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Annotations Every Day - Written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn - Illustrated by John & Jason Waltrip

'How you livin'?'

Chapter 43 – Page 8

on July 6, 2016
Chapter: Chapter 43
└ Tags: JJ Berten, Xan
Comments RSS

Discussion (63) ¬

  1. Ishmael
    Ishmael
    July 6, 2016, 12:07 am | # | Reply

    That was a prime chance to put a bucket above the door.

    • jeffepp
      jeffepp
      July 6, 2016, 12:27 am | # | Reply

      Eh, might have splashed the laptop.

      • CC
        CC
        July 6, 2016, 12:31 am | # | Reply

        To be fair, they’re probably not getting the laptop back anyways.

      • Ishmael
        Ishmael
        July 6, 2016, 2:10 am | # | Reply

        Not if it was filled with cayenne pepper and jello.

        • MattStriker
          MattStriker
          July 7, 2016, 3:40 pm | # | Reply

          Try a capsaicin oil extract. Easy enough to make if you have a food processor and some everclear, and it’s absolutely brutal.

  2. jeffepp
    jeffepp
    July 6, 2016, 12:26 am | # | Reply

    “There are some nice gentlemen from the local police force at the door, who have some questions for you.” They like the video we just made of you picking that lock. How DID you get past the deadbolt?”

  3. Ganurath
    Ganurath
    July 6, 2016, 12:31 am | # | Reply

    Planning to kill five people with a gun that only has the capacity for enough bullets to allow a single missed shot, not fleeing upon realizing that he’s walked into a trap… I suspect JJ is about to receive a harsh lesson on wetworks in this business and what doesn’t work.

    • Chris
      Chris
      July 6, 2016, 9:11 am | # | Reply

      More than likely JJ only saw 2 of our heroes in this apartment.

      • LockeZ
        LockeZ
        July 7, 2016, 8:11 am | # | Reply

        He probably also has about thirty more guns in his coat.

        • Stabbers N' Shankers
          Stabbers N' Shankers
          July 7, 2016, 10:12 am | # | Reply

          Resident Evil 4 merchant much there, JJ?

    • Pit Friend
      Pit Friend
      July 6, 2016, 9:16 am | # | Reply

      The advantage to using a revolver is that it doesn’t leave spent casings you have to find like an automatic does. I would assume a professional would be using frangible bullets that wouldn’t leave a ballistics trace. I am suprised he isn’t using a suppressor of some sort though as gunshots in a residential neighborhood bring the police rather quickly.

      • Edward
        Edward
        July 6, 2016, 9:24 am | # | Reply

        A suppressor on a revolver. Yes, the Russians managed to make one. And immediately decided it was more trouble than it was worth.

        • Pit Friend
          Pit Friend
          July 6, 2016, 10:57 am | # | Reply

          Yes a suppressor not a silencer. It is pretty much impossible to silence a revolver because of the gas leakage around the cylinder but suppressors work just fine to muffle the sound to at least something not recognizable as a gunshot.

          • Michael
            Michael
            July 6, 2016, 7:16 pm | # | Reply

            This is probably why: https://www.quora.com/Why-are-gun-silencers-not-used-extensively-among-criminals/answer/Ken-Pence?srid=nALu

          • Swagner
            Swagner
            July 7, 2016, 12:37 am | # | Reply

            Suppressors and silencers are the same things, and neither actually makes a gun silent like in the movies/video games, in the case of the aforementioned revolver gas leakage still leaving it stupidly loud/recognizable.

        • Messenger
          Messenger
          July 6, 2016, 12:15 pm | # | Reply

          Assuming you’re referring to the OTs-38 Stechkin, there’s also the Mosin Nagant.

    • Messenger
      Messenger
      July 6, 2016, 12:09 pm | # | Reply

      Actually, there are a good number of revolvers with capacities exceeding 6, particularly if he’s packing .22 LR*. Even if we go up to larger, more powerful calibers, such as the more-than-enough .357 Magnum, there’s a whole bunch of them with capacities of 7 and 8. And if he had to reload, doing so quickly can be done with speedloaders.

      * – I’m not sure if it’s true or a myth that there are hitmen out there who use .22 LR.

      • Rules Lawyer
        Rules Lawyer
        July 6, 2016, 7:04 pm | # | Reply

        There are, but it’s really specialized. .22 LR will cleanly penetrate the side of a skull. So it’s very efficient for killing someone you’ve got tied to a chair, or who’s sleeping deeply. It’s not the kind of thing you bring to a gunfight, unless you’re fighting rabbits.

        Sirhan Sirhan shot 6 people with a .22 revolver. 5 survived and made full recoveries.

        • Fearlesslittletoaster
          Fearlesslittletoaster
          July 7, 2016, 1:40 am | # | Reply

          Actually, unless something changed since the last time I checked, .22 LR revolvers are one of the most commonly recovered weapons from crime scenes. Now, on the other hand, the .22 LR round is not the most common for actual murder, though it is usually in the top 5 depending on what list you use. So to put it simply, tons of people bring .22 LR weapons to gunfights against other humans!

          Now, there need to be a few caveats to that…

          1. Per capita their weapons are highly ineffective.

          2. Bringing a .22 LR firearm to a gunfight is giving the other party legal carte blanche to kill you.

          3. If they are packing a more appropriate firearm, particularly with appropriate ammo, they will drop you with torso hits.

          4. If your opponent had body armor, like for example law enforcement, you are going to need a lucky head to do more than annoy them. Even a hit to the Femoral artery with a .22 LR would likely not drop somebody before they dumped an entire magazine from a Glock 17 into you chest.

          5. All this taken together means that anyone who packs a .22 LR weapon to do more than target or varmint shoot is doing it because they know nothing about firearms in a practical sense and is just going for the intimidation value.

          6. Point five boils down to, “Anyone who does that is a stupid asshole.”

          So really what I’m getting at is that people who try and bring a .22 LR weapon to any sort of serious situation are stupid assholes. On the other hand the number of .22 LR guns recovered confirms that there are a great many stupid assholes in the world. This probably does not shock you!

          • tlhonmey
            tlhonmey
            July 8, 2016, 1:27 pm | # | Reply

            In point of fact, .22LR has one of the highest statistical ratings for stopping an assailant with a single bullet in a self-defense situation, and it’s used extensively by the Israeli special forces.

            Why? Because the people who are confident enough to carry one are the people who practice until they can shoot the pull-tabs off of soda cans at twenty yards. Headshots for such people aren’t “luck”, they’re standard procedure. And when you can shoot that well the fact that the recoil is light enough to let you get off three to four aimed shots in a second, along with the low amount of noise, makes them an excellent choice.

            If you’re not good enough to carry a .22, by all means choose something larger. But please don’t insult those of us who do. I’ll take my .22 that reliably puts five bullets through a 2 inch circle, from the hip at twenty feet over a Glock that barely manages to keep five aimed shots in a six inch circle at ten.

        • Messenger
          Messenger
          July 7, 2016, 2:10 am | # | Reply

          We can thus discount a .22 LR revolver being in JJ’s hand then. Not really a problem, if so, however.

    • Messenger
      Messenger
      July 6, 2016, 12:13 pm | # | Reply

      In fact, looking at his gun, that’s how a cylinder with more than 6 rounds would look.
      http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_765757_-1_757783_757781_757781_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y

    • Jack Vermicelli
      Jack Vermicelli
      July 6, 2016, 1:20 pm | # | Reply

      That assumes that no one’s friendly enough to share bullets.

    • Anvildude
      Anvildude
      July 6, 2016, 1:28 pm | # | Reply

      Just wanna let you know… I got that pun, even if others didn’t.

      • Ganurath
        Ganurath
        July 6, 2016, 7:29 pm | # | Reply

        THANK YOU.

      • Rules Lawyer
        Rules Lawyer
        July 7, 2016, 7:37 am | # | Reply

        Wait, what pu-? Oh. OHHH.

        +1 Thumb

    • FoolishOwl
      FoolishOwl
      July 6, 2016, 11:20 pm | # | Reply

      I’ve suspected he’s not really that competent.

      On the other hand, he might have another weapon.

  4. Rules Lawyer
    Rules Lawyer
    July 6, 2016, 12:35 am | # | Reply

    Trying to kill 5 people with a six-shooter seems a bit optimistic.

    • Tsapki
      Tsapki
      July 6, 2016, 12:54 am | # | Reply

      Well JJ did only use a knife on Xan. He is likely going with an educated guess that none of them are combat trained, though Shanna does have a gun to his knowledge.

      Also, unlike most video games, the people you are hunting down to kill don’t just rush at you once you enter their combat range and unanimously attack you in perfect unison. Some people panic, some lose their nerve. Also, apparently JJ was entirely expecting to have the element of surprise. His bad on that I will admit.

      But I ramble and assume much. Looking forward to the next installment!

      • Draxynnic
        Draxynnic
        July 6, 2016, 7:31 am | # | Reply

        That was my thought – JJ’s almost certainly professional enough to have a backup or two.

    • biggmac
      biggmac
      July 6, 2016, 12:57 am | # | Reply

      I know what you’re thinking. “He’s got only six shots, and there are five of us”. Well, to be honest, I find that challenging myself. But seeing that this is a .44 Magnum, one of the most powerful handguns ever made, and you’re a bunch of gamer geeks, you have to ask yourselves one question: “Do I think JJ’s stupid?” ‘Cause I’ve got a second pistol and a big knife attached to my legs. And I just blew away your one shooter, Shanna, while doing this soliloquy.

      • JSStryker
        JSStryker
        July 6, 2016, 1:02 am | # | Reply

        “There are 10 of us and your pistol only holds 7 rounds” “Yeah but which of you want to be the first to die?”

        • Tsapki
          Tsapki
          July 6, 2016, 2:53 am | # | Reply

          An old RPG saying. “Place your cards right and you can hold off a dozen goblins with just a bow and one arrow…because each one of those goblins does not want to be the one you use that arrow on.”

          • Leatrice
            Leatrice
            July 18, 2016, 12:53 am | # | Reply

            Deep thought! Thanks for cotrtibuning.

      • The Gorram Batguy
        The Gorram Batguy
        July 6, 2016, 9:27 am | # | Reply

        Well I’m feeling lucky!

        • LordHideous
          LordHideous
          July 6, 2016, 9:36 am | # | Reply

          BLAM!

          Next!

          • Mr Ak
            Mr Ak
            July 6, 2016, 10:12 am | # | Reply

            … Xan was telling me early how lucky he felt.

    • Messenger
      Messenger
      July 6, 2016, 12:10 pm | # | Reply

      See my reply to Ganurath just above your comment.

      To be honest, the way JJ’s revolver is drawn, that cylinder actually looks like it holds more than 6.

    • LockeZ
      LockeZ
      July 7, 2016, 8:12 am | # | Reply

      Depends how many more six-shooters he has in his jacket.

  5. biggmac
    biggmac
    July 6, 2016, 12:59 am | # | Reply

    Poor Chrissie. There’s no way that thin mattress is comfortable.

    • tejón
      tejón
      July 7, 2016, 5:24 am | # | Reply

      Some of us prefer a good firm futon.

      • Stabbers N' Shankers
        Stabbers N' Shankers
        July 7, 2016, 10:14 am | # | Reply

        My kid brother sleeps on the floor, by choice.

  6. Danzin
    Danzin
    July 6, 2016, 1:37 am | # | Reply

    If Xan was as badass as we all wish here’s how things would go.
    “Hi. Please, come in and have a seat. Let’s talk.” JJ does it, hoping to learn anything and Xan opens with some playful banter etc your outfit and gun are dumb cliches like your mega-stashe etc.

    Xan “Ok, so here’s what’s REALLY scary about Ricin gas: its odorless, shockingly easy to make, and it takes about 1 to 3 days for it to VERY painfully kill anyone who inhales it. Now, hypothetically of course, if we just stole your ugly [insert model of JJ’s van] and {points} that tiny leaking canister in the corner of the room was filled with Ricin…how badly would you like to have this almost impossible to make antidote right now? {holds up vial}”

    JJ starts coughing up blood and getting woozy since even minor Ricin exposure has pretty nasty immediate effects from, y’know, shutting down ALL of the body’s protein production. Of course JJ, thinking Xan is a web kid who doesn’t have the nerve to really kill, accepts the terms for his extortion and sells out Hurricane to save his life. When they meet he is only barely able to stand, talk hoarsely and is nearly blind- which yes would still be extremely impressive under the late-stage effects Ricin poisoning.

    Morbid Punchline: there exists no cure for Ricin at all, the vial Xan gives him is full of water.

    • Mujaki
      Mujaki
      July 6, 2016, 1:46 am | # | Reply

      Using gas? That takes a lot of nerve!

    • Draken
      Draken
      July 6, 2016, 1:51 am | # | Reply

      You are officially on my list of people to not kill. Probably also making the long list for leadership positions once I’ve finished steps 1-3.

      • Danzin
        Danzin
        July 6, 2016, 2:25 pm | # | Reply

        Thank you! Once those steps are completed you can expect my resume, work sample and bribe ASAP. I’d prefer a position in your version of the FDA if possible.

    • Tsapki
      Tsapki
      July 6, 2016, 2:58 am | # | Reply

      Well, got another reference for my hitman roleplay. Thank you!

      • Kim
        Kim
        July 13, 2016, 8:41 am | # | Reply

        Rolemaster has tons of stuff on poisons.

    • Draxynnic
      Draxynnic
      July 6, 2016, 7:30 am | # | Reply

      Unfortunately, I think the rest of the group vetoed lethal means.

      • Danzin
        Danzin
        July 6, 2016, 9:26 am | # | Reply

        I think they only vetoed blowing up the apartment to kill him, which yeah would be dumb. Also Lia predictably played the role of naive bleeding heart putting up a BIT of moral resistance but in the end they are going to be ok with killing JJ, as they or anyone else should be.

        • Varorson
          Varorson
          July 7, 2016, 2:45 am | # | Reply

          While the actual topic was on blowing up the apartment their conversation was leading more to vetoing lethal means that can harm the neighborhood, and I think gas leaks would be included – especially uncontrolled ones. Wouldn’t want the wind picking it up to the neighbors or the landowner walking in to still-leaking lethal gas, or police entering the scene of reported loud noises.

  7. Armagrodden
    Armagrodden
    July 6, 2016, 2:24 am | # | Reply

    “Shall we play a game?”

    • Ganurath
      Ganurath
      July 6, 2016, 3:06 am | # | Reply

      Well, I came prepared for Russian Roulette, but there aren’t as many players available as I’d hoped.

  8. ThePuck1
    ThePuck1
    July 6, 2016, 2:35 am | # | Reply

    Foooled yooooooooooooooooou

  9. Mujaki
    Mujaki
    July 6, 2016, 5:19 am | # | Reply

    Aw, crap! We gotta go back!
    I forgot my laptop!

  10. Chris
    Chris
    July 6, 2016, 9:10 am | # | Reply

    UNLEASH THE CATS!
    Revenge!

    • Seggs
      Seggs
      July 6, 2016, 12:43 pm | # | Reply

      https://youtu.be/CwaD9tb1P50

      • hhhhaggis
        hhhhaggis
        July 16, 2019, 9:05 am | # | Reply

        I was thinking more like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfa8JwwY-y4

  11. John Haslach
    John Haslach
    July 6, 2016, 10:07 am | # | Reply

    OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You just got fooled, Dickmunch!

    • DeePseudonym
      DeePseudonym
      July 6, 2016, 11:05 pm | # | Reply

      best comment plus avatar this month.

  12. minando
    minando
    July 7, 2016, 3:58 am | # | Reply

    What, not even a silencer? I thought you were a pro!

  13. Mordecai
    Mordecai
    July 7, 2016, 5:41 pm | # | Reply

    “Streaming live to the relevant authorities, because you were clearly going to kill us anyways!”

  14. Kim
    Kim
    July 13, 2016, 8:42 am | # | Reply

    Why the fuck he’s not shooting the fucking laptop, I’ll never know.
    Assume there’s a bomb either in the laptop, or rigged to it.

    After all, he’s been made.

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Guilded Age is co-written by T Campbell & Flo Kahn, and illustrated by John Waltrip. Site design by Samantha Kyle. Fonts by Blambot.com.
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