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Lying Liar

[Belloq remains in the clothes he was wearing during the expedition of earlier, the pith helmet off his head, but the safari suit dirty and stained from a day crawling about the jungle. His head is bowed in remorse.]

I am sorry to report that Niko Bellic, wilderness guide, fell today in the course of his duty.

I will not distress with details, but only say that we were taken by surprise by a swarm of skeleton archers while exploring a temple. Niko fought bravely, and I owe my life to him. He is a credit to all who risk their lives leading us through the dangerous wilds. May the psychopomp guide him to peace.

I will be at Pugsy's tonight, raising a glass in remembrance, if any would like to join me there.

[And the lie is done. Even Belloq doesn't exactly know where that temple was. Niko, as guide, had that knowledge. There is little chance that someone will find Niko before he really is dead. And Belloq's done his duty to the Orion Syndicate, for which he'll be paid well.]

((OOC: Feel free to network reply or action spam at Pugsy's))

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Need to know where that temple is. Gotta go get the body.

[If Belloq is lying, he expects him to give him reasons not to go back, or for him say he's forgotten where the temple is. In fact, Boone is hoping for excuses and lies. For all he knows, Niko really did die back there. He wants to believe he didn't, though. He'll hold onto hope until he sees the body himself. He's not sure what he'll do if there is a body, but... he'll think about that if he needs to.]

I don't know the precise coordinates. Niko had that information and it was left with him. All I can say is that it was somewhere in the jungle. We teleported in and from there we hiked about five hours, so probably 10 to 15 miles or so. I couldn't say which direction; the canopy was too thick to see the sun.

[It's bits of truth mixed in with misdirection. He doesn't know how the teleports work, if they can record where you go like a train ticket recipe. But if they do, he can't let himself be caught lying and claim they were in a desert or a tundra. But they'd hiked for seven hours, not five. If they stick to the smaller radius, covering all that ground first in all directions, that might buy him enough time for Niko to actually die.

He's starting to wish now that he'd turned off the darts and let the Orions go after him and make sure the job was finished. This was too precarious. It was simply that, if Niko dies from the elements, or starvation, or spiders in the dark, Belloq doesn't have to feel as culpable.]

Right.

[He pauses for a moment, wondering how much time Kay will need to figure out roughly where Niko is.]

...How'd it happen?

[It's no secret that Niko and Boone are good friends. If he didn't ask, it would seem odd.]

He was exploring ahead. We had encountered a lever trap. I was manning the levers and Niko was entering a chamber we had just opened. It was very dark, the sort of place the monsters here are wont to dwell. They attacked, and there were too many at once for him to fend off.

[He puts up a good act, a rattle of his fist hitting a table in anger and frustration.]

I couldn't do anything to help. There were poisoned darts between myself and the chamber. To disarm the darts would have meant closing the door on Niko, locking him in with those things. But while the darts were active, I could not cross over to him without being killed.

That is why I...I couldn't even retrieve his body. There would always be either darts or stone door between him and me, no matter how the levers were positioned.

[He doesn't know what went on in that temple, so for all he knows Belloq is telling the truth. At least, the part about not being able to get to Niko. He still doesn't believe Niko is dead, though. Maybe that's just because he doesn't want to believe it, but he guesses he'll find out.]

Right.

[He sounds unhappy to think of Niko in that situation.]

Well... thanks. For telling us.

I only wish I could have done more.

[ a few minutes after talking to Belloq, a call is coming through.]

Are you Boone?

[He's a little surprised to be getting another call, but he answers it anyway.]

Yeah, I am. Who're you?

[ Ashe isnt the most social, but Niko was a friend so he had to contact after he was told the name of the man going for the body. He speaks with a heavy European accent.]

Good, just the man I was looking for. My name's Ashe, I'm a friend of Niko's, and I'd like to go with you to help recover the body.

[Boone doesn't know if he should mention to Ashe that he thinks Niko is still alive. He doesn't know the guy. Still, if he can be useful he doesn't think he should turn him down.]

Sure. Probably gonna be dangerous, though. You know how to take care of yourself in a fight?

[He's not really up for babysitting anyone. Niko's life is potentially at stake here.]

I can more then handle myself in a fight, if you can get me a gun I can also watch your back as well. I am much experienced, I wish to make sure Niko is given a proper burial, not just left to rot.

[ He sounded very sure of himself, because he is. Sure hes a city boy, but hes also a spirit of vengeance so hes not worried.]

[Good enough for Boone. He doesn't really have any reason to think the guy is lying. Niko is a good guy, he's not surprised he has people willing to help him out.]

Alright. Meet me at the security station, I'll get you a weapon. You'll have to give it back after, but it'll do for now.

I'll be there in a few minutes then. And that is perfectly acceptable. Thank you.

[ And then he hangs up to do just that.]

Hey.

[...... awkward pause. Elle sniffs.]

Are you... ["okay?" That's a stupid question. She ends up settling on instead,] Do you want me to come over?

[Whatever Elle was expecting, it probably wasn't for Boone to sound determined rather than miserable.]

Don't think he's dead. Gonna go get him.

[It probably sounds a lot like denial. Maybe he is in denial, just a little. He doesn't want to believe that Niko could really be dead. He'll cling to what Niko told him until he sees the body or gets him out of there.]

[It does sound an awful like denial. But the level of determination in his voice, she knows it. And when she thinks about what Boone has trusted Niko with -- If it was her, she knows she'd be doing this exact thing.

So Elle's first reaction is just ready acceptance.] Okay. [She takes a deep breath.] Be careful.

[A pause.] You're not going alone, are you? [She doubts it, Boone should know better than that, and snipers always worked in pairs, but -- well. This is Niko. Again, if it was Elle, she might really have charged out there by herself.]

No. Got a couple other people coming in with me.

[He pauses.]

Don't have a guide, though. You're a guide.

[Elle could make it go a whole lot easier.]

[Elle is pretty sure that her reaction shouldn't involve the corners of her mouth twitching up. Not under the circumstances, not with how much Belloq's announcement shook her. But there's hope. Even if Boone's in denial -- His belief is enough to spark hope in her. And it's a relief.]

Where should I meet up with you?

Security station. Think you can figure out exactly where that temple is?

[If Niko knew where it was, maybe Elle can find out too.]

I think so. [In all honesty, Elle doesn't know how confident she is, but she doesn't want to show her uncertainty right now. But... It depends a lot on where the temple is.] Do you know which temple it was supposed to be? If it's somewhere I've been, then, definitely, but if not... [Well.] I'll at least know what to look for.

Not sure. All I know is it's in some jungle, on an island. Ever been somewhere like that?

[He hopes so, because the less time they have to spend wandering aimlessly the better.]

[Elle grimaces. A jungle on an island...]

No... I haven't. I'm sorry.

Damn.

[It's muttered more to himself than anything else. He sighs, but he sounds stubbornly determined again when he speaks.]

We'll find it. We've gotta. Not gonna leave Niko there.

[Dead or alive, Niko is coming out of that temple. Hopefully alive.]

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Lying Liar

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