1 - Bottled Up

Kla gets the message. He says to the others, "Text me when you get to your next stop." With that he leaves the building, looks for a crowd, and tries to blend in.

"Well, that was..." Aiko coughs to clear her throat. "Unexpected. So, want me to go chat up some camera owners and see what I can find?"

While she'd probably sold herself short on her lockpicking skills, after seeing someone a bit more confident end up in that situation she doesn't think its worth taking the risk. Instead, she turns to annoying people until she gets what she wants, her second best skill in life.

Aiko scopes out a camera on the corner of a building across from the rear alley entrance way to Siam Plaza. Anyone who wants to unload something would use this rear alley instead of in front of the large plaza. The camera would have an unobstructed view and would be perfect. Aiko jogs across the street and sees it is a dry-cleaning business. The open sign is on so Aiko goes inside...and stops dead in her tracks as she sees who is behind the counter and is staring directly at her.

Tadaoshi informs Ryosuke and Knockout of his intentions before heading out after Aiko to to find if any nearby shops with cameras are willing to share their video feed over the last couple of days. As he does he looks at where Aiko went and mutters a reminder to himself about getting secure coms for the group to coordinate better.

Ryosuke, hearing the alarm, briskly exits the building. Counting on his bland appearance and the distraction of the blaring alarm, he tried to weave his way across the street without looking like he was fleeing the scene, ducking into a convenience store and purchasing a bottle of iced tea.

He glanced over his shoulder, as if just suddenly noticing the alarm. He spoke quietly to the cashier. "That's strange. Who is in there?"

Knockout follows Ryosuke to get away from the building, though trying to stay close enough to see whenever the security forces is finished, so they quickly can get back to the task unless his companions have better luck.

Ah, damn. Aiko pursed her lips as she considered her next move. Part of her wanted to smile and wave or something, but acting like an old friend would make things worse. She knew she'd be recognised after all.

Ms. Apinya still had the same thin framed glasses and narrow jaw. She looked older than she had when they'd last met, more wrinkles, but Aiko had little doubt the cause was stress. She had a simple tee and skirt on, a far cry from the luxurious suit from before too. Even still, Aiko felt the feint sense of the bizarre that radiated off her as a by product of being a mystic.

The severe, skeletal woman had been a secretary cross advisor for the company the scam group had targeted. She'd never trusted Aiko or Bobby, but since there was nothing magic going on she didn't have a reason to refuse. Her boss had fallen hook line and sinker for all manner of bootleg cybervans; sleek on the outside but junk on the inside. They'd lost everything.

She must've lost her job. And now, as fate would have it, she was here.

"Must've gotten the wrong door." Aiko chuckles nervously, and turns to leave. She doesn't make it before TaDaoshi enters.

"Just one minute, miss!" Ms. Apinya says as Aiko is turning to leave. "Don't I know you from somewhere? Yeah, you were with that older man, Bobby something."

---

Ryosuke sees a Thai convenience store chain, Save 'n' Crave. They are open 24/7 and located catty-corner to Siam Plaza. There's a college-aged Thai woman behind the counter watching a music trideo on a small screen behind the counter. She looks up as you enter and greets you with more courtesy than expected from a bored college student. "Welcome to Save 'n' Crave, where you can save on whatever you crave."

"Mmm?" Aiko points at herself, determined to feign innocence for as long as possible. "Bobby? Bobby... That name rings a bell, but I'm not sure. What do you mean with him?"

She glances around, looking for an exit or some kind of physical barrier to put between her and Apinya. Even with neither of them being armed or remotely prepared for a fight, Aiko has very little expectation of victory. As usual.

The innocent act is exactly what triggers Ms. Apinya's memory. "Ha! I remember now! You tried that same innocent act the last time I ran into you! Uncle Bobby you called him. You were swindlers, you were. Tricked the company into some investment and vanished without a trace. I remember now. Well well, what a small world. I'd call this karma, I would! You've got about five seconds to give me a reason not to call the authorities right now."

"Because there's an alarm going off right across the street!" Aiko doesn't hesitate to respond. The statement probably would do more harm than good, in the scheme of things, but it was the first thing that came to mind. She winces. "They've probably got a robbery or something to deal with, and I'm a victim as much as you are."

She mock shivers. "He forced me to be his poster girl, can you believe that!?" No one could, surely.

"As a matter of fact, I cannot believe that. And I bet you had something to do with that robbery, too. Oh, I bet there will be reward money for turning you over! Just stay right there!" Behind the counter she grabs her commlink...