"It's our contact. He'll have to get used to disappointment." Norum says, picking up his phone, checking the screen to see 47 missed calls and 168 texts, the vast majority from Dan. His head reals and he sighs. "Hhhh— oh by the way guys, sorry about the rum thing. I thought we'd have to hide it out."
He places a call to Elena, waits for the instantaneous answer. "Yo, Twitchy's gonna have to get some bad news. I'll give him a call now....." He looks at the street signs just ahead. "..Actually we're not too far off. We're paying him a visit. I'll tell ya about it later." The call stops.
"Alright boys, we're paying this starfish a visit."
Norum signals to the two to follow to the left as he makes a turn to the left at the next street.
After a few blocks following that turn, they arrive at a shabby apartment complex, two outside lights flickering and moths fluttering around them, various plastic bags and other trash puled up in the gutter.
Considering Elena has a phone in her head, and the fact the call accepted, you figure she got the message.
Ryde looks around at the apartment complex's rooms, checking for anyone who is spectating them.
You are catching a lot of glances from the people who are out smoking and drinking on their balconies. Some look confused, others look unfriendly.
As you three enter the foyer, there is a small closed office to your left, barred and locked up tight. On your right there is a bench underneath a community board with dozens of papers attached to it. Many are cheap advertisements for awful job openings, stuffty insurance, tax lawyers, custody lawyers, payday lenders, precious metals schemes, drug and alcohol therapy groups, religious advertisements. The papers are torn and those that have strips at the bottom to be taken often have a few missing.
The foyer is bathed in bright white light, there is grime on the off color walls and painted brick faces. The ceiling is low and the carpet is tacky, and if it were not dark already one would have been able to see the stains from years of abuse. The building smells like smoke, along with an unknown but unique odor, likely from the inhabitants of the building wearing it down over decades. You can hear faintly the sound of loud TV's, parties, and crying children.
Norum knows the way to Dan's apartment.
Amanda checks the office door first, looking for any kind of terminal to link to.
There's a computer screen in the office showing views from a handful of security cameras. About half of them are dead. You find a port that will accept the drive Elena's gave you.
