Day 264 - Thursday, September 11th

[papalobo]

[Max sleeps; has as he'd thought, he achieves nothing, and he's not even a small-talk source of comfort or somebody to soothe Ash's nerves before his two AM meeting with yet another Chinese teenager. Something about Chinese teenagers seems to always spell trouble for Ash, and now he's in a mess involving no less than four of them.

But Max doesn't move. If Ash comes to see him, setting that pill counter and the note about the smoothie, he may notice he hasn't so much as shifted a finger. Ash has had to turn to painting, but there's no need to lock that room before, or even for a long while after. The only one in this house besides him is a breathing corpse.

But Shawn's ready and waiting for him at one, prepared to be decked out a wires that Ling's likely to hang him with if he finds out about them.]

Comments

[papalobo]

They gotta insult me on top the injury? And I don't know a lot about needles. It didn't look like a shiny, fresh diabetic one, if that's what you mean.

[jadedlynx]

I'm going back in to look for more. If I'm not back by the time your new ride gets here, take it.

[ There's enough time for him to get in there and be back by then so it'll mean something happened. ]

If I can find it, I want you to play doctor with Ling.

[papalobo]

So that's why you were offering to pay my way to college. I'm gonna be a medic!

[jadedlynx]

Yeah. I'll always be a good doctor.

The guy who picks you up will open with the word 'unit'. The door stays locked until then, but if you keep your head down, nothing will seem off.

[ As he instructs Shawn on the plan, he sends a text to a woman who played his mom.

She was indifferent to him, just like his real mom, so she did a good job. ]

It's Ash. Leave your house now and don't be home again until I tell you.

[ It's not hard to connect the swan to a pretty woman. ]

[papalobo]

??

[jadedlynx]

Just do it. I'm trying to save your life.

[ And possibly more.

Back through the small space. ]

[papalobo]

[There are two voices inside now, an older woman and a man, arguing loudly in Chinese.]

[jadedlynx]

[ The translation app might work better with the louder voices.

He'll also record it. If they say where the other hostages are...

Max. ]

[papalobo]

In my house! There's a dead body in my house! I did not order a dead body in my house! I let you stay here, so you don't be bodies! And yet you become dead bodies! And in my house!

You old woman! I'm gonna be a dead body soon! They took the living body!

I don't want to know what bodies are in my house, I just don't want dead bodies in my house!

I'll tell you who put a dead body in this house! It's the leader of that white boy's gang!

Well the police can't come here! I'll call the neighbors, we'll get the body out my house, get it to police territory! No more dead bodies in my house! When you kill that white boy, you make sure you do it somewhere besides my house!

[jadedlynx]

[ There's an admission of hostage. There's tampering.

None of it tells him where Wu, Sing, or Max are being held. The old woman will leave first. She'll likely make the call on a normal phone. He'll keep listening, but the ultimate goal is to hear the door close. ]

[papalobo]

[The door to the hallway is still open; when someone passes by to go to the stairs, they may see him there on the fire escape.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He doesn't need to see into the bathroom; he's not visible unless they come closer to the window. Ash knows it's important to be out of sight until he makes a move. ]

[papalobo]

[The talk continues; the man gets a phone call and reports that the other is dead, and the monkey has been taken. Yes, he's gotten a report from an old woman next door that a white boy was seen leaving with a husk of meat that was probably the monkey. Chang Dai's window has been broken in. The police have been called. They're finding his car now. Through it, the old woman beside him is insistent on getting the dead body out of her house.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Call their neighbors to help move it. He's calling his partners in crime. Are the other men so close?

A boy, man really, finally shows up at Ash's car. He knows what to look for so even if Shawn decides to hide, he'll knock on the window and give the offered word. ]

[papalobo]

[Damn it. As tempted as he is to wait it out, he does know he'll cause more problems trying to make himself useful right now. So up he pops, ready to go.

Leaving his savior behind. No matter how cool and competent Ash may be, he can't help but worry.]

[jadedlynx]

[ The guy would mention that the few who know he's missing have been worried so even if he's as gruff as the usual gangster, Shawn gets a welcome back before they drive off.

Ash is at least safe while hanging outside of the window. Relatively so. ]

[papalobo]

[The man is the first to pass by, however, still on the phone. His eyes might glance to the fire escape in passing, knowing it had to be where the break in--and out--came from, but he continues on to the steps... at least for the first three steps before deciding he should at least turn around and go close that window.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He hears the steps. He could jump down and run, but they have Max. Ash has a limit on how much movement he'll be allowed before they reach out to him and make demands.

It's the best-case scenario if the guy hangs up the phone before making it to the window. Either way, still hoping for the silent approach, Ash stands right before the guy gets close enough to see him or be within reach of the gun pointed at him. The finger to his lips indicates that he should be silent. ]

[papalobo]

[He continues talking as he approaches; Ash can't look at the translator at the same time he watches, but his words come to an awkward, stunned stop as he sees him. Ash can already hear the other end talking, likely asking what the sudden silence is about.]

[jadedlynx]

[ No, but he has it close by. When the man actually stops, Ash raises it up a bit. ]

Make an excuse to hang up.

[ It's so quite that it might even be difficult for him to hear. ]

[papalobo]

She shi zhengzai yong qiang zhizhe wo, rang wo gua dianhua...

[He speaks, tone as even as possible, eyes on Ash's. Ash can't hear the answer on the phone.]

[jadedlynx]

[ He can look at the translation app. He's a fast reader, and Ash was sure to stop the guy out of reaching distance of the gun. ]

[papalobo]

["The lynx is pointing a gun at me, telling me to hang up."]

[jadedlynx]

None of you are very good at instructions, are you? Give me the phone while you have the chance to save your neck.

[papalobo]

[He grits his teeth and stares, debating his options.]