[Delta Green] Operas and Avatars: Puppet Shows and Shadow Plays

[Maerdwyn]

"Fair." Solomon uses the Skyfone to get in touch with The Tattler's editor to find out who wrote the story, and, if possible, how to contact the author.

 

[Gomez]

Searching the Internet, you find pretty much the same information as from the Tattler article. You are able to get a map of the area in question. Searching the names of the victims does not get much information.

Calling the Tattler, you are able to talk to the person who wrote the story, Tom Grazer. He says that he got his information from newpapers and the internet. He personally did not travel to Arizona.

 

[taitzu52]

"OK," says Andrews, "we'll backtrack his research as best we can on the internet while we're en route."

(OOC- What are our internet capabilities in flight? BTW Gomez, I never got any help with my equipment, so I'm being a little assuming here. Smack it down if it's too much.)

As we travel to Phoenix, Andrews will take whatever steps available to follow up on this (buying a Phoenix paper if one's available at the stand for starters). So again, the FBI is reduced to "Google-ing" it's way into law enforcement, unless Andrews' crack investigative skills can come up with something different.

 

[Maerdwyn]

"Well, I guess that's about the quality of reporting we'd expect from the Tattler. I'll try to track down stories from the local papers that Grazer used for his source material, assuming they are available online. If not he'll ask Andrews if three's anything else they can do while they are in flight

ooc
For the record, I guess this would be what Solomon would pack for his trip, pending any rewrites or suggestions by Gomez:
Laptop
5 suits, one worn
2 pairs of shoes
1 set of workout clothes and sneakers
cigarettes and lighter
nicotine gum
toiletries
Service weapon and its accessories
handheld notebook and pens
business cards
digital camera and three memory sticks.

 

[Gomez]

"Your flight lands at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International airport. Your internet searches do not produce any addition information on the case. At the airport you get a rental car and room at the Best Western Airport Inn.

The next morning you meet with Special-Agent-in-Charge Patrick Hobbson at the Phoenix Office. Hobbson looks to be in his late fifties with hair that is more grey than black.

"Agent Brown, Agent Andrews. Please take a set. I am glad that someone in Washington finally got off their asses and sent me some help here. I have been trying to juggle three high profile cases with the office down 2 agents to begin with."


OOC: As for equipment, I only care about special or unusal items. I don't care how many shirts you have!

 

[taitzu52]

"Two agents down?", says Andrews with a feigned look of shock, "What's been going on out here?

 

[Gomez]

"Two agents down?", says Andrews with a feigned look of shock, "What's been going on out here?

"Everytime the Office of Homeland Security sends out a terrorist warning, the Border Patrol yells for some help. I had to assign two of my agents to Homeland Security last month and who knows when I am going to get them back."

 

[Gomez]

FBI Field Office
Phoenix Arizona


Just then a man enters the Hobbson's office. He is dressed in an Arizona State police uniform and wears a gray cowboy hat that he removes as he enters. Hobbson stands and shakes his hand. "Major Garrett, I am glad you could come over. This is Agents Brown and Andrews. They are going to lend you a hand in the Highway 70 case." says Hobbson. He then turns to you. "This is Major Frank Garrett. He is our liaison with the Arizona State police." The Major then shakes your hands in turn. "Pleased to meet you gents!" he says with a western drawl. "I really appreciate any aid the FBI can give us in our case."

 

[Maerdwyn]

(said before that last post, obviously )

Solomon nods. "That's how it is all over, these days. Back in Philly, every time Tom Ridge got a case of the 'oranges', it'd set homicide investigations back weeks. So what do you need us to help you out with, Agent Hobbson?"

 

[Gomez]

Hobbson pulls out a file folder. "As your most likely know, there has been a series of disappearances along State Road 70 for the past month. No bodies have been discovered and while they are being treated as kidnapping. I feel that we have some sort of serial killer on our hands. Your jobs is to aid the State and Apache Tribal police in their investigations." He hands you the folder. "Here are what facts we have on the dissappearances so far. You are to work with Major Garrett here and Sheriff Mangas Colorados of the Apache tribal police. Any questions?"


Contents of the Folder

An unknown person or persons is believed responsible for the disappearances of thirteen people in the last month in the area of State Road 70 near the southern edge of the San Carlos Indian Reservation west of Phoenix. Known disappearances are as follows:

July 4 - Allen and Karen Curtley Car found abandoned on 70 en route to son’s house.
July 6 - Felix Royos Gas station attendant working night shift on 70.
July 10 - Ed Stoltz and Chris Martin Fishermen at he reservoir near 70; camp undisturbed.
July 15 - Rolf Trautner and Freda Ollenburg German tourists: rental car found abandoned on 70.
July 15 - Dieter and Vera Van Olsen Dutch tourists; rental car found abandoned on 70.
July 27 - Begay Family (four) Farm near 70 abandoned for at least a week.

Dates for the last three disappearances are approximate. There are no signs of violence in any of these cases. No know enemies. No valuables missing except for whatever each victim had on his or her person. No contact from the perpetrator(s) or victims.

Allen and Karen Curtley: Allen Curtley, white male, 57 YOA, owner of the Done and Ready roofing company, employing thirty full-time employees in the area of Santa Fe, New Mexico. A medium sized contractor doing primarily home repair. Karen Curtley, white female, 53 YOA, was employed full-time as her husband’s business as an accountant/bookkeeper. They had no outstanding debts, the company had no ties with organized crime, and their son, Brian Curtley, 32 YOA, living in Phoenix Arizona, has no financial problems that would require his “advancing” his inheritance. By all accounts, the Curtleys had a good relationship with their family and business associates.

Felix Royos: Hispanic male, 20 YOA. High school drop out who has worked at a number of unskilled labor positions since his sixteenth birthday. Several juvenile arrests for Possession of Alcohol by a Minor, Curfew Viloations, Criminal Mischief. No know criminal associations since his eighteenth birthday. His older brother, Enrico Royos, 24 YOA, has two convictions for Grand Theft (Armed Robberies plea-bargained).

Ed Stoltz and Chris Martin: Ed Stolz, white male, 32 YOA, mechanic for Greyhound Bus Lines, married Lavern Stoltz, 29 YOA, one child, Timothy, 3 YOA. Chris Martin, white male, 30 YOA, Assistant Manager at True Value Hardware Store, Tempe Arizona, single. Both men were natives of Phoenix and when to the same high school. They went fishing on the Coolidge Dam Reservoir at least once a month. Neither man had a criminal record or criminal associations.

Rolf Trautner and Freda Ollenburg: Rolf Trantner, nationality German, white male, 22 YOA, Freda Ollenburg, nationality German, white female, 22 YOA. Both had recently finished their three-year national service commitment in the Federal Republic of Germany and were taking a short vacation prior to attending university. Neither had any friends or relatives in the United States. They had been traveling by bus and train and had been in the United States for two weeks.

Dieter and Vera Van Olson: Dieter Van Olson, nationality Dutch, white male, 65 YOA. Retired Vice-President for Petroleum Exploration, Royal Dutch Shell Corporation, spending his retirement seeing the world. His wife, Vera, 60, YOA, was a homemaker. They had been touring the United States by car for the past three months. They have no connections or contacts with anyone in the Southwest, but they did have reservations to stay near the Grand Canyon four days before their car was found.

The Begay Family: Victorio Begay, Apache Indian, 42 YOA, his wife, Louisa, 38 YOA, and their sons, Luca, 13 YOA, and Paco, 15. Victorio Begay was a well-respected member of the Apache community. By local standards, he was quite prosperous, owning two hundred sheep, several dozen acres of property, two pickup trucks, and a home big enough to give his children their own rooms. Their relations in the community were good. Neither son had any criminal record.

 

[taitzu52]

"Thank you for having us, Major.", says Andrews, shaking the trooper's hand. "Unfortunately, we left Washington on very short notice, and haven't been briefed on the Highway 70 case. Are you the trooper in sharge of the case, Major?"

(OOC- Looks like we're both slow on the draw today!!)

 

[taitzu52]

Andrews asks Hobbson, "Is there a spare office that Agent Brown and I can use? One with a map if you can." Andrews will begin the process of putting pushpins on the locations of the disappearances. "OK, Brown. Your file says that you speak Spanish, right? That means you'll be taking Begay and Royos, at least. You may have better luck with the Sheriff too. We don't have many local leads on the European couples, so I'll take Curtley and Stoltz/Martin.", Andrews says looking around. "Do you think they smoke in here?", he asks, fumbling for his pack of cigarettes.

(OOC-Andrews has gobs of Gather Info, and graduate degrees in Law Enforcement to boot. taitzu52 does not. Is it standard FBI practice to reinterview all witnesses/family members? Ideas?)

 

[Gomez]

Andrews asks Hobbson, "Is there a spare office that Agent Brown and I can use? One with a map if you can." Andrews will begin the process of putting pushpins on the locations of the disappearances. "OK, Brown. Your file says that you speak Spanish, right? That means you'll be taking Begay and Royos, at least. You may have better luck with the Sheriff too. We don't have many local leads on the European couples, so I'll take Curtley and Stoltz/Martin.", Andrews says looking around. "Do you think they smoke in here?", he asks, fumbling for his pack of cigarettes.

(OOC-Andrews has gobs of Gather Info, and graduate degrees in Law Enforcement to boot. taitzu52 does not. Is it standard FBI practice to reinterview all witnesses/family members? Ideas?)

"We can get you a office to work out of and as for a map. I think we can dig one up for you." says Hobbson. After about 30 minutes you are setup in a rather bare office with a desk and two chairs. A large map of Arizona is brought in and put up on the wall."


OOC: Your experience in law enforcement tells you that unless some additional information comes to light. Reinterviewing the witnesses/family members would just give you information that you already have.

 

[Maerdwyn]

"Allright, let's get down to it then. I think we should visit the crime scenes: fresh eyes may see things diffrently. Has anyone checked for common tire tracks in the vicinity of the abandoned vehicles or the farm? May not be much after a month, but it's worth a check. Is there any apparent pattern to the locations of the crime scenes, other than just being on route 70? How about cover? Would whoever took these folks have to have done it out in the open, or would they have beed shielded from anyone passing by on the road?

What are the resources at our disposal - any officers, vehicles, or other equipment besides us and our rental?

(ooc: more soon - not much time today, sorry)

 

[Gomez]

What are the resources at our disposal - any officers, vehicles, or other equipment besides us and our rental?

Major Garrett says that there is a police heliocopter available for use if needed.

 

[Maerdwyn]

"That's good news, thank you, Major." Addressing both Major Garret and Sherrif Colorados, Solomon says, "Do either of you have theories other than the one Special Agent Hobbson presented? That we have a serial killer on our hands?" After hearing their responses, Solomon thanks them and continues. "Well, whoever we're dealing with, he's got to be working out of somewhere. Those bodies didn't just disappear, and neither did he." He gets up and flags the location of each crimescene on the map. Knowing that multiple killers usually have comfort zone, a finite distance from their home or base of operations that they are willing to travel to safely commit their acts, he draws a large oval that encompasses all the crime scenes and some (determined by his training) space around them, indicating the most likely area for the killier to live within. "About how many residences and businesses are contained within this area? Are there any abandoned structures or other places that someone could hole up in private for as long a period as we're talking about?"



ooc: what is today's date? I'm assuming it's maybe the end of July, beginning of August?

 

[Gomez]

OOC: The date is August 7th. The center of your oval seems to be in the reservation just north of the highway between Bylas and Geronimo and close to the Begay ranch. There is not much there other than desert and a few scattered ranches. You have not met Sherif Colorados yet. His office is on the San Carlos Indian Reservation.

 

[taitzu52]

"You're right about that area", says Andrews, pointing at the oval. "I'm guessing that the Sheriff knows more about that chunk of land than most. When we do check the scenes again, maybe he can tell us a bit more about the area."" Looking again at the oval, he says, "Yeah, the serial nature of this is more likely than anything premeditated, considering the tourists that are involved. Maybe I can call a profiler in DC once we have more data."" Looking up at Hobbson, Andrews says, "Well, I'm ready to get out there. Can you call the Sheriff and set up a meeting?""

 

[Gomez]

Hobbson calls and sets up a meeting for you with Sherif Colorados. He suggests that you meet him at the Bejay ranch. After getting directions and a good map, you drive down highway 30 and then into the San Carlos Indian Reservation. The Bejay ranch is about a mile north of the highway. As you pull up to the Bejay's home you see a Apache tribal police car out front. When you stop, a man steps out of the car. Sherif Colorados is a middle aged indian and looks to be in good physical shape. His hair is black with greying sideburns. He waits for you to speak.

 

[taitzu52]

"Sheriff Colorados!", yells Andrews as he gets out of the car, hailing the Officer with a wave. He walks over and says, "I'm Agent Andrews, this is Agent Brown. Good to meet you. I'm guessing that the State told you that we were coming." Andrews casually looks around the ranch, checking for tire tracks, like Brown suggested. He looks up and says, "So how long since the family went missing? Has the State sent out a forensics team yet?"