RUBY CITY DEFENDERS! Issue #1 - Requiem for a hero...

The Scientist is about to answer Lightning Bullet when Captain Conduit pops around the door. "Ach! Gott in Himmel!" he gasps, stumbling back.

Then he gathers himself and frowns. "You are... not my ... employers. I vud be punished simply by speaking to you. Suffice it to say... the punishment to my family vud be worse und so I cannot help you. Good day."

Captain Conduit glances down the dark corridor (OOC emergency lights are very weak and flickering on/off) and sees the mass of bodies moving. Time was running out before they would be back on their feet again!

Lightning Bullet isn't sure whether this guy will be willing to talk, at least here.

"I think your family's best bet is to be rescued by the DarkRaven fan club. That's us," Captain Conduit says to the German family man. "Just tell us where they are and we'll go make sure they are safe as soon as we get out of here... which will be in like one second!"

"CC, good to see you," LB yells out. "Grab any paperwork that looks important - formulas, bills of lading, research note, whatever. I'll fly out good German professor out of here, blinding any who get in our way. Then the three of us can talk."

Lightning Bullet grabs the guy by the back of his belt and lifts him up and starts flying out the door to the corridor.

"Show off," Captain Conduit mutters under his breath, snatching whatever notes he finds readily available before flying out of the room.

Captain Conduit grabs the scientists briefcase which is open and stuffed with papers with hand written notes and even a note book but the contents appear to be in short hand or some kind of code.

The scientist himself squeaks as Lightning Bullet grabs him and flies out through the corridor over various animals (of the small predatory kind mostly aside from the Panther) are looking for safety or turning on each other.

Captain Conduit is close behind as they swoop through the low ceiling corridor over the heap of stirring bodies and groaning goons then up the stairs and into the house after a well placed foot opens the door.

There are shouts and calls behind the pair as they make their way through the house and out of the rear entrance as it sounds like goons are coming in through the front.

Out into the night air and it appears the street lights have been restored now with the house itself running on what appears to be a back up source of power for emergency lighting.

Away from the place out in the cool night air Lightning Bullet lowers the terrified scientist to the ground as he peeks through his fingers. He's shaking like a leaf and mutters "I... I em not good viz heights..." as he fumbles for a handkerchief to mop his brow. The trio are on a hill overlooking the mansion and the grounds and can now see several goons running about with pistols in hand. They are too late but search the place dilligently, looking around everywhere and in the garages, vehicles etc.

"Vot do you intend to do viz me? My family shall suffer if I do not continue viz ze 'Ubermensch' project..." asks the Scientist, clearly intelligent and knowing he was well out of his depth with two men who could fly into a compound of heavily armed goons and wrest the chief asset from under their nose having despatched one of the aforementioned 'ubermensch' with comparitive ease...

Captain Conduit peers at the notes. All in handwritten scrawl and making little sense it seemed. The language seems to be gobbledigook. Same with the notebook, but some of it is written in German. Being a genius, CC figures it is some kind of self made code language that only the scientist and those trained in it could decipher whereas to anyone else it was a collections of swirls, squiggles and shapes.

"So where is your family being kept," Lightning Bullet asks. "We may be able to save them if you tell us everything."

"Yeah, and if you are smart enough to make up your own code language then you're smart enough to help us help you. Besides, I'm not going to give you your papers back and my guess is you aren't as valuable to these bums without your notes."

The man pales. "You cannot... if zey..." he starts to sweat and considers calling out to the house though they are some distance away now.

"You cannot help me! Zey hef my family under guard at all times! Plus ze others. Ve all made a pact to escape at ze end of ze var. Ze third reichs Ubermensch program was too late to help viz ze var effort but ve each hed a different plen based on a similar genetic principle..."

"I, Professor Herman Schmidt, combined ze traits of animals into humans, increasing strength, speed, durability und ferocity."

"Another, Dr Wilheim Gruber, used energy to charge ze subject und viz a... containment suit of sorts... create ze ultimate energy soldier!"

"Dr Felix Kripps had ze plen to spike ze adrenaline levels of ze subject to levels never heard of before. Speed, power, strength und abilities to make Jesse Owens seem like a 90lb veakling! Zis vas ze most advanced. I must admit, my own treatments tend to overshadow ze human intellect so zet ze beast controls ze man. Reducing ze power I impart means more intellect is retained at ze cost of raw ferocity. I suspect zet is vy you could defeat my Ubermensch but... you two... you fly, you... you are shrunk. And you? you are like Grubers energy man!"

He sighed, running his hand through thinning hair. "Finally Dr Hans Schneiderhoff. His was perhaps ze most ambitious project. An increase of all faculties mental, physical and metaphysical... und... ze regeneration process of a lizard, enabling ze regrowth of severed limbs. He went further though. Much further. Schneiderhoff used his regrowth principle to create ... ach... vot is ze vord. Clones. Copies. Simulacrums. He tested it with some success. My own projects have been limited with success but just enough to keep my family alive."

"You do not understand! Ze var is over, but we must fight on! Not for ze Fuhrer but ouor NEW masters now who have all ve hold dear in ze palm of zer hands ready to crush zem at a moments notice! Zey provide ze facilities, ze funds, ze resources ve need... ve must transform zer thugs into an army, vork for zem, be at ze beck und call... or our families vill pay ze price! I hef told you too much already! Ach! I hef doomed my family!" he wailed.

Captain Conduit pulls his fellow hero aside and says, "While I feel for this guy's family, more will die if his bosses do what they plan to do and others may even die if they fail." Fred take a look at the doctor and then back to Lightning Bullet. "I'm a pretty good actor, but not sure I could trick these goons into thinking I'm this guy even with an expert costume. What's your take on all of this?"

andyman wrote:Captain Conduit pulls his fellow hero aside and says, "While I feel for this guy's family, more will die if his bosses do what they plan to do and others may even die if they fail." Fred take a look at the doctor and then back to Lightning Bullet. "I'm a pretty good actor, but not sure I could trick these goons into thinking I'm this guy even with an expert costume. What's your take on all of this?"

"Let's find out where they are being kept," Lightning Bullet replies. "If they are somewhere within a few hundred miles of us, we might be able to save them. Though honestly, I'm not so sure about these experiments. If all their test subjects were all volunteers who understood the dangers of the experiments, that would be one thing, but I'm not getting the feeling that they got full disclosure when being subjected to those experiments. Or at least, some of them didn't. And we do not need more super-powered criminals running around."

"If we can try to rescue them, we still need some secure place to put the good doctor here. If we do that, do we give him to the FBI or the military? Camp Pendleton isn't that far away. Both would be interested in his "super soldier" experiments."


ooc: Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, the Corps' largest West Coast expeditionary training facility, encompasses more than 125,000 acres of Southern California terrain.

Located approximately 38 miles from downtown San Diego in North County and 82 miles south of Los Angeles, Camp Pendleton has been the largest employer in North San Diego County for more than 60 years.

Camp Pendleton is one of the Department of Defense's busiest installations and offers a broad spectrum of training facilities for many active and reserve Marine, Army and Navy units, as well as national, state and local agencies.

The Base is home to the I Marine Expeditionary Force, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Logistics Group and many tenant units, including Marine Corps Installations-West, 1st Marine Raider Battalion, Wounded Warrior Battalion-West, Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, Marine Aircraft Group 39, Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego's Weapons & Field Training Battalion, Marine Corps and Army Reserve Forces, the Navy's Assault Craft Unit 5, a Naval Hospital and 1st Dental Battalion.

The coastal and mountain terrain support a variety of military training. Fleet Marine Force units use Camp Pendleton's ranges and training areas to maintain combat readiness.

"I don't know who's worse. The trigger-happy criminals or the trigger-happy military. Let's not tell them about these experiments if we can help it. For now. How about we put him in my trunk? It's a fine temperature right now and I'm sure it's not airtight. I'll just have to put my equipment in the back-seat or this genius might find a way to make a bomb out of it."

"Let's find out where these other people are before we decide," Lightning Bullet suggests. "Personally, I don't have a problem with turning him over to the FBI or the military. After all, they are what is mostly keeping the Red Menace from our shores. If the Reds get their hands on him or his buddies, the USA could be in trouble."

He goes back to the scientist.

"Okay, we've agreed to try to save your family and the others but you have to tell us where they are being kept and what the layout of the place is like, first."

"Vat? Oh no! Vat if... Vat if it goes wrong! These people are ruthless! Zey vill kill zem... my Vife... daughter... Mother in law... although it vud be no crime if she... ah. Vot guarantee can you give?" he asked, clearly terrified.

Freely sweating now and dabbing his forehead he glanced back towards the distant house/compound. "If you drop me off zey vill not notice me gone. It is better zis vay if you froget vot I hef said. Zese people... zey vont to build an empire of Ubermensch!"

OOC Who wants to take a crack at persuading him?



He is on the table as 'suspicious' (down from the previous level) but this vill be... I mean will be tricky.

Persuasion is an influence attempt right? Not Int?

If so, CC is better at it than LB.

"I thought you were smart. You sound more afraid of wannabe super-man makers, than you are of the real deal! You are flying right now! Under the power of some dude, who is a lot smaller than you. How is that possible? Because we're like gods! These creeps may outnumber us, but we outpower them by a lot! I've got more volts in me than every electric chair in every prison anywhere on Earth! Tiny here can shine really bright, which must be helpful, because he just took on a whole house full of goons, including your uber-munch loser, and a pack of ravenous animals! If you value power, side with us. Believe in us, like gods man! We're not a couple beat cops. We are the real ubermensch! We can save your family and your fellow nerds' families too. We can even scare your mother-in-law into treating you better."

"What we are not though, is oracles. Or mind readers. So tell us. Where the heck are the hostages?"

Actions: Persuasion to get an address from the Nazi scientist.

The Scientist looked from one to another, squirming as Captain Conduit laid it out for him...

OOC infl 4 + Bonus Die from Speed + Roll(3d12)+0: 2,10,9,+0 Total:19 (23) vs
OV3 + 2 Suspicious + Roll(2d12)+0: 3,6,+0 Total:9 (12)
+5 (to 9 Aura) vs RV3+ 2 Suspicious (RV4)=5 RAPs. Success.

"Alright. Alright. But... there MUST be some vay to safeguard my family! If I tell you everything and you cannot get to zem in time..." he was sweating, mopping his brown and breathing quickly. "Maybe... perhaps I slip you information vile continuing to vork for zem? I need to make sure..."

He looked at Captain Conduit and Lightning Bullet then sighed. "My family is being held at ze West Grand Hotel in town. In ze penthouse apartment on ze top floor. Zey are under guard 24 hours a day. Armed guard. Can you promise me that zey vill all be safe?"

"The safety of the hostages is our top priority, pops. Even if all the bad guys get away. You can help though perhaps. Are there any powers you learned to bestow scientifically that don't have unmanageable drawbacks?" Captain Conduit isn't sure he trusts this guy enough to let him stick a needle in his butt, however he's open to considering it.

The scientist frowned. "But you already hef powers!"

Then he raised an eyebrow. "But... sink of ze possibilities! Ze science alone suggests it is possible... It is... complicated. Ven ze Fuhrer instigated ze project he said all ze fatherlands soldiers should be greater zen ze other races. Problem is, zere are too many variables. It is like, how you say, threading ze needle ven in ze haystack." he frowned.

"I hef to admit. I take... every care but... zer hef been failures. Ze people I vork for do not care about zat, and simply dreg zer enemies in for testing."

"How many?" asked Lightning Bullet*

"Hmmm. A dozen. Maybe a few more. Fifteen or so. Some were monstrous... bestial... others it did not verk. Others... let us say zey ze gangster types stood ready viz lots of bullets. I sink I hef narrowed down a process which gives less power but has less chance of failure. By failure I mean spontaneous combustion, melting into a slushy puddle as ze bones dissolve or mutating into grotesque misshappes before dying ze horrible death. As a scientist ze vork is all. As a human being, vot I am doing is monstrous, und I hef no choice."

"Zey hef my family. Also, if by some miracle I can rescue zem, zey tell ze authorities I em here und zey hunt me down for ze vor crimes. I em doomed, but at least my family is alright for now. I am caught, as you say, between rocks and hard places."

"What happened to the ones you experimented on? Are they all dead?" asked Lightning Bullet*

"Some. Others... escaped." said Schmidt. He was cringing. "Maybe... three hef transformed and are able to access ze increased abilities. You fought one. Others are permenantly changed. Zer voz some panic, a lot of shooting und ze gangster boss hez people looking for zem now. Maybe... five? Three success, five on ze loose, 7 or 8 who died horribly. Not a great rate of success." he sighed.

"Ze other programs seek to do ze same thing. Install superhuman abilities into zer normal human. None hef tried to instil MORE abilities into an Ubermensch! Sink of ze possibilities!" he said, eyes wide and look fevered as the scientist part of his personality overrode any humanity he might have!

The odds of such a process having a positive effect on Captain Conduit were very, very low indeed.

*OOC in a GM moving things on kind of way and filling in the logical answers, apologies for any meta gaming offence!

"How long before these mobsters decide to start experimenting on the human livestock they already have readily available? Your family. We've got to get them out now. You are their only hope of escaping a horrible death or worse. Clock is ticking. Lead us to them. I'll put out the lights, then we'll put out their lights."

andyman wrote:"How long before these mobsters decide to start experimenting on the human livestock they already have readily available? Your family. We've got to get them out now. You are their only hope of escaping a horrible death or worse. Clock is ticking. Lead us to them. I'll put out the lights, then we'll put out their lights."

"Captain Conduit is right, you have to trust us to save your family or ultimately you are all doomed once your usefulness is over," Lightning Bullet adds. "And at least we now have kidnapping charges against these crooks. I don't know how it is in Germany but kidnapping carries the death penalty here in California and other states, so there is no way your family is getting out of this alive if we don't save them."


ooc: Yay internet searches!


Following the historic Lindbergh kidnapping (the abduction and murder of Charles Lindbergh's toddler son), the United States Congress passed a federal kidnapping statute—known as the Federal Kidnapping Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1) (popularly known as the Lindbergh Law, or Little Lindbergh Law)—which was intended to let federal authorities step in and pursue kidnappers once they had crossed state lines with their victim. The Act became law in 1932.

The theory behind the Lindbergh Law was that federal law enforcement intervention was necessary because state and local law enforcement officers could not effectively pursue kidnappers across state lines. Since federal law enforcement, such as FBI agents and U.S. Marshals, have national law enforcement authority, Congress believed they could do a much more effective job of dealing with kidnappings than could state, county, and local authorities.[2]

A provision of the law provides exception for parents who abduct their own minor children.

Several states implemented their own versions of this law, known as "Little Lindbergh" laws, covering acts of kidnapping that did not cross state lines. In some states, if the victim was physically harmed in any manner, the crime qualified for capital punishment. This was what occurred in the Caryl Chessman case in California. Following the April 8, 1968 decision by the United States Supreme Court in United States v. Jackson, kidnapping alone no longer constitutes a capital offense.


18 U.S. Code § 1201 - Kidnapping
U.S. Code
Notes
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(a)Whoever unlawfully seizes, confines, inveigles, decoys, kidnaps, abducts, or carries away and holds for ransom or reward or otherwise any person, except in the case of a minor by the parent thereof, when—
(1)the person is willfully transported in interstate or foreign commerce, regardless of whether the person was alive when transported across a State boundary, or the offender travels in interstate or foreign commerce or uses the mail or any means, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce in committing or in furtherance of the commission of the offense;
(2)any such act against the person is done within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States;
(3)any such act against the person is done within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States as defined in section 46501 of title 49;
(4)the person is a foreign official, an internationally protected person, or an official guest as those terms are defined in section 1116(b) of this title; or
(5)the person is among those officers and employees described in section 1114 of this title and any such act against the person is done while the person is engaged in, or on account of, the performance of official duties,
shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years or for life and, if the death of any person results, shall be punished by death or life imprisonment.
(b)With respect to subsection (a)(1), above, the failure to release the victim within twenty-four hours after he shall have been unlawfully seized, confined, inveigled, decoyed, kidnapped, abducted, or carried away shall create a rebuttable presumption that such person has been transported in interstate or foreign commerce. Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, the fact that the presumption under this section has not yet taken effect does not preclude a Federal investigation of a possible violation of this section before the 24-hour period has ended.
(c)If two or more persons conspire to violate this section and one or more of such persons do any overt act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each shall be punished by imprisonment for any term of years or for life.
(d)Whoever attempts to violate subsection (a) shall be punished by imprisonment for not more than twenty years.
(e)If the victim of an offense under subsection (a) is an internationally protected person outside the United States, the United States may exercise jurisdiction over the offense if (1) the victim is a representative, officer, employee, or agent of the United States, (2) an offender is a national of the United States, or (3) an offender is afterwards found in the United States. As used in this subsection, the United States includes all areas under the jurisdiction of the United States including any of the places within the provisions of sections 5 and 7 of this title and section 46501(2) of title 49. For purposes of this subsection, the term “national of the United States” has the meaning prescribed in section 101(a)(22) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(22)).
(f)In the course of enforcement of subsection (a)(4) and any other sections prohibiting a conspiracy or attempt to violate subsection (a)(4), the Attorney General may request assistance from any Federal, State, or local agency, including the Army, Navy, and Air Force, any statute, rule, or regulation to the contrary notwithstanding.
(g)Special Rule for Certain Offenses Involving Children.—
(1)To whom applicable.—If—
(A)the victim of an offense under this section has not attained the age of eighteen years; and
(B)the offender—
(i)has attained such age; and
(ii)is not—
(I)a parent;
(II)a grandparent;
(III)a brother;
(IV)a sister;
(V)an aunt;
(VI)an uncle; or
(VII)an individual having legal custody of the victim;
the sentence under this section for such offense shall include imprisonment for not less than 20 years.
[(2)Repealed. Pub. L. 108–21, title I, § 104(b), Apr. 30, 2003, 117 Stat. 653.]
(h)As used in this section, the term “parent” does not include a person whose parental rights with respect to the victim of an offense under this section have been terminated by a final court order.
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 760; Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 971, 70 Stat. 1043; Pub. L. 92–539, title II, § 201, Oct. 24, 1972, 86 Stat. 1072; Pub. L. 94–467, § 4, Oct. 8, 1976, 90 Stat. 1998; Pub. L. 95–163, § 17(b)(1), Nov. 9, 1977, 91 Stat. 1286; Pub. L. 95–504, § 2(b), Oct. 24, 1978, 92 Stat. 1705; Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 1007, Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 2139; Pub. L. 99–646, §§ 36, 37(b), Nov. 10, 1986, 100 Stat. 3599; Pub. L. 101–647, title IV, § 401, title XXXV, § 3538, Nov. 29, 1990, 104 Stat. 4819, 4925; Pub. L. 103–272, § 5(e)(2), (, July 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 1373, 1374; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60003(a)(6), title XXXII, §§ 320903(b), 320924, title XXXIII, § 330021, Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1969, 2124, 2131, 2150; Pub. L. 104–132, title VII, § 721(f), Apr. 24, 1996, 110 Stat. 1299; Pub. L. 105–314, title VII, § 702, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2987; Pub. L. 108–21, title I, § 104(b), Apr. 30, 2003, 117 Stat. 653; Pub. L. 109–248, title II, § 213, July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 616.)

Shmidt seemed to pale, sweating again. "But ze risk!"

He looked at Captain Conduit and down at Lightning Bullet - unusual because he was not a tall man himself!

Finally he sighed. "You are right. Vot do you require me to do? You know ver zey are holding my family. Zis mobster vill stop at nothing to use ze uranium glass ray process to empower his goons und give himself an army! Ven ze process is perfected he vants to use it on himself! I said it could never be perfect because people are not perfect. He vas not heppy at thet und threatened my daughter for starters if I did not make it perfect..."

"How can it be though? Ve take all ze uranium glass, reform and reshape it und change ze frequency of a light ray reflected and refracted through it to irradiate a subject and combine zem iz ze properties of an animal to empower ze target. Zis vud hef vun ze var for Hitler but it didn't vork then und barely vorks now! Even zen some of ze subjects fare better zen others. Two of zem still vorking for ze mobster are particularly potent. Luigi Santana und Carl O'Leary. Zey ver paticularly receptive to ze treatment und zer powers are formidable. Speed, strength, recuperation so that zey grow limbs back und more besides. Beware. Ze saving grace is it enhanced zer already great hatred for one another and can barely stand in ze same room for long without brawling as zer animal ferocity was enhanced also."

"Vot do you vant me to do? Go back zer? Pretend nothing is wong? If zey cannot find me soon my family..." he started to well up. "I vud hef been better off in Germany I feel. Or perhaps not. Ze facilities zer ver bombed und ze OSS (Office of Secret Services) own agents ver thorough in making sure zet ze evil stain of ze experiments being conducted could not spread further... until we were brought to America for what we were assured would be a new start."

"I vill do vot you require of me. Save my family, I beg of you!"

ooc: Um ... we know where his family is being kept at? Where?

"This means we need to strike fast. And delay any messages from reaching where the hostages are kept." Captain Conduit inwardly apologizes to 'Ma Bell' but there are lives on the line here. "I'm going to make sure no one can call out of from that house for hours. When I come back we'll go get the hostages before the ones holding them get any news about what happened here."

Hoping he is not too late, Captain Conduit flies back toward the safehouse to fry the building's telephone poles. (And telegraph wires if that is still a thing.)

LB stays and watches the German scientist.

OOC

Admin wrote:
He looked at Captain Conduit and Lightning Bullet then sighed. "My family is being held at ze West Grand Hotel in town. In ze penthouse apartment on ze top floor. Zey are under guard 24 hours a day. Armed guard. Can you promise me that zey vill all be safe?"

Captain Conduit takes to the air and flies towards the city.

The Scientist watches him go and turns to Lightning Bullet. "Ze gengsters vill not immediately raise ze alarm. Ze boss is very unforgiving und I hef seen vot heppens to ze employees who lose stuff or screw up."

The pair turn to the distant house and grounds and see that yes, the guys who'd been in a heap at the bottom of the stairs were now scouring the place, albeit somewhat dazed looking as they checked outbuildings and the grounds. They would spread out beyond the grounds and some were shouting, pointing and heading to cars and trucks.

At some point they would have to admit defeat. Their 'golden goose' - the Nazi Scientist who had built the machines that used uranium glass as a key part and perfected the process to empower ordinary people with select abilities from animals - had gone. When that happened, they would make the call to the hotel. They'd be in hot water, and from the sounds of it whoever was in charge would suffer the most. Then the family would be threatened, or worse...

==========

Captain Conduit flashed through the night sky and headed towards Ruby City.

The West Grand hotel was a large tower in an exclusive part of town and not hard to find but he needed to cover the distance before any phone call was placed that would threaten the family!

He was fast - as fast as most sports cars or motorbikes - but would he get there in time to shut down the electricity supply to the building?

OOC Continue at 6APs speed? You are about 7-8 miles out of town in the hills overlooking the sprawling lights of Ruby City. That's a distance of 13APs - Speed = roughly 15 minutes (as the crow, or in this case Conduit, flies). A truck at 4-5APs speed (25-50mph on the twisting hilly roads) would take half an hour then longer to obey traffic restrictions in the built up areas. However a phone call would beat all that... You can 'push' your speed but if it burns out you'll be stranded (and crash to the ground at speed!) but perhaps could use your expertise to disable selected telecomms lines, your call.

===========

Lightning Bullet could see the near panicked goons with guns and flashlights starting to spread beyond the confines of the mansion and its grounds.

Whilst the weight of the scientist was not an issue the practicalities of carrying someone when you are half of their size may present a challenge.

The scientist hissed "Ve must get out of here or... or ... maybe I should 'escape' from you and make my vay back, but if you do not rescue my family by ze time zey make ze call, zey vill probably move zem. Ze goons are dumb and sink zet bullets fix everything. Ze bosses? Not so much. Zer is von guy zey call ze Accountant who is very good at plenning und covering ze bases. Ze big boss? I never met him but I hef seen tough guys take phone calls viz ze sweat on ze faces....

Lightning Bullet looks out into the darkness. The goons would take an hour or more to search in an ever increasing pattern to even get close to this place, so he wasn't too worried about being found. However they may give up the search and make the call and then the game would be up if they moved the scientists' family to some obscure location...