Play@YSDC

Posted: **Wed Mar 08, 2017 1:04 am**

A week after the San Carlos case is solved Elaine Braverman's body is found. To the media, it's the final victim of Emmanuel Santana. Already the man is among the most infamous serial killers America has ever known. Only the agents know the truth, that he was just as much of a victim.

Phenomen-X, The shifty television program that Stanyard and Edmund had investigated, publishes a final report on the murder spree that had spread across America. Amazingly the reports actually connect many of the former carriers of the virus. But the program links all these separate murders tot he work of a satanic cult, and it attracts no mainstream attention. The fact that the next "news report" is an Elvis sighting does not help matters.

Other than that the next few months pass largely uneventfully. Delta Green does not contact them, and the agents are distracted enough with their own work. Life is not normal, precisely, but it has settled back into routine.

March 27, 1999

The routine breaks.

It's a Saturday, and all three of the agents are off. They each receive a phone call from a blocked number.

OOC: Feel free to elaborate on what you were doing when you received the call. If you were with someone and needed to make an excuse to get away, roll persuade. On a crit success, the bond understands completely and you can add one to it. On a crit failure, the bond is offended and it's reduced by one. A normal success/failure can just have the reaction roleplayed out.

Posted: **Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:23 am**

Vanessa pockets the key, certain that it's for locker 245 at the Phoenix bus terminal. She gets in her car and drives there.

Posted: **Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:54 am**

Spoiler:

Posted: **Wed Mar 08, 2017 2:42 pm**

Nik has returned from his morning run and is busy fixing breakfast. He is in a cheerful mood, humming to himself as he fixes his eggs. He plans to catch up briefly on some outstanding reports before meeting his girlfriend Debbie in the afternoon. Pretty soon he thinks, it will be time to pop the question. They'll have to start looking for a place to live together. But he'll need to take her up to Oregon to meet his parents. He's long overdue for a visit anyway.

The phone rings and his plans evaporate.

He changes and jumps in his car to head out for the bus terminal.

Posted: **Wed Mar 08, 2017 10:06 pm**

Edmund was out for the day with his friend Martin Watson and some of his old army buddies, but as soon as he got the mysterious message he returned home to get changed for work, having claimed a migraine.

On the way to the bus terminal he manages to park the car fairly close by and walks the two or three blocks to the station.

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:44 am**

The bus station is busy, crowds coming and going. But the agents find each other with minimal trouble. After that it's a simple matter to reach the lockers. Located in a separate room off the main terminal, there are a few hundred of them. With a number it takes them little time to find locker 245. It's locked, but Vanessa's key opens it easily.

Inside is another manila folder. A Green Triangle has been stamped on it. Though the room is considerably quieter than the rest of the station, there are a few people around, so the team retreats and opens the folder in a more private environment. Inside is a sheet of papers stapled together. The only other item of note is a key.
Below is Baughman's address. It's located in a working-class area of town. A phone number is also listed.

Attachment A turns out to be a mini dossier on Baughman, and confirms much of the information the agents already have:

[/i]

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 2:48 am**

Nik

“Hopefully this won’t take long” Nik says to the others. “I’ll call the house, just in case someone’s home”. He walks over to a phone booth.

OOC: What time is it now SP?

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 5:48 am**

"Marlene couldn't have been Sharon's mother, and I seriously doubt she was Jack's," says Vanessa. "She was barely older than they are. They must have been children from a previous marriage or something."

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 6:34 am**

There's no phone number for Clyde Baughman included in the documents. But if Nik wanted to look it up a phone book might have it.

OOC: Go ahead and make a luck roll. Luck in DG is straight 50/50, but honestly I prefer the old system, so unless there's objection we'll be sticking with that. Roll POW*5 for luck.Pass and you can find him, fail and he's unlisted.

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 7:14 am**

Silver Priest wrote: Below is Baughman's address. It's located in a working-class area of town. A phone number is also listed.

OOC: Sorry SP - number or no?

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:02 am**

OOC: No problem. But that phone number is for your DG contact for you to call after the assignment is done. Very poorly worded on my part though, sorry.

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 9:38 am**

Nik
Nik finds a listing for Baughman and rings the number.

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:29 pm**

Edmiund Rue

Rue scowls and mutters loud enough to be heard by the group;

"I know we all know to value secrecy here, but sending us out on a housekeeping errand whilst redacting information seems a trifle OTT don't you think? However lets see what we can find!"

Posted: **Thu Mar 09, 2017 8:34 pm**

The phone rings several times before an answering machine picks up.

You know who this is, and you know what to do. I'll get back to you eventually. The voice is male and sounds old and tired.

As a matter of fact, Rue and anyone else considering the notion get the distinct impression this mission is a low priority one. Considering Baughman lived in Phoenix,they were probably the closest agents available to assist.

Posted: **Fri Mar 10, 2017 1:59 am**

Nik returns to the others.

“It just goes to messages. We’d better case the place before we go in though. Shall I drive?”

OOC: What time is it SP? Nik will have to call his girlfriend if this takes a while.

Posted: **Fri Mar 10, 2017 4:58 am**

"Sure," says Vanessa. "The sooner we get going, the sooner we get the job done."

Posted: **Fri Mar 10, 2017 6:48 am**

OOC: Thanks - I missed that before.

On the way to the car Nik calls his girlfriend.

“I’m sorry baby, something work-related came up, but it shouldn’t take more than a few hours. It means I’m gonna be late though”.

“Aw Nik, not again. I’m fucking tired of this. You’d better decide where your loyalties lie.”

“Look honey, you know I’m good for it. It won’t be long I swear. But you know how this job is, and you knew that before we got together.”

Silence. “Okay, call me later. Be careful”.

They get to the car and set off to Baughman’s.

Posted: **Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:32 am**

Clyde Baughman lives( or lived) in a working class area of town, in a modest apartment building. Much like the neighborhood itself, it has seen better days but has avoided collapsing into total squalor.

There are four floors of apartments in the building. A quick glimpse at their notes reminds the agents that Baughman's apartment is on the third floor, apartment 303. Taking either the elevator or the stairs, they reach the apartment unmolested. The door itself is locked, but frankly it looks weak enough to be easily forced if it came to it. Thankfully the agents have a key, and they can get inside the apartment easily.

The first thing they observe is the heavy smell of cigarette smoke. It seems to cling to every part of the entrance. The interior itself is spartan, with few possessions or personal touches. A hook for various jackets is directly to the right of the entrance, but is mostly empty. A set of keys does hang from one of the hooks. There seem to be about six or seven separate ones.

Going slightly further in, an ugly beige carpet covers the floor. Seeming to be from the early 70's there are various stains on it, not all of them immediately identifiable. A couch sits in the middle of the room, it too stained with various foods and fluids. A small coffee table is in front of the couch, several crossword books cluttered on it. The one currently open seems half completed. There's also an open box of powdered doughnuts, and several ants enjoying one of them. Directly in front of that is a small TV an old model by the looks of it. Other than that, the living room apparently contains nothing of interest.

An adjacent kitchen can be spied further in, and a hallway leads off to the east.

Posted: **Fri Mar 10, 2017 8:51 am**

Nik is depressed by the squalor of the place. "Is something like this what I have to look forward to?" he wonders.

"I'll check the kitchen" he tells the others.

Posted: **Fri Mar 10, 2017 10:39 pm**

Edmund thinks about where he would likely conceal something amidst this squalour as he dons his gloves

"It could either be in plain sight or cleverly concealed." I ruminate before continuing, "Remember that this guy was no low-level schmuck, he was pretty high up the food chain so try and think outside the box here people."

I move the sofa back off the carpet and lift the carpet on that side

If there is nothing there then I will replace the carpet and sofa before moving the table and repeating the process on the other side of the carpet.

OOC: Anything to see on the floor, loose floorboards etc?

Posted: **Sat Mar 11, 2017 5:12 am**

"That's an awful lot of keys," says Vanessa, examining the keys on the ring. "They can't all be for this place or for a vehicle. Maybe there's a safe deposit box key or something." She tries to assess what they are by their shapes and sizes, and she compares the apartment key they were given to see if it is identical to any of the ones on the ring.

Posted: **Sat Mar 11, 2017 7:44 am**

Edmund finds nothing under the carpet but more dust. To the best of his knowledge there seem to be no loose floorboards either. Nothing jumps out at him, anyway.

Vanessa examines the keys. One does seem to be to this apartment, and another is shaped similarly, suggesting another apartment. The others are not readily identifiable, and there are no tags on them providing any clues.

Nik enters the kitchen, finding it disorganized. While there is thankfully no food left out, several used posts and pans are scattered on the counters and in the sink. The refrigerator is mostly bare, an expired carton of milk and some cheese the only things within. The refrigerator itself has two notes pinned to it. The first is a crude drawing of two stick figures. They seem to be embracing. The title reads By Cassie, age 4. A gold star hangs above it. The other note shows a smiling sun and reads I love my Grandpa. These are the first truly human touches Nik has seen inside this place.

The rest of the kitchen seems uninteresting.

Posted: **Sat Mar 11, 2017 10:52 am**

“Oh well” says Nik. He gives the kitchen a thorough search, looking inside every cupboard and the fridge and freezer, feeling for packages taped under drawers, beneath the sink etc. He doesn't find anything of interest. Lastly he takes the drawings off the fridge door and looks at them more closely, turning them over.

Posted: **Sun Mar 12, 2017 3:18 am**

"It looks like there's another apartment key on this ring," says Vanessa, "but I have no idea which one. Let's check down the hall. We should find his bedroom that way."

Posted: **Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:35 am**

The kitchen cabinets are equally Spartan. It seems as though Clyde rarely put anything away after he used it, and so much of his equipment is already out. Nik does find a half used jar of peanut butter and a bag of chips, but that's about it.

The notes themselves contain nothing interesting. Disappointed, he returns to the living room just as Vanessa suggests heading down the hall
.
The first door is a linen closet that has been left slightly open. Much like the rest of the house, it seems to be more built for utility than excess. It may take a few minutes to search, but nothing jumps out immediately.
Down further in the hallway is another door, this one closed. Then two more doors at the end of the hall. Both of them are closed as well.

As the agents decide what to do next, the sound of a key turning in the front door can be heard, and it creaks open. Footsteps can be heard entering the apartment.

OOC: You're all partway down the hallway, out of view of the front door. No one can see you but you can't see them either.

Posted: **Sun Mar 12, 2017 2:01 pm**

Nik slips his ID out of his pocket ready to identify himself. His right hand goes to the butt of his sidearm in its hip holster. He stands ready to move if ordered.

Posted: **Sun Mar 12, 2017 5:14 pm**

"If his family's here already," whispers Vanessa, "I can do the talking. We'll just explain that we're here from the FBI to make sure that there's no classified materials here, and to remove them if there are, as Clyde was a former IRS agent and consultant and was assisting in some classified work."

Posted: **Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:03 pm**

OOC: Just a quick correction, Clyde was an IRS agent.

So is someone stepping out to confront the newcomer(s)? If so, do they have their sidearms out or will they approach unarmed?

Posted: **Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:56 pm**

Posted: **Mon Mar 13, 2017 2:31 am**

Nik nods assent. As Marchand moves out to meet the newcomer, he will draw his pistol and release the safety catch, but keep it hidden by his side and blocked from view.

Posted: **Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:24 am**

Vanessa moves out of the hallway and finds the newcomer to be an older woman. She looks to be in her seventies with wispy white hair and dated dress. At her feet is a small dog, a Yorshire Terrier perhaps. It does not look all that interested in Vanessa.

The woman however is. She lets out a little gasp of surprise when she sees Vanessa, and her eyes widen as she takes in her jacket. Regaining herself, she quickly smiles. "Oh, hello there. I heard someone going into Mr. Baughman's apartment and thought I'd come over and see if it was his family. Are you his daughter? I must say, you don't look alike."

OOC: Vanessa can make a HUMINT roll if she likes.

Posted: **Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:33 am**

Nik safeties his weapon and returns it to his holster, but doesn't announce himself.

Posted: **Mon Mar 13, 2017 3:44 am**

"No, ma'am," says Vanessa, "I'm with the federal government. Mr. Baughman has done some work for the government in the past involving classified materials, and we're just doing a routine check to see if any of them are in his apartment. If we find any, we'll remove them, but I don't expect we will. Government employees aren't supposed to keep classified materials in their homes, but from what I've heard Mr. Baughman was a conscientious employee. Still, we're required to check." She smiles at the dog. "I've got a dog too, a German Shepherd named Rex. What's this little one's name?"

Posted: **Mon Mar 13, 2017 6:57 am**

As far as Vanessa can tell the woman appears to just be an old neighbor.

"Oh, I see. Yes, right, he did work for the government if I'm remembering correctly, though that's not been for quite a few years now."

When asked about the dog she beams. "Oh, this is Mitzi. Say hello, Mitzi!" Mitzi chooses to remain silent, curled up at her owner's feet. "She's a darling little girl! Friendly once you get to know her."

"Poor Mr. Baughman. He always kept to himself, especially since his wife's passing. She's the one who gave me the key. We used to have tea twice a week. I'd see him in the hall and try to invite him for some company, but he always refused. The poor dear was always so very reserved. I doubt he ever truly recovered from his wife's death. It is hard to lose a spouse mind. I lost my Franklin a decade and a half ago.It still hurts, but Mitzi and my friends keep me from being alone. Poor Mr. Baughman did not seem to have anything like that.

"Now, I don't mean to gossip," she says, in a tone that poorly hides her desire to, "But I think that's why he wasn't found for three days. No one knew to go looking for him. Such a terrible tragedy, my my."

Posted: **Mon Mar 13, 2017 7:12 am**

Nik

As the old lady seems content with their presence, Nik decides to search the linen closet.

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:01 am**

"Oh, that's so sad," says Vanessaa with sympathy. "Didn't Mr. Baughman receive any visitors? I would have thought his family would have come to see him, at least."

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:50 am**

Nik gets to work ruffling through the closet. It's largely full of spare pillows and towels, with nothing else of much interest. It may take a few minutes to fully go through every part of the small closet, but so far he finds nothing that would suggest anything particularly special was hidden inside here.

"No," Says the old woman. "It's a real shame. Back when Marlene was alive, that's his wife, his children would come visit now and then, or they'd go away to visit them. After she passed they gradually stopped coming by. He used to have a dog as well, a Golden Retriever named... oh, what was its name? But it got sick and he had to put it down, oh a few years back. After that, he was alone.

"He was never rude, you understand, more reserved. Even when Marlene was alive he kept to himself. But he adored her. I think when she died, so did he. I'd say hello to him in the hall and offered to have him over a few times for tea, but he always deflected." She sadly tut tuts. "I often went days without seeing him. It wasn't until the police came and forced his door open that I realized something terrible had happened. Apparently, his son tried calling him and called the police when he received no answer."

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:29 am**

Nik

Giving up on the linen closet, Nik goes to investigate the next closed door in the hallway.

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:39 am**

As the woman drones on, Nik enters the next room. It's obviously a small bathroom, though one that has been disturbed. There's a broken towel rack on the outside of the shower. The shower door itself has a rather large crack running through it. The remains of a ceramic toothbrush holder have been swept into the garbage can, which remains otherwise empty. The rest of the room looks typical for a bathroom, if a touch dirty.

In addition, there's a faint smell that seems to be centered within this room.

OOC: Nik can try a Forensics roll if he likes to figure out what the smell could possibly be.

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 7:49 am**

Nik wonders why the bathroom is in such a state. Did something happen here?
The smell bothers him, but he can’t identify it. He attempts to search the bathroom anyway, examining the floor and looking at the shower and the shower door.
He can find nothing. Perhaps Rue will know what the smell is. He leaves the bathroom and heads to the doors at the end of the hall.

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:24 pm**

Edmund slips out of the room before he starts to yawn - "Gods does that woman ever shut up!" he mutters to himself.

Seeing Nik walking towards him Edmund smiles as he says softly

"Vanessa's doing a great job at keeping the old biddy occupied whilst interrogating her at the same time."

Posted: **Tue Mar 14, 2017 9:31 pm**

OOC: Nik can mark the skill as failed, but since you pretty much nailed it I'm going to give you the answer. I don't believe in withholding information from clever players.

It takes Nik a few minutes, but the identity of the sweet yet cloying smell comes to him. It was death. Someone had died in here, probably recently judging by the state of the room. From the looks of things Baughman had suffered some sort of episode in the shower and stumbled out of it, explaining most of the damage. And indeed, there's a slight mark on the floor, perhaps where something heavy had fallen.

While morbidly interesting ,the rest of the bathroom seems to hold no answers to their own investigation. He slips out of it just as Edmund joins him, and the pair head to the doors at the end of the hall.

The first door leads into what is obviously a bedroom. A neat queen-sized bed is at the back of the room, bordered by a dresser. It is here that the agents find the other signs of human habitation. Several pictures are framed on this dresser. They show Baughman with his wife and kids, and later, his dog. From these pictures the agents can see that Clyde is a heavyset man, powerfully built, with a grey beard and thick bifocols.

The pictures of the children seem to stop at their college graduations. Quick calculations show they'd all be much older now. A few pictures are of just Clyde and his wife, their dog with them in a few of the later ones. It would seem that Baughman chronicled his relationship here, as each picture shows the pair a few years older.

The final picture, centered in the group, are of the couple and their dog, now fully grown. Both look to be in their sixties. Marlene is in the front, sitting down with the dog at her feet, while Clyde holds onto her shoulders. Marlene has a wide smile and warm blue eyes, though Baughman's seems more tense. Still, he seems genuinely happy during the photo. A frame nailed to the wall off to the side is a colorful handprint that is identified as belonging to Cassie, but no pictures of the grandchild are present.

Posted: **Wed Mar 15, 2017 2:13 am**

"I'm sorry to hear that," says Vanessa, waving to the Yorkie. "Hello, Mitzi! I guess she's shy. There are as many different kinds of dogs as there are people. My Rex is very outgoing, always running up to people. He's friendly, though, unless he thinks someone's bad. He's a pretty good judge of character."

Posted: **Wed Mar 15, 2017 3:46 pm**

“Why aren’t there any pictures of Cassie?” Nik ponders. “It doesn’t make sense.”

To Rue he says, “You know I’ve been thinking. Remember what happened to Sheriff Colorados? His alleged suicide? I wonder if something like that happened here. You saw the bathroom”.

He searches the room, but can find nothing.

Posted: **Wed Mar 15, 2017 6:06 pm**

Edmund nods grimly as nik describes the coincidental similarities between the two deaths.

"Yeah, now you mention it it is pretty coincidental - 'ceptin' I ain't a believer in coincidences anymore."

Edmund helps Nik to search the room.

OOC: (with a hard success)

Posted: **Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:29 pm**

OOC: Not quite a hard success. In DG crit successes are doubles on a roll you'd pass, so for Rue it would be 11, 22, all the way to 66. I'm pretty sure it includes 1, I'll have to check. Crit fails are the opposite.

Vanessa meanwhile finds her words make Mitzi warm up. The dog wags its tail and looks as if it will permit her to stroke it behind the ears.

"Oh my, so it Mitzi. Why, just the other day..." The woman launches into a tale that's not even tangentially related to the investigation. It would seem that she has no desire to leave without being asked to.

"And so Mitzi, she just barked when she saw the killer. Solved it before Matlock, she did! And you know Matlock always gets his man. Oh, I've always had such a crush on Andy Griffith, way back to the Andy Griffith show. He and Colombo. Oh my, what was his name? Peter... Peter something."

OOC: If Vanessa wants to bid the woman adieu, she can make a persuade roll to convince her to leave. Any roll with technically succeed, but it will determine how much if any offense she takes.

Posted: **Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:37 pm**

“Jesus” mutters Nik. “We’re going to have to search it. But we should get Marchand’s help. I want to talk to that old lady anyway.”

He returns to where Marchand and the lady are in conversation. Marchand seems a bit strained, so perhaps she’ll welcome being rescued.

“Hello!” says Nik cheerfully to the old lady. “That’s a nice dog.” He bends down to have his hand sniffed.

To Marchand he says “There’s a lot of paperwork back there. Mr. Baughman was very conscientious about his job. We need to look at it.”

He turns to the old lady. “Excuse me Ma’am, I have a question. Did you ever talk to Mr. Baughman about his granddaughter, Cassie?”

Posted: **Thu Mar 16, 2017 1:38 am**

The old woman stops mid-sentence and greets the newcomer. "Oh, hello. Yes, her name is Mitzi."

The dog allows the affection.

"I'm glad Mr. Baughman had something to occupy his time. The thought of him here all alone is just so sad to contemplate."

She considers. "I don't believe so. Mind we never really spoke that much to begin with. Marlene never mentioned a granddaughter, though she passed some years back. It's possible one wasn't born yet. I don't recall ever seeing his family stop by since her death, and Mr. Baughman never really went anywhere that I observed. How sad if he never got to meet her!"

Posted: **Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:03 am**

"It was Peter Falk who played Columbo," says Vanessa, bending down to scratch Mitzi behind the ears. "My mom loves Andy Griffith just as much as you do. She grew up watching The Andy Griffith Show, and I grew up watching Matlock with her. Oh, and there's this really excellent movie from 1957 he was in, A Face in the Crowd. He's great at being scary in that one. I'd love to stay and talk some more, but I really ought to be getting back to work. The taxpayers are paying my salary, and they ought to get their money's worth. It was nice meeting you and Mitzi!" Vanessa waves and heads down the hall.

Posted: **Thu Mar 16, 2017 4:40 am**

Mitzi rewards the affection with a few licks while her owner says goodbye to Vanessa.

Vanessa finds the room a study, filled with a dozen or so boxes piled high with papers. It's going to take some hours to get through this all and ensure that none of it is sensitive content that must be removed.

OOC: Everyone going through the study can make search and bureaucracy rolls. Search to find anything of interest, bureaucracy to discern more quickly what they're looking at and get through the boxes quicker. It's currently 2 pm. A success on a bureaucracy roll means you get through all this in let's say 3 hours. If you all fail, it might take twice that. Only one of you needs to succeed on either roll, but I don't mind you all rolling for it. multiple success might mean you get through it quicker.

Posted: **Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:10 am**

Vanessa begins sorting through the paperwork, but she isn't finding anything of interest.

Posted: **Thu Mar 16, 2017 8:52 pm**

Edmund,Search
[dice]0[/dice]

Edmund,Bureaucracy
[dice]1[/dice]

"Hey this could be something!" Edmund exclaims.

Posted: **Fri Mar 17, 2017 3:30 pm**

"Perhaps Baughman was estranged by this point, and never really saw Cassie", thinks Nik. "Poor guy."

“Did Mr. Baughman ever give you anything to look after for him Mrs… I’m sorry, I don’t know your name! I’m Baxter. Everyone calls me Bax.”

Posted: **Fri Mar 17, 2017 7:05 pm**

Vanessa and Rue begin the long process of sorting through the papers.
***

"I'm Mrs. Janowitz. But you may call me Miriam." She smiles. "And no. Our talks after his wife's passing were short and reserved. And before that, I mostly spoke with Marlene. He never came with her to tea or anything like that."

Posted: **Fri Mar 17, 2017 10:11 pm**

Nik

“Thanks Miriam! Yes, from what I hear Mr. Baughman was quite reserved. The loss of his wife must have been very hard for him. When he died, did any other police or agents come around talking to you?”

Posted: **Fri Mar 17, 2017 11:01 pm**

"Oh, it was. I know Marlene adored him, and from what I saw the feeling was mutual. I expected him to go much sooner, being honest."

"Police?" She pauses to think. "No, I don't believe so. I did speak to one of the officers who came to check on him when they found him. It's how I know how he died. He apparently had a massive heart attack in the middle of showering. I'm sure you already knew about that, but it's still so sad."

Posted: **Fri Mar 17, 2017 11:29 pm**

Nik

"Yes, it is sad. I really feel for him" says Nik, sincerely.

"Listen, Miriam" he continues. "I really should go and help the others. Can I stop by your apartment later to say goodbye?"

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2017 3:24 am**

"Oh, of course. I'll let you get back to it. Come on, Mitzi."

"Stop by anytime, dearie. I'll put some tea on for you." With that, Mrs. Janowitz leaves the apartment, Mitzi quickly following behind.

OOC: If Nik goes to help the others, please give me Bureaucracy and Search rolls.

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2017 4:03 pm**

Nik

Nik heads back to help the others. He sighs as he looks at the boxes.

OOC:

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2017 8:38 pm**

The team digs into the boxes, finding them stuffed with papers. These papers range from Clyde's official IRS work to junk mail and other random assortments. The agents need to read every piece, because they can not determine a pattern to all of this. It all seems random.

In the end, it takes almost six hours to go through everything, allowing for a break or two here or there. It's mind numbingly tedious, even by the standards of government work. None of it seems to ring any red flags for the team. Though Baughman should probably not have brought his work for the IRS home, it was not their responsibility to clean that up.

But near the end of their work, Edmund finds something. It's a deed to a cabin, roughly three hours away from here. It appeared as though Clyde owned it, having purchased it back in the early 80's. The team is obligated to check it out and conduct a search of it, as well.

Of course, they could just go back to Delta Green and report an all clear. Judging by the orders they received, DG did not know of the existence of the cabin. And this one slip of paper seems the only one referencing it in the entire apartment. There was a good chance neither of Baughman's children knew of the place.

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2017 10:03 pm**

OOC: If there is only the one piece of paper then it surely behooves us to remove it from the vicinity, i.e. pocket it for our own investigation, along with the extra key, which will probably fit the cabin's front door - maybe?

Posted: **Sun Mar 19, 2017 12:05 am**

"Let's remove the deed to the cabin and the keys," says Vanessa. "We're going to have to check out the cabin too. There could be something there. Even though we'll be removing any references to it from the apartment, there are records of ownership and it is part of his estate. We have a little time to make sure it's clean, but his family would find ii eventually."

Posted: **Sun Mar 19, 2017 4:01 pm**

Nik

“I agree, we should check it out. We can return the deed later maybe. I’d better call my girlfriend. Shit, she’s gonna tear me a new one.”

He pauses. “I’d better call in at the old lady’s apartment. Sorry guys, I know you’re tired. But maybe we could all use a nice cup of tea, as the British say.”

Posted: **Sun Mar 19, 2017 8:13 pm**

OOC: Moving us along, if you guys want to do anything else let me know and I'll retcon it in.

Nik's girlfriend is rather unhappy with him, and he gets the impression he's going to be sleeping on the couch the next few nights. Still, she tells him to do what he needs to; he just better be willing to pay for it later.
That unpleasant task done, Nik ends over to Mrs. Janowitz's apartment. The old woman is happy to see him, and after some minor convincing the other agents are free to come over as well. The four enjoy some tea and a nice home cooked meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes before the agents head off to the cabin.

It's a three hour drive, and in a far more rural part of the state. Buildings and traffic gradually disappear. By the last few minutes of the trip, no other people or signs of human habitation can be found. Finnally the agents spy the road leading to Baughman's cabin. It's been worn away by the weather and is poorly maintained, but they make it down with only a few close calls.

The cabin itself is all alone on the property, a few miles off the main road. Designed in a faux-log cabin atmosphere, it's a one story building that seems innocuous for the area. There's plenty of space to park and get out to investigate it. A well is nearby the cabin, apparently where the water is pumped in from.

The front door is locked, but one of Vanessa's keys allows access. Inside, the interior is cramped, and cobwebs and dust can be spied on various pieces of furniture. There's a fireplace that does not see much use(unsurprising given the temperature around here) and a few animal heads mounted within the living quarters. The living room itself has several sofas and chairs and a coffee table. A kitchen is attached to the living room. To the east, a hallway can be seen, down which are a few closets and two doors leading to the bedroom and bathroom. A final door is at the end of the hall, seeming to lead out back to a porch.

OOC: It's currently 11 or so at night and pitchblack. The team is probably exhausted, but not so much that they suffer in game penalties. I'm going to say you have a flashlight or two so if you want to bust them out that might be wise.

Posted: **Sun Mar 19, 2017 9:27 pm**

Vanessa takes out her flashlight and turns it on. "I guess there's no power here," she says, "but maybe there's a generator somewhere on the premises. Let's go through the rooms and get an overview of what's here, then focus on searching specific things of interest."

Posted: **Sun Mar 19, 2017 10:34 pm**

Vanessa tries the light, and finds there is indeed no power.

Posted: **Sun Mar 19, 2017 11:17 pm**

Edmund gives the main room a quick search, albeit with his maglight held in his mouth.

[dice]0[/dice]

OOC: (sorry I forgot about the dice roll section

)

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:04 am**

Nik heads into the kitchen to look around.
As usual, he finds nothing.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:35 am**

OOC: No worries about the dice rolls, I mostly created the thread for myself. Post them wherever you like.

The team possess three flashlights. They do an adequate job of lighting up the cabin, at least enough to prevent any risk of injury from stumbling around.

Vanessa finds that besides the previous mentioned rooms, the door out back leads to a porch. A few yards beyond the porch stand two buildings, which look to be a small outhouse and a shed. The outhouse is unlocked; the shed is, but the federal agent has one of the keys to open it if she so wishes.

Further back from these buildings lies a bit of disturbed earth near the edges of the property. There's the exposed top of a septic tank there. Weathering serves to indicate it has stood partially exposed for years, though presently only the hatch is visible.

Circling back inside the house, Vanessa finds little of interest inside the bathroom save a few prescriptions for heart medicines and a bottle of aspirin. In the bedroom she finds a small closet, a nightstand, and a medium sized bed. It looks undisturbed, and rather inviting after the long day they've all had. It seems to only be able to fit one person, however. Opening the closet finds only one outfit,a crisp, professional suit that's covered in long stale blood. There's also a long grey footlocker inside the closet. The lock is strong, and none of the keys seem to fit it.

OOC: Unfortunately none of you seem to have Craft: Locksmith... Someone can give me a str*5 roll to find something and try to smash the lock.

Edmund finds little of interest in the main room. A few nature books and maps lay on the coffee table, but nothing else of note. Checking under the couch's cushions does find him a grand total of 15 cents, which he can keep if he so wishes.

Nik's search of the kitchen is similarly disappointing. There's very little here. But he opens the refrigerator and finds some food, all expired for two months or so. This would at least serve to suggest Clyde had been here fairly recently.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2017 7:04 am**

Nik stops by the bedroom to see how Vanessa is getting on. He eyes the bloody suit dubiously. “I’ll help with that” he says, indicating the lock on the footlocker.

Going outside the back door, he finds a shovel. Raising it over his head, he brings the edge down on the padlock.
It breaks and falls on the floor.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2017 8:01 am**

The lock gives, and the footlocker can be opened. Inside there are several things.

A paperback book: "Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation" by Mitch Horowitz. It is well worn and has been reads through several times. Some of the pages look to be in danger of falling out.

Perhaps alarmingly, A L85A2 assault rifle, along with 100 bullets.

OOC: (Does 1d12+2 damage, 30 shots capacity, capable of bust fire.)

A book entitled "The Interrupted Journey" by John Fuller. It seems to detail the purported alien abductions of Betty and Barney Hill. A post-it is attached to the corner, and reads Greys?

OOC: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney_and_Betty_Hill

Half a box of matches, next to a few candles.

A leather bound book, untitled.

An urn filled with what seems to be ashes, labeled JOHN DOE.

Three VHS tapes, labeled Church of the Holy Redeemer Recordings..

And lastly, an envelope. A crudely drawn green triangle has been placed on it. The agents realize it's the same symbol that was on the note in the locker.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2017 2:54 pm**

“Damn!”

Nik whistles admiringly.

“When I was a kid I dreamed of having a collection of weird shit like this.”

He picks up the envelope with the Delta Green logo, and opens it.

Posted: **Tue Mar 21, 2017 4:33 am**

"Good thing we found it, then," says Vanessa "We'll have to take all the contents of the footlocker. There's something that's bugging me. Why is there both a septic tank and an outhouse? Does the plumbing here even work?" She goes into the bathroom and tries to flush the toilet.

Posted: **Tue Mar 21, 2017 7:36 am**

Oddly enough, the cabin does not have running water. It seems to have been turned off, if it was ever around at all.

Nik tears open the envelope, inside of which is a torn note.

To Whom it May Concern,

If you are reading this, I can only assume I have died before I had the courage to undertake my final mission. You will find about 20 gallons of gasoline in the shed behind this cabin. Pour it all down into the septic tank and ignite it. You'd be happier if you don't look inside.

I am so sorry. May God please forgive me.

Clyde Baughman

Posted: **Tue Mar 21, 2017 10:14 am**

Nik

"Jesus Christ!" Nik exclaims, his eyes wide. "Marchand! Rue!Look at this!"

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2017 2:56 am**

Vanessa whistles when she reads the note. "Well, that explains why the indoor plumbing isn't working," she says. "I think we'd better do as he said in the note."

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2017 6:58 am**

Nik

"You're not curious about what it might be that we're burning?" Nik hesitates. It could be a creature like they encountered before, but it might not be.

"Maybe there's something here that can give us some indication."

He picks up the leather-bound book and opens it.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:05 am**

The leather bound book seems to be some sort of journal. Nik reads the first entry.

I'm putting these words down for my own sanity. These are things I cannot tell my wife or children. I can't even tell the others. The things I've seen... The things I've done... And yet, who else would? No one should bear my burden.

Here I will put down everything I recall of my work. PETERS suggested it. He's a psychologist in his dayjob, at least he says. But I don't even know his real name, so who knows how much credence I can give that. But he told me it might help. If it gets rid of even a few of the nightmares it's worth it.

The entry is not dated. Flipping through the book none of them seem to be. There are dozens of them, however. It will take Nik quite some time to read through the book; The better part of a day, at least.

The very back of the book has several pages torn out. Of them, there is no sign.

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2017 7:19 am**

Nik

"This is his journal. It'll take some time to read, but it might give us some answers.There's the videos too. I'll go along with whatever you decide Marchand, but at least let's try and find out more about this."

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2017 9:28 pm**

Edmund Rue

"Has anyone seen a video recorder around here, it looks like we are going to be here for a long while? I do not think that we are going to be able to carry out his wishes and destroy everything until we know what it is we are destroying here, are we?"

Posted: **Wed Mar 22, 2017 11:41 pm**

OOC: There's no VHS or even a television around here. The nearest hotel with them is around twenty to thirty minutes away. Up to you guys if you want to take the detour to do that.

Posted: **Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:20 am**

"I'm curious about what's in the septic tank," says Vanessa, "just not curious enough to take a look inside when he specifically warned us not to. By all means, we can find out exactly what this is about before we torch whatever's in there. It's kept for all this time, it'll keep another day, and the family isn't going to find this place any time soon. Why don't we spend the night at the nearest hotel? That way we can watch the videos, read the journal, and review any other evidence. Besides, I'm a fan of indoor plumbing."

Posted: **Thu Mar 23, 2017 3:39 pm**

Nik stands up, holding the journal and the paperback books. “Yeah, I wonder what the hell is in there?” he muses.

He looks at the note attached to the Betty and Barney Hill book. “I heard about these two. They claimed they were abducted by aliens. But we all know there’s no such thing right?” He laughs, but there’s no humour in it.

“What’s a ‘grey’? Do I even want to know?" He sighs. "Jesus, maybe all of that alien abduction shit is true after all." He shivers involuntarily.

Posted: **Thu Mar 23, 2017 7:40 pm**

The team makes it to the nearest hotel. Hotel is generous, it's a motel, a bit rundown but not enough to send alarm bells through anybody's heads. It also has a tape player and television in every room, which suits their present purposes just fine.

The bored clerk greets the agents and gives them as many rooms as they'd like, and soon enough they find themselves in them. They're cramped and very much no frills, and there are a few stains on the bed no one cares too much to identify. But after the long day, they can't help but look appealing.

Still, work calls, and they have a few different things to look through. The question is, did they want to put off sleep to do it?

OOC: It's nearly midnight. Let me know what each of your characters decide to do.

There's one drawback, however. If the Agents opt to continue their research instead of sleeping they risk exhaustion.

"An exhausted Agent suffers a −20% penalty to all
skills, stat tests, and SAN tests, and loses 1D6 WP. The
exhausted Agent loses another 1D6 WP after going
another night without sleep, after working hard for a
few hours, or after running or fighting for a few minutes.
A full night’s sleep cures exhaustion."

If you chose to research despite the risks, give me a con*5 roll. Pass and you're able to keep working and hold off the fatigue for now. Fail, and exhaustion sets in.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:19 am**

Nik wants to study the journal but he knows he needs to sleep. "I'll be up at 5" he tells the others.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:39 am**

"Good night," says Vanessa. "I'll meet you for breakfast." She heads to her own room to get some shuteye.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2017 6:40 am**

OOC: I'm assuming Rue will also call it a night. If I'm incorrect, let me know and I'll happily retcon.

The beds are not the most comfortable the agents have ever slept in, but they all almost immediately go to sleep. The day has proven tiring.

Each of them wake around 5, and for a moment their lives are carefree. Then they remember the mission is still not yet done. Worse, they have little idea what is to come.

The only breakfast provided here comes from inside vending machines. The agents chow down and get back to work. There are some leads to consider.

The first is Baughman's journal. It's densely packed with unlabeled entries. Even to skim it will take some time. Or they could try just reading a certain part of it, hoping for clues.

The second lead is the tapes. There are three of them, all seeming to be a few hours long. With some fast forwarding it might be possible to get through them all by noon, the time for checkout.

Of course, there are all the other things Baughman kept in the footlocker. Perhaps one of them could prove useful? And they also have the number for a Delta Green contact, if they'd like to try and get in contact with them.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2017 7:40 am**

Nik will skim the journal for now, and read it in more detail later. He'll pay particular attention to anything about 'greys' or what is in the septic tank. He'll save the paperbacks for another time.

He settles down with a coffee to read.

Posted: **Fri Mar 24, 2017 3:55 pm**

Edmund Rue

Edmund sighs and picks up a tape.

OOC: Are there any distinguishing features on the tapes such as 1, 2 and 3; dates or whatever. f there is then he will start with the first one, otherwise the top one

"Might as well start with this one I guess, Anyone coming to the flicks with me?" he says with a wry grin.

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2017 4:53 am**

"I'll watch the videos too," says Vanessa. "There's no reason we all can't. We could even multitask, looking through the books while we watch, but we don't have to. We can read the books back at the cabin, after we check out. We can only watch the tapes here."

Posted: **Sat Mar 25, 2017 7:40 am**

Rue and Vanessa,The tapes are not labeled, but are arranged on top of one another. It's very likely the top tape is meant to be viewed first, so the pair put it in first. The first tape starts in September of 1992. It seems to be showcasing The Church of the Holy Redeemer's sermons. It's a large building, looking capable of seating a hundred or so people. The pews are packed with families wearing their Sunday best. They listen as a man gives a sermon. He's middle aged, with dignified white hair and a pronounced deep south accent. He wears a nice suit and looks very charming, and the crowd seems to be eating out of his hand. At several points during his sermon "Amen's" erupt from the pews. And truth be told, he is in fact a very compelling speaker. The sermons start off mostly boil point. The minister talks about the power and glory of the Lord, and how belief in Him is necessarily in order to be saved. The sermons are intermixed with music, and people leave the pews and begin to clap and dance faithfully in time with it. But as the sermons continue, the agents notice something odd. There are no real signs of overt Christian imagery, and Christ Himself is never mentioned. The preacher refers to their god as "the most blessed Holy Redeemer. He who will judge the world and find it wanting. Gradually the sermons take on a darker turn. There's less talk of grace, more of war. The preacher begins to tell the crowd how the world is rotten and how things will need to change soon. It was up to His worshipers to prepare for his arrival. Despite the bleaker subject matter , the crowd continues to seem enthused, and the first tape ends. The second tape starts off in early 1993. After a few more sermons the preacher begins to tell the crowd that more is needed. "[color=#0040FF]He demands your sacrifice. You cannot just come here on Sunday and expect to be saved. I tell you this; you need to devote everything to our Lord! Your money, your health, yes even your life! My friends, we are the chosen few who will survive the day of reckoning, and feast in Eden reborn! Prove to me you're worthy[/color]!" A snake is brought out. It's rather big, of a sort neither of them have seen before. The preacher takes it and continues his sermon. "[color=#0040FF]Prove you are faithful, my brothers and sisters! Allow Saint Yig himself to free you of your sin. Come forth and receive his blessing[/color]!" Many do come forward, though a few of the congregation seem nervous. This nervousness increases after the snake is handed from one person to another. The snake bites several of them, seemingly at random. Many reach as though they have entered a fit of ecstasy, moaning and raising their hands above their heads. A few stagger. One woman, an elderly gray haired matron in her late 70's cautiously takes the snake. No sooner do her hands touch it then it bites her neck. Unlike many of the others, she reacts like one would expect a person bitten by a snake to. She screams and nearly drops it. Quickly the snake is ushered away from her, and the woman herself is pushed away from the crowd. She looks to be in deep pain, pleading for someone to help her. No one does. "[color=#0040FF]Look here brothers! See the effect our Lord has on those unbelievers[/color]!" Gradually she loses strength, and soon she is moaning on the ground. Soon after her feeble attempts at movement stop entirely. Throughout it all none pay her any attention, even the other members of her family. The tape ends soon after. The last one begins in June of 93, a few months later. The congregation seems notably thinned out. These new sermons make it easy to see why. Everyone seems to feature acts of pain inflicted on them. From whipping to stabbings, every week seems to feature some new punishment. And just like before, every time someone falls they are left to suffer without assistance. Each new week the people who fall do not appear again. Others seem to have left on their own, perhaps unwilling to continue. The last scene features around forty people, half of the original congregation. Just as before the preacher is leading things. "[color=#0040FF]Now my Brothers, the time of His reckoning is almost here! Our Redeemer has judged us and found us worthy. We are to be the bringers of a new age! But the flesh is weak! It is corruptible. And to fully embrace the Redeemer, it falls on us to eliminate the hold it has on us[/color]." He takes out a pistol, and points to a girl in the crowd. She looks to be a teenager; it's frankly amazing she's made it this far. "[color=#0040FF]You there, Selena! Come up here and prove your love for your Lord[/color]!" Selena seems reluctant, but her father is with her in the pew. Her mother had been previously, but had fallen victim to one of the earlier sermons. After looking up at him she gets up and makes her way up to the stage. The Pastor hands her the gun. With shaking hands, she receives it. "[color=#0040FF]The flesh is nothing before our creator! There is no man or woman, no race or creed. There are only sinners and saints. Are you a sinner, Selena[/color]!" "[color=#008000]No, Pastor Michael[/color]." [color=#0040FF]"Then prove you are a saint! Reject the flesh! Perform the ultimate rebellion against it[/color]!" Selena looks torn, but a few of the congregation have now approached the stage. Though their stances are relaxed, none of them seem willing to allow her to pass. Finally she nods. She places the gun to her head, takes a deep breath, and fires.It's a grisly blow. A large part of her head is instantly destroyed, and blood and brain tissue can be seen, even in the somewhat poor quality of the video. She slumps to the ground, clearly deceased. Pastor Michael pauses for dramatic affect. The agents are starting to realize he has a share for showmanship. [color=#0040FF]"Selena has taken the final step. And now, I will reward her with the gift[/color]." He leans down and caresses her corpse, almost like one would a lover. [color=#0040FF]"In the name of the Lord who rules over all, bring this girl back into this plane! Fill her with your spirit Lord, and make her a vessel of Your will[/color]." Then he reaches down and kisses her. It's long and passionate. But when he pulls away, the girl begins to stir. A cry goes out through the crowd. Michael steps back, as if overcome by emotion, and Selena rises unsteadily to her feet to the cheers of the crowd. She reaches out and embraces her Pastor. Half of her head is still missing, but this no longer seems to inconvenience her. [color=#0040FF]"The new age is almost upon us, Brothers! The time is now! Cast away your humanity and become something greater! Something pleasing to our Lord! We few are the ones who will escape the death of humanity and emerge upon the other side[/color]!" Selena smiles and is drawn back into the awe struck crowd, all of whom touch her. Abruptly, the tape ends. [ooc]Phew. And this post is only half done. ;) But few things here. Let's get a 0/1d4 san roll for violence. It would be more but it's on tape. We'll also need a 1/1d6 Unnatural san check. Also give yourselves 1 point in Unnatural, as you've been confronted for the first time by something that could not be completely rationalized scientifically (even the parasite could sort of be understood as an alien creature.) Finally, the agents can roll HUMINT. Success allows them to pick up on the fact that Selena seemed a bit... unfocused after her revival. Almost like she had been drugged in some way.[/ooc]

Nik,Nik settles down and begins skimming the journal. The first thing he discovers is that Baughman seemed paranoid even within it. He never gives real names of people or locations. One of his first assignments seemed to be to investigate a free love colony in California. He never says where exactly it was located, or why exactly he was doing so. He drops enough hints though that makes it clear that the colony were sacrificing men and "unliberated" women to their Mother Patron. Clyde offhandly mentioned that the colony no longer exists. [i]It's gone. PATRICK and PENNY took care of that. We burned what was left of the thing. PETERS is confident we got most of the group, but a few of them slipped through the cracks. We're sending it up the line of communication, lest they try to rebuild their powerbase. All in all, it seemed like a win. Shame about PARKER though. But God help me for saying this, it's a miracle we only lost one.[/i] The journal seems to follow in these footsteps. Clyde's roll with the group seemed to be largely tax work and requisitions. He bragged about freezing the assets of suspicious groups, but he apparently also participated in the more physical side of their operations. [i]The abuse was a failure; Fucker got my shoulder good with that shot. Bad enough I had to miss the boy's birthday, but I also had to wait in our safe house as PENNY fixed me up. If it's any consolation, you don't want to see the other guy.[/i] The greys are mentioned occasionally that Nik can see. [i]"I'm supposed to be out of this line of work. They said I no longer needed to be on the front lines after last time. Mostly I've been working on tax law for them; you'd be surprised how many of these groups do most of their work above board. But we went to the base. PETERS said it was urgent. It was a killing field. They had all gone insane, each in their own way. It was the frequency, I think. PAUL took care of it. Had to take down two solders, one of which was the commander Even after the frequency they were gone. But at least we prevented it from spreading. Or infecting us. The Greys were there. I thought they were a myth. Only PAUL claimed to have encountered them, but we all thought he was a bit off after his last team died. But they were there, in their crashed UFO. I don't remember it all. None of us do. But what does it mean? I saw the Greys. They were walking towards us. And what was that thing on their ship? Animatronics? And Majestic. Family Feud? I've been reading about the Hill case recently. Betty Hill was a well regarded witness when it came to this. For years she was a passionate arguer for abductions. Yet why was it before the biggest conference of her life did she come across as doddering and close to senile? And her last book on the subject was a mess. Was it dementia? Or did they get her to? Like they're getting us?[/i] [i]It hurts to think about. But I made it clear to PETERS in no uncertain terms that I'm out of active duty. Until I'm not, anyway I know I'll go out there again. God help me, someone has to.[/i] Other entries seem more mundane: [i]The kids both love their mother more than me. I can't blame them. I know I've never been all that affectionate towards them. Still, being unable to walk my little girl down the aisle hurt. She did not even ask. I want to tell her why I was like this, why the only person I can ever be caring towards is the woman I fell in love with. She's the last vestige of my childhood innocence. But she wouldn't understand. None of them would.[/i] One near the end of the book is particularly grim: [i]Cancer. After all I've seen, it's hard to believe something so mundane could scare me more than any of it. My wife's a fighter. But I spoke to her doctor. She has six months, at most. I told her we'll spend everything fighting this, but she wants to leave something for the kids. Selfless to the end. I'd like to believe even in a universe like this that there's hope. But it's hard to imagine. [/i] The next few entries don't mention his wife at all, instead focusing on a mission Clyde was apparently called in for: [i]I hate to do field duty, but PETERS told me this church was bad news. We're the only ones left in our cell. It's all a bunch of newbies besides us. Anyway, I did some digging. Turns out this church is pretty wealthy. We've set up surveillance. Some of the cell wants evidence before we act, lest we endanger innocents. They're already doomed, the damned fools.[/i] And a later entry: [i]The operation went off without a hitch. The church is destroyed and the cult is scattered. Most of them are dead, it was just like the old days. The girl is still alive though. She's harmless, or seems to be, despite the gunshot wound. She seems frightened and did not fight back. PETERS wants her liquidated, and the rest of the team agrees. But I don't want to. She reminds me of my daughter. We also captured Michael. After seeing what he did, I'm going to enjoy interrogating him. But there are other reasons behind it. The powers he wields... I want them. I know that none of the others would understand, but I can do good with them. And I'll kill him afterwards.[/i] The next entry: [i]He gave in very easily, I hardly had to torture him. So much for the worthlessness of the flesh. He told me how to do everything. I already feel different. I know it will work, I've seen it work. With this, I can fix everything. The team insisted Selena needs to die, if they can even figure out how to kill her. After the ritual, nothing seems to stick. I'll do what I must.[/i] The last entry was abrupt. [i]Never again.[/i] Beyond that, the rest of the pages of the journal have been torn out, as if someone wrote something down and later thought better of it.

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 2:57 am**

Vanessa is far more disturbed by the girl's gruesome death than by her apparent resurrection, though it does bother her that she isn't herself afterwards.

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 7:59 am**

Nik puts the journal down and rubs his eyes. Baughman was nuts, but Nik believes what he has just read. He takes the notes he made and goes to see Marchand and Rue, who appear dazed.

“I’m guessing those videos don’t make for fun viewing? Take a break and listen to what I’ve found out.”

He sits down. “There’s a lot of wild stuff in this, but what’s most pertinent for us is Baughman’s description of taking down a cult, which he was called in to do. It seems to be the most recent activity, I don’t know when, but perhaps after his wife’s death. I’m guessing the tapes are surveillance? He talks about surveilling the church.”

“They captured two survivors. One was a girl, perhaps called Selena. She was wounded and the cell wanted to finish her off, but Baughman didn’t. I’m not sure if she’s still alive.”

“The other was called Michael. Baughman describes torturing him in order to acquire his ‘powers’, whatever they might be. It seemed to work.”

“There doesn’t appear to be any direct mention of what is in the septic tank. Could it be this girl? What did you guys find?”

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 8:34 am**

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 5:10 pm**

Edmund Rue

Edmund turns his head slowly at the mention of the name Selina.

"I think Selina is dead Nik. This is some serious shit man. Now I seen some screwed up shit in my career, we all have, but this is on another level, even ahead of that thing that brought us all together. The tapes show a Pastor Michael too, so there's another link, as well as torture and even killing. The first tape seems fairly innocuous at first, showing a church of the Holy Redeemer and it's sermons. They start off pretty mundane stuff but soon turn to darker fare in preparation for His arrival, presumably this Holy Redeemer." Edmund rubs his hand across his face, clearly disturbed by what he and Vanessa have just witnessed.

"By tape two, he introduces a snake that waspassed around and killed one old woman who was totally ignored as soon as the snake bit her. The last tape shows him giving a young girl, a Selina a gun and exhorting to make the ultimate rejection of the corruption of the flesh. so she shot herself in the head - point blank! You gotta see the rest of the tape to make sense of it. I won't tell you what happened next, you gotta see it for yourself."

OOC: Made both San Rolls so that's my San now down to 69% and made my HUMINT roll too

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 7:59 pm**

"Maybe we should just tell him," says Vanessa with a shudder. "He's really better off not seeing it. She died, but she didn't exactly stay dead. We need to find out what happened to her in the end. Maybe our contacts can find out for us. I have a suspicion about why Baughman wanted Pastor Michael's power. This was shortly after Marlene had died, and he must have been grief-stricken. He would have done anything if he thought it would bring her back."

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 8:44 pm**

OOC: If Nik believes what he read/is hearing, he can make a 0/1d4 roll for Unnatural. He can also add +1 to his Unnatural skill.

We'll say it's nearing check out time now, maybe 11:40 or so. What are your guy's plan going forward?

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:11 pm**

OOC: How far away from the cabin is this flea-pit? It may be worth a second night's stop-over.

For now though I suggest heading out to the cabin again to see if there are any more surprises in store for us.

Posted: **Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:19 pm**

Posted: **Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:52 am**

Nik lets out a long, low whistle.

"So maybe it's his wife stashed away in the tank? He brought her back but something went wrong? Maybe it was too long after she died? Judging from the journal, he loved her very much, I could see him doing something crazy like that. And I think he was probably crazy.”

He thinks for a moment. “Did you see who this Holy Redeemer dude was? Was it a guy, or a erm… thing? Maybe we should call DG, ask for their input. Shall we head back to the cabin?"

Posted: **Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:08 am**

"The so-called Holy Redeemer never showed up on the tapes," says Vanessa. "They kept saying he was coming, though. They also mentioned a Saint Yig. I agree, we need to call DG and see what they can find out about all this. It must have been one of their operations. Then let's go back to the cabin."

Posted: **Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:16 am**

Nik shudders. What kind of thing can give you the power to bring people back from the dead? Whatever it is, he’s beginning to feel sick about the possibility of burning something to death.

Posted: **Mon Mar 27, 2017 5:23 am**

Using the number given to them in the briefing dossier, Vanessa calls DG. The phone rings three times before it's picked up.

"Cell and Names." The voice asks by way of greeting. The voice itself is female, tight and free of all emotion.

Once this information is given, the voice answers. "Affirmative. Report in, what is the situation there?"

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2017 3:59 am**

Vanessa tells her what they have discovered so far. "We would like more information on the operation involving the Church of the Holy Redeemer in 1992 and 1993," she says. "Specifically, we'd like to learn about what happened to Selina and Pastor Michael, and more about the role Baughman played."

Posted: **Tue Mar 28, 2017 7:38 am**

There's a slight pause from the other end of the line.

"I'll get you the information. I'll need to make some calls, however give me some time; I should have it within the hour." The call is abruptly terminated.

The team returns to the cabin. Even though it's now day, the weather is not cooperating; a light but persistent drizzle has begun, and clouds have conspired to block out the sun. Perhaps it is because of this that the cabin looks so ominous when the agents pull up to it. Or maybe it's because they now know that something lurks here that they've been tasked with eliminating.

It's around this time that Vanessa's phone rings once again. It's truly good fortune that she's able to get reception out here. The caller is the same woman, who begins with asking the same question she had asked before. "Cell and code names."

Once these are given, she begins to lay out what she has. "It was a church located in a small town in Georgia. It had the trappings of Christianity, but the deeper levels of the cult were something else entirely. We were clued in to it by an asset who alerted us that it was potentially within our wheelhouse. Agent Baughman, or PETRIS as he was better known, was by then not on active duty. But he was called in as additional backup by the cell leader, who whom he had a prior working relationship.

After observation detailed to us that something unnatural was going on within the church, the order was given to liquidate." She speaks about giving the order to kill dozens of American citizens like one would discuss cracking an egg. "It was a successful operation. All high ranking members of the cult were reported as dead. The SELENA entity was captured, but due to unique hyper geometric rituals, magics if you wish to be vulgar, killing it proved difficult. Eventually the cell reported they had successfully destroyed it. We had no reason to doubt them. at the time.

"As for the Pastor, he was reported dead with the rest of the cult when P-Cell reported in. The cell had been reliable up to that point, so we see no reason to doubt them on this either. The church was burned down and the bodies disposed of. The operation was considered a success.

Agent Baughman's roll would have been to examine the finances of the church and determine how and where it's influence stretched, as well as how to subvert it. If he was called into active duty I can only assume the team wanted another gun.

A slight pause. "Agent SALLY, that you know any of this is a security breach in it of itself. Delta Green agents are not encouraged to keep records of their engagements. Ensure you remove any of the sort. And if you suspect Agent Baughman became compromised in some fashion or was either working for or sympathizing with the cult report this information."

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2017 4:46 am**

[

"Thank you for the information," says Vanessa. "We'll remove all of the materials. I do have suspicions about Agent Baughman's motives. His wife Marlene died in early 1993, and I think he tortured Michael in order to find out how he brought Selina back from the dead so that he could do the same thing to Marlene. She is most likely in the septic tank at the cabin he owns. He left instructions to pour twenty gallons of gasoline in the septic tank and ignite it in the event of his death, because he could not bring himself to do it. From your description of the SELENA entity, I take it she was no longer human after she was killed, that something else must have been brought in that took control of the body. We may be dealing with a similar situation."

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2017 5:18 am**

"Agent SALLY, it is on you and your cell to correct Baughman's mistakes. Burn whatever is in that tank. Regardless of what it once was, it has been tainted by hyper geometric principals and is now a threat. Offer a full report once you are done."

Once again, the call terminates.

Posted: **Wed Mar 29, 2017 5:55 am**

Nik

"What's the word Marchand? Do we have a better idea about what we're dealing with?" asks Nik as Marchand comes off the phone.

Posted: **Thu Mar 30, 2017 2:40 am**

Vanessa fills the others in on what she has learned and Delta Green's instructions. "Baughman apparently knew Marlene - or whatever she had become - was dangerous, but he couldn't bring himself to put her down," she says.

Posted: **Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:44 pm**

“I see.”

Nik feels himself beginning to sweat.

“Are you two okay to go through with this?” he asks.

Posted: **Fri Mar 31, 2017 2:28 am**

"Well..." says Vanessa. "I'd feel better if I could confirm that she isn't actually human any more, and not just 'tainted by hyper geometric principles' - whatever those are. Whatever she is, she's dangerous, that much is clear. Going in for a closer look would be a bad idea. Baughman specifically warned us not to do it. He loved her, or who she used to be, so he couldn't do the job himself. I love dogs, but if I found a rabid dog, I'd have to put it down. Best thing for the poor dog, too. Maybe this is something along those lines," she rationalizes.

Posted: **Fri Mar 31, 2017 10:06 am**

Nik

“Sure, but you wouldn’t douse your dog in gasoline and roast him to death. Shit, let’s get to it.”

On the way out to the shed Nik stops by the footlocker and retrieves the matches and candles. After a pause, he picks up the L85 rifle and strips it to make sure it’s in working order.

“We might need it” he tells the others. He slips the spare magazines into his jacket pockets.

OOC: After checking it, can I assume it's still in working order SP?

Posted: **Sat Apr 01, 2017 12:50 am**

As best as Nik can tell, the rifle appears functional and safe to use.The team head back outside and get to work.

The shed is largely empty save for the gallons of gasoline. There are exactly 20 of them, all weighing one pound each. Each agent can lift a few and bring them over to the septic tank. It's a simple matter of a few trips to retrieve them all, hampered only by the slight rain that continues to persist.

The tank itself currently has only its hatch visible. It's locked rather securely, but a key from Baughman's set opens it. Right behind it is yet another hatch, this one locked as well. But it took is easily opened by yet another key. It would appear however that Baughman had taken great caution to keep whatever he kept in here secure.

The insides of the tank are large, larger than would seem necessarily for the property. The bottom of the tank can not been seen, the darkness shrouding whatever may be below. If the agents wanted to see what was in here, they would need to shine one of their flashlights down inside.

Posted: **Sat Apr 01, 2017 3:00 am**

Vanessa retrieves the shotgun from the car before unlocking the septic tank. "You ready?" she whispers nervously.

Posted: **Sat Apr 01, 2017 6:46 am**

Nik

"Shall we pour in the gas, or do you want to have a look?"

He is becoming increasingly doubtful about the situation. Being faced with an enemy trying to kill you is one thing, but this...

Posted: **Sat Apr 01, 2017 4:48 pm**

"I don't know..." whispers Vanessa, clearly uncomfortable. "We were warned not to, but..."

Posted: **Sat Apr 01, 2017 8:06 pm**

As the agents whisper, something responds.

"Clyde? Clyde! Please let me out, I'm sorry!" The voice sounds like that of an elderly woman, and comes from the bottom of the tank. None of the team can still see anything down there as of yet.

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 12:07 am**

"I guess we'd better at least take a look," whispers Vanessa. "Shine your light down there."

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 1:16 am**

Edmund Rue

"Are you sure about this Agent Sally?" Rue asks, using Vanessa's code name, and with a frown creasing his brow.
"I mean we all got a good idea that whatever is down there ain't Baughman's wife anymore. We already seen the damned video of the young girl - I jest don't see what we can gain from seeing the creature down there - let's set fire and be quick about it. Remember what happened to Nik last time we put ourselves on the line?"

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 2:01 am**

Vanessa nods. "Okay, you're right," she whispers. "I just don't feel good about this either way. Let's start pouring."

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 7:19 am**

OOC: Does Nik want to pour with the rest, or does he want to still chance a look?

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 3:19 pm**

Nik’s stomach turns when he hears the woman’s voice. But he knows that Rue is right.

“Goddam that Baughman” he snarls. “I wish he was still alive so I could kill him too.”

He picks up a can and opens it, and starts to pour it into the hatch.

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 8:10 pm**

The agents begin to pour the gas down into the tank.

"Clyde? What is this? Oh no. Please, don't do this! If you love me at all don't do this to me. You said you could fix me!" The voice sounds genuinely upset, close to tears.

"Please! I'm sorry about Darcy. I didn't mean to. But the urge was overwhelming. But I can, I can resist it. Just don't do this!"

If the agents wish they can pour all the gasoline down into the tank without any reaction save the voice's frantic pleas. They continue and get more and more desperate, before breaking down into sobbing near the end.

Posted: **Sun Apr 02, 2017 8:21 pm**

Vanessa takes another jerry can and begins pouring gasoline into the septic tank. She knows that the real moment of truth will come when it's time to ignite the stuff.

Posted: **Mon Apr 03, 2017 1:00 am**

Nik keeps pouring until the cans are empty. Any doubts have been dispelled by the talk about Darcy. Obviously whatever Mrs. Baughman is now, is not the same as before.

The pouring finished, he takes out the matches from his pocket.

"You'd better stand back " he tells the others, before anyone can change their minds. First he lights a candle, and then throws the match through the hatch and moves quickly away.

Posted: **Mon Apr 03, 2017 2:04 am**

OOC: Wow. This calls for a san roll, i think.

If your agent thinks Mrs. Baughman is an Innocent old woman who was a victim of her husband's ritual, roll 1/1d10. If your agent thinks the thing in the pit is only masquerading as Mrs. Baughman but is actually something darker, roll 1/1d6. Both checks are for violence.

Posted: **Mon Apr 03, 2017 9:14 pm**

Edmund Rue

Rue, desperately blocking his ears to try and eradicate the sound of the old woman from his senses - All he can think is

"By God doesn't she sound like my own mom!"

He has to really stop himself from rushing forward as the lighted match gets dropped by Nik because he is aware of the coming conflagration. Unsure of what to do he readies his gun ... just in case it goes South.

Posted: **Tue Apr 04, 2017 1:18 am**

Vanessa moves away from the septic tank when Nik lights it. She reassures herself that whatever was in there wasn't Marlene any more, but something inside her dies.

Posted: **Tue Apr 04, 2017 5:57 am**

As Nik throws the match and it falls down into the tank, a final word can be heard.

"Clyde!"

And then there is an eruption. Even having moved back, the team can feel the intense heat that explodes from inside the septic tank. Marlene or whatever she is screams, and it does not sound like a monster, only an elderly woman being burned alive. The screams are full of pain and fear, and they go on for a very long time. Nothing the agents do can block them out.

If there's any consolation, the screams seem to go on longer than a human should be capable of producing them while being burned alive. It takes several minutes, but eventually the screams grow weaker, than stop altogether. The only sounds that remains is the light rainfall and the crackling of flames still coming from within the tank.

Posted: **Tue Apr 04, 2017 7:09 am**

Nik falls to his knees and vomits. The screams of the dying woman, or whatever she is, echo in his mind. He sits up and hugs his knees, hoping to block them out, but he can’t.

Posted: **Wed Apr 05, 2017 3:12 am**

Vanessa breaks down a little and cries. What am I becoming? she wonders.

Posted: **Wed Apr 05, 2017 8:24 am**

It's a simple matter to put out the flames with water from the well. The horrific smell of burnt flesh is ever present and overpowering, but nothing seems to move within the tank. If anyone chances a look, all that can be seen are remains, nearly thoroughly burnt to ash.

Whatever Marlene Baughman had been, it would seem she is no longer an issue.

The only step that remained now for their assignment was to call Delta Green and report in.

OOC: To save time, I'm assuming you'll eventually do that, but if you'd prefer to do something out first let me know and I'll edit accordingly.

The same woman answers the call, her voice still neutral. "I presume the entity has been terminated?"

Posted: **Wed Apr 05, 2017 9:02 pm**

Edmund Rue

As the eruption occurs and the woman screams, Rue turns and screws his face to hide his emotions.

"Jesus! Jesus! Jesus - just what have we just done here?" He struggles to keep the bile in his throat contained as he walks off to rhe edge of the clearing - looking outward.

"It isn't Baughman's wife," and as the cries die out "Get it into your head man - she was something else ... something even Baughman was afraid of. "

He turns and looks at the rest of the cell and is relieved to see that no-one remains unaffected by this.

"Well at least we have held onto what we are people."

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2017 3:28 am**

"Yes," replies Vanessa to the woman on the phone simply. "It's done."

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2017 6:20 am**

"Excellent work. Gather up all traces of Agent Baughman's connection to our group and deliver them to the storage locker you first received your instructions at. An agent will retrieve them, and you can consider the mission over. Hopefully you've all learned why we don't try to use the things we're fighting. It never ends well."

"Be seeing you," She says, and disconnects.

***

OOC: The scenario is just about done. I just need to know if you guys intend to give everything you found in Baughman's stash over to Delta Green, or if you intend to keep anything you found, just as the journal of his operations, the JOHN DOE urn, the videotapes, etc.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2017 3:02 pm**

Nik is glad to see the back of the cabin. He wants to burn it too but there's been enough fire for one night. He returns the rifle and the journal to the footlocker, but keeps the two paperbacks. The might give him some insight. He drags the footlocker out to his car.

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2017 3:04 am**

Vanessa intends to turn everything over to Delta Green. She has seen all too clearly what can result from holding something back.

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2017 9:19 pm**

Edmund Rue

Edmund would like to keep the last video for further study as he has a feeling tat Pastor Michael is going to be someone they are likely to run across in the future.

Posted: **Sat Apr 08, 2017 12:51 am**

And so the agents begin the long drive back to Phoenix. It's an uncomfortable drive, and all have much to think about.

A brief stop is made to return Baughman's keys to his apartment, then they make their way to the bus terminal. Locker 245 is easily opened, and the team place Baughman's Delta Green belongings into it, sans for the last tape of surveillance on the Church of the Holy Redeemer and two paperbacks. The belongings are safely locked away, and then the agents can leave. The mission had taken them all of Saturday and a good part of Sunday, but it was over now, and they can get back to their normal lives.

Or try to, anyway.

Play@YSDC

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