"Both factions want me dead."

[hazlogs]

It is currently 11:54 Pacific Time on Mon Mar 8 2004.
Currently the moon is in the waning Full Moon phase (86% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is foggy. The temperature is 49 degrees
      Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The barometric 
      pressure reading is 30.43 and falling, and the relative humidity is 100 
      percent. The dewpoint is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius.)

[Farmhouse environs.]

Signe's lurking around the back of the barn, actually. Her feet are on the seat
      of a warped old picnic table while she herself sits on its top. The Get 
      squeezes an old baseball in her fingers, concentrating on turning it over 
      in her hands to make the laces match up the way she wants them to.
Salem, having parked his car near the gravel lane, makes his way around to the
      barnyard. His hair's gotten just long enough that it's possible for it to 
      look unkempt, which it does, and he seems to have skipped shaving this 
      morning. His eyes are hidden behind dark glasses, and one might bet he 
      hasn't actually slept.
Signe has slept, but it doesn't stop her from looking a bit tired. The movement
      around the edge of the barn catches her attention, and she looks up. The 
      ball is forgotten for the moment, the Get lifting her chin toward the 
      Walker. "What are you doing out here?"
Salem pauses, turning toward the Get. "Looking for people," comes the flat
      reply. "You're one. Need to talk, in private."
Signe glances around, first at the house, then the woods and fields. "There's a
      fucking convention inside," she explains, jerking her head towards the 
      fields. "Which is why I'm out here. Who else you need to talk to?" She 
      slides off the table and begins walking towards the fields.
"Natalie. Jeremy. Left a message for the latter. The former's not at home."
      Salem looks toward the fields, then follows Signe that way.

Farmhouse: Fields
What once was worked cropland has been, over the last several years, allowed to
      go to seed, and the result is the natural prarie which has developed, 
      enclosed on three sides by the forest. It covers several acres of land 
      with grasses as high as a person's waist, large enough to be out of 
      earshot of the barnyard but uniform enough that anyone in bipedal form 
      could be seen approaching through it.
The looming buildings of the farm can be seen to the south.

Signe gestures back toward the farmhouse. "She's here, somewhere. Said she'd be
      out later. She was talking to Tony about something."
Salem grunts. "Suppose he can be part of this, too." He cocks his head at her,
      unsmiling. "How much do you know about Konstantin and this Russian thing?"
"Jack and shit," Signe says, a little perturbed by the fact, it seems. "I was
      there when you all were cleansing him of his taint. By the way, how'd 
      that work out? He still tinted?" The Get /almost/ makes a joke out of it, 
      as if you really can't un-taint a Shadow Lord. "But as for specifics, all 
      I really know is he supposedly went undercover and found out they think 
      you're a demon. that they're getting ready to attack, probably the 
      mansion. We're trying to prepare a response."
"Might want to make a change of plans." Salem reaches into his coat and takes
      out a pack of Camels. Shaking one out, he continues. "Met with Konstantin 
      last night and he was... more forthcoming."
Signe's expression darkens. "Really?" she says, with no small amount of
      sarcasm. "Exactly what did he tell you?"
Natalie enters the fields from the barnyard, her attention wholly fixed on the
      ground. She moves slowly, pausing here and there to nudge at the ground 
      with a foot, her path erratic.
Salem takes a moment to light the cigarette and then repocket the rest of the
      pack. "A hell of a lot." He looks up, noting Natalie and calls her name.

Long distance to Natalie: Salem, by the way, looks a little scruffy. Hasn't
      shaved, and his hair's a little unkempt. Not much -- it's too short -- 
      but some. He's got the dark glasses on, too.

Signe waits til Natalie joins them, nodding to her and then looking back at
      Salem. Her expression is more apprehensive than it was earlier, and a 
      touch impatient. "So. Spill it. What's the news? What did Konstantin say?"
Natalie looks up sharply at her name. Her brows furrow and she leaves off her
      search - if search it was - to join the Fostern. "Signe. Salem." The 
      Philodox gets a quick once-over. "Consider it said. ...News? Konstantin? 
      Don't tell me that slimy little twerp 'accidentally' remembered more?"
Salem takes a drag off the cigarette. "He is what he is. Honorless, probably,
      but not stupid. The thing is, _he_ contacted _me_, via Cutter, and yes, 
      he had more to say."
Signe doesn't interrupt Salem, though she does shift her weight from one foot
      to the other, her impatience showing even more. She waits to hear if 
      Salem goes on.
Natalie looks like she has quite a few things to say, herself. A sharp intake
      of breath leads to an equally sharp explosive snort, and the Galliard 
      takes two quick steps back, away from Salem's nicotine stick. "I'm so 
      happy for him."
Salem pauses for another inhale and speaks again. His voice isn't quite a
      monotone, but there's not all that much life in it. "One. There are two 
      factions within the Russians. One is our Invisible Man. The other are the 
      main bosses. Both factions want me dead. Me, specifically. Two. The main 
      bosses _also_ want the Invisible Man dead. No surprise there. The usually 
      fucking mob politics. Three. Konstantin has been told to assasinate me. 
      Or it's been suggested that if he does, it'll be an excellent proof of 
      loyalty. Four. The Invisible Man, at Konstantin's claim, has some kind 
      of... how did he put it. 'Psychic friends network' with me, and will know 
      if and when I'm dead." He takes another drag.
"And why didn't our boy mention this on Saturday?" the Galliard demands, her
      fists balling loosely. "I suppose it just slipped his mind, whoops sorry?"
Signe looks thoughtful, an expression that resembles the Get's angry look,
      funnily enough. "What else do we know about the Invisible Man? anything 
      at all?"
"Probably because he suspects that the Dominion is bugged somehow. And that
      it's not neutral territory." Salem shrugs. "He's a fucking _Shadow Lord_, 
      Natalie. Trust isn't in his blood." He shakes his head at Signe. "There's 
      not much else specifically about the Invisible Man, only that Konstantin 
      wants to set up an ambush for him. He, I, and whoever else I choose to 
      bring in, prepare a warehouse for a reception. Konstantin brings him in 
      under pretense of letting him witness the assasination. Or some such 
      thing. Once the Invisible Man is dead, Konstantin brings proof of his 
      death to the leaders of the mob along with faked proof of my own death." 
      He grunts. "Since I'm leaving town, that'll fit. It won't take care of 
      the whole problem, but it will get rid of part of it. And Konstantin, the 
      mole, will be deeper in."
Natalie jams her fists under her elbows, her arms crossing tightly, and remains
      quiet. Vewy vewy quiet.
"Provided we trust Konstantin," Signe rasps out, tone dubious.
Salem takes another deep drag off the cigarette. "Yes. Provided you trust
      Konstantin... or trust him enough not to be an out-and-out _traitor_ to 
      the war."
Signe looks at Natalie, letting out a long drawn sigh. "It might be the best
      plan."
"My week just keeps getting better and better," Nat mutters back, eyeing Signe
      sourly. "Dammit, don't look at /me/ for answers. I'm just here to be 
      pumped dry of informatin and then criticized because I'm not some dead 
      Walker icon. You do what the hell you want."
Salem's brows lower as he frowns. "...Eh?"
Natalie transfers her glare onto Salem. Equal opportunity pissiness. "I'm
      neither John nor Roger, and it is apparently -my- fault that the Glass 
      Walkers of St. Claire are currently going to hell in a handbasket."
Salem's frown deepens. "Who the fuck says _that_?" he rasps irritably.
"Alicia. Jeremy. Those two are the only ones to say it out loud, but I'm not
      exactly hearing a crowd rallying to my side."
Signe issues a snarl from the back of her throat. "Now's not the time for this.
      LEt's stay on the point for now. If the Shadow Lord can make the 
      arrangements, we'll run with his plan. But I want in on the set up at the 
      warehouse. I want it scouted by us, too, well before the trap." She looks 
      between them to see if they like the idea.
Salem scowls, but whatever he might have had to say on the subject of Alicia
      and Jeremy is swallowed. His temper is burning, though, simmering. He 
      nods curtly to Signe. "That's why I was looking for you as well as 
      Natalie. I want you in on this. This bastard's not going to be easy to 
      take down."
Natalie, at Signe's snarl, looks down and away from Salem, off toward Signe's
      knees. They're all bendy. "Do want you want," she repeats sullenly. "If 
      I've got info that'll help, I'll give it."
Signe answers Salem with a look. "No shit he won't be easy. Hopefully, we'll
      have enough firepower to handle it. But that's what I need gauged. 
      Exactly what it will take. More information on the bosses wouldn't hurt, 
      either."
Salem grunts. "I'll see what I can get. Be nice to have something that'll
      negate that invisiblity shit." He takes another drag and then taps ash 
      off the end of the cigarette. "I'm going to be meeting with Konstantin 
      tomorrow to discuss things further. Needless to say, we need to do this 
      ambush as soon as possible. Apparantly, Konstantin's been under orders to 
      assasinate me for some time."
Signe narrows her eyes. "I wonder. Konstantin thought this Inivisble Man might
      be a fomor, right?"
"Paintball," Nat suggests, finally looking up. "Or... we still want to try
      those sleepy sleepy drugs? Do we even know who the Invisible man -is-?"
Signe looks a little surprised by Natalie's suggestion. "how's this. I'll talk
      to James, maybe one of the other theurges. See if they can think of a way 
      to negate his powers spiritually. Nat, see if you can come up with a 
      Walker way to deal with it. Let me know, Salem, if Konstantin gives you 
      anything more. Alright?"
Salem sets the cigarette between his lips and pushes his hands into his coat
      pockets, his shoulders hunching. He nods to the Get. "I'm going to stay 
      low in the meantime. Anything else?"
Signe shakes her head. For the moment, she has nothing further--at least for
      Salem. Looking hard at Natalie, she asks, "You spoke with Tony?"
Natalie says "I did. He says 'maybe'. I told him to think about it, but not to
      take too long."
Salem arches an eyebrow, then shrugs. "I'll be around," he says in a curt rasp,
      around the cigarette, and starts to head off.
Signe lets Salem go without saying anything else. She doesn't seem at all
      surprised by Natalie's news, and answers with a simple nod. "Well move 
      without him. If he gets off the fence, he can catch up. We need to move 
      quickly like Salem said. No time for fucking around."