DELTA GREEN // CHOPSTICK HEADCOUNT (Part 6)

Author: Agent Susan Fields (HARKONNEN)

Friday 22nd March

On the morning of the day before the party, we debriefed each other on what we had found the previous evening. The stakeout of the bodyguard’s apartment building had not turned up much information, except that it was generally quite easy to get inside if you had a delivery.

Now that we knew that the group had kidnapped a ghoul, there was the question of where she was being held, and both Agent Fox and Daniels were certain that it would be somewhere close by and suggested a closer examination of the apartment building. It turned out that the building was owned by a shell corporation with a link to the Fate organisation, and Club Apocalypse.

According to the floor plans we were able to obtain, there were a number of plant rooms within the building, which might be a good place out of earshot of the rest of the inhabitants, and a good place to hide someone.

Agent’s Fox and Daniels made their way into the underground car park of the building, and I bluffed my way through the front door with a delivery of doughnuts and a low cut top. Once inside I was able to make my way down to the car park and let in the others.

Searching the basement, we found one of the plant rooms, which was locked and chained shut. Unprepared for breaking and entering, Special Agent Daniels had to return for some bolt cutters, but we eventually got inside.

Within was an X shaped metal cross with manacles for strapping a person to, and the concrete floor beneath it was heavily stained. There was also a covered cage, within which was a female ghoul, restrained with a metal tube sticking out of her stomach which was dripping a liquid into a container. Hanging in the cage was a sweet smelling bag of herbs, which we identified as a witch’s bag. It seemed to be keeping the ghoul, who we determined to be Ruth, pacified.

Making use of bed sheets and clothing we obtained from the building’s laundry room, we wrapped up Ruth and got her out of the building and into a car, spending the day keeping her safe and sedated with the witch’s bag.

By nightfall, we head back to the cemetery at St Peter’s, with Special Agent Daniels keeping watch from the car and myself waiting in the cemetery with Ruth. After some time, there was the sweet aroma of herbs, and two men came in, armed with tasers and carrying another witches bag. We identified them as the two bodyguards, and as Special Agent Daniels came up behind them, I chambered a round to alert them that they were under threat, then demanded that they dropped their weapons and bag.

One of them complied, but the other brought his weapon to bear on where he thought I was, so I shot him in the leg, dropping him to the ground. I gave them both the option to leave, which they rapidly took.

Once the air had cleared of the aroma from the witch’s bag, the ghoul Saul appeared and was most appreciative of our efforts to help him and and his friend. He picked up Ruth with one arm, took a taste of the blood left behind by the bodyguard, and somehow made his way into the ground.

Saturday 23rd March

We had the two bodyguards picked up, though the group’s leader was nowhere to be found – though there were signs of a break-in at her house. We had video cameras planted around the house where the party was going to be held, and fortunately no-one had had time to cancel the event despite the lack of either brains or ghoul enzymes.

We observed on the video feeds as the guests arrived, followed shortly afterwards by their hosts, bringing both brain and fluid to be consumed. Rather unfortunately for the guests, the experience they obtained this time from the consumption of the brains turned out to be highly objectionable. Later we found out from the survivors that they experienced the fear, terror and pain of being tortured and consumed alive. As the party descended into chaos, the hosts took the form of ghouls – apparently another trick these creatures can perform is the ability to take the shape of others.

At this point we consider the mission to be complete and successful. The organisers from Club Apocalypse have been dealt with permanently, and the guests won’t be bothering anyone again.

The FBI agent Margaret Franks, and her friend Dr Ethan Rossiter were also picked up on various charges, including the illegal shipping of hazardous biological material through the mail.

The ghouls have gone back to wherever it is they lair and are not a threat, though I would hesitate to consider them friendlies.

Operation Chopstick Headcount is marked as closed.