Part 40: Preparations

Update 18 - Preparations



We've followed Romeo's contact to a place called Hammer and Sickle Street.




I wish I had brought a pair of binoculars. Wait a minute! The camera's viewfinder!



We use the camera to zoom in on the blond man.



Glad that piece of junk is good for something.



Inspect Hammer and Sickle Street
This is the kind of area you could get your throat cut in.

Inspect the Metro entrance
A little uncared for, as befits the neighborhood.

Inspect the metal door
Made to keep the curious out. It has a spyglass.

Inspect the door buzzer
An unprepossessing white button.

Inspect the bar door
A sinister look.

Rough-looking joint. Still, I wouldn't mind getting something to drink later.



He wasn't in there very long. I'd better get in there and see where he put the briefcase.

We use the keypad.




We punch in '14C9A'.



Inspect the storeroom
A draughty warehouse.

Inspect the painting
A Leningrad beauty spot seen from behind.

Inspect the cases
These are cardboard packing cases, containing grade 3 (slightly defective) electric plugs.

Inspect the desk



Inspect the briefcase
A newish gray leather briefcase. You find video cassettes.

Inspect the video cassettes
A dozen VHS video cassettes. There are no labels.

I'm going to bring down these bastards. I swear. I'll look around this warehouse. Maybe there's a meeting place of some sort.

First, though, we put the tapes back in the briefcase, and then put the briefcase back on the desk. Wouldn't want to arouse suspicion. We then head through the door to the next room.



Looks a lot like the front-room.

Inspect the packing cases
These packing cases contain plastic dress shoes for export. This might be a good place to hide.

Hint, hint.

We try the door on the right, first.




Inspect the garage door
It has a keypad code lock. It also has a spyglass. It's locked.

Inspect the closet
This roomy tool closet is unused and has no tools.



Another potential hiding place. Doesn't look like there's much else of interest here.

We exit the closet and leave the room.



Now we try the door on the left.



Inspect the file cabinet
It contains no files.

Inspect the door
A tough door with secure locks. It's locked.

Inspect the books
Books on bookkeeping. Very dusty and unused.

Inspect the window
Heavily barred with a view on a grimy backstreet.

Inspect the desk
Remarkably clean, tidy and empty.

Inspect the office
A somewhat untidy office with no hiding place for you. This is probably where business is conducted, however, and it would be interesting to hear any conversations that take place in here.

This looks like a good place to bug.

We hide the microphone in the books, though we could also have hidden it in the file cabinet or the desk. Then we leave.



There's one place in this warehouse we haven't visited yet. We climb up the stairs to the loft.




Inspect the skylight



We unlock it. That could come in useful later. We then climb back down.

The crates are a good place to hide the recorder. It's close enough to the bug, it's easy to get to, and it's hard to find.



We start recording, put the recorder inside one of the crates, and then leave the building.



Damn, I'm thirsty. Better get something to drink.

We head into the bar.



Inspect the client
Obviously a regular in this bar. He doesn't like occasional visitors.

Inspect the barman
He's seen every kind of client there is and hasn't yet met one he's afraid of.

We talk to the scruffy-looking guy to the right.

Afternoon, comrade!
Go away.
Take some advice, stranger: leave us alone.
Rough crowd. I'm not sure if I want a drink after all.

We head through the door on the left.



Inspect the room
This unclean room appears to be no more than somewhere you go through on your way to somewhere else.

We go upstairs.



Inspect the room
Disused, damp, and disgusting.

Inspect the skylight



We unlock it, and then slide through it.



Yes. Just as I'd hoped. The two skylights connect.

Inspect the roof
The tiles are rickety.

We climb through the warehouse skylight.



I now have another escape route, should I ever need one.

We climb down and hide in the packing crates.



They should arrive any minute now.