Wild dog

[kabukiman]

5 August, 2014, Washington DC, 7AM

You are in coffee shop with Bartholomew, your handler from cell B. It’s just the four of you and the waitress (that seems half sleepy, and is watching TV). Bart, is in his late 60’s, early 70’s; tall (but not as tall as Paula!), still muscled, gray hair, he is of the military type. He goes directly to the point, without any delays:
“Yesterday, the Portuguese government informed us that an American citizen had been killed in their territory. They say it had been by some wild dog; the body had been found 3 days ago, but they had some difficulty to identify it. For sanitary reasons they had to burn the body and they have already found and killed the dog. The local news says there is a panic, and everyone is killing dogs on the spot, because they are afraid that tourism may be affected. Well, this is at least the official version.”
He pauses, drinks a bit of coffee and then continues:
“I have a contact in the Portuguese army. He made some inquiries and discovered that most of it is false. They basically killed the first dog they found and claimed it was the responsible. And my contact saw the first report of the autopsy: the body seemed to be digested by some acid and they found a black substance that seemed to move. That’s the real reason to burn the body. Any questions?”
He return to his coffee.

[ghill]

Tony looks up from his short stack of pancakes. Yeah I've got a few

Where exactly in Portugal are we going?

Who were Mr or Mrs American before they became 'the body'?
Do we have any details about where or when they arrived in country why and what they have been doing since?
Has has anyone notified Mr or Mrs American's next of kin

What is the actual mission? Your military contact says they discovered a black substance which seemed to move. Does this need to be destroyed or are we simply trying to positively identify what killed Mr or Mrs American and making sure its burned with fire?

How do we get to Portugal with or without badges, are going in under some form of embassy/consulate staff cover or do we have to go in badge-less civilians?

Will we have access to your contact in the Portuguese military when we're on the ground ...more importantly do we have access to a Portuguese friendly who can translate for us?

Reckon that'll do for the moment?

[Mr. Handy]

"All excellent questions," says Laurel. "I'd particularly like to know about translation. I certainly don't speak Portuguese." She has a much larger stack of panckaes, drenched in butter and maple syrup, which she is tucking into with gusto. Her strange metabolism requires her to consume a few thousand calories each day, far more than someone of normal stature. Fortunately for her, she likes food.

[kabukiman]

He leaves his coffee.
The name is Michael Kowalski. He is… was a freelancer photographer. No family. Had some minor problems with justice because he was found with marijuana years ago. More important: he made us some services once. He found some weird cult in some third world country and he passed all info he had. The details are not important now. He was found now in… what’s the name really? Mindelo? It’s in the north. Some nice beach. Full of tourists. We don’t know when he came to that place but he arrived at Portugal one week before.
About the substance: we don’t know where it is. My contact won’t risk his neck. Neither you. If we are lucky, they have destroy it. Anyway, this mission will be completely legit. A lot of people is suspicious that the local government is covering some terrorist, so it was agreed to send some men to investigate; they don’t know the black matter detail and by chance you have been the lucky chosen- he says with a smile. He drinks a little more and then resumes.
You will pose as tourists. Paulus will pretend to be Paula father, Parker and Paula will pretend to be a couple; the papers are being arranged. Your mission is to investigate in the area to discover what happened and if there is any threat. The local government won’t be informed of your presence, so avoid any ruckus. Your own agencies will give any material you need in the place, and they expect reports; be true unless you find something delta green related. In that case, don’t act and inform us so we may think about it. Well, unless of course you really need. Oh, and they worry about the language: nobody except you to speak Portuguese. It would be very suspicious actually. Speak in Spanish the locals understand it. And some even speak English. So relax and enjoy your vacations

[drone232]

Sounds easy enough
Parkers says after taking a bite from a toasted bagel. He gives a blank stare of contemplaion and states
Although, it will probably be a lot more diffcult than that. Especially considering that the black goo had to come from somewhere or something. More than probably this won't be the last victim, but that'll just make our quarry easier to find.
He then continues on with his bagel.

[Mr. Handy]

"How do you know this doesn't have anything to do with the work he did before?" asks Laurel. "We don't really know why he was killed. Maybe he just stumbled upon something he would have better off not finding, but he might also have been targeted. For all we know this could be because of his earlier involvement. The details might be more important than you think. We need to know everything about Michael Kowalski."

[kabukiman]

Because the original cult was a small tribe in southest asia. And they are all dead.- he says with a smile.

[ghill]

Just to be clear when you say its legit, but the local government don't know are talking the Portuguese government, or local as in the town mayor and his friends? Because if the Portuguese government don't know then it very definitely not legit, its black bag. Second the cover story is we're civilians? Agent Paulus looks up at Agent Paula "She's my daughter...and he's her boyfriend. "He nods his head towards Agent Parker" Look apart from the fact we bear no family resemblance, and he'd clearly be cradle snatching, would it not be safer if we all crossed the border separately and met up in country? That way no one can pick us all up at the same time.

[Mr. Handy]

Well, at least nobody said I couldn't possibly have a boyfriend looking like I do, thinks Laurel.

[kabukiman]

The portuguese army know that we are sending someone and agreed. Since the local goverment has published twice the names of his own spies in 4 years, nobody trust them, and we don't want your name published in the newspaper. So, you must avoid shooting the locals. About the family issues, well you can go alone if you want, but don't take too long.

[ghill]

If the briefing is over Agent Paulus will leave to make travel arrangements. However, before he does so he will agree a time and rendezvous location as well as an alternative time and rendezvous locations should they be compromised (ideally both popular bars)

OOC:   If agent Bart was going to provide us with credentials, will he still do so but for three unrelated people?

[Mr. Handy]

"All right, that sounds good," says Laurel. She finishes her pancakes before coordinating with the rest of her team to make travel arrangements.

[kabukiman]

If the briefing is over Agent Paulus will leave to make travel arrangements. However, before he does so he will agree a time and rendezvous location as well as an alternative time and rendezvous locations should they be compromised (ideally both popular bars)

OOC:   If agent Bart was going to provide us with credentials, will he still do so but for three unrelated people?

OOC: Yes, but will take some hours extra. You will go by different planes, and you will meet in a bar in the beach at the same by "coincidence". And stay in different hotels. Is that acceptable?

[ghill]

OOC:   From Agent Paulus point of view that is perfectly acceptable. Paulus will then go and draw out the maximum cash possible with his credit card and convert it into Euros. He'll then go and do as much background reading on the region as possible which waiting for the travel documents and make any travel arrangements

[drone232]

OOC:   I agree. This is perfectly acceptable.

[Mr. Handy]

Spoiler:

That works for me too.

[kabukiman]

8 August


Paulus travel to the airport of Vigo in Galicia; he ates paella a dish of rice with seafood. Then he takes a train and goes to Árvore and stays in a small hotel near Mindelo (1 mile north). And he finds himself in the bar called "meia laranja", near the beach.

Parker has travelled to Lisbon. He buy some postal and then after 6 hours in train, he goes to a small familiar hotel, leaves his stuff and he find himself in a bar, where he find two fellow Americans.

Paula goes to the airport of Oporto, and after one hour is in a small hotel in Mindelo. At the time agreed she is in a small bar where she can see two familiar faces.
The people in the area are mostly young people (late teens) and tourists. The waiters seem eager to please.


The guide tours try to convince you that this is the Portuguese music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKmCib5YsYo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl6yLTtX484

But for some reason everyone just seem to listen this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnBYdUXi3Eg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzTc5zDYUbU


OOC: What kind of information you want to investigate prior to the trip?

[ghill]

Paulus finds himself a seat where he can sit with his back to the wall and which gives him a clear view of the entrance then he buys a glass of whatever the hip young things are drinking. Then he pops open his small laptop hooks into the local wifi and starts looking for local news stories and generally getting an idea about the area. if possible he'll see if he can find anything about where the death happened and if there have been previous similar deaths.

[drone232]

Parker enters the bar and orders for himself and glass of ice water and seats himself alone at a small table across from Paulus with his back turned to the agent. He opens up a tabloid newspaper, one of the few he found in english at the markets, and resumes reading the local odd news.

[Mr. Handy]

Laurel Nichols enters the bar, ducking as she walks inside so as not to bump her head on the lintel. She strides over to the bar and orders a beer, eager to sample one of the local brews.

Spoiler:

The third link won't play in America for copyright reasons, but I like the others!

Before I go, I want to find out everything I can about Michael Kowalski and his wife, including why they had come to Portugal.