A Victim of the Art

[Mr. Handy]

"We'll need to check out the scene of the abduction after we're done here," Vanessa says to Gregson, keeping him "distracted." "There could be evidence there. Have your people gone over the site yet?"

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   It makes sense to me. Gregson might think otherwise, but you can talk to him and see what he says, sure.

Detective Gregson nods. "We've been looking over the scene, but so far found little. It was Chad's vehicle. The driver's side door was teared off of it, and there's a large dent in the roof. We also found some fragments of clothing from whom we presumed to be Chad, likely ruined during the struggle."

At this point Nik returns with Kimberly following close behind. Gregson moves towards them. "Now this wasn't part of our deal," he protests.

[HoneyDog]

Nik

Nik addresses Gregson firmly and urgently. “I just want to move her to a safer room. Where she won’t be disturbed by visitors, at least not for a while. Is there a room like that in the hospital, where she can get some peace and quiet? Is there a doctor who can help us out?”

[Silver Priest]

Gregson looks defeated, but nods. "I'll go ask. Can''t exactly argue with a doctor's orders."

He manages to find a doctor, and after only some minor convincing they're able to transfer Kimberly to a different room. More importantly, the doctor is willing to insist that she be kept overnight for monitoring. Even for the NSA, getting her out of here tonight would not be an easy task.

Thus while Gregson continues to talk with the others, Nik finds himself helping the young teen settle into a different room. Kimberly looks at him. "Do you...really believe me?" she asks. "II've tried so hard to tell everyone what I saw, but they think I'm in shock. But I know what I saw."

[HoneyDog]

"Yes, we believe you" says Nik. "We've seen things too."

He gets out his notebook and pen.

"Can you describe the creature? Or maybe even draw what you saw?"

[Silver Priest]

Kimberly nods and begins to draw. As she does so, she speaks, apparently needing the distraction.

"Chad and I had just started to....date. I had been interested in him for awhile, but Lauren was my friend. We were both on the cheerleading team. I didn't want to hurt her. But since her death we've seen each other a few times. Today Chad asked me out. He seemed really angry, though he wouldn't me why, and I didn't ask.

"We had dinner and saw a movie. Then we drove up to a private spot and got physical.Both our parents were home so... you probably don't need to know that. Anyway, we were alone in a deserted area. Chad had just removed my shirt when we heard a loud bang on the roof of the car. It seemed like something had crashed into it. We both pulled away from each other, unsure what to expect. Chad wanted to get out and look but I begged him not to. I knew if he did something terrible would happen. I told him to just drive away.

But before either of us could do anything something tore off the driver's door and tossed it to the side. And I saw some kind of...of, monster!" Kimberly's eyes fill with tears and she starts to shake, but she takes a deep breath and keeps going. "Here. It's not an exact replica but it's as close as I could get."

Picture,[img]https://s4.postimg.org/4qfhq7sm5/byakhee_by_eclectixx-d7vv9zj.jpg[/img] Artist credit: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Byakhee-476790607

"We both screamed. It reached into the car and grabbed Chad with one of its talons. He struggled, but briefly. Chad is really strong, but this thing picked him up like he weighed nothing. Then it flew off into the night, and the last thing I heard was his screaming.

"I wanted to help, but it all happened so fast, and there was nothing I could do! And I was terrified. I waited for several minutes before I got the courage to head back into own and find a payphone, and I called the police. But they don't even believe me! Nobody does!" She begins to sob into her gown.

[Mr. Handy]

"We believe you," Vanessa reassured her. She examines the sketch, trying to determine if it looks similar to anything she had seen in Thomas Dengler's drawings.

[HoneyDog]

"Holy shit" thinks Nik. It's more horrible - and large - than he imagined. "How the hell do we fight that thing?"

"I'll fax this picture to Jensen Wu when the museum opens. We should update Marcus too."

He turns to Kimberly. "Do you know if Chad had any run-ins with any of the other kids today?"

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   I actually intended for Vanessa and Edmund to remain outside talking to Gregson. But it's not really a big deal, we can go with this.

"Thank you," says Kimberly, seeming relieved to be believed. None of the agents can recall seeing anything like this before.

"No, I don't. He was in a bad mood, but as I said I'm not sure why. No one would cross Chad though. If I'm being honest, he mostly bullied a few of our classmates. He actually mentioned to me that he got detention from Ms. Hatvan a few days back for picking on Thomas Dengler. He bitched to me for a solid fifteen minutes that he didn't think he deserved it. Apparently he blamed Thomas and tormented him during detention, which is kind of a shame. Thomas is a good guy. A bit of a dork, but earnest." she goes on to mention other students Chad has bullied recently, but none are names the agents recognize.

[HoneyDog]

Nik

“Excuse us a moment Kimberly”.

Nik ushers Vanessa outside the door. "Dengler again. We really need to search his house.　Maybe you and Rue can go, while I stay here and run interference with the NSA”.

OOC:   Nik has the lowest Search score, so maybe he should stay. What time is it now SP?

[Mr. Handy]

"Are you sure we should go now?" asks Vanessa. "They'll still be home, not to mention asleep. Plus, they may insist upon their rights if they're present. We don't have a warrant, and no judge is going to give us one based on the evidence."

[HoneyDog]

Nik

"I didn't mean now, I meant later. We can't go in while they're inside. Perhaps we should all go together then. We can get Kimberly's parents here with a lawyer. Together with the doctors and the local PD, they should all be a match for those NSA clowns if they try anything funny ".

[Mr. Handy]

"It's worth a try," says Vanessa. "It can at least slow them down and distract them. In the meantime, I'd like to head to the scene of the attack, since I'm the forensics expert. Either you or Rue could come with me if you like with the other remaining here, or you could both stay here and run interference for when the NSA shows up."

[HoneyDog]

"Why don't I stay here then and get things arranged, and you head out. Take Rue if he wants. We can meet back at the Dengler's later."

Nik finds Gregson and tells him his idea to protect Kimberly.

[Silver Priest]

OOC:   I'll say it's a little after 4:30. So still pretty dark out. I'll let Rue decide where he wants to go, and he can fit into either scene.

Gregson seems receptive to Nik's plan. "You really make it seem like these spooks might want to hurt her. I'll do what I can to keep her here, or them under observation, at least."

Vanessa meanwhile heads out to the hill overlooking the rest of Glendridge. It's an isolated spot, both easy for teens to sneak away and easy for someone to attack them without anyone noticing. By now of course some police are on the scene, but they let her through without too much trouble.

OOC:   Feel free to make a forensic check, let's see if Vanessa spots anything on the ground.

[HoneyDog]

Nik talks to Gregson.

“I don’t think they’d hurt her, but they don’t observe normal rules. They want to catch the killer, but they don’t care who they tread on in order to do it.”

He continues. “They will want to question her, but insist on as many people being present as possible. Don’t let them remove her from the hospital. She’s had a great shock, and the story she gives is just her way of coping with it. In time, she’ll start to think more rationally. It would be better to keep her here in the hospital until this thing is over.”

[Mr. Handy]

Vanessa examines the car and the surrounding area carefully for any clues.

OOC,Forensics (80% skill) examining the scene: [dice]0[/dice]

[Silver Priest]

Nik,Kimberly's parents soon arrive. Both are quite shaken up. If Nik asks, neither of them have seen her since earlier in the night, before the attack. It is around this time that four men in dark suits arrive. All of them scream government. They look to Nik and the rest of the group with minimal interest. "[b]Detective Gregson. I'm Agent Hank Bowers with the NSA. We spoke on the phone earlier[/b]." "[color=#0040FF]Of course[/color]." Gregson holds out a hand. The leader of the group is a thin man with cold blue eyes. He regards it silently until Gregson withdraws. "[b]And Agent... Siilasvuo, was it? We've cleared this up with your boss. Feel free to call him if you have any questions, but the short of it is this case is no longer under your jurisdiction. Recent events have come to light that justify the handover[/b]." "[color=#0040FF]And what would those be[/color]?" asks Gregson. "[b]That's really none of your concern, Detective. But the short of it is that evidence your medical examiner sent up the chains linked this case to an old army ranger. We suspect they're carrying out the killings, and given the classified secrets this person would be privy too, it falls on us to ensure he's taken down before he harms anyone else.[/b] "[color=#0040FF]And what's this individual's name? My officers would appreciate knowing who we should be on the lookout for. As I'm sure would the FBI.[/color]" [b]"Unfortunately at this time none of you are cleared for further information. Rest assured we'll provide it on a need to know basis. Now, where's the witness[/b]? "[color=#0040FF]With all due respect Agent, Kimberly's parents have expressed a desire to be with you as you interview her[/color]." Bowers' lip curls up in a sneer. "[b]We have reason to believe Ms. Talden overheard important government information. The interview with her needs to be strictly classified. I and my associate here need to briefly interview her. Don't worry, he's a medical doctor. She'll be in good hands[/b]." [color=#0040FF]"Mr. Bowers[/color]..." Kimberly's father steps forward. He has the build of a lumberjack, but the other man did not appear the least bit intimidated. "[color=#0040FF]My daughter... well she's been through a lot[/color]... "[b][i]Agent[/i] Bowers. And I understand your concern, Frank[/b]." Kimberly's father looks confused as to how they had gotten his name. "[b]But this is a classified matter. If you like, you can all see her as soon as we're done conducting our interview. But I'm afraid I must insist. This is a matter of national security[/b]."

Vanassa,Vanassa examines the scene. As a fairly popular illicit spot for teenagers, she finds cigarettes and trash all strewn about. However she also finds a few things of interest. The first was obviously the torn off car door. There were deep gashes in its side, suggesting whatever broke it off required great strength and could have very well had talons. She also finds a few spots where there's some sort of strange grey polymer had dropped near where she presumes the car had been. She recalls the medical examiner had shown her the same substance collected at the prior crime scenes. More proof that the same person, or creature, had been responsible for them all. Aside from a few scraps of clothing she presumes to be from Chad, there is little more to be found. And if this thing could fly, it could be anywhere in town by now.

[HoneyDog]

The agents are exactly what Nik expected. He speaks up in a calm and reasonable tone.

“Agent Bowers, Kimberly has expressed that her parents and doctor be present if you question her. That right is accorded to a minor when they are questioned by police. But, wait a minute, you’re an intelligence agency and you don’t actually have any law enforcement powers, do you? That’s unfortunate, and it makes it quite difficult for you to demand anything. So Detective Gregson will also need to be present. And I’m not going anywhere until I’ve been told to do so by my superiors.”

He opens his hands in a conciliatory gesture.

“But if Kimberly’s parents and doctor and the Detective were present, I’m sure there’d be no problems.”

[Silver Priest]

Nik,Bowers listens to Nik's explanation, saying nothing in return. But after he finishes, the man's lips spread into a thin smile devoid of anything approaching warmth. "[b]Perhaps you are correct, Agent Siilasvuo. Fine, if this makes you all feel better, you're more than welcome to all attend as we conduct the interview. I will have to ask you all to sign non disclosure agreements afterwards if Ms. Talden reveals any classified information she overhead. Failure to comply could lead to jail time. Let's head in[/b]. The group heads in, though Agent Bowers holds Nik up for a moment until he's alone with the goons. "[b]Oh, and Agent? I will be sure to inform your superiors as to what a [i]stickler[/i] for procedure you are[/b]." That said, he and another agent head into the room. After Nik. The interview is largely the same as Nik had just conducted. While the silent NSA Agent examines Kimberly, Bowers asks her questions about what she saw and heard. Kimberly tells him the same story. If Nik looks around, he can see that Gregson just shakes his head, disbelieving. Mrs. Talden begins to weep, likely fearing her daughter was delusional. Her father, though, speaks up. "[color=#0040FF]Come on Kim. I know it's hard, but enough with the stories. Tell the officers what really happened. Maybe they can find Chad and[/color]..." "[color=#0040FF]I'm not lying, dad[/color]!" Kim's voice is loud and shrill. "[color=#0040FF]I saw it! It grabbed Chad and flew into the air with him.! It wasn't a bird! It wasn't a guy in a suit! It was a monster[/color]!" Bowers says nothing, taking this all down in his notepad. [ooc]Please make a HUMINT roll.[/ooc]