Ch.16e Night Moves (Alex & Ivy)

[Silver Priest]

Seeing the cigar, Alex tries to capture the detail of it. It could be useful for comparison purposes later on. Then he does what any good detective would do; he attempts to examine the nearby area for tracks of where the watcher had gone. He's by no means an expert or even good tracker though, so he doubts he'll find anything, but perhaps his sharp eyes would pick up a bit of detail.

1d100

[jp1885]

Ivy’s nose wrinkles at the cigar smell.

“Is it the same as the ones smoked at Halpert’s?” she asks. “He’s hardly a fan of the oilfield. Has he egged Nashoba on?”

[Philulhu]

There was insufficient light (and in any case it was unlikely they had noted Halpert’s taste in cigars at the time) to draw any firm conclusions. In any event, piecing screams followed by gunshots from the direction of the oil pits spoke of more urgent matters to attend to… …

[Silver Priest]

"I can't te--" Alex's head jerks up as he takes in the gunshots. Without another word he takes off in the direction of them.

[jp1885]

It’s Ivy’s turn to follow, running after Alex.

[Philulhu]

Alex and Ivy crested a dune to see a scene of chaos before them! Lawrence was pointing his gun at the Native American, Nashoba, who was stood in front of a large burning pit of oil. What they thought were flickering flames, however, was obviously something more for an oily tendril, wreathed in fire, flicked out of the pit and caught Nasoba across his back, sending him staggering into Lawrence, who was fortunate not to have been caught himself as another tendril whipped out in his direction.

Although the strike had missed, burning oil had been sprayed across the ground and the dune grass was starting to catch hold…

SAN checks, please. Lose 1/1d3, depending upon your result.

[Silver Priest]

1d100

1d6 If fail.

Alex's eyes widen in horror at the sight, but he focuses on the here and now. "Grab Nashoba!" He tells Lawrence, trying to help his companion drag the Native man away from the pit-- keeping him alive might help them get some answers.

[jp1885]

[85] = 85
SAN 75 1d100: [ 85 ] = 85

[1] = 1
1d6: [ 1 ] = 1

So 1 SAN lost

Ivy yells involuntarily. The weird horror she’s been expecting since they arrived suddenly revealing itself. She thought she was prepared, but obviously not…

If she gathers her wits in time, she’ll rush over to help too.

[Philulhu]

In the chaos of the events, the four investigators found themselves thrown together again. As Ivy and William looked on, Alex and Lawrence were able to grab the senseless Nasoba and drag him out of range of whatever aberration was in the pit.

Men from the oiler’s camp rushed up and were able to quickly extinguish the flames, using some kind of flame retardant foam they sprayed across the surface of the pool. Of the ‘creature’ that had attacked them, there was now no sign. As the last of the flames subsided, the oilmen made busy with beaters and put out any of the fires that had spread to the grasses in the dunes that fringed the pools.

Bart Bordeaux, the storekeeper, was the first of the villagers to arrive on the scene, obvious concern on his face. “Are you all OK?! Is anyone hurt?!” he asked, but before anyone could answer him, a voice from the other side of the pool rudely interrupted. It was Henry Jones, the foreman that Alex and Ivy had met earlier in the day.

”I’ll tell you what the hell’s going on here!” he snarled. “These reporters have got this damned fellow involved in some godamned publicity stunt, trying to get the oilfield shut down!”

[jp1885]

“Nothing to do with us you moron!” Ivy snaps back. “We tried to dissuade the fool!”

“Publicity stunt indeed! You’re a bigger dolt than I thought!

Suddenly, as if masked by her anger, the realisation of what lurks in the oil hits her.

“Keep away from the pool everyone! It isn’t safe!”

[Silver Priest]

Alex winces very slightly, wishing Ivy had not revealed that particular detail.

"My colleague is correct," he quickly offers. "And we were walking into town with the Fathers when we heard--and saw-- the explosion and came to investigate. They can collaborate, I am sure.

"But Ivy's right, everyone needs to step away from the pool. It could let off another explosion at any moment!

[Mr. Handy]

"Everyone stay back!" calls William, leading by example.

[Philulhu]

”What are you talking about?! The fire’s out and it’s perfectly safe!” shouted Henry Jones rudely. He looked at the men who beating out the flames next to the edge of the pool. They had heard Ivy’s outburst and had stopped work, now looking very uncertain.

“Get back to work! Or you’ll have your cards in the morning!” he snarled. A few of the men started beating again, but talk of the pool being dangerous had clearly unnerved them.

[Mr. Handy]

William watches carefully, ready to respond if something happens.

[Philulhu]

”Goddamnit! Give me that damned beater!” Jones snapped, and he snatched it from the hands of the nearest oilmen.

Swearing volubly, he set about slamming the beater onto the flames, sending sparks, sand and grit flying everywhere, but shortly putting out the fire.

“Now finish the job!” he shouted at the oilmen, throwing the beater at the man from whom he had taken it, who visibly winced as it struck him on the arm.

“I see a word of this in the papers and you’ll have me to answer to!” he snarled, stabbing a finger in the direction of Alex and Ivy, before turning around and stomping off back to the oilers’ huts.

[Mr. Handy]

"Did we miss something?" William asks Alex and Ivy.

[jp1885]

"The foreman didn't really hit it off with us," replies Ivy grimly. "He's a deeply unpleasant fellow. But that thing in the oil pool is a greater concern, is it not? Let's use this opportunity to talk to the oil workers before we're ejected, hm? Find out what's been going on."

She looks around for a suitable-looking oil worker to buttonhole.

[Silver Priest]

While this is going on, Alex examines Nashoba, attempting to see if he's come back to his senses.

[Mr. Handy]

"One of the oilmen showed up at church tonight and sat in the back, near the carving," says William, and he describes the man. "We followed him back to the oil fields and saw him go into one of the buildings. We watched for a while, and that's when we saw Nashoba start the fire. If anyone knows what that creature is. it's him."

[Bullfrog]

"He doesn't know, William. I swear, he was even more surprised to see that thing than I was..." Lawrence mutters, staring through William and the others. He moves in closer, and lowers his voice to a harsh whisper:
"But I think we might share a common enemy with him, now."