. The drive stays sealed until I verify the release path. The record is yours, including the correspondent bank and Office 4B reference.
Voss
Then you are carrying proof of my operation, Ghost. I will give Angela the handler’s name, and you will decide what to do with the rest.
The record’s routing code and timestamps are now in Alex’s possession, while Angela controls the data drive. Voss remains exposed beside the alehouse entrance, committed to the bargain.
Angela Stone
No child, no locations, and no improvisation that exposes them. We compare only the financial trail and the Matthews diversion.
Quest Complete
Establish a workable alliance against Voss
Skill Upgrade: Streetwise Good→Great
+ New Item Acquired
Payment record
“"There's an internet cafe nearby, if you wish a private viewing of the thumb drives contents. The owner is a friend of my boss. I am sure he would be happy to oblige." You turn to Voss, your face neutral. "No hard feelings in this. But you got my Dad involved, indirectly or not. Can't let that slide, but that's why I am showing you the same courtesy as I showed your tail at the Dev Null Cafe. I'm giving you an out."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Alex Mishyma
There is an internet cafe nearby, if you want a private viewing of the thumb drive’s contents. The owner is a friend of my boss, and I am sure he will oblige.
Alex Mishyma
No hard feelings in this. But you got my dad involved, indirectly or not. I cannot let that slide. I am giving you the same courtesy I gave your tail at Dev Null Cafe. I am giving you an out.
Alex turns to Voss with a neutral face. Angela keeps the data drive sealed in her hand, while the payment record remains with Alex beneath the security light.
Voss
An out means I walk away from the square, view what is on that drive, and leave without sending another watcher after you or your father.
Alex Mishyma
That is the offer. Private viewing, no hard feelings, and no new contact points. You decide what happens after you see the information.
Voss studies Alex for a long moment, then steps away from the alehouse entrance. Angela follows at a measured distance, carrying the sealed drive as they head toward the nearby internet cafe.
Voss
Accepted, Ghost. I will take the out. Show me the contents, and I will answer what I can about the handler and the Matthews diversion.
✓ Quest Accepted
Secure Voss’s disclosure about the handler and the Matthews diversion
“You lead Angela and Voss to a small section of the main square that has few lights, save for a couple near a stone staircase in the original foundation of the square itself. An old, weathered placard reads 'The Lamplight Cafe.' Down the stairs, the view of the Chesapeake Bay is stunning, despite the slightly bad smell of the mildly polluted waters. The cafe is a door away, and you lead them in. It's quiet, save for the soft traditional music of Ireland a few regulars in the background. A young Irish-as-they-come young man behind the counter. He's unloading a small dishwasher, his ruddy red hair short cropped, keen green eyes darting up as he hears the bell. He stops what he's doing, his eyes widening slightly as he sees you with company. "I'll be damned if my eyes don't deceive me," he says with a gentle brogue. Wiping his hands on a towel, he laughs gently, rounding the counter to come and embrace you warmly. "Good to see you as well, Tommy. Sorry it's been an age."”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +2)
Alex leads Angela and Voss through the dimmer edge of the square, past two lamps near the old stone stairs. A weathered placard reads The Lamplight Cafe, overlooking the Chesapeake Bay and its faintly polluted water.
He opens the cafe door and brings them inside. Traditional Irish music plays softly around a few regulars, while a young Irish man behind the counter unloads a small dishwasher.
The young man has short-cropped ruddy red hair, keen green eyes, and a sturdy build beneath a dark shirt and apron. The entry bell rings, and his eyes widen at the group.
Tommy
I'll be damned if my eyes don't deceive me.
Tommy wipes his hands on a towel, laughs under his breath, and rounds the counter. His gentle brogue carries warmly through the quiet room as he embraces Alex.
Alex Mishyma
Good to see you as well, Tommy. Sorry it's been an age.
Tommy
An age indeed. And you arrive with company. Come in properly, all of you. The back table is quiet, and nobody here is paid to ask clever questions.
“"I'm sorry it's been so long. After high school, well... I kinda feel into the old hobby. And I may need yer help. Compensated of course. But pleasure before business. A round of the 'house special,' you say with a smile. "You'll have to get yer pale ass out to Southie sometime and visit the Dev Null Cafe. You'd be in Candyland," you smirk. "How's the family, by the way? Your Da still on the force around here??”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Alex Mishyma
I'm sorry it's been so long. After high school, well... I kind of fell into the old hobby. I may need your help, compensated of course.
Alex Mishyma
But pleasure before business. A round of the house special, please. You need to get your pale ass out to Southie sometime and visit Dev Null Cafe. You'd be in Candyland.
Alex Mishyma
How's the family, by the way? Your Da still on the force around here?
Tommy’s grin softens into recognition. He gestures toward the back table, then turns toward the taps and begins preparing three house specials without asking which companions will join Alex.
Tommy
The old hobby, is it? I wondered when that clever head of yours would drag you back into trouble. If you need work done, we can discuss a fair rate after the first round.
Tommy
And I know Dev Null. Candyland sounds dangerous in exactly the way you mean it. I’ll visit Southie when I can, though you’ll have to show me which corners not to trust.
Tommy
The family’s well. Da retired from the force last year, officially. He still knows half the station and phones me whenever he thinks I’m being foolish. So, what sort of help are you after?
“"Like you said, m'boy, after the first round. I should at least show a little hospitality to our guests after all," you say, glancing to Voss and Angela. "Ad by the bored way you said that I am guessing it's been an age since he called?" You tease. You look around a moment, nodding with genuine respect. "You've done well for yourself. Hell, I still am just a waiter, and here you are, owning this place. I am guessing you're not quiet as boring as you seem these days?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +1)
Alex Mishyma
Like you said, m'boy, after the first round. I should show hospitality to our guests. And by the bored way you said that, I’m guessing it’s been an age since he called?
Alex Mishyma
You’ve done well for yourself. Hell, I’m still just a waiter, and here you are, owning this place. You’re not quite as boring as you seem these days, are you?
Alex glances toward Voss and Angela, then surveys the warm wood, polished bar, and quiet tables with genuine respect. Tommy sets three glasses down and leans against the counter.
Tommy
Hospitality first, sure, but don’t sell yourself short. You’ve always been more than a waiter, even when you were pretending otherwise.
Tommy
And yes, Da’s calls have been an age apart lately. Retirement made him suspicious of silence. He thinks every quiet evening means I’m hiding something.
Tommy
As for me, I own the place, pay the bills, and occasionally help people who need a discreet table. Boring enough to stay open, interesting enough to survive.
Voss
That is a careful answer. I can respect careful, especially in a room where everyone has brought something they would rather keep private.
“You smirk. You know Tommy as well as he knows you, but you won't say it aloud. His family is in deep ties with the Irish Mafia here in lower Southie. And Tommy back in high school, was a marksman of known repute. He was a part of the state championship skeet shooting team. "Boring it sounds," you say gently as your eyes meet. "Now about those drinks?" You slide a 100 dollar bill his way. "That should cover that. We'll discuss the rest after refreshments." Angela and Voss exchange a glance, wondering what they have truly walked into. To both of them, you were just an exceptionally gifted hacker, but this?”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +1)
Alex smirks, meeting Tommy’s eyes with the easy familiarity of someone who remembers far more than he intends to say. Angela and Voss watch the exchange closely.
Alex Mishyma
Boring, it sounds. Now about those drinks?
He slides a hundred-dollar bill across the bar. Tommy glances at it, then at Alex, recognizing the gesture as payment for hospitality and a promise of later business.
Alex Mishyma
That should cover the drinks. We’ll discuss the rest after refreshments.
Tommy
It covers the drinks, the table, and enough trouble to keep me interested. Sit down, all of you. I’ll make sure nobody goes thirsty.
Tommy pockets the bill and carries the glasses toward the back table. Angela and Voss exchange a guarded glance, reassessing the supposedly ordinary hacker beside them.
Angela Stone
You have history here. Not the kind people usually explain over a first round.
“Tapping a smoke from your pack, you light it, blowing thee smoke towards the exhaust fans above, and shrug. "Not the kind that ever gets discussed in the open, even over ten rounds." Your eyes are even and focused as you wait for Tommy to return. Angela just stares at you for a long moment, her face unreadable until she finally speaks. "Who exactly ARE you?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +2)
Alex Mishyma
Not the kind that ever gets discussed in the open, even over ten rounds.
Alex taps a cigarette from his pack, lights it, and directs the smoke toward the exhaust fans above. His eyes remain even and focused while he waits for Tommy to return.
Angela Stone
Who exactly are you?
Angela stares at Alex for a long moment, her face unreadable. Voss watches her instead of interrupting, while the soft Irish music continues around the back table.
Tommy returns with the remaining glasses balanced in one hand. He sets them down carefully, then looks from Angela to Alex, recognizing the question beneath the question.
Tommy
That depends on whether you’re asking who he is tonight, or who he was before tonight. Either way, you can start by calling him Alex.
Angela Stone
I am asking who sits across from us with a protected drive, a financial trail, and enough contacts to make this meeting possible.
“"Join us, Tommy. I'll indulge them a little. But you, my friend, tell your own tales, if you so wish. I'll start to say, Tommy and I go back to, what... age ten, eleven was it? My dad and me lived not far from here, and only across the way from Tommy and his family. That covers us. You asked about me." You tap an ash into a glass tray, taking a drag, and continue. "2018. An article about a hacker named 0Fear, he managed to freeze the assets of over 300 million dollars, sending it to 10,000 bank accounts in Massachusetts at random. They called it 'The Ghost Lottery. Heist'. And here I thought the alias I gave earlier would have told you who I was," you smirk, taking a deep sip of the proper Irish coffee. Tommy chuckles quietly, joining you as the ladies look at you like deer in headlights. "I was 12."”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +3)
Alex Mishyma
Join us, Tommy. I’ll indulge them a little. But tell your own tales if you wish. Tommy and I go back to age ten or eleven. Our families lived across the way from each other.
Alex taps ash into the glass tray, takes a drag, and lets the room absorb the ordinary history before he names the extraordinary part.
Alex Mishyma
In 2018, an article described a hacker called 0Fear who froze over three hundred million dollars and scattered it across ten thousand Massachusetts bank accounts. They called it the Ghost Lottery Heist. I thought the alias would have told you who I was. I was twelve.
Tommy chuckles quietly and joins them at the table. Angela goes still, while Voss studies Alex with sudden calculation. The Irish coffee trembles once in Alex’s hand, then settles.
Tommy
He was twelve, and already treating bank architecture like a puzzle box. His father brought him over for dinner afterward. Da still remembers the reporters circling the neighborhood.
Angela Stone
0Fear was never identified publicly. The settlement records were sealed, but the dispersal pattern survived in restricted financial archives. Your name changes the value of everything on this table.
Tommy
Then we use the back room. I have an offline terminal, a landline, and no reason to put your real name into anything. If this is about to become business, we do it properly.
“"I learned well from visiting you and you Da... your house, your rules. Lead the way, mate. We'll talk more there." You grab your drink, having another sip as you follow Tommy. The two women follow in a quiet haze, unsure if this is a ruse, or if they stumbled into the spider's nest. Angela looks gob smacked at the revelation of you very likely are. Voss has a look of slight unease despite your genuine cadence. You hold no grudge, but now thinking back to what you said to her, she feels as though she was granted a mercy after what she'd set in motion against you. You are not merely a rook on the chess board: you are the king, bishop, and the knights.”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +0)
Alex Mishyma
I learned well from visiting you and your Da. Your house, your rules. Lead the way, mate. We’ll talk more there.
Alex takes his drink and follows Tommy through a curtained passage. Angela and Voss trail behind in silence, their guarded attention fixed on the room they are entering.
Tommy
That’s the spirit. Mind the loose floorboard, and leave the questions at the table until we’re behind the second door.
Tommy unlocks a plain wooden door and ushers them into a compact back room: an offline terminal, landline, filing cabinet, and a second table beneath a shaded lamp.
Angela Stone
You were twelve. If the Ghost Lottery pattern is yours, then I have badly underestimated who is holding this room together.
Voss
He offered me mercy before I understood the board. I was never facing a rook.
Tommy
Sit wherever you like. The rules are simple: no real names in the terminal, no devices on the network, and nobody leaves with less control than they brought in.
“"More than understood. I'll come for ya when the room needs to be locked up," you say, reaching out to shake his hand. When he clenches yours, he finds three 100-dollar bills pressed into his palm. "Ya sneaky bastard. Ugghh... fine, here." He reaches into his back pocket, putting a business card in your hand. "And ye better keep in touch, or I'm comin' to Dev Null to null yer ass to the wall," he grins as he turns and heads out the door. You turn to Angela, gesturing towards the terminal as you sip your coffee. Tommy definitely added a healthy dollop of whiskey to it. "Please, review the drive I gave you. As he said, it's safe." Voss glances over to you with a mixed look of caution, and a touch of awe; for a young man, you have shown you are definitely far more than you appear to be, in an almost frightening way.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +0)
Alex Mishyma
More than understood. I’ll come for ya when the room needs to be locked up.
Alex reaches out and shakes Tommy’s hand. When Tommy clenches his fingers, he finds three hundred-dollar bills pressed into his palm.
Alex Mishyma
Ya sneaky bastard. Ugghh... fine, here.
Tommy grins, reaches into his back pocket, and puts a business card in Alex’s hand before turning toward the door.
Tommy
Ye better keep in touch, or I’m comin’ to Dev Null to null yer ass to the wall.
Tommy heads out, leaving the back room under its shaded lamp. Alex turns to Angela, gestures toward the offline terminal, and sips coffee sharpened by a generous dollop of whiskey.
Alex Mishyma
Please, review the drive I gave you. As he said, it’s safe.
Angela takes the drive and moves to the terminal. Voss watches Alex with caution touched by awe, reassessing the young man as something far more formidable than he appears.
“Perhaps the alcohol warms you enough to be better attuned to your surroundings, but your eyes slowly turn to meet Voss', and you smile. "What? I was just a kid then. I ain't really a ghost," you chuckle, nodding for her to enjoy her drink. "Tommy will give you an earful if he doesn't see that cup empty. That goes for you both. That's fine imported whiskey." Angela, looking at the screen with her back to you, actually smiles, taking a long sip of her mug. "Fine stuff too. Makes me less nervous being in the room with you." Her comment breaks Voss from her cautious awe, and she chuckles quietly, and takes her mug as well. "Here, here." You look at them both curiously, but smirk, having another sip. Angela's eyes light up as a ping comes from the small speakers. "Cross referencing complete. Let's see if this bargain was worth more than meeting a legend and the drinks." As she scans the comparisons, her eyes widen. "How... how did you get all this?"”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +0)
Alex Mishyma
What? I was just a kid then. I ain't really a ghost.
Alex smiles at Voss, nods toward her drink, and lifts his own mug. The whiskey’s warmth loosens the room without erasing anyone’s caution.
Alex Mishyma
Tommy will give you an earful if he doesn't see that cup empty. That goes for you both. This is fine imported whiskey.
Angela Stone
Fine stuff too. It makes me less nervous being in the room with you.
Voss
Here, here.
Angela takes a long sip while the offline terminal completes its comparison. Voss follows, chuckling quietly, and the shared ritual breaks the room’s hard edge.
Angela Stone
Cross-referencing complete. Let’s see if this bargain was worth more than meeting a legend and the drinks. How did you get all this?
“"The simple answer?" You offer as you light a smoke, keeping towards the small exhaust of the room out of courtesy. "Because that 12-year-old, became much, much better. We'll save the more complex answers for another round of drinks." Without even looking at the screen, you tilt your head back slightly. "If I were a guessing man, I would say the match is..... roughly 97%?" Angela visibly pauses, turning back to the screen. "... 96.9%," she says quietly, turning her head slowly back to you, and taking a long swallow of her coffee to calm herself. Voss seems to do the same, and for the same reason: you are not what they were expecting.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Reasoning, rolled +2)
Alex Mishyma
The simple answer? Because that twelve-year-old became much, much better. We’ll save the more complex answers for another round of drinks. If I were guessing, I’d say the match is roughly ninety-seven percent.
Alex lights a cigarette and angles the smoke toward the small exhaust, keeping the courtesy of the room. Without looking at the screen, he tilts his head back slightly.
Angela Stone
Ninety-six point nine percent.
Angela turns slowly back toward the terminal, visibly paused by the precision. She takes a long swallow of coffee, using the heat and bitterness to steady herself.
Voss
That is not a coincidence. A resemblance can be explained. A match that close requires the same architecture, the same habits, or the same person.
Voss drinks as well, eyes fixed on Alex rather than the screen. The room’s earlier warmth remains, but both women now measure him against a history far larger than his age suggests.
Angela Stone
The comparison is against the Ghost Lottery dispersal pattern, not a rumor. I can show you which signatures survived the archive, but first I need to know what you want done with that confirmation.
“"Your next move might be to confirm the data I gave you regarding the holdings firm versus what you have. I think Tommy's whiskey got you a little off track," you smirk at Angela.”
SUCCESS (Legendary Willpower, rolled +1)
Alex Mishyma
Your next move might be to confirm the data I gave you regarding the holdings firm versus what you have. I think Tommy's whiskey got you a little off track.
Alex smirks toward Angela, cigarette angled beneath the exhaust. The offline terminal keeps both records visible, separating the Ghost Lottery pattern from the newer Harbor Meridian trail.
Angela Stone
Fair correction, Ghost. I will compare the holdings-firm data directly against my archive before drawing another conclusion.
Angela opens the preserved Harbor Meridian files and aligns account references, settlement timestamps, and Office 4B routing codes beside the dispersal signatures.
Angela Stone
You are right. The holdings firm is not merely adjacent. Its Massachusetts portal activity overlaps the settlement chain, and the same credential family appears in both records.
Voss
That overlap was kept compartmentalized. If the firm touched Office 4B, then someone above my handler controlled the release path.
Angela Stone
The comparison confirms your data and adds one point: Harbor Meridian routed the funds through the correspondent bank before Office 4B released them. We now have a connected financial structure, not a guess.
“"Well then.... we have a way to reach one another. I do believe our business is complete. The next time, there is a fee," you smirk. "I don't like to make enemies. Hence, how I handled tonight, Voss. Do me a favor and reflect on that. Agent Stone? Be in touch, if you need. I'll let Tommy know you both are wrapping up in here." And just as quietly as you met them outside the alehouse, you quietly slip out the room. You meet Tommy at the counter. "The ladies are still in, but they abide the rules. Thanks again, man. It really is good to see ya again."”
SUCCESS (Fair Stealth, rolled -1)
Alex Mishyma
Well then... we have a way to reach one another. I do believe our business is complete. The next time, there is a fee.
Alex Mishyma
I don't like to make enemies. Hence, how I handled tonight, Voss. Do me a favor and reflect on that. Agent Stone, be in touch, if you need. I'll let Tommy know you both are wrapping up in here.
Alex gives them a faint smirk, then slips quietly from the back room. The chair scrapes once against the floor, a small noise that draws no pursuit. He leaves the payment record and financial bargain intact, with the concrete cost of revealing his alias still hanging over the meeting.
At the counter, Tommy is wiping down a glass beneath the warm bar light. Alex reaches him without ceremony, while Angela and Voss remain inside with the offline terminal and the agreed rules.
Alex Mishyma
The ladies are still in, but they abide the rules. Thanks again, man. It really is good to see ya again.
Tommy
Good to see you too, lad. I’ll keep the room quiet, the terminal offline, and the whiskey flowing if they need to finish properly.
Tommy
He came back older, sharper, and carrying trouble like it had learned his name. Still, he remembered the house rules.
“"Give yer Da my regards, and I will be coming around to visit again. And the door is open in my neck of the woods as well!" You clap his shoulder with a grin before heading out into the night, the warm buzz of the Irish coffee grounding you. Once back to the main street, you hail a cab, heading back to the Dev Null. It is time to check on the trio.”
SUCCESS (Great Agility, rolled +1)