[Mission 19 – The Lost Legionnaires, Fin; Interview with the Vampire]
Last night we went out in search of a mortar supply train that had eluded us the week before. I was hoping that it would lead us near the old French mansion that has become a focal point for Sanchez' nightmares. As our tracker, Sgt. Koolakowski er... I mean me, I was following the trail that the VC had left only to find that it did indeed pass right by the mansion. It was now or never. We had to solve the riddle of this old place if Sanchez was ever going to be able to sleep again. Doc was nice enough to stand watch while we went in. Koolakowski, Sanchez and I entered the house and noticed that a mirror was strangely still intact in the second story. Sanchez clambered up to it and was able to see the house as it had been years ago. He also remembered the lady of the house telling him to never go into the basement. It seemed the cellar was the center of our problems. Unfortunately, the door was locked and Sanchez was unable to find a key upstairs. I sent Koolakowski up to look around. When he arrived on the second floor he glanced into the mirror, seeing the most horrific visage that humankind has ever witnessed - and some sort of ghost creature. The spirit reached out at Koolakowski, but was unable to latch on to him. The Sgt. stepped back and fired his M-16 point blank, but apparently the creature was immune to his weapon. I thought I heard a little girl screaming, so I crawled away from the basement door and noticed the creature coming out of the mirror. I calmly drew my pistol and fired 2 rounds into the mirror, shattering it and thus killing the ghost as well. As the wraith understood his undoing he reached out toward me and squeezed his hand as I felt a sharp pain in my chest. I understood the connection he was trying to make and refused to let him drag me into his ethereal world. I focused my mind, much as I had while driving away the king of cobras the night before, and pulled the black thing's hand from my heart. Our struggle seemed to last an eternity, but probably only seemed a few seconds in the real world. As I pulled his clasping hand from me, I stared into his eyes as he knew fear and faded into eternal torment. With the mirror broken I thought the nightmares would be as well but it was not to be. The door to the basement unlocked itself. We must find the answers we seek there. Sanchez and I descended into the basement to find a crypt of sorts. In the final room was a coffin surrounded by 8 skeletons chained to the wall. As the light of my flashlight blinked back on there was also a man standing in the room in front of us. He asked what we were doing there and I replied that we were here to help. He said "I do not need your help. Leave now." I was willing to overlook his rudeness and the fact that he was obviously a vampire. I even begrudgingly forgive him for being an SS officer. But he was obviously the root of the French haunting and thus adversely affecting Sanchez. That I could not tolerate. So I shot him in the chest. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to mind. Then Sanchez filled him with buckshot and he barely noticed. Sanchez was also kind enough to put two .45 rounds into his head, to which he replied "danka". I then set off a grenade in his coffin that apparently p***** him off. Not because it hurt him, but because I blew up his bed. I think that's when Sanchez and I understood that the chickens**** upstairs were going to be our first victims as children of the night. It was at this moment that Sanchez' throat was ripped out and I went a little insane. I broke off a piece of the Gunter's coffin and tried to stab him in the heart. As I struck him there was a bright flash, but apparently I had just missed. I tried several more times in vain and then fled the room to retrieve the cleansing purity of fire. I had doc push it down to the basement door and as I readied myself to dispatch Gunter into the under-underworld, I realized that he had sent his attorneys to deal with me. I torched as many as I could, but still they overwhelmed me. It took everything I had to convince Doc to do a little pro bono work in my behalf. He grabbed my unconscious body and drug me out into the open. Rats were everywhere, so Doc grabbed me and fled the burning building. Koolakowski grabbed what gear he could and leapt clear right behind us. We made it back to camp with the story of being ambushed by VC while investigating an old mansion. Sanchez is dead and my right arm may never be the same. I gave the coordinates of the mansion to HQ in hopes that they will carpet bomb a known VC hideout.
[During the convalescence in Saigon, SSGT Johnson will be visited by the mysterious Colonel and asked to detail all of his "unusual" observances in-country. He may have an offer for you, depending on what you reveal.]
I will disclose all that I have seen if I trust that he is a believer (and that he will help me finish Gunter)
[Well, he tells you that the artifact you found was the real McCoy--a glimpse into what may be really going on in this war. But, he can't bring you in if that's all you know; there's too much red tape and money involved. He'll just let you get discharged to go back home and join all those other disabled vet protesters. But he thinks you've seen more s*** than what's in your reports. If so, he might be able to put you in the big league game over here.]
Is that all I know? Sir, I’ve seen s*** over here that made 2 of my men go crazy. They were right on the brink of losing their minds. I’ve seen vampire hookers, haunted temples, haunted mansions, ghost troops, elephant men, you name it I’ve fought it. I just lost my best friend fighting an SS vampire. I didn't lose my arm in the Nam to be a p**** a** war protester. I’m here to kill Gunter and make sure my friend doesn't become one of his minions. If you need a more detailed account of my sightings I will gladly let you read my journal. I’m way behind on my log entries though, but it will be a start. If you can help me kill that d*** vampire, I’m yours for whatever spooky s*** you've got going...sir.
-Jack Johnson
