Second Wind

Chapter 10: Recon Mission

Two weeks passed since the reunion between Blake and the bartender - throughout the fortnight, she was constantly on the move, keeping her eyes on anything and everything that happens on Brightmoor's streets. While she constantly gathered intel by actively spying and following the trails of anyone she deemed suspicious, the bartender made sure that the intel was safeguarded - every interaction or drug exchange that she found was actively kept track of and pinned on a map of the neighborhood that he had gotten just to make sure that they were able to sense a pattern with what she had found. On the fourteenth day, she had returned from her usual routine as she arrived at the bar, where the bartender was waiting for her. She looked slightly tired and fatigued - most likely due to the fact that she had been losing sleep over this seemingly herculean task that she had put herself into.

It was nighttime - much of the neighborhood has been drowned in nothing but quiet. Very few people are out on the street at this point, but then again, it is not like many were out during the day, either. To be outside when the Pathfinder influence is so severe would certainly mean suicide for those brave, or foolish, enough to even step out of their doors. As Blake walked up to her seat, the bartender blankly stared at her, waiting for her to take her seat - something which did not take her long to do. Once she was scooched up to the table, she took a deep breath, letting out a yawn afterward before telling him everything he needed to know.

"Alright...over the past two weeks, I've been seeing some recurring people linger around in two particular places - the Detroit Public and Community Schools. Something tells me most of the drug exchanges happen there. From time to time, I do see an exchange occurring within the alleyways, away from view, but for the most part, it looks like many people have a tendency to show up at the schools. You think this lines up with the other info that we came across?"

In response to her question, he went underneath the table, opening up a drawer of sorts as he pulled out a map of Brightmoor, and when he spread it out on the table, she saw a bunch of marked spots, which represented the places where she had spotted suspicious activity during her many scouting trips throughout the neighborhood. A huge majority of the crosses reveal that much of this activity was situated close to the schools that she had mentioned earlier. There were a few crosses spread out in a few alleys, but many of them were within a one or two mile proximity of the schools.

"Looks like you're on to something here. If the drugs are stored in those two buildings, then it's definitely a good idea for you to see what's going on for yourself. But if they are stored there, then the number of gangsters who'll guard those spots will definitely be high...it'll be dangerous for you to go in without a plan."

"I cannot afford to let them see me, either...otherwise, I'm done for. I think I'll need to sneak myself in. But how?"

"You'll need to disguise yourself as a drug addict, maybe. Instead of having to go there yourself, have them come to you. Then maybe you'll be able to get to your destination without risking your position."

"That does sound like a good idea, but...if the drugs really are in the schools, that will mean that I need to destroy everything inside. I'll need to figure out a way to take down the buildings while remaining unseen."

"Hmm...we'll need to plan this carefully. One wrong move and you're history. Besides, you're only destroying the drug supply...but not the drug suppliers. You get what I mean, right?"

"Yeah, I get you. I think we'll need to root out the supplier from the supply first before we do anything else. No point destroying the stockpile when it can be brought back in due time."

"Which means you'll have to continue your scouting activities, then."

"Mhm. You think you can look around the city and find any kind of suspicious activity? If you're able to fix me up with someone who's actively selling drugs, I'll be able to get more information out of them myself."

"Sounds like a plan. But don't actually snort those damn things, kid."

"Psh, don't worry about it. I'm not keen on getting myself involved in something I'm gonna destroy in the end anyway."

"Good. But for now, it is best that you get yourself some rest. You've been driving for hours."

"Ugh, is sleep even necessary during a time like this? Gotta be quick and efficient, old man!"

"If you don't rest, you'll keel over before you can even make a change on this city. Just a reminder."

"Psh, fine..."

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Another fortnight passed after they agreed on seeking out the drug suppliers first, and after spending so many days driving around the streets of Brightmoor, she had already learned of everything the neighborhood had to offer. She remembered every alley, every road, every building that possessed activity...she could remember everything that needed remembering when it came to the neighborhood. At the end of the fortnight, she arrived at the bar once again, and sure enough, the bartender was there. There was already a drink placed on the table in front of her seat, and as to what the drink was, it was probably some whiskey. 

When she took her seat in front of him, she took a sip from the glass as she then let out a huff soon after, feeling her entire body shiver in response to the taste of the drink before placing the glass down - at that moment, the bartender asked involving what she had found over the course of those fourteen days.

"So, found anything?"

"Sure have. But of course, I had to get my hands dirty on some occasions in order to get some extra info out."

"...I'm guessing there's some bodies on the streets now."

"Yep. It needed to be done, honestly. But from what I have learned, the drugs seem to come from two particular places - all of them being churches. They're not drug stockpiles, however."

"Hm? Looks like you managed to find the source of it all."

"Maybe...judging by what I've learned from my interrogations, they're not getting their drugs imported. They're instead having their drugs made right here in Brightmoor. It's probably so that they do not leave a trail that can be easily detected and tracked."

"Now this I did not expect...well, if I have to guess based on what your findings are, then the drug makers are working within the two churches before sending them out to the schools in order to have them stored and sent out to the drug dealers later."

"Looks like that's how they're working."

"You figured out what the churches are?"

"I haven't gotten the names yet, but knowing that they're churches, it's not like there's a multitude of options for us to gamble on. I'll need to do a stakeout and look at all the churches within Brightmoor from afar so that I don't get seen - I have a feeling that these guys will only operate at night. I'm aware that the Pathfinder has overwhelming control over this place, meaning they can do this at whatever time they want, but I've been driving down these streets for basically a whole month now...and I've never seen any activity near the churches during the day...either way, it's best that I take a closer look."

"Sounds good to me. Make sure you fully prepare yourself before you leave - don't want you having a bullet short."

"I'll be fine. Besides, I'm not keen on going there, guns blazing, you know."

"I'm aware. But be careful nonetheless."

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Hours passed after their meeting, and sure enough, Blake found herself on the street which corresponded with one of the churches, with that particular spot being the People of the Light Ministries – a rather long name, but a name like that can definitely attract some attention, at least. There were three other churches down the same street that she was in as well, so if there was no activity to be found there, then she could always go down the road to try her luck at another potential spot. For now, though, she chose to keep herself hidden away from view, parked at an alley close to the Outer Dr Way as she kept her eyes open for any kind of activity during these late hours – she knew that she was not in a position to attack them directly, so it was best to just stymie their movements and gauge when to strike via the obtained intel.

Two hours would pass after the midnight mark, and virtually nothing was going on. Although she wanted to be patient, her short-tempered behavior left her more agitated if anything - she wanted something to happen so that she could have something to work with, but that 'something' just never showed up at all. It was already the late hours of the morning, and despite her tired mind telling her to just give it up and try again tomorrow, her stubbornness meant that she was not keen on backing down at all. Just as it seemed like she was about to burst into a ranting session, she suddenly heard the sounds of cars and footsteps - something that immediately sent her on high alert as she quickly shrouded herself further into the alley in order to avoid detection. As she heard the noise grow louder, she kept her pistol on the ready, waiting for anything to happen should things turn south and her cover gets blown.

It did not take her long for her to notice vehicle headlights shining down the road, and when she noticed a legion of pickup trucks and minivans barreling down the street - at that instant, she knew that the People of the Light Ministries was not the church they'll be heading to, but just up ahead, they did end up stopping at a different church, which was close to Stout Street. The church itself was the Grace Refuge Chapel, which was a relatively small church compared to the others that were scattered across Brightmoor. Knowing that she could not afford to lose them, she quickly got herself onto her motorcycle before making her move, though she chose to back away and take the street that was on the other end of the alley she was in, so that she could minimize the risk of detection. When she reached Eaton Avenue, she sped up her pursuit of the convoy as she soon arrived at Stout Street - sure enough, she saw the vehicles parked opposite her current location.

When she saw the headlights turn off, she quickly reversed her vehicle a little before heading into Fielding Street so that she could continue hiding herself while also keeping herself close to her targets. After she parked her vehicle near the end of the alley, she took a deep breath as she poked her head out from the alley, getting ready to take a closer look at what was lying in way before her. She squinted her eyes as she saw the vehicle doors open in unison. After the doors were opened, out came a mob of masked gangsters as they got themselves on the road. However, it looked like they were not here to commit their usual acts of terror on the people.

They were here as escorts.

After everyone had gotten outside, everyone had their general sights focused on the vehicle interiors as a group of individuals in hazmat suits started coming out from the trucks and vans. They looked to be carrying a few things on them, with those things being suitcases and backpacks. Once these particular people were out in the open, the doors were closed for good as the vehicle booths were open, revealing even more things inside. Boxes were stored inside the booths, but as to what were within them, it was impossible to tell due to how far she was from everyone else. Maybe she'll find out in due time, but for now, she knew that she needed to maintain her distance for the time being. Once everything was taken out of the vehicles, the booths were closed up as they finally got themselves moving as the crew got into the church.

Once everyone was seemingly out of her sight, she took a deep breath as she prepared herself for the next phase of her plan.

Confirm her findings and learn of what was going on there.

After managing to muster up the confidence she had within herself, she got a move on as she got herself onto the street and towards the church as she watched everyone enter inside the building, and when the doors were closed shut behind them once everyone was within the church, the noise generated from the doors being slammed shut resonated throughout the entire street, momentarily breaking the dominant silence in the process. An unnerving turn of events, but nothing too terrifying.

Hopefully.

Once she got herself close to the church, she took one good look at the windows of the building, and when she noticed light coming from the windows, she was quick to conclude that the church lights were on - however, when she tried to peek through the windows, she realized that the windows were made of warped, colored glass, rendering her practically unable to see what was happening on the other side, much to her dismay. However, the windows could not mask the noise that was being made within the building - the sounds of footsteps and assembly left her with many conclusions on her mind, but she ultimately came to one definitive answer as she convinced herself of what she had learned.

The drugs were definitely being made here. This place had to be one of the two spots where the drugs were being manufactured. It maybe difficult for one team to produce enough drugs to supply the two schools which functioned as the presumed places of storage, and when she came to this thought, another question soon popped in her mind:

Where was the second supply point?

A question that she had to answer later, since she had this sneaking suspicion that her welcome was being overstayed. She knew there was no reason for her to continue staying here any longer. Knowing that she should not waste any more time here, she quickly turned around and made her way back to her motorcycle in order to get herself out of dangerous territory. However, just as she got herself on the road, she suddenly heard a voice behind her as she suddenly froze in place, her eyes widening as she realized that she had been spotted. Knowing that running would mean certain death, she looked over towards the side as she saw a masked mobster behind her, just close to the church as they had their firearm out, their gun aimed right at her back.

"Keep still and hands on your head!"

With the vigilante forced to comply, she reluctantly placed her hands behind her head as she turned around to face the gangster. Once she revealed herself to them, they blankly stared at her through the mask before continuing to speak up in their threatening tone.

"What the hell are you doing here? What do you want, huh? Why were you looking through the glass?"

She had to improvise. Fast.

"Uhm...I...what is going on there...?"

"None of your business. Now who the hell are ya?! Answer before I put this bullet between ya eyes!"

"Uhh...I need...a fix, ya know? And I saw everyone here while I was...roaming around, so I figured I could ask you guys for...you know, the stuff after I got some of it. You guys got it in there?"

"...why do you need to know? If you want your fix, get it at the usual spot tomorrow. You know where it is. Don't know why the hell you gotta come here to ask for it."

This was her chance to confirm her suspicions involving the schools - a chance that she decided to pounce on upon finding herself in this very opportune situation.

"Uh...where do I gotta go again? I can barely remember things nowadays, I'm kinda new to this whole thing, sorry..."

"Dammit, you're one of those new junkies...fine, I'm sure you know Detroit Community and Public School. That's where most of our dealers are - if you want some of our stuff, you go there and meet with those guys. They'll fix you up with what you need. How the hell did you get our drugs without contacting us, anyway?"

"Eh, my friend let me try some, and...well, you know the rest. Thanks...for the help."

"Right. Now get the f**k outta here. If I see you around here again, I won't hesitate to shoot you then."

"Ehm...alright."

Not...the best impression of a druggie, but at least it worked.

As soon as the gangster turned away from her and began walking back to the building, another idea soon came to her head as she found an opportunity that she just could not ignore. With the gangster deemed vulnerable in her point of view, her mind was completely purged of the nervousness she had just mere seconds ago as she quickly drew her pistol before firing a shot right at the mobster - it was a perfect shot, with the bullet driving itself right into the back of the gangster's head as their walking was suddenly reduced to stumbling before they fell down to the floor, with the thug dead on the spot.

With the mobster dispatched, she quickly rushed over to them before proceeding to drag their body into the alley that was behind her - the same alley where she parked her motorcycle at, in fact. It was not long before the two of them were soon out of sight as they vanished into Fielding Street. After a few minutes had passed, the vigilante stepped out from the alley once more - this time, however, she was now donning the clothes as well as the mask that the mobster had worn so that she could sneak her way into the church without risking any kind of suspicion from the others inside. She could only hope that the shot she fired was not loud enough to alert anyone else in the building.

Once she got inside the church, she closed the doors behind her before gazing at what was lying in wait before her - given the size of the church on the outside, it meant that there was only one room inside, and that was the prayer hall. However, the entire place was heavily modified to the point where it barely resembled a prayer hall anymore. The benches had been removed and put towards the ends of the walls rather than in the middle of the room - the space in the middle was instead taken up by work tables and chairs. There were a bunch of people walking around, most of them being the masked goons that were accompanying the people in hazmat suits, who were seated by their tables, hard at work. Another thing that she noticed was the materials that were scattered on the tables themselves - she never knew what they were, but judging by the chemicals and powders lying about, they had to be the ingredients needed to cook the drugs that they wanted to ship out and sell.

While she tried to take in this new environment that she threw herself into, a fellow goon suddenly approached her as they tapped her on the shoulder, causing her to momentarily flinch as they spoke to her.

"I heard something outside, man. Did you check what it was?"

"Uh, um...yeah. Somebody tried to break into this place...turns out it was some mad junkie who completely lost their mind. Couldn't do anything but gun them down on the spot, seeing how they were not keen on calming themselves down. Damn prick tried to attack me as well, so yeah. Nothing else I could've done there..."

"Hmph...that's one waste of a good customer...oh well, what can ya do about it, I guess...anyways, get back to work. We need to make sure that these guys are working and nothing else. Besides, if she catches you slacking off, she'll have your head on a plate."

'She'? Who was 'she'? As much as she wanted to ask them about it, she knew that this was a very risky move - after all, she was going on under the assumption that everyone working within the Pathfinder knew who 'she' was. She needed to play along for the time being, at least until she learns who this person was. Once she managed to clear her thoughts, she quickly addressed the mobster's concerns before she got moving, with the vigilante walking past them as they joined up with the others.

"Oh yeah, in that case, we gotta get moving. Don't wanna get ourselves in trouble and all."

"Tell me about it. She's terrifying, that woman...but we'll talk about it later. Don't wanna get caught by her right now..."

Blake was going to be stuck here for a while...perfect. She needed to maintain this facade for a while, but she could learn some valuable information about the whole drug problem that has been running rampant on the streets of Brightmoor. She had to find out the location of the second spot where the drugs were being made, and more importantly, the locations of the drug stockpiles - turns out that the schools were merely contact points between clients and dealers for exchanges, and not the actually storage areas themselves. Blending in was going to be tough...

...but she needed to get used to it.