Bounty Head Bebop Comlink
Role Playing Games => BZ's Games => Disciples => Topic started by: BerkaZerka on June 09, 2016, 09:02:02 pm
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South East DC; Saturday June 4th 2016
It was Saturday night, as Rory 'Beats' Andrews was getting out of the cab in front of his apartment complex. He had been out at the Jazz Club, enjoying the talents of the local musicians - one in particular, whom he had personally saved from the streets.
The young man, Phillippe James, had real skills with the sax, but had been wasting his life on drugs and petty crime. It was one of Rory's success stories, but somehow he had really gotten through to the guy, and it was good to see him doing something positive with his life now.
With Rory's encouragement and help, Phillippe had managed to kick the drug habit, got his own apartment out of the projects, and was even getting enough gigs with his sax to pay rent. If only more of Rory's cases ended like this, the world would be a better place.
"PSSshT! Hey, Beatss!" a voice hissed out from the shadows of the dark ally beside the apartment building - snapping Rory out of his reverie.
The voice was a familiar one, though uncharacteristically soaked in alcohol at the moment.
"K'meer! We need ta talk!" it slurred - and the large dark shape of a man could be seen in the shadows swaying slightly under the influence.
'This can't be Officer Magiffico,' Rory thought to himself; having never seen the cop anything but professional. Yet the voice and size of the man in the shadows seemed to suggest that it was.
"Hur," *hic, "Hurry up now! Don't let anyone s-see ya!"
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'Beats' streaches and heads carefully for the alley, he often got in this kind of situation but no sense in taking risks. Once close he speaks just loudly enough to carry to the shadow "What's happening officer, this aint like you"
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In the dark alley, Rory could see a nondescript black car parked alongside the dumpsters - no plates... that was odd.
Officer Magnifico meanwhile, stood near the driver's side door, dressed in a long trench coat with a hat pulled down to obscure his face. There was no doubt to Rory who it was though.
When Officer Magnifico saw Rory approaching, he threw a brown paper bag to the ground, the whiskey bottle inside shattering.
"Get in the car Beats," he directed, opening his door and motioning to the other side of the car.
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He heads for the car, somthing was definitely up. This was not like the officer and a car with no plates was... Disconcerting to say the least "Magnifico, what'ya take me for man? No reasons, no ID, just 'Get in the creepy car?"
Despite his words he begins heading carefully to the indicated door. He knew he wasn't in trouble and the police generally liked him getting kids out of gangs and back into society, which meant it was probably one of his boys in trouble again. He doesn't get I. Yet though, he still wants to check in the windows and hear somthing of an explanation first.
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"GAH!!! SHHHHH!!! Don't use that name!!!" Magnifico hissed, "Don't you know anything 'bout 'undercover' work?!? Fark!"
He then looked all around, as if making sure no one had heard the exchange. It didn't seem as though anyone had.
Standing on the side of the car, Rory could barely see into it. The windows were tinted and the ally was dark. Oddly, even though Officer Magifico's door had been opened, none of the interior lights were on.
Still, it didn't seem like anyone else was in the car.
"Look, I need your help!" Officer Magnifico said, seeing Rory's hesitancy to get in.
"Just get in the farking car already!"
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He shrugs and opens the door, carefully, so that if it was slammed open it would miss him and far back enough that someone reaching out could be punched before they grabbed him. You learned to be cautious here.
Presuming nothing kept out at him he slides inside and waits for the officer to join him "Undercover my ass, you just acted drunk in my alley beside a black car. You know everyone in this area would know somthins up?"
Glancing out the window "let's get outa here, not good for my boys to see men a car like this, you know?"
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Officer Magnifico hopped in and shut the door - starting the engine and turning the headlights on.
The interior lights were still out and it was eerily dark inside, as Magnifico pulled the car from of the alley and onto the road. Passing under a few streetlights briefly illuminated the front seat - and Rory noted a file folder sitting between them and a paper grocery bag with something wrapped in it.
Magnifico didn't say anything as he drove, but clearly fumed over something, cursing under his breath and pounding the wheel with his fist from time to time. For being noticeably intoxicated, he drove the car with a practiced ease. Aside from the lack of a plate, there was nothing about the dark unmarked car to draw any attention to it.
Magnifico headed south, past the Washington Shipyard, across the Anacostia River, and toward the National Capital Park East.
There, he pulled into the parking lot at Poplar Point, turned off the car, and doused the headlights. They were close to the river, but a row of trees obscured their view the water.
"Farking rookie Johnson!" Magnifico finally said, not turning to face Rory as he spoke.
Johnson? He must be brand new to the force. Rory hadn't even heard of the guy yet.
"Gawd damn fool!" he fumed. "Bastard went in without a warrant, beat the perp, and took the guy's computer."
It was clear-cut 'Illegal Search and Seizure' with a side of 'Excessive Force' and 'Police Brutality' - and farking none of it is admissible in court!"
"The guy walked!"
"He farking did all that to those poor kids and farking walked!"
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Rory lets the drive go by in silence, cops either taking him somwhere about an investigation or needs to talk. Either way, always let cops speak first, less chance to slip up that way.
Once Magnifico had seemed to have finished he carefully replies, keeping things a little lighter for now.
Early years of dealing with the cops had let him know to be careful about each word for now. "slow it down man, what happened? Some rookie went all aggro on a guy and he got away, not like it's the first or last time so why you so beat up on this one? You said he did somthing to kids?"
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"Simon Wolks! Farking pedo man!" Officer Magnifico answered, the rage heavy in his voice.
"Had unsupervised contact with three kids that we know of; but he has them so scared they won't talk!"
"One of them was Johnson's five year-old niece; and he lost it when he found out. Acted too soon, on his own, and farked the whole thing all to hell!"
"The computer had kiddie pics all over it - including ones involving the three locals."
"But that isn't the half of it... The man's a monster! We found this on his hard drive as well!"
Officer Magnifico picked up the file folder that was sitting between the two of them and shoved it at Rory.
"There's a flashlight in the glove box."
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Rory lets out a small growl, Pedos get dealt with personaly in his area and it's one of the few times he agrees with the gang doing it.
"targeting a cops kid was a bad move, hopefully the beating was a good one. You can always make a case on him again later like how you drag up all my boy's old crap with new names every few years."
He says this but there is obviously no maliciousness in his voice, simply going over the old statements they had each given eachother a thousand times when the police had pulled up looking for one of the guys under his care.
He takes and opens the package.
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Inside, Rory found a photo of Simon Wolks, a map of the man's neighborhood with a schedule of his movements, and a still from a video.
The moment Rory laid eyes on the still he regretted it.
The image shocked Rory to the core and burned itself into his mind. Immediately, Rory knew he would never be able to get that image out of his head.
It showed a small child, around the age of four, dropping into a running wood chipper - captured moments before the tot's feet would be pulled into the whirling machinery below. But the look on the boy's face was what filled Rory's being with utter revulsion and outright rage - the boy's face was terrified innocence, yes - but beneath that, accusing and offended, as if to plead 'Why? Why are you hurting me?'
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Rory is silent for a time, not a still silence. A coiled suspense filled silence as the various feelings raced through his head.
He had his own boys to think about and his neibourhood kept him as busy as he could be with helping them stay out of trouble. He normally avoided other trouble or getting involved, time helping other groups was time he couldn't spend on his own fight.
But this was different. This was inhuman.
He begins speaking in a slower, more controlled manner than normal, as if choosing every word carefully as he went "Magnifico, this is all undercover and off record right? Unmarked car, no recordings or logs?" he doesn't look up but just being near him the officer could probably feel the young boxers muscles tensing and untensing as he spoke "So when I leave this car, it will be like it never happened and no-one will ever know I had heard this guys name? No way to connect me or mine to him?"
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Officer Magnifico slid the paper grocery bag to Rory. Something metallic could be felt within, as the bag came to a stop against Rory's thigh.
"It's untraceable. No numbers. I'll make sure the boys in blue are busy 'elsewhere' when it goes down. Just follow the timeline and make sure to toss everything in the river afterwards."
"Do this, and we look the other way on some of your boys for the next year. You know, give you enough time to work your magic on them or whatever it is you do."
"You'll be the hand of Justice, where Justice has failed Beats."
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"Teaching a lesson is one thing, killings another. I know a few guys that feel different to me but that's part of the reason I left the gangs." After a slight pause "Still know their signs and haunts though."
He takes the bags and shoves them into his backpack "Remember Magnifico, I agreed to nothing here so no matter what happens, if I get picked up with this gear it's just entrapment once I give your name, got that?"
He glances out the window "Time I was dropped off again don't ya think?"
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"That," Officer Magnifico spat, pointing a finger at Rory's backpack, is just a farking still!"
"I saw the whole farking video! I spared you what I saw. What I can never un-see!"
Officer Magnifico abruptly wiped his face - was the man crying? It was too dark to tell for sure.
"Don't fark this up!" he grunted and then opened his door to get out, not bothering to close it.
"I wouldn't park this too close to your place, if you know what I mean. Ya might also want to wipe it down for your prints."
With that, the large man walked away into the darkness, leaving Rory alone to decide his next move...
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Rory sighed, what had Magnifico gotten him into.
He climbs over to the drivers seat and makes sure the car starts normally then pulls out. A few blocks from his place you can be sure a car will vanish if left there overnight, he heads for that area while considering whether to torch it or just get it stolen by a gang who'll strip it for parts, stripping it down would probably attract less attention...
As he drives he thinks about the picture and weapon he had been given. The guy definitely had to be taken care of but he wasn't in a gang anymore and didn't want to start killing now...
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As Rory pulled the car up to the curb, he saw the local 'lookouts' eyeing him from across the street. He was right, this car would be scrap metal by morning.
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He takes his things and heads out of the car, leaving the keys inside. He begins heading home but pauses
"need to think for a bit" he heads towards the basket ball courts instead, there is always a chance that some of his friends are around, and if not, it is always a good place to think. He still keeps an eye out for the rare cop that might frequent this area, no point taking risks when you are packing illegal weapons.
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Rory walked a short distance to the nearest basketball courts, where a night game was in full swing. Ten black youth played five-on-five on the concrete pad, while their girls and another three young men milled around, drinking, smoking, and keeping watch.
Rory knew they were boys from the Unit G Crew, out of the Potomac Gardens projects. They knew who Rory was and were generally cooperative with him (though they were not his friends). They considered Rory an 'Associate', which meant they didn't fark with him, as long as he wasn't too pushy or preachy about his work in their territory.
"Hey Beats!" one of the boys on lookout called, causing a temporary pause in the game, as everyone turned to look.
"Don't chu know you can take da nigga out da projecks, but you caint take da projecks out da nigga?"
An eruption of laughter and the resumption of the game followed. It was a good sign.
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Rory smiles at the 'boys' "Wouldn't know, I Ain't left yet!" He calls back before heading over and sitting on a bench, leaning back against the fence to watch the game for now.
"That bastard deserves what's coming to him and I've no issue beating him down a bit but killins different." he watches the guys play while the others drink "Wonder if any of these boys earned their first Tatoos yet..."
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One of the guys not playing ball was notably older than the rest of the youth. He wore a wife-beater and had the tattoos Rory was looking for, including one on his shoulder that proudly proclaimed 'CHOPPA'.
Rory new enough about the gangs to recognize the guy as an enforcer; someone willing - as indicated by the tattoo - to 'chop-it-up' when necessary...
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Rory thinks about their territory and the info he was given. Did they overlap at all had the psycho hunted on their turf?
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Rory hadn't had a chance to do more than glance through the file Magnifico had given him, but Simon Wolks was white middleclass, lived in a predominately white upscale neighborhood, and his victims where white.
Crossover with Wolks and the Unit G Crew's territory didn't seem very likely.
That might make for a difficult sale, trying to get these guys involved, if they had no empathy for the victims...
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Rory sighs "What am I doin here? This trash deserves what's comin but it won't be from me, I get these boys off the street, not more work."
He stands up and heads from the courts calling to the guys "looking good boys, I'll have to jump in next time!"
He begins heading home "gonna take him down right."
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As Rory walks down the street, a car drives by - the unmarked one he had parked earlier - on its way to the chop shop...
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He smiles to himself "Wipe down prints, Magnifico may be a good cop but he still had some things to learn about hiding things."
The smile slowly fades as he thinks back to what he is carrying "home then read up on all this shit"
He makes a bee-line for his place so he can read up on all the info and plan before sleeping.
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Rory arrived home without any further incident.
According to the timetable in the file, Simon Wolks was going to be recovering in the hospital another day or two. The department had a unit keeping tabs on him and would have him under surveillance for a while.
Magnifico was sure Wolks would go underground the moment he got out, heading straight for his house to get his things, and then on to who knows where. It would be the one chance they had to put the slime in the ground, before he could hurt more kids.
The plan then, was for Rory to go to Wolk’s house, before Wolks got out of the hospital and to wait for him there.
Magnifico would make sure the surveillance unit was ‘distracted’ long enough to allow Wolks to get home, Rory to do the deed, and for him to get away.
He promised that the department wouldn’t waste valuable resources investigating the shooting of a sadistic child raper too much.
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"Goes right I'm a killer, goes wrong, I'm a killer in jail. Gotta be a better way to do this."
He sighs and heads to bed, gotta think it over and get prepared one way or another.
"Tomorrow I work then call in sick for the day, gotta be in place one way or another..."
Then he pauses "Farking gun" He quickly hides the gun behind a small stack of work related books then heads to bed setting an early alarm.
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Needless to say, the night wasn't a very restful one. As Rory hit the alarm, turning it off, he actually felt more tired now, than when he had gone to bed.
A single thought had plagued him over and over again during his fitful sleep. And it was still clear in his mind even now.
'A tiger cannot change its stripes and dog will always return to its vomit.'
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He hits his alarm to snooze then realized that he had already turned it off "Need a shower" he mumbles to himself and does just that. Filling the small coffee maker on the way so he would have a mug ready after.
Once cleaned up and a little more awake from the shower he adds way more milk than usual to his coffee and downs it, cooling it off more important than taste right now.
"Let's see whats happening, he's gonna come back and he's gonna do it again so I gotta know where." he thinks as he dressed in his better clothing for going out of the projects, slipping his headphones round his neck last and double checking his MP3 had battery. He grabs his shoulder bag with a couple of workbooks and papers and slips in his ID along with his normal gear so if he was questioned he could show he was a 'Respectable, employed government worker' rather than just a young tanned guy in a nice area. (Leaving the gun hidden behind)
Flicking his MP3 to 'Rise Against, prayer of the refugee' he heads out heading right for the psycho's apartment.
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It took just over an hour to walk to Simon Wolk's neighborhood.
Thanks to Magnifico's map in the file, Rory knew the best way to approach (through the back alley) to get to the man's townhouse unseen.
Slipping into the backyard, Rory was well hidden, as each townhouse had its own six-foot high privacy fence. Looking at the house, he saw that it was a flat-roofed three story affair, identical to pretty much all the rest in the row. It had a raised back deck, with a sliding glass door, that likely entered into the second floor kitchen. A door off the yard itself, probably lead into the first floor laundry room or garage.
A fancy grill and some patio chairs sat outside, while a few small trees and shrubbery provided a little more cover from prying eyes. Somewhat out of place here, especially for a middle-aged single man living alone, was a large kiddie pool with float toys in the area by the stairs going up to his deck.
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"Like that's not creepy bro." Roby mumbles about the kids toys before beginning to look for a way inside that will be quiet and unseen. He doesn't plan to actually break and enter right now though.
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Looking around back, Rory found all doors and windows locked. It was probably the same out front - though he really couldn't get there from here to check, without walking around the entire block and likely being seen.
It did occurred to Rory however, that sliding glass doors were notoriously easy to just lift right out of their tracks. It didn't matter if they were locked or not...
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Smiling to himself he takes the time to carefully scope out the neibours houses and any point he might be seen from before carefully slipping up the stairs and double checking there is no alarm before lifting the door off the rails and carefully propping it up again.
Rory moves carefully inside and goes through the house quickly to make sure he has a basic understanding of the layout and what is there. If he is going to stop this psycho then he has to know what is around his lair.
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Rory found nothing unusual about the layout of the townhouse.
The first floor/street level was a garage with a laundry room; the second floor was the living room, kitchen, and half bath; while the third floor was master bedroom/bath, with a guest room, and full bath.
A few details of note however, was Simon Wolk's car, still parked inside the garage. The front door, off the living room, was hanging ajar with the lock and doorjamb splintered and police tape crossing it on the outside. The furniture was in disarray and small spatters of blood could be seen here and there. It looked like a scuffle had originated at the front door and progressed into the kitchen - where large smears of dried blood stained the linoleum floor. In the guest bedroom upstairs sat a computer desk, but the computer itself was missing and the monitor had been smashed.
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Rory smiles a little, it looked lie, the rookie cop gave him what he deserved. He heads back down to the garage and checks out the car, lookin in the normal spots through the house for keys as he goes so he can go through it.
Remembering fingerprints he quickly wraps his hands in cloth and stops to wipe the screen door off too, can't be too careful.
If he finds the keys, he plans to search the car for any useful information before getting out of the building and re-seating the door.
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The keys to the car were conveniently located on hook strip by the stairs leading down into the garage.
Heading there and unlocking the vehicle, Rory found a fancy High-Def digital camera, under the passenger seat of the car. It was the kind with a large flip out screen that one could use to review footage on. It also had USB and SD card slots - though these were currently empty.
'Might be some evidence on this...' Rory found himself thinking - but did he really want to see it?!?
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He takes the camera, again, careful not to leave prints behind. An idea begins forming in his mind "Killing him is the wrong way out, this guy has to pay for a long long time." He mumbles to himself as he carefully checks to see if there is anything incriminating on the camera.
"Don't need to actually watch it, just need to make sure the sicko left evidence on this thing, enough to put him away." he thinks as he braces himself, planning on turning it off the instant he sees anything nasty.
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The battery in the camera was low, but there was still enough power left in it for Rory to playback a portion of the last recording. It showed two little girls, maybe three and four, playing in Simon Wolks's kiddie pool out back.
A man's voice behind the camera - Wolks no doubt - coaxed the children into removing their swimsuits and to then dance naked for him. When the voice behind the camera started to direct them into posing provocatively, Rory turned off the camera.
He had no desire to see what was going to happen next - and the sick panting of the cameraman's voice at that point, was more than he could take.
Rory's stomach knotted in disgust. He was absolutely appalled that anyone could exploit innocent children like that.
Simon Wolks was guilty.
As Rory struggled to contain his outrage, he heard a loud bang from the front door abruptly slamming upstairs! Followed by a loud crash and cursing.
Though muffled by the intervening floor, Rory could hear Simon Wolks's voice above - the same voice that he had heard on the playback - "Shit! Farking door! Farking cop! Farking got to disappear again! Sick of this shit!!!"
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"He's here now! FarKing timing!" he thinks to himself, he doesn't even have the gun with him and he had just come up with a good idea for dealing with him too.
He slips the camera into his bag for use as evidence later and grabs some cloth to use as a makeshift bandanna and face mask so he wouldn't be recognized either way, he even temporaily covers his headset so it wouldn't be seen.
He then moves to the side of the door and waits so if the man came I to the garage he wouldn't be seen instantly and quietly limbers up as he waits, a single good punch in the jaw would knock him out cold without too much more real damage... He gets ready to know the man out cleanly and quickly
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Rory could hear the man upstairs, rummaging around, and then heading to the third floor. It sounded as if floorboards were being pried up. After a few minutes, the man came back down and approached the steps that descended into the garage.
"Where the fark are my keys?!?"
Of course Rory still had them, having used them to unlock the car.
"Farking cops!" The man bellowed, stomping down the stairs and coming into view.
Rory was well hidden, behind the steps and some stacked boxes.
Simon Wolks was huge. Six and a half feet tall, three hundred pounds chubby, with curly red hair that almost looked permed. That hair... Rory could imagine the guy dressing up as a clown. With hair like that, he wouldn't even need a wig.
The man wore white-collar business attire, minus the suit coat, because his right arm was tied up in a cast and sling. His face was bruised all to hell and he had stitches on his eyebrow and lip, It also looked like he might be missing some teeth. Wow, that rookie cop really did do a number on him.
Simon Wolks was carrying a large duffle bag and a metal lockbox. He set them down at the bottom of the stairs and made a beeline for the car to open the driver's side door. He wasn't going anywhere though, unless he kept a spare set of keys in the glove box or something.
Looking at the ignition, he cursed and slammed a fist on the steering wheel, then leaned over the seats to retrieve the camera. Of course that wasn't there either, being with Rory in his pack.
"Damn it!" Wolks cursed yet again.
Rory considered jumping the man, while he was distracted in the car, but his size - it made him hesitate a moment. A guy this big wasn't going to go down easy. He was however, injured and hopefully right-handed...
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Rory decides that he is gonna take him down, the guy is definitely big but Rory was by no means small and training in fighting counts more than size.
"I ain't some kid fats of, let's see you fight me." he thinks KS as he moves to ambush the man, despite his words planning to knock him out cold before it could become a real fight. Brass knuckles and a Haymarker for the surprise attack.
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Walking up behind the fat man as he was extricating himself from the car, Rory cracked him in the back of the head with his brass knuckles.
Simon Wolk's already bruised mellon gashed open, spraying blood into the air, as he shuddered under the blow.
Amazingly, it wasn't enough to knock him out - though it disoriented him enough for Rory to get another shot in, before the man could process where the attacks were coming from.
After a second solid blow, Simon Wolks collapsed like a beached whale, moaning incoherently, as he lost consciousness. Blood still flowed from his head at an alarming rate however, and Rory had to wonder if he had just pushed the guy's injuries past the limit.
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"You can't farking die on me here fatso" he mumbles as he quickly tries to staunch the flow of blood from the guys head, he might not be a doctor but pushing a rag onto a wound while holding it shut was what they did in the gangs and on TV.
Realising he might be out of time, he quickly ties the rag to the guys head to try and slow the bleeding and tries to bundle him into the driver's seat of the car.
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It took some effort to maneuver Simon Wolks's dead-weight, but Rory was able to get him situated in the car. The rag meanwhile, seemed to be helping somewhat at controlling the blood flow.
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Rory quickly grabs the bags and case and slings them into the back of the car, all the time still carefuly to not leave prints on things. He takes a quick peek to ensure they are properly incriminating items though.
Then wasting no time we quickly wipes down the car for prints and slides the big mans seat back, so there is just enough room for him to reach the peddles from the passenger side. He then quickly searches the man for his phone. He pauses and takes a moment to sprint to the kitchen grabbing the first alcoholic drink he could find, planning to pour a splash into Simons mouth and some on his shirt, spilling the rest in the drivers footwell and leaving the bottle visible.
He then opens the garage, gets into the car and starts it up. Sliding one leg over uncomfortably, he hits the accelerate button and does his best to steer the car out into the street, knowing he couldn't drive like that for long he makes sure no-one is around and speeds up running the car into the first lamppost he sees near an alley, not hard enough to injure them further but enough to leave a faesable dent in the car and post.
He then jumps out of the car as fast as possible and calls 911 on the mans phone as he turns the camera back on, open so the video was visible and places it in the passenger footwell of the vehicle, if the battery lasted, the police would see the images... He walks into the alley quickly
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Moving his plan into action, Rory found the key to the lockbox in Simon Wolks's pocket. Taking a moment to check the contents, he found two USB thumb-drives, $10,000 cash, and a .22 caliber two-shot derringer.
Rory could already guess what was on the thumb-drives - and the tiny pearl-handled derringer looked like something Wolk's probably inherited from his grandmother. What the hell would anyone do with such a pathetic little weapon?
'Maybe he scares the kids with it,' it occurred to him.
Flipping through the one hundred dollar bills, bound together in a rubber band, Rory couldn't help but pocket it. He knew it was wrong, but it wasn't like Wolks was going to need it where he was going.
Then setting up the rest of the scene, Rory was finally ready.
With the garage door open, he looked out to make sure the street was clear, then hopped in and floored the gas!
The car went flying down the driveway in reverse, took out a row of mailboxes, and slammed into a telephone pole - crumpling the bumper and busting a rear tire.
'Ouch, that was harder than I meant,' Rory thought, rubbing his sore neck after the whiplash of impact.
Checking on Simon Wolks - he was still breathing - Rory jumped out of the car and slipped out of sight.
People were coming out of their houses to see what happened, and Rory could see them dialing 911 on their phones, as they hurried over to the car.
Rory wouldn't need to call on Wolks's cell after all, so he tossed it in the bushes and nonchalantly hurried from the scene.
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He quickly calls up officer magnifico, talking the second he is answered "Yo, looks like someone was drinking and totaled their car right outside their house. Loadsa illegal things visible in the ride too. Better get here fast to ensure the law is carried out correctly hey?"
He then hangs up and heads back for the projects as fast as he can, there's a church doing outreach for kids that's about to get a sudden donation.
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South East DC; Saturday June 18th 2016
It had been two weeks, since Simon Wolks was arrested. He now sat in jail (without bail) awaiting trial for his heinous crimes against children.
Now that he was behind bars, some of his victims were coming forward to testify, no longer afraid of what he might do to them or their families. That, and the mother of the neighborhood girls (on the camera video), was also pressing charges - having had no idea, until the discovery of the camera in Wolks's car, that anything untoward was happening to her kids during those pool visits.
Simon Wolks meanwhile, screamed 'entrapment' - that he had been 'set up' - but no one was listening. He then admitted his predilections towards children, but insisted that he was a 'looker' and not a 'toucher' - a claim somewhat supported by the videos he had made of the local children. He had never actually touched any of them in the videos, but who could say what went on after the camera went off.
Still, he was a danger to society, and the police found enough of the hardcore stuff on his thumb-drives, to put him away for a long long time. Rory had no regrets at how it had all turned out. in fact, it probably couldn't have turned out any better.
Officer Magnifico meanwhile, didn't have anything to say over the mater; and seemed to be avoiding Rory of late. That was just fine with Rory, as he didn't need the cop in his business, any more than the cop needed Rory in his own.
As for the money Rory had taken, he had donated it to a local community outreach program. For the first time in years, the facility had enough stores to help all the young single mothers in the area - passing out diapers, formula, and clothing as needed. Any guilt Rory might have had over taking the money, was largely mitigated in knowing that it had gone to help little kids, rather than toward abusing them further.
As Rory reminisced over these events, a woman walked out on the street in front of him. She was comely, but not overly so, a brunette, wearing a long black skirt with a white blouse. For all intensive purposes, she looked like a high class secretary or perhaps a librarian (without the glasses).
What the heck was she doing in this neighborhood?
The woman smiled (perfect teeth) and spoke with a friendly dulcet voice.
"Rory Andrews," she said - stating his name rather than asking it; "Do you realize that Simon Wolks had nothing to do with the boy being killed in the shredder? That he was just using that video to scare children into silence of his abuse?"
"Do you realize the one doing that to children is still out there?"
-
Rory immediately goes on the defensive, subconsciously clenching his fists when the woman mentions Simons name. He has learned to come trole the impulses though and puts on a slightly arrogant 'not concerned' demeanor. "That guy on the news, I didn't know all the details but if you know own someone else was behind do some of the crimes it is best you get them dealt with by the cops, I'm just a social worker for my local boys."
He tries to change is demeanor to a more normal and unconcerned look but knows the woman has probably seen right through it already
-
"Rory," the woman went on un-accusingly, "Simon Wolks was a test."
"You handled that situation with clever integrity - your minor transgression with the money aside - but you made recompense nicely for it, in donating the cash to the outreach center."
"You passed the test Rory."
"I know you want to help the kids in your community, but you are now called to a much hirer purpose. I'm extending to you an opportunity to do so much more, for so many more people."
"Your work will potentially help millions."
Had this woman had been watching Rory at Simon Wolks's house? How could she know all these details otherwise?
Was the entire thing from Magnifico a set-up the whole time? Was this woman FBI, CIA, NSA?
What exactly was she offering him? Why? Heck, he didn't even know her name yet, but she seemed to know all about Rory.
In spite of all these unanswered questions, Rory could feel the tension and doubt seeping from his body, as he stood there listening to her. There was something trustworthy about the strange woman, in her voice, and a sense that what she was offering was not only genuine, but likely a 'one time offer'.
It might be worth it, to at least see what she was getting on about first, before ruling it out all together.
-
Rory takes a moment more to think but it was Saturday and he hadn't felt anything dangerous from the woman so why not chat for a bit more and see
"Well, I got time so why don't you tell me more about this opportunity then?" He looks around "I know a cafe or two outside of the projects, ya might stand out less there?" He says the last line like a question, clearly still not sure how to handle this woman
-
"That would be fine," The woman smiled. "Here comes our ride now."
Looking, Rory could see a taxi round a corner at the top of the block. The woman waved for it and it pulled up to stop.
"You can call me Sarapheen, Rory," the woman said, waiting for Rory to open the door for her.
-
He quickly steps up and holds the door for her before wondering get just what possessed him to actually do it, you didn't generally do that round here.
He heads round and gets in the other side telling the cabby the rough address of a nice cafe, only a few blocks away from the projects.
"Sarapheen, that's a new one to me, guessin you aren't from round here?" It was pretty obvious she wasn't from anywhere near here but Rory couldn't currently think of better taxi cab conversation with the unnervingly knowledgeable woman.
-
"Yeah, I know the one," the cab driver replied, "nice place." He then pulled the cab back into traffic and headed in that direction.
Sarapheen turned in her seat to face Rory. "You know how the Government has its security clearances, and 'need to know', right?"
She allowed Rory a moment to nod, "Well, in order for you to make an informed decision about the opportunity I'd like to extend, you'll 'need to know' all about it."
"But, before I can enlighten you further, you'll have to commit to a non-disclosure of sorts. You see, the world is not ready for what I can show you Rory, but I believe that you are."
"You must make a solemnly promise to keep what we discuss to yourself - for as long as you shall live. You cannot share it with friends, family, or lovers. To do so, would be to draw the most unwanted attention to yourself - such that you could never have a normal life, ever again."
"So, Rory - I need that heartfelt commitment. Do I have your promise of discretion?"
-
Rory glances at the cabby up ahead, did he work with the woman? She probably wouldn't be talking like this is he didn't. "Maybe I was right when I though about some government agency, it all seems to fit so far."
Deciding there was currently no harm in hearing more Rory agrees to the proposition "I know how to keep things to myself, I wont swear on anythin as it ain't my way but you have my word and that's good enough for those who know me."
-
"Glad to hear that Rory," Sarapheen replied, then directed, "Look out the window at the people on the street."
Humoring the strange woman, Rory turned his head to scan the sidewalk. That's when he saw them.
It wasn't the man, who Rory new to be a pimp, that was striking one of his working girls over some matter or another.
It wasn't the three gang members sitting on a stoop getting high.
It wasn't the old woman crossing the street with her dog.
It was the dark shadowy things that caught Rory's eye - that made the adrenalin dump in his gut, the palms of his hands sweaty, and sent chills running the length of his spine.
The pimp was completely shrouded in something tenebrous and vile - living like a fungus on his soul. It flailed angrily about the man, wrapping tendrils around the pimp's arm and directing his fist into the working girl's face.
A tall leering skeleton of pale smoke, with far too many ribs, wafted in the fumes rising from the gang members' crack pipe. As they passed it between themselves, it caressed their cheeks softly with its ethereal boney fingers - sending shivers of ecstasy throughout their bodies as the drug took effect.
The old woman with the dog looked normal enough, until Rory spotted the bloody footprints left behind in her wake. They seemed to attracted clouds of nebulous black flies, that followed behind, to lick up each oozing footprint as quickly as it was set down.
Rory couldn't handle seeing much more, and instinctively shut his eyes and turned away from the window.
'It... It can't be real,' his mind struggled, trying to force Rory to forget what he had just seen. His stomach lurched - and it was all Rory could do to hold down his lunch.
"It's called 'Disbelief'," Sarapheen's voice spoke out from Rory's self-imposed darkness, "It's what mortal brains do, when confronted with the supernatural, to keep their persona sane. Don't worry, you will likely forget about all this, if you choose to go no further with me. But I trust you are stronger than that."
"Look at me Rory, while the eyes of your understanding are still opened."
Forcing himself, in flagrant disregard of his own mind's insistence against it, Rory opened his eyes and focused his gaze on Sarapheen. Her body was wrapped in golden wings of light with a fiery burning halo radiated over her head.
"I am the Angel Sarapheen Rory," she said softly; "You are chosen to be my Disciple. I would, that you help me purge the world of demonic influences, like what you have just seen. To fight that battle in places that I cannot go."
"If you accept this calling, you shall receive knowledge and power from on high, necessary to its fulfilling. You shall see the world as it truly is - the veil of man's ignorance forever cast from your eyes."
Sarapheen stopped talking and reached out to hold Rory's hand with a warm smile. The golden wings of light and fiery burning halo faded from view. Rory chanced a glance out the window of the cab - no weird visions - things seemed to have returned back to normal. It looked like the cabby hadn't even been aware that anything out of the ordinary had just happened either.
"I know it's a lot to take in all at once Rory," Sarapheen said, patting his hand and then letting it go. "But unless you are already the religious type, there's no easy way to discuss 'the elephant in the room'."
-
"I just... Need a moment. Not sayin yes or no, just need a sec."
Without much other option for processing these pretty significant 'revelations' Rory has to be a little rude to his company. He pulls his headphones up and flicks through his Mp3, searching the first word to come into his head Angel
He expected the shaggy song to start playing but instead Robby Williams started playing "When the Fark did Robby Williams get on my MP3?" was the first thing he though before smiling a little, even if he didn't listepn to this kind of music the song seemed somehow fitting and a lot more soothing than an RnB track or rap would have been.
Once the song comes to an end he pulls the earphones back down around his next killing the music "You probably know but I'm probably Chatholic, Mum made sure to do right by me and got me splashed... I mean baptized when I was born. I'm ain't the praying type but I always thought he was out there somwhere, just, you know, Ignoring my part of town along with everyone else. The father told me "Once a Chatholic, always a Chatholic so that counts for somthing right?"
He stares out the window at where the apparitions had been and begins looking angrier, much angrier. These were his streets and his boys, the Angel said he could change things and she was right he was gonna do it "This... This ain't right though, if they is what's makin the hurt out there and pulling my boys down the wrong path, they needs stopping." Glancing back at the angel he quickly realizes he was slipping back into slang and his old prideful nature and reigns himself back in
"Look, I ain't saying I understand this all, or that my head can keep up with my eyes right now but I'm in. Understanding and believing can come later but stopping the things that are hurting my boys and causing all this" he waves his hand in a general way to indicate the 'Projects' they were driving out of "Is somthing I want part of."
-
"Here we are," the cabby said, pulling to a stop.
Sarapheen handed the fare to him though the little window in the Plexiglas divider.
Turning back to Rory, she replied, "Good. I'm very glad to hear that. We cannot really talk freely in the café, but I will come to you again later."
"In the meantime, I want you to choose a place that we can meet over the next few weeks, for regular private discussions - for I have much to show you Rory."
With that, Saraphene got out of the car and stood for moment with the door still open.
"If you are hungry, I'm happy to give you the money for lunch, plus cab-fare home."
"It's not like I need it where I'm going," she winked with a grin.
-
Rory thinks for a moment then smiles "Then I get more time to think this over, and I haven't heard anything yet to so all good."
"I don't take charity but also aint gonna say no to a free meal, I missed too many of those growing up. Keep the cab fare though, I'll jog home."
He gets out to take the money and adds "I gotta few places in mind but I'll ensure they will work for next time. Guessing you'll just pop up when it's time?"
-
"When you have a suitable location picked out," the woman answered, "just call my name - 'Sarapheen' - and I will come to you."
-
Rory nods and smiles then heads into the cafe to eat, giving her a wave of agreement. And he heads in his expression changes to a much more serious one which stays on as he orders food did eats it
'Probably can't trick an angel like that is that's what she is, but if she is a trickster she could probably read me just as well. Either way best stay polite."
After eating and listening get to some music on his headphones, he begins the jog and walk home again, even if weird stuff is going on you have to keep fit and in shape.
"Gotta test a few places out then call her name and see how she arrives, that will give a better idea if any of this is real or not too." He thinks as he jogs.
-
The next several weeks were spent meeting regularly with Sarapheen, at the place Rory had chosen, and what Sarapheen began to refer to as Rory's 'School of Enlightenment'.
There, she formally taught him the true nature of reality (Cosmology (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=1828.0)), and the Lingua Intelligentia - or Language of Intelligence.
The premise of Lingua Intelligentia, was that all Matter and Ephemera, at its subatomic level, was made of Pure Intelligence. Using the Lingua Intelligentia, one could speak to the intellect of anything on this level, in order to instruct or direct it.
Sarapheen explained that Matter and Ephemera adamantly obeyed the 'High Laws', acting only as they had been commanded to act by Creation (a rock remained a rock, subject to Natural Laws, no matter what for example) - but using Lingua Intelligentia, and enough of one's will, one could command the rock (overriding the High Law) to become gold, explode violently, or even come to life.
It was this language, and the supernal knowledge that went along with it, that formed the basis of all Angelic Magic. And it was the fundamentals of this magic (Casting Reference (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=1802.0)) that Sarapheen taught Rory, explaining that it would be integral to his work against the Infernal as a new Disciple.
Sarapheen also went on to explain, that as a new Disciple, Rory was now foreordained to one day surpass mortality and become an Angel himself - called as a Ministering Angel, just like Sarapheen was now. That wouldn't happen however, unless Rory perfected his current calling of Disciple first - and that wasn't something one could simply do overnight.
Apparently, there were five types of Angels, each with its own strengths and Supernal Calling (Disciple Creation Guide (http://www.bountyheadbebop.com/forum/index.php?topic=1863.0)).
Sarapheen was a Ministering Angel and also known as a Ward. As such, she watched over a Ministry, encompassing a defined geographical area, and monitored the levels of Infernal Influence therein. When the Infernal Influence in her Ministry overstepped a certain level, she would send her Disciples to 'deal' with it.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v651/BerkaZerka/Mythos/3_Regions_zpsm8pawhyp.jpg)
Sarapheen's Ministry covered the entire east coast of the United States, known as the North America Region East - everything east of the borders of Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama.
There were four other Ministries that covered the rest of North America.
The Avenging Angel Jarome, was Ward of the North America Region West - everything west of the borders of Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Louisiana.
The Guardian Angel Rebecca, was Ward of the North America Region Central - everything in between the West and East Regions.
The Spirit Warden Morrow Wind, was Ward of the North America Region North - Everything north of the United States/Canadian border.
The Angel of Death Yoz, was Ward of the North America Region South - everything from Mexico on down through Panama.
Of course, there were Regions like these all over the world, each with its own Angelic Ward and handful of mortal Disciples to keep the machinations of the Infernal at bay. Their work was not to stop evil itself, but to ensure the freedom of mankind to choose between good and evil - of their own agency - which was something one lost when they sold away their souls for the corrupting power of the Infernal.
It was these Witches and Sorcerers, and the occasional Demon itself, that the Wards sought out, and the Disciples went forth to destroy. For they sought to enslave mankind, by employing a corrupted version of Lingua Intelligentia, known among the demonic, as Wormwood.
Finally, Sarapheen explained that she had recently called four other Disciples, in addition to Rory, and that once everyone was well grounded in the practice of Angelic Magic, they would all meet...
End of Prolog