The journey begins

Ian was rummaging through the shelves, keeping an eye out for any equipment that might come in handy on their mission, when suddenly the previously catatonic boy darted past him bellowing, “Right! Let’s get to it! We got our mission. Assembly is at 0100 hours. The enemy is at bay!” The Brujah enforcer was stunned at the sudden change in demeanor of the young boy, who was behaving like a soldier on the hunt for weaponry. David grabbed a pistol off the shelf but handled it with such negligence that the magazine fell out and hit the floor with a loud clank. With a confused look he picked up the mag, snapped it back into the gun and racked the slide. Ian, who was still watching the young man, suddenly jumped into action, grabbed the weapon from David’s hands and put the safety back on. Handing it back to him he said, “Better watch what you’re doing before you shoot yourself” The reply was equally puzzling as David said, “Thank you private!” Ian turned back towards the shelf, grabbed a tool belt with several large and heavy wrenches and snapped it around his waist. In the meantime Dr. Brauner put several tubes and supplies from a medical cabinet into his bag while Mr. Vathek was yelling on his phone in a demanding voice to somebody called James.

Once everybody was assembled outside, a taxi drove up to the curb and the driver, a Middle-Eastern looking man in his forties, stepped out and beckoned them to get in. “My name is Ranjit. Mr. Taylor gave me a location in the Woolwich district and asked me to tell you that your investigation starts there.” After a short drive, with a quick stop at Ian’s motorcycle workshop, they arrived at an abandoned shopping mall parking lot. Ian stepped off his Harley while the other team members exited the vehicle and they then all made their way to the entrance. There was a smell of burned flesh lingering in the air as they approached the building. A sentry, wearing a paper mask to apparently shield him from the smell, was standing in front of the main door. “Who’s this? Entry to the premises is prohibited!” When Ian stepped towards the door, the guard ripped of his mask, put a hand on the Brujah’s massive shoulder and pronounced with a raised voice, “Maybe you didn’t hear me, I really can’t let you in!” When David looked at the now exposed face of the guard, he noticed that his nose was in the shape of a bat’s nostrils. Startled by the view of the deformity, he took a few steps back, formed a cross with his index fingers and yelled, “Demon! He’s a demon! Holy mother of God, save yourselves!” Everybody else, including the guard, were taken aback by the sudden psychic outburst of the youth. Ruthven, who had after the first outburst of David come to the conclusion that he must be of Malkavian descent, turned to the sentry and said calmly: “Don’t mind the Malkavian. You know that they are a troubled kind. Charles Taylor sent us to investigate, so you better step aside now.” Bewildered, the guard moved and held the door open for the four visitors. “Begone demon! Thy kind will never rule this earth! You shall be cast back into the depths of Hell!” Bellowing his insults, David was pushed inside by Ian, who gave the guard a pacifying look, before disappearing behind the giant door. Inside, the Malkavian turned towards the giant and said, “Would you have some parchment and a feather with some ink for me? I have to write a letter to the Holy Inquisition post haste. They have to be informed of the abominations walking the earth in this area.” Ian shook his head and gave him a piece of paper and a pen, in the hopes that he would soon calm down.