Pulp Cthulhu - The Two Headed Serpent (New York Part#5)

DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Zeke Broda (Grease Monkey / Mechanic)

Ivy Guinness (Outsider / Nurse) 

Oz the All Knowing (Mystic / Entertainer)

Nigel Thorne, VC, DSC (Thrill Seeker / Explorer)

The team spent the next week laying low in the cheap hotel to which they'd relocated their centre of operations. Zeke did slip out to make contact with some old friends, returning with a resupply of weaponry, ammunition and dynamite. Oz locked himself in the bathroom with the two fearful tomes liberated from Joshua Meadham's library. But otherwise they waited for any hubbub arising from their gunfight at the Meadham Building to die down, and discussed what to do next. They decided to make contact with the Bonanno crime family, who'd been making efforts to connect with the team over their last few visits to New York. Ivy dropped some hints to he friends on the streets, and she was not surprised to find, a few days later, a large car pull up in front of the hotel, driven by Lucio and Filemone Casale, their erstwhile Mafia contact. Casale bundled the team into the car, and by a circuitous route, drove them deep into Brooklyn, stopping in front of the Green Garden Cafe. 

Although the sign said the restaurant was closed, all the tables appeared to be full, and Casale led them inside. There, leading them past tables of rough looking men in bad suits, he introduced them to four men at a large table in the rear: Giuseppe “Joseph” Bonanno, Phillipe Rappa, Francesco “Frank Caroll” Garofalo, and  Giovanni “John” Bonventre. Ivy recognize Bonanno as the head of that crime family, and the others as his highest advisors. After some polite banter and good Italian cooking, they get down to business.  Bonanno questions the team about their role with Caduceus, experiences, and their recent falling out with their employer. The team is pretty forthcoming without getting too far into the details of 'the Mythos is coming'. Impressed by their candor, Bonanno has an offer for them. The family has gotten intelligence that Caduceus is edging into the illegal drug market in New York, a market which the Bonanno family currently dominates. Using a cover story of ensuring the drug supply is 'clean', Bonanno makes the team an offer. They help Bonanno find out what Caduceus is up to drug-wise, and he will help them find the Serpent Scepter (which he seemed to know all about). He directs them to a pair of warehouses in the Redhook district, both owned by Caduceus. One is obviously used for supplies related to Caduceus' humanitarian cover. The other they do not know, but suspect it is related to the drug trade.  Bonanno send the team on their way, and lets them know “John” Bonventre will be their contact going forward. 

Deal made, the team takes a taxi down to Redhook to scout the location. The two buildings lie in a maze of other warehouses. One is quite busy, but poorly guarded. The other is largely silent, but the guards appear much more active. Both are surrounded by fences, with a vehicle gate facing the road and large cargo doors facing the docks on the East River. The team crosses over to Manhattan to size up the docks, and decide their best bet is to approach from the water late at night. That night, they obtain a small rowboat and row with muffled oars to the seemingly inactive warehouse, timing their arrival to avoid the guards walking the perimeter.  Once on the dock, they listen at the bay doors, and hear voices inside. At least 4-5 men by the sound of it. They then split into two parties (Ivy & Zeke, Oz & Nigel) and move into the shadows on either side of the warehouse, in the hopes of surprising and chloroforming the two outside guards they'd seen on their earlier scouting trip. Ivy & Zeke pull it off with ease, but Oz & Nigel stumble a bit in the dark and have to clobber their guard with a pistol butt to knock him out. Thankfully before he can call out for help. 

Tying them up and stripping them of their uniforms (one of which fit Oz nicely, Nigel with the other not so much), they move towards the front entrance. Seeing and hearing nothing inside, they use the guard's keys to get into the building, finding themselves in the office area.  They silently sift through paperwork, finding the warehouse seems to hold lot's of construction related equipment and supplies, as well as some other undisclosed 'special' items. They also learn there are likely 10 guards on site, which definitely points to something of value and great danger to the team. However, they carefully open the door at the end of the office area which leads into the rest of the warehouse. And are confronted with a maze of wooden packing crates, large and small, blocking their view. They grade a small one by the door, and carry it back into the office to open. It contains a mix of tools, just as the contents painted on the side suggests.  Hoping to find one of the 'special' crates, they head back into the warehouse and carefully move their way down the passages between the rows. But turning the corner, Nigel runs headlong into a security guard. He tries to take him down silently, but the guard dodges, and turns to run. Presumably for help. Nigel raises his revolver to shoot the fleeing man in the back ...