Itching for a Hunt

[Jacob]

Jacob was itching for a hunt. Moscow was different. It didn't work like it did back home. But the database was handy once he got one young lady who was a pistol whip of a character to help him figure it all out. She was awful flirty but Jacob didn't mind. It made it all worth it in the end.

There were a lot of details in this database. And even a few unknowns, Jacob liked the unknown the potential for danger.  He reached out through the system to the hunter who catalogued the report.

It took Jacob a few minutes to get the message sent out through their encrypted system but he did figure it out without any help at all.

This cave?  What can you tell me about it?  Thinking about taking a trip out there.

[Enrique]

Enrique was looking at computer parts. Marta had got into computers recently and had this goal of building her own. She had asked for some parts for Christmas to get started. Ricky figured it would be a good hobby for her. She had gotten some work too babysitting Nox's baby. She enjoyed it, and was making some money. It was a big step for her regardless. She deserved the parts.

Ricky was interrupted by a notification on the Atharim encrypted system. Another hunter, one Jacob Dean, had found his message on the cave and had sent a request on it. Ricky typed back.

Not much at this point. Heard some stories of people going missing in the area, decided to check it out. Found the cave - it's littered with bones - many of them human. Decided to flag it and wait for back up. It could be nothing, but my instincts say there is something there, and it's hungry.

Ricky didn't know this guy from Adam and he wasn't going to say how he actually learned of the cave. That would paint too much light on Marta, but at the same time, it wasn't a lie. Ricky had done more research and there were several missing persons reports in the vicinity of the cave. Enough to warrant a search anyways.

[Jacob]

It wasn't long before he received a message at the terminal. Was probably a good thing he hadn't gotten up and left. He was doing his own bit of research. There were no real mysteries Jacob wasn't going to figure out. It didn't look like it'd be a human killing sight, it wasn't a building or anything like that. It was right up his alley just like old times sake. He wondered if Nox would be up for the hunt, but a message came in as he was thinking about the boy and realized he was busy too. A hunt would be good, but it wasn't his hunt so he told him he'd connect later. If he lived it would matter, if not well then at least he went out in a fight instead of bed. That's all Jacob really wanted -- to not die in bed like an old man.

He tapped out another reply and this time it went a bit quicker, though Jacob still hadn't mastered typing on a keyboard much less his phone, even with the holographic display Nox had installed where he could easily have a screen and keyboard and all that jazz for him. It was much better on his old eyes though.

I'll meet you on the outskirts of Moscow in about 2 hours. Gear up and let's go see.

Jacob realized that was probably not going to fly, he was hardly known in Moscow, though some people had heard rumors about the Black Viper and his medallion never hung far from his skin but some had seen it in the halls and there were whispers. Maybe he'd pass it on down to Nox soon. Maybe, he was proving himself to be quite the hunter despite his father's compulsion to dismiss the boy.

That is if you want. I'm going to head out. I'll wait if you wanna join me. Leaving HQ. Call if you need more info.

This time with the message he sent his personal information which also included make model and license of his rental vehicle. As well as the GPS location of where he wanted to meet. That was better.

[[ooc: there should be basic info about Jacob as a hunter in the system, most notably his channeler kills, his partner lists which would have Noel Durante on the list, and that he's an American hunter... but not much more than that. If Ricky wants to look him up. Oh and he'd have a connection to Zef in there, but not Nox cause Nox is still classified as a traitor/channeler. ]]

[Enrique]

Ricky received the reply from Jacob, and shortly after a second one. It caused Ricky to smirk a bit. He knew what had caused it. The pair had never worked together before and he didn't want to assume that Ricky would actually want to join him. Ricky did a cursory search on him, finding his Atharim file. He certainly had a reputation it seemed. Channeler kills were pretty notable on there. That told Ricky he wasn't one of the "traitors". It was a good thing to know going in. He had worked with those before - most notably Jacinda Cross. He could do it - at least for now. Keeping Marta's gifts quiet was simple enough. Former partners showed a "Noel Durante". If he remembered correctly, Durante was Nox's last name. Perhaps the pair had some sort of connection. Ricky decided, given Dean's record, to not mention Nox. Not unless he had to anyways. It was enough for Ricky to decide to actually work with the man though. Ricky had all the information he needed.

I'll be there.

Ricky got his kit ready, His guns were in immaculate shape, but he still checked them. His combat knife was sharp and his first aid kid was full. He double checked the first aid kit. After the ordeal with Nox and the Dreykan, he wanted to be prepared for an injury scenario. At least in this case, it wouldn't be a surprise.

Ricky arrived nearly on time and found the car in question there. Jacob Dean was an older man, but fit. He gave the man a polite nod as he approached. "Enrique...Ricky if you prefer," he said in introduction.

[Jacob]

Jacob raided Nox's storage shed. The Atharim HQ would have lent him whatever he needed, but he trusted Nox's gear better than some random person's picks. And most of it was either Noel's or Bryan's that left Nox with sentimental gear and the gear he actually used. Jacob went down memory lane a little while he went through the gear. He didn't take anything he knew Nox used, like the crossbow, or the lighter hand pistols. He did take one of the older cross bows, an extra pack of gear Nox had packed. He knew the boy kept an identical or nearly one at his house. He lived out of two bags, he always had. That was a Byran thing and not something he learned from his father -- Bryan that was.

Jacob didn't mind the rental. He'd have used Nox's car if Nox owned one, but he didn't. The boy walked everywhere or used public transit. But again that was rebeling against his father more than anything. But it would have made life a bit easier than leaving a rental car on the side of the road. He would have to make sure to hide it real well if they went off and left it like it was abandoned or something.

When the other hunter arrived Jacob smiled and offered his hand as he climbed in the truck with his introduction. "Well, Ricky, it's a pleasure to met you. I'm Jacob. Shall we go check out this mystery cave?"

[[ ooc: I'll let you take us to someplace to park and describe the area since it's your hunt ]]

[Enrique]

Enrique took the older man's hand and got into the passenger side of the truck. They had some time to kill and Ricky had told the man how much, or how little rather, he knew of the cave, but he did go over some of the details of the disappearances in the area. Mostly campers or teens who had headed out into the countryside for a fling. They'd go on a hike or something, and then would never return. The disappearances seemed to triangulate near the cave. Something had likely made it's nest there.

They filled out the rest of the time with other conversation. Ricky told him of growing up in Texas and his gunslinging days. They shared hunts, Ricky specifically mentioning the chupacabra that had gained Atharim attention, leading to his recruitment, and the quetzacoalus hunt.Jacob had quite the rap sheet when it came to hunts.

Ricky directed him to a place to park. The pair spent some time covering the vehicle so no one thought it was abandoned. It wouldn't do to have their ride towed while they were gone. "we got a bit of a walk now," Ricky informed Jacob, giving his equipment a final check and taking the lead.

They had to go through a forested area to get there. Ricky prepped his landwarriors to be ready, it would get dark as they explored it. Entering the cave and heading towards the back, arriving at the place where Ricky decided to turn back. Bones littered the floor, some clearly human, thrown haphazardly around the cave itself. There was an entrance to another chamber there.

"This is where I got last time," Ricky spoke quietly, but didn't explain more. Generally, it was a good to be quiet.

Ricky signaled that to move down the corridor, and once again he took the lead. Then the silence of the cave was pierced by a sound. Ricky raised a hand, indicated a stop as he listened. There was something farther down in the cave and it sounded like it was feeding. Ricky motioned for them to move again, trusting the older hunter's experience to get into position. They would find their prey soon enough.

[Jacob]

It was not a normal hunt. At least not so much as Jacob was concerned. It was new hunting with a new partner or with anyone. He'd not truly found another partner since Noel died. But this was different, this man was a stranger. But by the time they reached the woods where this cave was, Ricky was much less a stranger. And someone who had a fondness for home. It wa something he had expected to find in Nox -- after he'd resigned to the fact that the boy was a far better hunter than anyone gave him credit for, god or no.

While the car ride had been full of conversation the hike had not been. It was time to work.

Through the cave there was a loud growl, bones snapped underneath their feet. A skull rolled down the cavern floor from whatever moved in front of them. "That sounds big."

[Enrique]

Ricky stepped forward cautiously and slowly. His guns were in hand. Jacob was there, ready. There was something in here. That was clear, and Ricky agreed with Jacob; it was big. The tunnel began to narrow, forcing the pair into a single file line. Ricky didn’t like that. Bottle necks were not fun.

The pair had nowhere to go but forward, however, so they moved, keeping quiet. The sound of feeding was getting louder and the creature growled. The tunnel began to widen again, and Ricky found a place where he could get cover to peak into the next chamber.

A large creature, inhuman was hunched over a corpse. There was little left of it. It was tall and muscular, as it finished its meal, it threw the bones across the chamber. Bones cracked and shattered against the cave wall. The creature growled again, sniffing the air. Ricky wondered if it could even smell them over the stench of decaying flesh. But as it turned, Ricky caught sight of the unnaturally red hair on its back. He knew what it was now, even if he’d never fought one before.

”Strygza,” Ricky whispered to Jacob. ”Done feeding.”

Ricky pulled out a flash grenade and signaled to Jacob. His plan was to throw it, stun the the thing, and then they could head in and take it out. The flash bang would bring sudden light to the cave, blinding and/or stunning the creature. He felt surprise would be their ally here. He waited for confirmation of approval or other suggestions from the more experienced hunter.

[[OOC: If Jacob agrees, Ricky will throw the grenade - feel free to mod that.]]

[Jacob]

Strzyga were one of those things that Jacob rarely saw. It was unusual. Required special circumstances.

Ricky pulled the flash bang and indicted he wanted to throw it. Jacob nodded and turned away so his sight wouldn't be ruined like the creature. They would need a machete by the end of this, killing one was easy enough. Their hide wasn't think like an oni. But beheading was important and burying separately. Nox burnt the body and head in his last encounter -- or so the report said. They might want to do that... or burn the body and bury the head. That sounded easier. Though burning the head might be simpler and smaller and less smelly.

The grenade went off, Jacob saw a flash of light through his turned closed eyes and then when the light was gun he moved in with his gun drawn. He and Ricky moved with efficiency, almost like they had worked together before. Hunters did that when they knew what they were doing.

The creature flailed around thrashing from the light. It couldn't see anything but the blinding aura of the flash bang. It made it more dangerous, but they expected it as the moved in for the kill.

[Enrique]

Ricky threw the flash bang, closing his eyes and covering his ears to prevent the disorientation. He could see the flash through his eyelids and he took that as the sign to go. Both him and Jacob moved with a practiced ease and without fear. They had the high ground in this. The creature screamed in confusion, trying to clear the stars from its eyes. It moved around, disoriented and confused, thrashing with its arms.

Ricky and Jacob were professionals though. They had expected this, their eyes were up and paying attention. Ricky's guns slid out of well oiled leather holsters. The weight of the revolvers had always felt right in his hands, and they took aim with a practiced and instinctual ease. Ricky took aim and fired. The twin revolvers barked at the creature, the shots finding their way into the creatures body. Occasionally a bullet would strike a flailing arm, but most of them hit home. A couple landed into one of the creatures two hearts and several hit its face. The creature began to slow, its movements becoming slugglish. Twelve shots fired, and Ricky flipped out to his other pair, but the creature had fallen before he could shoot more. Still he kept his guns aimed on the creature. Never hurt to be careful.

The echoes of the gun fire continued to reverberate for a couple of seconds and the scent of the gunpowder mixed with the scent of decay, slowly Ricky approached the creature, it did not move. Ricky gave a slight shrug. "Don't suppose you brought a machete, did you?" he said with a slight smirk. "That's my first Strygza under my belt."