Puppet Shows and Shadow Plays

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   Sorry for puppeting Rue outside your control Cearlan. I'm fine with retconing it and having you with Stanyard. Mr. Handy, do you want to change Vanessa's actions?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I edited my post. Now I'm asking for [b]Sheriff Colorados[/b] and/or [b]Paul[/b] to help me get [b]Garrett[/b] to safety.

[Dave Syrinx]

In the police station-

"To be perfectly clear, you did never call the police to get information from them? You had no contact within the force? Should we find someone having you on speed dial here, we'll do more than mention you in the investigation. We'll pin you as the spider in this web of phenomena of the unknown."

Stanyard conjures his contact card and places it on the table and pushes stop on the recorder. He pockets it and opens the cuffs.

"Be on your way."


When Harold has left, Stanyard waits with Edmund in the room.

"It sure seems he had regular chats with this Richard Eskaminzim. Do you want to call Vanessa or give Garrett the update? I'll handle the task you rather not do."

[HoneyDog]

Nik

“Far too late for that Detective”. Nik thanks the man and hangs up, his mind spinning. Every new piece of information seems to make things more confusing, not clearer.

He decides to make more phone calls. Firstly, he calls the field office and asks the duty agent to make a VICAP search. He outlines the details of the killings, the use of the unknown drug and how it is applied, and also about the method of suicide employed by the M.E. and Braverman. He wants to know if any other killings or suicides are recorded to have occurred.

Next he calls the Nashville PD HQ and contacts their Investigative Services department. He asks about any murders matching the description of the reservation killings.

[Cearlan]

Edmund contacts both Garrett and Vanessa updates on their interview with Harold.

"Hi there, Edmund Rue here - got a name for you to add to the growing list of loose ends here. It seems that a certain Richard Eskaminzim, some kind of a spiritual teacher here in town. He may be a person of interest, even if not directly involved himself."

OOC:   Sorry I missed the posts where you called me Rue - I had been looking for Edmund .

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   Everyone: due to different scenes moving at different paces, I'm going to rule that Nik is ahead of the other agents. It does not matter much now, but keep it in mind if you try to contact one another that he won't be able to respond until we all catch up.

Vanessa,Vanessa rushes towards the fallen state trooper, intent on saving him. Another shot goes off. Vanessa braces to be hit, but it is not her who is fired at. Instead deputy Paul is struck in the side. It looks like a grievous wound, but the man manages to barely remain standing. He begins to limp his way over to cover. Colorados rushes to assist Vanessa with Garrett, and the pair begin to make progress. He's a heavy man over 200 pounds, but the pair just manage to get him to cover. It is then that Garrett's radio begins to squawk, another loud sound breaking the silence. Edmund voice can be heard from the other end. [ooc]Paul is behind all of you, slowly making his way to the rocks and bleeding all the way.[/ooc]

Edmund and Stanyard,Harold averts his gaze from Edmund, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "[color=#804000]Of course I tried to get information from the police[/color]," he tells Stanyard. "[color=#804000]But they never gave me anything. Most of the time they hung up on me when I began questioning them about alien involvement. "I'm not scared of your threats. There's a reason you two detained me. You don't want the American people to find out the truth! I'm going to find out exactly what it is you're hiding[/color]."He sounds confident, but any aggressive movement or even glare causes the young reporter to flinch. As soon as he can, he rushes out of the room. Edmund can't get a connection on Vanessa's cell, so he calls in to Garrett's radio. He waits for an answer.

Nik,[ooc]I'm going to make a Bureaucracy roll here. Failure just means it will take longer. I'll give you a +20 bonus on it since this is an important case. Rolled and you got a 33, just above 30. Argh, sorry. Still, your other idea will get you plenty of info.[/ooc] "[color=#0000FF]Can do[/color],' the FBI Agent answers. "[color=#0000FF]Might take a bit of time, but I'll get you any similar cases as soon as I can[/color]." Nik's call to the P.D. quickly gets him into contact with a senior Detective. After listening briefly he confirms Nik's worse fears. "[color=#0040FF]Four months ago. Homeless people started to vanish throughout the city. It got up to twenty one or so before we took notice and realized this was something more than migration. A bit of digging and we found a few of the missing; partially eaten and with needle like injections throughout. "Turns out all the vanished had stayed at a homeless shelter run by a priest. Father Willard Franklin. We questioned him and found him suspicious. But by the time we got a warrant he had killed himself by disembowelment. We found traces of human meat inside of him, so considered the case closed. "Although... about a month and a half ago we got a call from the New Orleans police. Turns out they had a murder spree of their own. Several people went missing in the French Quarter. It threw the whole city into a panic, but thankfully the killer was shot dead during a home invasion. The guy's name was Elijah Jackson. His last known place of residence was the same shelter Father Franklin ran[/color]." He offers Nik the phone number for the New Orleans PD if he wants to follow up on it.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I thought we were supposed to add our STR scores together, not take the average. That's what the rules say, anyway. Otherwise, a weaker person would actually make things worse when helping a stronger person. Yes, we'll get him the rest of the way behind cover. I'll wait to answer the radio until we get there.

[Silver Priest]

Vanessa,[ooc]Ah, fair enough. Still fairly new to the rules, so I appreciate the correction. Sorry about that. In which case you both barely make it. Garrett and both of his rescuers are now behind cover. I'll edit my post.[/ooc]

[Mr. Handy]

"Cover Paul's retreat, I'll help Garrett," Vanessa says to the Sheriff as she applies pressure to the wound. She speaks into the radio as she does so. "We're under fire here!" she shouts. "Sniper in the cave! Garrett and the deputy are wounded! We need backup and medical assistance NOW!"

OOC,Medicine roll (60% skill) trying to help [b]Garrett[/b]: [dice]0[/dice] HP recovered by [b]Garrett[/b]: [dice]1[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Nik

Nik rubs his eyes and goes to fetch coffee. A theory is starting to take shape in his mind, he just needs a few more facts to confirm his suspicions.

He calls the NOPD on the number given. “Can I get the name of the individual whose home was invaded by Elijah Jackson? And do you happen to know his or her whereabouts now?”

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   Updates will hopefully be out for Nik and Vanessa tomorrow.

Edmund and Stanyard,The radio Edmund was using sparks suddenly to life. Vanessa's voice answers, sounding stressed."[color=#000040]We're under fire here! Sniper in the cave! Garrett and the deputy are wounded! We need backup and medical assistance NOW[/color]!"

[Dave Syrinx]

Stanyard bolts through the door and hails a police officer. "We need backup to Sheriff Garrett's position out at Begay's farm and an ambulance, ASAP! Is the hell still available??"

[Silver Priest]

Vanessa,Nodding, Colarados prepares to help Paul get to cover. But the shooter is faster. A third shot rings out, this one hitting the deputy in the side. With a final twitch, he falls down, unmoving. "[color=#008000]Shit[/color]!" The sheriff says. He cancels his run and hugs the rock both he and Vanessa are using as cover. Vanessa meanwhile forces herself to concentrate. Garrett's bleeding bad, and they don't have much in the way of equipment out here for him. But ripping off parts of his pants, she manages to use the fabric as a tourniquet and stop the bleeding. Garrett gives a weak cough and looks up at her. [color=#0040FF]"Guess... I underestimated you, girlie[/color]." She feels confident that he'll live, provided they can get him to a hospital within the next few hours. "[color=#008000]So what's the plan[/color]?" Colorados asks. "[color=#008000]We wait here for backup, or you want to rush the guy? If so, I'll cover you[/color]." As Vanessa considers her answer, her eyes are drawn to the deputy's body. She was powerless to do anything to save him, and it drags at her. [ooc]San roll time once again. Vanessa makes a roll at 0/1d3. This is a helplessness san roll, as she really could do nothing but watch the poor man die.[/ooc]

Nik,The coffee is lukewarm. Nik calls the NOPD, and some bureaucratic wrangling endures. But he's able to eventually get the name; A David Charles. He became something of a minor celebrity, and was interviewed by local press. But once it was determined that Elijah Jackson had been the man behind the recent serial killings, Charles left town. He was found a week later in a hotel room in Houston. Disemboweled. Nik recalls that Houston was where Braverman was from. The latest serial, he had made his way to San Carlos.

Edmund and Stanyard,[ooc]I assume Edmund is going to follow his partner, but if he has any other intentions, let me know.[/ooc] Also, Vanessa is at the cave where the shaman are having their spiritual retreat, but I assume that's where Stanyard at least wants to head? The deputy jumps into attention. [color=#0040FF]"Right! And should be, I'll ask the state troopers[/color]." It takes almost half an hour, but the group is in the air. Along with Stanyard and Edmund(if he comes) are four state troopers and two reservation police. An ambulance is also on the way to the scene, with whatever other support can be scrounged up. Everyone of the officers looks grim and like they're expecting trouble. All are wearing vests, and two carry rifles. [ooc]Timeline being finicky, You probably won't arrive until the action resolves at the cave. I'll post again when you guys arrive.[/ooc]

[Cearlan]

Edmund will certainly be with Stanyard and co. heading towards the cave in the chopper.

OOC:   Sorry I ain't been around much the last couple of days - problems with my computer.

[HoneyDog]

Nik is unsuprised at this information, it confirms his suspicions. Before he can make his report though there is one more point he needs to clarify.

Turning to the phone again he calls Braverman's captain in Houston.

“Was Braverman working on a case which involved a David Charles of New Orleans”?

OOC:   SP, do you have the dates of the Nashville and New Orleans killings? I need to make a timeline

[Mr. Handy]

Vanessa winces when she sees the dead deputy, then forces a smile for Garrett. "I just wish I could have saved both of you," she says. "Hang in there, you're going to be all right." To the Sheriff she adds. "That sniper's just too good a shot, and too quick. Poor Paul didn't even have a chance. We're pinned down pretty good here, but so is the killer, at least. We just have to hold on until backup arrives."

OOC,Sanity roll (current level 74) for seeing [b]Paul[/b] die: [dice]0[/dice] Sanity loss for seeing [b]Paul[/b] die: [dice]1[/dice] I'll just take that hit myself.

[Silver Priest]

Vanessa,[ooc]Nicely done. Since you suffered some san loss, make a check 1/3 san checks for Helplessness. Get two more without going insane and you can become hardened to it.[/ooc] Colorados looks conflicted, but another shot rings out. This one hits the rock they're cowering behind. "[color=#008000]You're right, I don't think we can reach him without being picked off. Our best hope is he wastes his ammo[/color]." The next few minutes are punctuated by the loud sound of several shots. Some of them hit the rock; others hit the ground near Paul's body. [ooc]Vanessa can make a HUMINT roll if she likes.[/ooc] After a few more minutes, two things become clear. First, the sound of a helicopter can be heard, and it soon becomes apparent that it's heading straight for them. Second, Vanessa realizes she's not heard any gun shots in a few minutes. Very cautiously, Colorados peaks his head out. Tense, he waits for a shot that never comes. "[color=#008000]I think he's withdrawn into the cave[/color]." The helicopter lands nearby, and soon a group of reinforcements arrive. Vanessa sees a mixture of state troopers and reservation police, along with Stanyard and Edmund.

Stanyard and Edmund,Chatter is kept low, and within twenty minutes the helicopter touches down in an isolated area of San Carlos. According to the pilot, it's close to the Shaman's cave. Both agents can see Colorados' car nearby, a sure sign that they're on the right track. Together with the rest of the group, they make their way into a canyon opening and come across the cave. Past the opening is a narrow path leading up to the cave. The path is narrow, allowing only one person up it at any one spot, and rocks line the walkway and down the other end. A small stream of water flows out of the mouth of the cave, cascading down to a small pool beneath it. At the start of the path is a dead deputy, shoot dead as if by some high power rifle. Both Edmund and Stanyard recognize him as Paul. For Stanyard, who had spoken to the man at some length just the day earlier, it's a hard sight to see. [ooc]Stanyard needs to make a 0/1d2 roll for violence to see if the sight disturbs him.[/ooc] Crouched behind a rock a bit of a ways further up are Colorados, Agent Vanessa, and an injured Major Garrett. Seeing the group Colorados waves them forward, and a few of the state troopers rush up to assist their leader.

Nik,Looking over his notes, Nik sees that the killings in Nashville started four months ago, back in September of '98. The New Orleans killings occurred a month later in October. These started on the 6th and came to an apparent end with Elijah Jackson's death on the 21st. The Houston murders began October 28th, before Braverman fled the city late in November, on the 24th. The call gets Nik some further information from Houston. "[color=#0040FF]Hmm... as a matter of fact, he was. This Charles guy killed himself. Nothing too spectacular besides the gruesome way he did himself in. Braverman was one of the cops first on scene[/color]."

[HoneyDog]

Nik

This confirms what Nik had suspected. He finishes his notes in preparation to brief the others when they return later. It's very important that he convinces them as to the validity of his theory, however outlandish it might seem. Their lives might depend on it.

One thing is still troubling him though - who left the articles for Marchand? It can't be the killer – he or she has obviously been attempting to stay under the radar by moving after each cycle of murders. So who else has a handle on this? He thinks that there is someone else facilitating these killings, but why would they attract attention to themselves? He wishes he could get a profile on this jerk.

He orders a club sandwich from the casino restaurant and prepares to search through the surveillance videos again. He should've had laid off the vodka last night.

OOC:   I'll lay out my ideas when the others get back from their adventures. In the meantime can he search again? Look, I rolled a success! Just. Search 40% Search: 1d100 39

[Dave Syrinx]

Touching down-
Stanyard recognizes Paul, mostly be the color of his hair. "Damn!", he hisses as he runs huddled over towards the rocks where the others are covering.
"Hold tight, guys. Have a spare gun??"
He offers an empty hand to Colorado.
He seems totally unhindered by the scene, so far.

[Cearlan]

Edmund follows Stanyard over to where the others hide in cover. His eyes take in the scene bit by bit.

"Have we identified where the gunman is yet and is there a different way to get there - from the sides or top maybe?"