We open on a posh penthouse in New York City. Luke Charles has assembled a crew for a job. He's his own Client - one of the Marks has a history with him. Also, so does Danya, by the way they keep trading barbs. Nash asks if they want the room to themselves.
Did I say
one of the Marks? Yup. There's a deal going down on New Years Eve. Two million in cash for two million in blood diamonds.
The cash belongs to K-Rome, an obnoxious rap mogul throwing a lavish Roman themed New Years Eve party. He's surrounded by hangers-on and by his henchmen Little Boots and Nero Negro.
The diamonds belong to Issac Adeniji, a displaced Nigerian Warlord. Issac was responsible for the deaths of two members of Luke's last crew.
The crew discusses their various roles. Nash is in charge of switching out both cases. Danya backs up Luke as a Hitter. Mac monitors from the DJ tables.
MAC: What happened to the other DJ?
Flashback: We see a DJ loading equipment into the back of a van.
Luke Charles approached, clocks the DJ, and chucks him into the back of the van without breaking a sweat.
LUKE: He called in sick.
This gives us the first Distinction of the night. Luke is
Direct.
As for Maddie, Luke asks if she can get next to K-Rome as his diamond expert.
LUKE: You think you can pull that off?
Flashback: A series of quick cuts of different men each putting a different jewelled necklace around Maddie's neck.
And that's how Maddie gets her Distinction,
Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
Maddie makes her move at K-Rome's office. She shows off her Grifter skills by talking about the diamonds on the gun in K-Rome's pants.
Danya and Mac set up in the party. Mac draws the attention of Nero Negro who is abusing his underlings like K-Rome abuses him. She tries to calm down Nero and see what kind of a Grifter she is.
She rolls Vitality + Grifter for a 10. Nero rolls his d6 and d4 for a 7. Mac is a decent Grifter when she has to be. She also gets an Opportunity, which she pays a Plot Point to get the Asset
Spray-Painted Tiger.
Nash tries to schmooze his way into the party as part of K-Rome's entourage. He rolls his Grifter as well, but he fails. He makes it into the party, but a few of K-Rome's boys peel off and take him into a service hallway to show him what they do to party crashers.
This lets us setup two moments. Is Nash a decent Hitter? Sadly, no. But Danya is, and we soon find out she's
Badass. She takes out the thugs and picks up an
Alpha Female Asset off of an Opportunity. K-Rome's Boys are far too macho to tell anyone they got their asses kicked by a girl, so there's no disturbance at the party...yet.
Enter Luke Charles. Luke brushes past some of the Nigerian's men just long enough for them to recognize him. He lures them into the bathroom for an ambush.
He rolls Strength d10 + Hitter d10 + Direct d8 vs. Nigerian Thug d8 and Bathroom d6 + 2d6 for being Outnumbered. The Thugs get a ten. Luke gets...a 4. He's Taken Out. Maddie makes a move to try and rescue him but Luke waves her off. All part of the plan - even the Complication
Beaten Up By Nigerian Thugs.
Luke is taken in front of K-Rome and Issac Adeniji. Issac and Luke share some pleasantries about their past, something he didn't tell the rest of the crew. Luke goads him into pulling K-Rome's pistol and pulls the trigger on Luke.
K-ROME: You really think I keep a loaded gun pointed at my dick? What kind of fool you take me for?
The gun clicks. K-Rome sends Little Boots out for some bullets.
Things start happening quickly. Luke takes a run at Issac and missed. K-Rome draws a loaded gun and points it at Maddie. Danya takes out Little Boots at the safe. Nash takes advantage of the chaos to pull both cases. Thanks to his
Perfect Timing, he's able to extract Luke and Maddie before unleashing a very pissed off
Spray-Painted Tiger to the room.
The crew adjourns in the penthouse to split up the goods. But there's a bonus - an unmarked red smartphone that Mac discovers. The phone rings and the crew gets an invitation to a villa in France.
At the masquerade, they meet with the various other Crews they are competing with. Maddie shows she's a
Little Devil by ruining Nash's chances with one of the all-girl Crew dressed as sexy musketeers.
Mac eavesdrops on another Crew talking to one of his friends in Russian. The man on the other line doesn't sound well.
Danya is approached by Special Agent Laura Poston, an undercover officer on one of the other crews. She knows about Danya through her sister and wants her to give information on Luke's Crew. Danya agrees to this
Dangerous Game for now.
Luke meets up with Guy St. Croix, a surviving member of an old crew. Guy throws some pointed barbs, but none so pointed as that he has
No Friends Left.
Finally, the mysterious host arrives in a wheelchair, oxygen mask, and Louis the XIV mask. Through an interpreter he explains the competition. Six cons, one on each continent. The first crew to complete them in the fastest time, wins. He holds a toast.
And then the interpreter collapses.
One by one, the rest of the Crewmembers do from the odorless knockout gas. Luke at least gets to finish his Scotch first...
The crew awakens in a container. They are all naked. The only other thing inside is the red smartphone. It rings.
"Your first challenge. You must get out of the continent we have shipped you to. The first team to do it, wins. The game...is afoot!
Assets:
Alpha Female
Spray-Painted Tiger
"You Got Any Allergies?"
Beaten Up By Nigerian Thugs
"Where my diamonds, bitch?"
Complications:
Messed Up Keyboard
24-Hour Window
Nash is in Lurrrrve
