Extrication

[Brian]

He nods, and breaks.  He knocks a stripe in, and then walks around the table, carefully selecting his shot.  "Those guys in leather jackets," he says quietly.  "They've been watching me.  Probably best not to let on to the fact that you've got any connection to me, unless you want a fight."

[Carthrat]

"I might win a fight, unlike a game of pool," mumbles back Tom. "Are they anyone in particular?"

[Brian]

"People who'd blow my cover and put me back on the run again," he grumbles, sinking two more stripes in rapid succession.  "But the proprieter here doesn't like fights.  She handles them quickly.  It'd get ugly, fast."

As he mentions this, the woman in the cargo pants who was carrying the tray approaches, looking between the Bigfire members, the loner, and Daniel, Tom, and Tim.  "Mark, here's your tea," she says, hanging him a bottle of Arizona iced tea.  "Can I get the rest of you anything?" she asks.

[Halbarad]

"Tea sounds good to me - hot if you've got it. Bit chilly out there tonight." Tim straightens up from his latest shot, stretching a bit - sleeping in a mine isn't exactly the best thing in the world for his back.

[Carthrat]

"Coke," replies Tom, shrugging. "That so. How do you know Sterling?"

[Brian]

"We used to have some common friends in the valley," he says, sinking another ball, and then pausing to open his drink.

The woman nods at Tim and says, "I'll getcha something.  And your coke is on the way.  How those onion rings working out for you?"  This last is directed at Walker, who's just finished the last one.

"Very edible," he replies.  "Thank you."

"No problem," she says.  "I'll be right back with your orders, then."  After that she walks to some of the other tables, dispensing more orders before heading back into the kitchen.

[Carthrat]

Tom snatches a glance of the people in leather.

"That so," he mumbles.

[Brian]

"It is," Mark replies quietly.  "They've been following me for a while.  Now, I'm guessing Sterling brought you here, which brings me to a question.  What, exactly, are you looking for?" he asks.  Sunday, Bloody Sunday ends, and the jukebox whirs for a moment in silence before it begins to boom out No Woman, No Cry.

[Carthrat]

"Allies and trouble, in that order," replies Tom, shiftily.

[Ebiris]

Daniel briefly glances up from his epic game of pool at Tom and Mark, before returning to it. Although he does try to eavesdrop on the conversation without any further visual cues.

Well, at least I don't sense any impending mayhem, so far... I hope none of those guys have guns.

[Brian]

"Well," Mark says quietly, rapidly sinking the rest of the balls on the table in succession.  "We'll see what we get, then."

At about this point, Daniel's danger sense starts to warn him that danger lurks near.  The nearby thugs in leather are peripherally dangerous, like running with scisors.  Something a bit more dangerous is waiting further away, though he's not certain what it is.

[Ebiris]

Daniel lets out a cracked sounding little chuckle, hanging his head as he leans on the table.

You just had to think it, didn't you? Stupid idiot...

Sighing, he works his way around the table near where Tim is taking his shot and also close enough to Walker and the others. "Guys," he begins quietly. "Some bad shit is about to go down."

[Halbarad]

"Why am I not shocked?" Tim murmurs, the ghost of a smile crossing his face. "Suppose we'd better do what we came for and move on quick, then."

[Brian]

"Well," Mark says, turning to look at Sterling.  "You probably came for Wallace."

It's at about this point that the guys in leather coats turn and start looking in the corner where everyone's gathered, but don't move.

"Yeah," Mark grumbles.  "Not going to start anything when they're outnumbered.  Let's get going.  I hope you guys brought cars."

"We have Ryan," Walker says, eyeing the thugs.  Mark just grunts and tosses the ten dollars he won from Tom on the drink-stand.

"Okay," Sterling says, cracking his neck.  "Let's move."

He then starts walking towards the door.  Mark and David spend a moment eyeing one another before following.  Walker sticks with Daniel.

[Ebiris]

Daniel heads out alongside Walker, keeping his distance from the leather-jacketed guys and avoiding eye contact.