Green Gold (First Heist)

La Familia Michoacána

In todays global society where we can have avocados 12 months of the year, each year more than 11 billion pounds are consumes. There is money to be made in avocados, we call them green gold. The Mexican green gold industry is worth more than 2.5 billion dollars. Gangs participate in kidnaping, murder and extortion are extracting a share of the cold hard cash from the economy. The state of Michoacán produces more than a third of the worlds avocados. Violence and corruption flood the city of Tancítaro, which is held together by avocado money and automatic weapons.

A small grower Manuel’s brother Juan has been kidnaped, by La Familia Michoacána. They are demanding 300 thousand dollars for his release. Manuel has destroyed much of his families precious groves as he would rather see them destroyed than in the hand of gangster with no love of the land. He has been organizing many of the local growers into a resistance group. But with the kidnapping of his brother he reached out to Green Scare for assistance. Manuel has a plan to hijack this season load of avocados on its way to Mexico City, but he does not know when or the exact route they will take. He’s hoping the assistance from green scare can save his brother and gather the mission information.

La Familia Michoacána is trying to become the OPEC of avocados, they have trucks, cars, jeeps, and farm equipment, and are armed with automatic weapons like a standing army. They can bring a lot of resources too bear, if the crew is not careful. They have erected barricades and road blocks in and out of towns, and have the favor of the Mexican government due to the value of avocado exports, but if the cash stop flowing the Mexican Army may make a move to insure their share. Tancítaro seems calm but beneath the surface the growers continue to be extorted, and are about to explode.

Pitch

Chris says Manuel will be your contact he is the leader of a local resistance. He has a the beginnings of a plan to Hijack several tracker trailer loads of avocados as they are being transported from Michoacán to the Mexico City Airport. Help him make Okey Foods an avocado exporter and La Familia Michoacána feel the pain of their exploitative actions. Each 18 wheeler carries more than 50 thousand dollars worth of avocados.

La Familia Michoacána will be escorting the semi-trucks, each truck will be accompanied by at least two pickups trucks, Ford SHO, or jeeps with armed guards. If they expected something they might be armed with heavy weapons. La Familia Michoacána is heavily armed, with lots of vehicles. But they need some group running interference with the Mexican army and providing them with fair trade papers. That’s where Oakey Foods comes in, they bribe the government officials and forge the fair trade paper work, and they get to distribute the extorted avocados. Oakey Foods through a partnership with the Sugar Research Fund has influence within the government, but hopefully they won’t know that anything is wrong until after the heist and the crew is back in America.

The map shows one possible route to Mexico City. Tancitaro to Mexico City

Challenges

Twists

Resolution

NPCs

Alicia Williams She is an alluring brunette haired beauty, in her mid twenties, attempting to enter America. But she is smuggling avocados for a local grocery chain. She needs the money to help her Abuelo (grandfather) who is being pressured by the La Familia Michoacán. He own a small grove in Mexico, which is being extorted by the cartels. When she gets stopped at the boarder she will make a run for it in one of the player’s vehicles. She can become a contact that can help the family sell the avocados if they can get them across the border.

Abuelo Alicia’s grandfather a gruff but caring man, who is worried that Alicia is in danger if he can’t raise enough money to payoff the cartel. He’s reached out to Manuel to protect his family.

Manuel He once severed in US Military trying to earn citizenship but with the untimely death of his father, he had to come home and run the avocado farm. He now has strong community roots trying his best to help his fellow farmers. He is the leader of a resistance consisting of a small group of farmers. They are tired of being extorted and want to get back a little of what is theirs. Manual took on debt to initially save his grove, but eventual decide to burn them instead letting another man farm his family’s trees. He is a short stalky farmer, his skin is leathery, but even through all the hardship he still smiles when talks about his family’s groves. He is strong and angry willing do anything to hurt La Familia, with his brother’s kidnapping he has become very mistrusting of outsiders.

Juan He is Manuel younger brother and he has recently been kidnapped by the La Familia Michoacána. They are demanding 300 thousand dollars in ransom. He was suppose to be infiltrating the La Familia Michoacána to learn the schedule and routes of shipments to Mexico City.

Camila A woman in her 40s, she is strong and will not be pushed around. She lost her husband and son to the terror practice of the La Familia Michoacána. She is Manuel’s second in command, and she can drive. She believes the best way to know a man is to race him, and she will suggest a race into town as a way to know each others metal.

Yolanda Is a hostess at La Pachanga, She works there to make enough money to raise her son 11yrs, Pedro. If she thinks the new comers have money and may ease some of the harassing she gets in the club she’ll take a liking to one of the characters.

Raúl The owner and main bartender at La Pachanga, he tolerates the La Familia because they are his main business. But is often frustrated by them thinking they deserve special treatment. He knows the characters are just passing through so will need a good reason to get involved.

Pollito (Little Chicken) Is a low level muscle for La Familia, he can often be found at La Pachanga or in the streets behind La Pachanga racing trying to raise his status in the organization. (Mustang)

Güey (Ox) Polito’s friend and superior, He knows where the captives are held, but doesn’t know when the next shipment will be made. He is large like an Ox, with dyed blonde hair, and wears stylish t-shirt. (Dodge Charger)

Calaca (Skeleton) Is all skin and bones, meek account for the La Familia. He has a secret crush on Yolanda but has never been brave enough to speak up. If the characters can set him up with Yolanda he will gladly give the information on the next shipment to Mexico City.

Ace Looks like a power lifer, he’s a lieutenant in the La Familia, He will come from the warehouse where Juan is held to La Pachanga, if he hears that his team is losing to a bunch of busters in the street races. He drives a Shelby Cobra, and expects to win. He doesn’t have the shipping information but can get it.

Locations

Border Guard Post When crossing the board there will be a small building which will be used to question the players. It an austere Mexican government building, with large glass windows overlooking the border and its large lot of stopped cars.

Manuel’s Farm A modest avocado farm on the side of a mountain, near the peak is a large open air cistern for watering. He has a modest home and garage, next to an old broken down school bus. He drives an old rusty pickup along the dirt tracks in the grove. His grove show recent signs of fire. This can be the base of operations.

La Pachanga Music It is rumored that many of the La Familia Michoacána hang out at the night club La Pachanga, and race in the streets behind it. Can the players make the contacts needed to discover when a shipment will be made and where the captives are held? The club is filled with live Panchanga music and dancing, with dark backrooms for negotiations, and VIPs. The players can engage in short 1/4 mile sprints behind La Pachanga (1 stage 3 segments ) Sometimes a train passes through blocking the route.

La Familia Michoacána Hangout The hangout, looks like a store in a strip mall, but lot of rough looking guys with guns standing around. Calaca works here, and his books are kept here at night locked up. If they ask around about the La Familia they will be pointed to this location, as it public face.

Warehouse Just outside Michoacán on the main highway is a large warehouse where Avocados are collected. It’s also the place where the captives are held. The trucks will be loaded here before they leave on their journey. The warehouse also holds lots of older electronics and party supplies.

Adventure Spine

Intro Chris gives the players the pitch, and the low down on the trouble in Michoacán. He suggested they listen to Manuels plan to hijack this season harvest of Avocados cutting out the La Familia Michoacána and hopefully getting them the ire of the Mexican Army when they can’t pay their dues. Go meet Manuel.

Chekhov’s Avocados While passing through customs, you’re asked to get out of your vehicles. They take you in to a room for questioning, they leave the charter to to stew. After a short while you see Alicia get stopped at the crossing, she seems agitated. She grabs what could be a small child and tries to run for it. The guards tackle her and the wrapped child in her arms explodes with avocados rolling every where. She makes another break for it and manages to steal one of the character vehicles. How will the players get out of the interrogation room and stop her? The chase is 5 segment track to get the car Back, and 5 segment track for the thief escape. If the crew works together and gets the car back, give them a +1 family and a way to get past the border.

Meeting Manuel Manuel meets the players, and will answer their questions about La Familia Michoacána. He is happy to tell the players of the horrors they have wrought to this once peacefully farming community. How they extort money, set up road blocks asking for tolls, how they kidnap and demand ransom. How they demand protection money and shares of the harvest. He will tell you he has a plan, but you are outsiders, you don’t have skin in the game. He will also tell you about the La Pachanga and the races in the streets.

Manuel has 4 days to pay the ransom, so after meeting with Manuel create a countdown track with 4 segments and mark one a day, the players will miss the shipment and their chance to save the Juan and any other captives when the time runs out.

If the players volunteer to prove their worth, or show righteous anger at his descriptions. The Manuel will call Camila to race them. She says, “You will know a man by how he handles himself behind the wheel. Let’s Race to the Avocado statue in the Tancitaro town square.”

This will be a 3 stage 7 segment race.

  1. Dirt roads down the side of the mountain through the grove, avoid trees or losing control in the mud. (2 segments)
  2. La Familia has blocked off the main road into Tancitaro so they can charge toll and track the farmers. Get pass this without our getting shot, and maybe you’ll need to avoid an attempted chase. (3 segments)
  3. Into the streets of Tancítaro, food carts, wares, cars and people crowd the town square. (2 segments) If one of them beats Camila, she will vouch for the character after the race, and Manuel will relent to her decision.

Visit to La Pachanga When paying a visit to La Panchanga, Indulge the characters in a little social banter including many of the NPCs at this location. Maybe put Yolanda in bad situation see how the characters respond, If they help her they may gain the good will of Calaca and discover that he likes her, and that he’s an account. Give them a chance to race Polito and Güey for additional information. The 1/4 mile straight race is a single stage 3 segment race, with the possibility of a train blocking the route.

Raid on Hangout (Optional) After their visit to La Panchanga they may be pointed towards the public hangout, and informed of a locker where their books and penny cash is kept. Here they can find the when the next planned shipment will be made. If they are too noticeable they may put the captives at risk.

Save the Captives The warehouse are large, and the complex is huge, allowing the characters to drive through them, and engage from their vehicles. The captives are held in an upper room, so they may have to get out of their car. As RM depending on how important you want this to be, create a count down track assuming the team will be working together. A track of 5 would be in passing, 10 major break, 15 more would be a session climax. Also set a countdown track of three less segments and mark one off for every turn, if time runs out they fail to save Juan and the question is can they get the shipment schedule from him before that.

Estimate each player will mark a segment per turn, multiple the number of player by how many turns you’d like this last.

Downtime Give them some time to do some heavy talk scenes, and time to get what ever they need for the big heist.

Avocado The highway between Tancítaro and Mexico City, has a section where it passes through a high mountain pass, or next to large reservoirs. Giving the players some creative place to engage with the convoy. The convoy consists of three semi trucks of Avocados, and four escort vehicles. The trucks are labeled with logo of Oakey Foods. The escort vehicles are pickup trucks and jeeps, that are running interference for the rucks to watch for possible hijackers. Create a heist countdown track, it will have 3 stages one for each truck, each stage being 4 segments. Mark one of the stages as the corrupted drug load. Then create 6 segment count track mark one segment every turn, when it completes the heist is over because either assistance or a dangerous part of road. To succeed the crew will have to work together.

Mexican Army (Twist, Optional) Once the crew has captured some of the convoy, they will encounter a Mexican army road block. The Mexican army is searching vehicle to reduce the drug cartel ability to traffic. One of the Avocado trucks was marked as corrupted, that truck has some of it load replaced with a drug shipment. If they have that truck the crew will have to figure out a way to escape from the Mexican army, or all the avocados will be confiscated, and the characters arrested. If you like they may have to escape a Mexican prison with a little help from the Green Scare.

Selling the Avocados (Option 1) The final act is how to fence the avocados. The Mexico City exporters won’t accept the crews avocado without the proof of origin paper work. This should be mostly social conflict or some type of substation hi-jinx, it’s time to let the Fast Talker shine.

Give them a time limit, either have the avocados about to spoil, or the Mexican military is closing in and will be confiscating the trucks shortly. This gives them some time pressure. Remind them the possible reward are a lot of resources that they should need to repair or upgrade their vehicles.

Selling the Avocados (Option 2) Make a run for the America boarder, have Alicia be a contact that help them sell the Avocados. The challenge here will be getting the trucks across the American board. Let the players come up with a solution.

Return to America They return to American to run a few expo races in Detroit Michigan, for green machine. Give them some down time for heavy talk, and a series of quick normal races.