Participants:
| Scene Title | A Good Classic American Weapon |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Cat is looking for something. |
| Date | January 9, 2009 |
On the outside, this sprawling multi-level complex has not seen use in many years, its walls covered in greenery and stone exterior and glass windows showing evidence of disrepair. Surrounded by a chain link fence, a drive leads from the street to a large dock, and around the back one can expect to find more sprawling greenery that eventually leads to a concrete drop off into the Atlantic Ocean.
Passing through the chainlink fence and into the dispensary will reveal that the aged and crumbling outside is a facade. The loading dock is kept clear for the most part of everything save vehicles and supplies, though a section has been quartered off and transformed into an open workshop. The dispensary itself has been transformed into something akin to a makeshift dormitory, complete with common areas, a sizable kitchen and eating area, with various rooms converted into bedrooms for the residence. One room has even been set up as a makeshift clinic, amply stocked with supplies.
The back lawn and garden of the dispensary is surprisingly well tended, green and lush during the right months. Vegetables have been planted in accordance to season closer to the building, though someone has indulgently planted a plots of flowers - notably sunflowers - here and there. Further out, the ground drops a little and makes it to a concrete edge from which opens out into deeper water of the Atlantic.
The Dispensary is mostly dark, most uninhabited. It has electricity, but there are only a couple of souls here at the moment. One of them is Conrad, and he's in the first floor hallway doing something…odd.
Con's got a putter and has a dozen or so pennies on the floor. And one by one he is whacking the coins down the hall, seeing how far he can make them go. Taking a swing, he sends one skittering hard and crazy down the linoleum. "Awwww…." he groans, since the penny veers off course and hits the wall. That breaks his rules. It needs to not touch the wall.
At the other end of the hall there looks like there might be about five dollars in change all over the floor.
Morning comes, checking out of another hotel, eating breakfast, the routine Cat's followed since her release from Ethan's sadistic captivity. This time her day's plans include visiting the Harlem County morgue on business Kain Zarek pointed her out, and possibly telling Dani's parents to get fucked by large railroad spikes if they show up in Nuked York. There are other people she may want with her for that, in any case, and she has business with Mr. Wozniak to accomplish.
So Cat has made her way to Staten Island and entered the Old Dispensary, dressed in jeans and boots, waist length coat, hair tied back. The door opens, she steps through, and spots him there. She doesn't speak yet, just spends some time watching him.
It's damned hard to sneak up on someone with hearing like Conrad's. "Wassup?" he asks, lining up his next swing. He shifts his weight on his feet a little. Aims. The club comes back. He swings. The penny rockets across the floor like a tiny little hockey puck. "Yessss.." he hisses in mute victory, watching the penny as it cruises into the other pennies down there and knocks a few of them in new directions. He looks over his shoulder at Cat and it can be seen his eyes are kind of red. He's been up all night. "Hey Cat. Didn't expect to see you here."
"You look like hell, Conrad," Cat states as she walks close enough to see his eyes and spot the redness. "Coin hockey?" Brows are lifted at his invented sport, then her head shakes. "I came looking for you, on a couple items of business." The woman's features are focused, calmly so, with purpose behind those eyes.
"'Kay." Replies Conrad easily, looking down to the pennies to line up another shot. "I think it's like…coin shuffleboard. Or maybe some species of foozball." he pauses and looks back to Cat then and points up, saying, "Helena's asleep upstairs. You…wait you just said you were looking for me. Never mind. What's on your mind?" Back to lining up that next shot.
"Stormy's part of it," Cat replies. "She's hardnose, but she hadn't defended herself at the cost of someone's life before, I believe. It'll eat at her some. I'm hoping to talk with her at some point, if she'll allow it. There's only one person I let see my full reaction a few months back, when I had that experience. It's another of the things she and I understand, and knowing her it may well be we know that and never speak of it."
Some brief silence follows.
Then it breaks. "And I need to arm myself."
Con seems about to take his next shot, but hesitates, then thinks better of it. He props the putter over his shoulders like a yoke and turns to face cat. "I know about what Helena went through. Took her out last night, let her talk it out some. Not a whole lot we can do about it really. She's just gonna have to come to terms with it herself. But what're you asking? Are you wanting me to get you a gun or something?" From the expression on his face it's clear Conrad has trouble believing that's the case. It has to be something less simple.
"So there I was," Cat states, "on the raid, and packing just archery gear. Quiver and bow. Getting heckled by Brian for it too. Now, I told him there's an advantage, it doesn't make noise and attract cops, but the range is also less than ideal if needed, and at some points may not have the stopping power. So, yes, firearms." She watches him line up that shot, then shoulder the putter. "Fortunately Storms doesn't have my memory and that to deal with."
"Oh. Yeah. That would suck…" mutters Con. He frowns and looks down. "Well I can order you something, no problem. If you know what you want. Other than that I mean, we've got a stockpile of some weapons I think. I haven't looked at it myself. It's not like we have big plans to use it all that I know of." He takes a deep breath, thinking, then sighs it out. "Could get you a silencer if you're worried about it being all quiet. But that'll have to limit you to an automatic pistol. I'll be honest, pistols aren't my thing. I don't depend on guns anyway. Don't have to."
"We use the tools we have. Memory's good for learning how to do things, and all, but it doesn't stop people shooting at me, or throwing grenades." Cat goes quiet again, to think, then opines "Pistols are easier to conceal, and I can probably even get a judge to let me have a permit for it. Silencers, yes. Not drawing the cops in is always good. But I think I'll check out some rifles too. Helena said you know where the goods are kept."
"Yeah I do." agrees Con. He takes the putter and puts it against the wall, leaning it carefully there. Then he yawns. "…nyah…given any thought to what kind of weapon you're after? I mean you got a lot of calibers, a lot of difference in stopping power, penetration, all that stuff. Doubt you'll have much luck getting a permit for it in New York, but you're welcome to try. I mean honestly how you were you allowed to carry around a bow and arrow? Heh."
"Trunk of the car, duffel bag, there are ways," Cat replies. "I think first I'll look at what we have and check a few pieces out, read up on their operation and maintenance. M16 comes to mind, but the forces have also adopted others in limited ways. Like the P90."
Conrad nods along with that. "Well, last I knew they were stored in the basement of the Library. You're welcome to go through what we got. If we don't have what you're looking for it's easy to get hold of anything in the way of small arms though. I know two people I can get weapons through, so why not do your homework first and then do the shopping?" He grins. "I tell you one thing for sure, you're never getting a permit for carrying an assault rifle anywhere in New York. That's for damned sure. So you might wanna toss the legal all the way thought and break down and get a silencer. And a pistol with a threaded barrel so you can put it on and take it off."
"Who's our arms dealer?" Cat asks simply.
"I use Kain Zarek for big or complicated orders and I use Flint Deckard for smaller orders or things I wanna keep more or less on the down low." answers Conrad simply.
"Kain Zarek," Cat replies, her face shifting into something of a less pleasant expression. "I've met that guy," she states. "Where do I find him, and Mr. Deckard too? I may go looking at the stash we already have and pick out some samples to try until I find one that works best for me. Or buy my own. Is there a place you know of for safe weapons practice?"
"Kain's got this place. Uh…some kind of night club. I haven't been there in over a month. Forget the name. I got his number though. He probably will give you a hard time if you try to talk business to him, but you can have the phone number. Deckard's been staying at a Ferryman safehouse in Queens, or at least I think he's still there. I get in touch with him by phone too." That much is easy for Con to tell. The rest… "As for a safe place to practice, we'll probably try to set something up in the basement here. We have a lot of basement space in this building and that was part of the reason for moving here. Stuff like practice for weapons as well as abilities. Until then I'd just say go to Midtown where everything's all destroyed and fucked up and shoot shit."
She nods. "Or the woods of Connecticut." It's a place she's familiar with. "There are remote spots to use there, and hunters on occasion. Of course, in Midtown it doesn't matter much if silencers are used. The main thing is not attracting police."
There's a shrug in turn. "Or there. That's cool too. If you get hold of me or Liz, either of us can act as a silencer for you too." Likely a little thought of use for audiokinetics. Con looks Cat up and down and asks, "You doin okay?"
"That's a solid idea," Cat replies speculatively. "And I am. I'm going to Harlem County morgue later to make a claim," she adds, turning somber. "She was found, they have her there." The topic is left to hang, she stays quiet for some moments, before asking "What weapons do you personally recommend?"
Con shakes his head, but at the news. Not the question. "Forty caliber for pistols. It's a good solid round with enough stopping power but isn't too much gun for anybody really. And the ammo's cheaper than forty-five. Nine-mil's kind of weak. It won't knock down like forty. Thirty-eight's decent, but really you might as well go forty. Uhm…for rifles? Two-twenty-three caliber, or five point five six millimeter NATO. It's the same caliber essentially. That's what M-16's shoot. It's a common round, has good penetration, high accuracy, and a lot of rifle types shoot it or can be chambered to shoot it."
"M16, a good classic American weapon," Cat replies. "I presume some of the same principles as archery apply. Aim, hold breath, fire, exhale. Not doing it that way makes the body move and could throw the aim off."
"Yeah pretty much. But with distance shooting you'll want to learn different principles. Sight alignment, sight picture, bone support, breath control, trigger control. But if you get a select-fire weapon you'll be dealing with full auto or three round burst functions and that's a whole different ballgame." Conrad rubs his eyes and says, "There's a lot of information out there about it. And you're an info sponge, so use that. I'll look at what we have and get back to you on it. In the meantime try to figure out what you wanna go with and I'll make it happen for you, okay?"
"At some point I want to find Kain Zarek, but I don't want him to know I'm connected with you," she states calmly. "What part of town is his club in, Conrad? And… I want a 40 caliber pistol with silencer and ammo, also an M16. I can read up, that tells me what to do, from there it's just practice to make my body do the needed things."
Con thinks on that hard and says, "It's in Manhattan. I'll find out for sure which place it is and let you know. We might have trouble getting you a full functional M-16, but if that doesn't pan out we'll get you an M-4 carbine or a select fire AR-15. They're just as good."
"Thanks," she answers. "Tell Storms I'll see her at the library later to talk bridges." And with that, Cat departs.
 January 9th: Alike |
 January 9th: Just Bones |