Report #3270, Transcript Section #15
(Operation SANDMAN)
©1998 Shane Ivey

Keeper:
It's 9:15 p.m. The police have begun to gather around the townhouse in force; two early officers went in through the breach in the fence and proceeded into the house, where they have strangely lost radio contact with those outside.

Keeper:
The ESU/SWAT team has come out ready for combat, and, after the men inside lost contact, the ESU captain just shouted the order to advance.

Lundquist:
I'll politely tap him on the shoulder. "Captain, wait... I at least need to brief you on what to expect from this stuff!"

Keeper:
The captain signals with a quick hand motion to another ESU officer, and two of them bring up tear gas launchers.

Lundquist:
(Oh, good... that was my idea. Ought to be hard to concentrate on a spell when you're in a cloud of tear gas, right?)

Keeper:
The captain turns to you again. "Talk quick, Justice. We have men in danger, in there!" He points to the house with a stabbing gloved finger. As if on cue, the tear gas launchers fire, and their projectiles trace smoky arcs into the building's windows.

Lundquist:
"The gas causes halucinations and extreme disorientation. That's probably what happened to the men inside."

Lundquist:
"They were overcome by the effects of the chemical, and are incapacitiated."

Keeper:
The cop on the radio still calls uselessly into the handset, receiving no response but shifting static.

Lundquist:
"The effects of the chemical wear off very quickly once exposure is removed--so if any of you begin to feel the disorientation, your best bet is to get outside here and wait for it to pass, then regroup to try again."

Keeper:
The captain glances back to the building. He nods again to the gas-launchers, then he looks at you with a squint. "Keep talking . What about this 'chemical'?"

Keeper:
He listens. "What else?"

Keeper:
You hear dull WHOOMP sounds as the ESU officers fire another pair of tear gas cannisters into the townhouse.

Lundquist:
"If you go in and get overcome by the chemical, we'll have ten or twelve people in harm's way instead of just two... You guys need to use your heads here, and keep that fact in mind."

Keeper:
Here we go.

Lundquist:
"Remember, it can get in through the skin... So masks alone won't protect you fully."

Lundquist:
"The other thing we know is that tear gas combines with it somehow... It makes the tear gas even more effective. So I'd recommend keeping a stream of gas grenades going."

Lundquist:
"It ought to keep the gang members from being able to do much of anything."

Lundquist:
"You know your job better than I do, but I'd use as much gas as you think is right, and then some."

Keeper:
He glances back scowling at the house. "How quick does it take effect?"

Lundquist:
"The new drug? It can act fast... A matter of seconds. If the symptoms start, make your way back out here as fast as you can. You're not going to do anybody any good if you're unconscious in there."

Keeper:
He breathes curses and signals to his squad. He stalks over. "Listen up," you hear. "You stay sharp and listen close for my orders. When I tell you to bug out, you bug out, no matter what."

Keeper:
The men look at each other and nod. None look overly concerned. He turns and trots in toward the house; they check their radio connections as they go.

Lundquist:
(I wanted to be speaking loudly enough for as many ESU guys as possible to overhear me, btw... fore-warned being fore-armed & all that).

Keeper:
Most of them were hunkered down several yards away watching the house. A couple might have overheard, but not many.

Lundquist:
I'm going to follow a distance behind them and keep an eye on them. Do they make it to the house ok (through the fence and across the yard)?

Lundquist:
(I won't go through the hole in the fence myself).

Keeper:
They are in two squads: the captain takes one squad through the fence and around back while the other squad waits in position at the front.

Lundquist:
I'll follow so I can watch the squad at the back.

Keeper:
They trot through the fence and look at the carnage, the corpses and blood and the moaning injured.

Keeper:
"Shit," says one of the cops. The captain barks a warning for silence.

Keeper:
They fan around into positions facing the back door of the house; three of them check the windows and doorways of the empty adjacent buildings. They give Lemonde's remains a good hard look.

Lundquist:
(Was Lemonde in uniform?)

Keeper:
You hear the whoofing rotors of a helicopter grow louder overhead, then it comes directly above the house. You see NYPD markings.

Keeper:
Lemonde was in civvies.

Lundquist:
Is the helo loud, or muffled?

Keeper:
Loud. A floodlight from the helicopter plays over the yard. The ESU cops move in closer to the house.

Keeper:
Several other police cars pull around the corner fast and drive for the house.

Lundquist:
I speed-dial Danforth and tell him to get back here.

Keeper:
As they stop, you recognize the precinct captain and the vice supevisor getting out and looking around in confusion and near-panic.

Keeper:
Kelley answers the line. "On the way," he responds.

Keeper:
The ESU officers troop into the townhouse and out of your line of sight. The precinct captain taps the radio cop; he switches frequencies to pick up the ESU channel.

Lundquist:
(this ought to be good...) :-(

Keeper:
The vice supervisor, Lt. Wright, spots you by the fence. She moves your way.

Keeper:
About then you see Danforth's car come around the corner. Lacking lights or police ID, it catches immediate attention and uniformed officers signal it to halt. Two of them go to the windows to confront Danforth & Kelley.

Lundquist:
(Their DOJ ID's ought to get them through...)

Lundquist:
Just to play it safe, I'll signal the closest uniform that those are my men and to let them through.

Keeper:
The radio crackles. "Getting a lot of distortion," the uniformed officer explains to the captain. "Maybe a power problem, I don't know."

Keeper:
Lt. Wright steps up to you. She does not look happy. "What the hell is going on here?"

Lundquist:
"I'm not sure... Maybe you can tell me? What can you tell me about Officer Lemonde? Was he part of some off-the-record narcotics investigation or something?"

Lundquist:
(I don't look happy either)

Keeper:
You hear the radio crackling again: "Blue team, stay put," the ESU captain's voice mutters. "Front hall is secure. White team, move in."

Keeper:
"Lemonde was a beat cop," she says. "He wasn't in an off-the-record anything. What the hell happened to him?"

Keeper:
The front squad of ESU officers heads into the front door. Two snipers stay in place, aiming into empty windows.

Lundquist:
"I don't know. I got a call from him, he wanted me to meet him here. He said he wanted to show me something. I arrive, find Lemonde's been murdered, and world war 3's going on!"

Lundquist:
(keeping a close ear on the radio)

Keeper:
Wright doesn't look fully convinced. "He didn't tell us anything. You've got some things to clear up here, Mr. Lundquist. Our precinct has gotten real messy the last couple of days."

Keeper:
Danforth and Kelley leave their car down the street and jog over. Both are carrying their shoulder-arms again. A few of the cops give Kelley's silenced and laser-sighted MP5 a second glance.

Lundquist:
"Yeah, I've noticed that, Lieutenant." I'm accusatory, putting the blame back on her. "I've got some stuff I'd like cleared up myself. Such as how things got this f***ed up to begin with."

Keeper:
The radio crackles again. "White squad's in place. Moving up."

Lundquist:
"And why Lemonde felt he had to call me, instead of going though channels with respect to these people." (wave towards the building)

Lundquist:
I turn to the Captain. "If communications get any worse at all, pull those guys out immediately. It's too dangerous for them to stay inside without communications. If anything goes wrong in there, we won't be able to coordinate a response. Those men will be isolated." Fast talk, fast talk!

Keeper:
Wright narrows her eyes angrily. Her voice raises. "Don't you start that crap with me! You come in here without even the first notification, and now--" Your shout to the captain interrupts her.

Keeper:
The captain looks your way, confused. "What is he talking about," he asks Wright.

Lundquist:
"Your radios. You hear the static. If you lose contact with the men inside, they could be in real trouble."

Keeper:
The radio crackles again: "Twenty men, my ass," mutters the ESU captain's voice. "This place is--what the hell?"

Keeper:
The captain looks at you. "You're leading the feebs here? Why would we lose contact?"

Lundquist:
"Why would your radios get all that static at all? Something sounds fishy to me here. And your ESU guy sounds pretty gung-ho. He might need you to demonstrate some leadership."

Keeper:
The radio warbles and the captain's voice wavers slightly: "Some kind of weird material here. It's--Johnson, you okay? Check that doorway. Johnson? Johnson!" His voice turns to a shout.

Keeper:
You hear dull thumps inside, as of gunshots heard from a much greater distance than the house itself.

Keeper:
The radio warbles worse, the signal almost lost all at once: ". . . back . . . mations, pull . . . ones, it's him, get up to that . . . FIRE, FIRE, FIRE!"

Keeper:
From inside the house, slight flashes of gunfire are seen, repeating, automatic fire, and more of those distant cracks of noise.

Keeper:
The captain looks very pale. "This isn't right. Not right--captain, get out--" He looks down, seizes the handset. "Captain, pull out of there! This is the 116, saying again, pull back out of there and report!"

Keeper:
When he releases the transmit button, you hear the static and voices again, fading. ". . . pulling back, saw something, . . . rt of it, pulled up with . . . son, up into the. . . shit, everything's upside . . . "

Keeper:
Suddenly the black-suited form of an ESU officer comes crashing out of a broken window on the upper level. He tumbles against the stone facade front of the townhouse and does not quite clear the fence surrounding the front basement-stairs. His arm catches on it with a snap, but inertia drags him down into the alcove, beneath the sidewalk.

Lundquist:
I look to the nearest ESU guy. "Give me your gas mask, right now! Kelly, Danforth, Rogers, get some masks!"

Keeper:
Then another stumbles out the front door. He looks about; you can't see his face within his helmet and mask, but something about him looks dazed. He turns his M-16 on the nearest officers and opens fire in a thunderous burst.

Lundquist:
I shoot him.

Keeper:
Men shout and curse and duck behind their cars. The targeted cop looses a scream of panic, but only one round tears into his leg. He staggers and falls.

Keeper:
You're a fair distance from the shooter; two shots fire wide.

Lundquist:
"Kelly, cover me!" I rush up and kick his weapon away, then try to drag him back to the street.

Keeper:
The snipers duck, as well, confused and waiting for orders. The shooter trains his rifle on the fallen cop again, but the weapon has jammed. As you approach he seems to look down at the rifle in confusion. The fallen officer shouts in pain and fear.

Lundquist:
I try to wrestle him to the ground.

Keeper:
You reach the fallen officer. The one on the steps fumbles with his rifle desperately to clear the jam.

Keeper:
(You're wrestling the shooter?)

Lundquist:
Yeah, taking down the shooter. "Behind you!" I shout, pointing back to the house. (Hey, it could work).

Lundquist:
(And hopefully, Kelly is covering me.)

Keeper:
He doesn't seem to hear your yell. Things seem to move very slowly. You think Kelley is jogging behind you; you glimpse a laser pinpoint waving wildly on the ESU cop's torso as you rush up the stairs toward him.

Keeper:
Then the action snaps home on his M-16, and the jammed round clears the chamber and drifts through the air just as you come close enough to tackle him. You glimpse his eyes beneath his mask, and they are filled with panic.

Lundquist:
Yeah, no kidding... I knock him down and pin him.

Keeper:
As you jump at him he twists aside and shoves out with his rifle, knocking you aside and slamming into your skull, hard as hell. You take 7 HP and are flattened. You see stars, but you're still conscious.

Lundquist:
Ouch! No chance to attempt a dodge?

Keeper:
You see him turning the weapon around on you again with an incoherent shout. You vaguely hear other shouts behind and below you.

Keeper:
(Dodge roll blew it.)

Lundquist:
OK, in that case the, I grope hazily for my pistol and hope that Kelly does his thing.

Keeper:
Bullets slam into the ESU man and into the stone and doorway behind him. He grunts and shouts, as a round grazes his left forearm, another grazes his left elbow, two others hit his armored torso.

Lundquist:
I try to grapple him as best I can and topple him off-balance. (Without standing up into the stream of fire).

Keeper:
The M-16 roars and flashes and chews up the cement around you in sparks and chips of stone and lead. Somehow, he does not kill you.

Lundquist:
!!!

Lundquist:
Screw this, if I still have a hold of my pistol, I shoot him in the face.

Keeper:
You bring your pistol up; then the shooter lurches as a round from behind you thumps into his helmet. Then another burst of suppressed submachinegun fire thumps into his torso. He staggers again; beneath the gas mask you see his face is a bloody ruin before you start shooting. You put two rounds high over his head as he staggers.

Lundquist:
I roll down the steps, away from the house. As fast as I can.

Keeper:
Things tumble dizzily as you roll away. Vaguely you start thinking of the indicators of concussion.

Lundquist:
Oh, good. I try not to hit my head any more on the way down.

Keeper:
Laser points waver around the ESU man's head. He turns and waves his rifle uselessly. A rifle shot cracks from below and glances through his helmet again, then Kelley fires an aimed shot from his MP5 into the man's gas mask. The officer finally collapses.

Lundquist:
"Kelly... Where you at?"

Keeper:
Your hearing slowly starts to return. Kelley heaves you up by your left arm. "Come on, get back . . ."

Lundquist:
"Argh, not so hard... Can't see straight..."

Keeper:
"Later! Get the fuck out of the open."

Lundquist:
I stumble as best I can behind a car.

Lundquist:
Then I make my way for an ambulance.

Keeper:
You see the precinct captain yelling in frustration into the radio. It sounds like replies have ceased altogether.

Lundquist:
No kidding.

Keeper:
Other officers jog nervously up to the house and down the steps, beneath the stoop, looking for the cop who fell there. Others run up to cover the fallen rifleman and recover him.

Keeper:
You and Kelley head for an ambulance. Paramedics grab you and help you over. One starts treating you while two others work on the cop who was shot in the leg. One of them then moves off to look at the two ESU officers who are being dragged over.

Lundquist:
"Well, that was stupid of me."

Keeper:
"Shit," says the medic on you after a minute. "Sit still," he tells you, "and keep this compress on. I gotta help with these guys."

Lundquist:
"Yeah, okay, thanks."

Lundquist:
I make my way outside, and look for a spot a short distance away from the other officers, and motion Danforth and Kelly over.

Keeper:
He jogs off. Kelley fishes a pack of wet towels for you. Then you notice the blood all over your cheek from your forehead.

Lundquist:
Great. "Where's Rogers?

Keeper:
"Looks like he's on the horn reporting to Osborne," says Kelley. The precinct captain comes over with Danforth.

Lundquist:
I do my best to look dazed, injured, and unable to speak to him right now.

Keeper:
"What is going on in there?" The captain demands. "You--wake up, God damn it! Are those men dead, in there? What's happening?"

Lundquist:
"Arrgh... My head... The pain..."

Keeper:
"Jesus!" He looks around at Danforth and Kelley.

Keeper:
Kelley says, "Captain, all we know is what we told you. Some kind of drug is at work in there, and it's screwing them all up."

Keeper:
"Drug? Those men are dying in there! You heard them!"

Lundquist:
"Hal--Halucinating... Like a bad acid trip..."

Keeper:
Kelley tries to talk fast, to distract him. "Listen, Captain, we can get a team out here, we can get some orange-suits out here and get in there safe and bring everyone out. . ."

Keeper:
"Just keep your men in line and secure this place. This shit is getting worse--just keep it secure and we'll bring in a team to check it out."

Lundquist:
I pull Danforth close. "Get rid of this guy so we can talk!" I hiss, very quietly.

Keeper:
The captain gets red-faced. "Why the hell was I not informed of this investigation?!" He looks at you again. "You, you're in charge of this business! Explain yourself!"

Lundquist:
I look back at him. "Captain, there _is_ no goddamn investigation. We were just resonding to call from one of your officers who thought there was something worth looking into here. Looks like he was right, doesn't it?"

Keeper:
Danforth looks up and starts shouting. "That's enough! This place is a biohazard! We need this block secured so a team can come clean it up and make it safe!"

Keeper:
Rogers jogs over with his phone. He hands it to you while Danforth and Kelley and the captain shout at each other.

Lundquist:
"Yes?"

Keeper:
It's Osborne: "Talk. We just listened to a SWAT team turn to shit, and the police channels and news channels are going nuts."

Lundquist:
I speak quietly, so as not to be overheard. "Yeah, that's about the size of it. But we're okay. We can handle it."

Keeper:
"What do you need?"

Lundquist:
"I'll be in touch about that. I've got a cover story worked up which will give us deniability. I'll give you the details in a little bit. First I need to wrap things up here."

Keeper:
"You better be right," warns Osborne. "This is looking like a grade-A photo opportunity to me."

Lundquist:
"Yeah, but there's nowhere to go with it. I'm the only one anybody's going to see, and I'm a dead end. Give me three or four hours."

Keeper:
"Be careful." His voice sounds concerned with things other than your personal safety. He hangs up.

Lundquist:
Okay. I gather up my cohorts in a quiet corner where we won't be overheard.

Lundquist:
Maybe one of them knows First Aid?

Keeper:
The captain shoves past Kelley and Danforth to you again. "I'm establishing a perimeter," he says. "I want a briefing in fifteen minutes, and it better be complete."

Lundquist:
"Let me get this bandaged up. Keep the public back, don't want to risk exposing anyone."

Keeper:
He nods brusquely and stalks off, shouting. Kelley, Danforth, and Rogers step close. Kelley grunts and starts prodding your skull and rooting around for painkillers.

Lundquist:
"Okay, guys, it's like this... Does anyone think any of those guys inside have a chance?"

Keeper:
They look grim. Nobody says anything.

Lundquist:
"Me neither. They've had it. Well, we told them so. Okay, our goal now is containment, and damage control. That house is full of bad stuff. So we're going to take it out."

Keeper:
That raises some eyebrows. "Explain, please."

Lundquist:
"We're going to set a fire. The house will burn. Hopefully, that will deal with the stuff inside. It will also destroy all the evidence. It's going to be just like Waco."

Lundquist:
"The place is full of tear gas...

Lundquist:
That's highly flammable. It should go up no problem."

Keeper:
Kelley says, "Waco was a clusterfuck that got books written about it. You sure that's the model we want?"

Lundquist:
"No, it's pretty much exactly the model we don't want... But right now our other option is to leave intact whatever it is that's in that place for the NYPD to find."

Keeper:
They look at each other. "So, what's the plan?"

Lundquist:
"Despite our story, I don't think orange suits are going to be much protection against this stuff."

Keeper:
You recover 2 HP, btw.

Lundquist:
"We need to get into the house. The first floor seemed to be okay, when ESU went it. Once in there, we'll stage some shooting, and light a fire. Then we beat feet out of there and let the place go up."

Lundquist:
(And really, I'm feeling muuuuuch beter now!)

Keeper:
"Want to wait for the suits before we go in? It might look fishy, since we've been yelling at everybody to stay out."

Lundquist:
"We can do that. Or we can try to think of some plausible reason why we need to go in right away."

Keeper:
"Now or later; your call."

Lundquist:
"Let's go. Sooner the better. Let's not let the NYPD get their wits back."

Lundquist:
"Present them with a done deal."

Keeper:
"OK, then what's the story? What are we going after?"

Lundquist:
"After that, it's just a matter of painting a picture of the psycho drug dealing voodoo cult gang members who made a suicide pact and tried to take as many people with them as they could."

Lundquist:
"I'm stuck for a story right now. Give me a minute."

Keeper:
"And bad wiring in that car radio."

Lundquist:
"We could just charge in, tell them afterwards that we were going in to resucre the downed ESU people, and that we didn't trust them to try it after what went down the first time. That's awfully thin, though."

Keeper:
They step back and look around. The police have cordoned off the street at each end of the block. Crowds are gathering, and news vans have already pulled up with camera-lights shining.

Lundquist:
(The news vans should be far back, out of "quarantine" range, right?"

Keeper:
"Yeah, we need to make sure the rest of them stay out after we go in."

Keeper:
The news vans are at the cordon lines with the crowds.

Lundquist:
Hopefully a couple of blocks back...

Keeper:
They've only managed a block each direction.

Lundquist:
"If only there was some way we could sneak in... What about the alcoves below street level? Surely ESU snipers have those covered."

Lundquist:
"We could say we need to recover some stuff from the back yard, where the shootings happened. Then go in the back door real quick and set things alight. Once started, the flames should keep anyone else from going in."

Keeper:
"The basement, yeah, that's where they got that guy that fell out. Their people are watching them."

Keeper:
"Snipers are watching the back, too. And they're getting the wounded fruitcakes out from there."

Lundquist:
"We can say that we saw movement inside the first floor and thought it might be injured ESU people. We'll say it turned out to be gang members setting the fires."

Keeper:
"Yeah, maybe. And we've encountered this crap before or something, so we know when to get out of it."

Lundquist:
"We can move back there under the cover of that activity, as they pull the wounded out. About the time they finish and it gets quieter, we'll go inside."

Lundquist:
"Tell them we were going in and out real quick, because we know how bad the stuff can be."

Lundquist:
"Oh, yeah, I love this plan."

Lundquist:
:-\

Keeper:
That gets a couple of grim smiles.

Keeper:
"Let's do it, then," says Kelley. "Is that Tylenol helping any?"

Lundquist:
"A little. Okay, let's look for something incendiary. Kelly, you don't have a white phosphorous grenade or anything do you?"

Keeper:
"I left them in my dinner coat. Got a couple of flareguns in the trunk, though."

Lundquist:
"Ahh, that would look fishy anyhow. Can we get a bottle of gasoline, or kerosene, anything to use as an accelerant?"

Keeper:
"Maybe, but how the hell would we sneak it inside?"

Lundquist:
"We just need a small container. Put it in a knapsack or something."

Keeper:
"I think there

Lundquist:
"First aid bag... Say we went back to see if we could help with the wounded."

Keeper:
"I think there's a gallon or two in the car." Kelley jogs back to the car.

Lundquist:
"Speaking of which, anything flammable in the first aid kit? Rubbing alchohol or something?"

Keeper:
He stops. "Rubbing alcohol, yeah."

Lundquist:
"Okay. Here's the deal then. We go back there to see if anyone looks likely to survive, as I'm trying to collect witnesses for when this thing goes to trial."

Keeper:
They nod.

Lundquist:
"When it starts to die down, when they've got most everybody out, we'll suddenly rush the back door, shouting vague commands as we go."

Keeper:
"OK."

Lundquist:
"We'll go inside, get out of sight of the windows, and start the fires in a couple of places."

Lundquist:
"Then we'll let off some rounds, make some noise. Pop a couple more gas grenades, they'll help with the fire.

Lundquist:
"Then we get out of there fast, once we're sure the fire's caught."

Lundquist:
"I'll do the talking once we're back outside."

Keeper:
"I'll see if I can borrow a tear-gas launcher from the SWAT team."

Lundquist:
"Don't take no for an answer. Maybe you don't need to ask permission? Maybe you could just 'appropriate' it without them knowing right away?"

Keeper:
"Maybe. Danforth, I need a distraction. Come on." They run off to the car for the supplies.

Keeper:
Rogers asks, "Well, Mr. L, do you want me in with the team, or out here to watch the natives?"

Lundquist:
"Your call, Rogers. Though it might not hurt to have you waiting outside, in case we get eaten in there or something. You can break the news to Osborne, tell him what happened."

Lundquist:
"Tell him I was wrong." :-)

Keeper:
"Not a fun job, either way," he smiles weakly.

Lundquist:
"It's up to you."

Keeper:
"Then I'll stick close by the door, so maybe the phone will work better."

Lundquist:
"Good enough."

Keeper:
A minute later, Kelley and Danforth come jogging back. Kelley holds a big, heavy-looking duffel bag. "Got the launcher while Danforth was lecturing them on tactics," he grins.

Lundquist:
"Good man. Shall we go have a look round back?"

Keeper:
The back yard is mostly cleared of the wounded already. One EMT is moving from corpse to corpse, checking for signs of life. Two ESU snipers still wait and fidget behind posts in the yard, near the ceremonial shed, watching the house.

Keeper:
Kelley changes the clip in his pistol as he follows.

Lundquist:
I do the same.

Keeper:
The snipers notice you. One of them talks into the radio on his shoulder.

Lundquist:
I get to work helping the medics. "How is this guy? Is he going to make it?" That sort of thing.

Lundquist:
(!) Before we do any of this, we need to have Kelly scrounge up four gas masks!

Lundquist:
(Don't want to get caught up in the tear gas oursevles!)

Keeper:
The EMT looks up. "No. These guys are dead as hell. Forty-five cal. slugs at close range, 9mm and .45 Glaser slugs. And that one over there with the crushed trachea. This is a war zone."

Lundquist:
"Damn... I need to get somebody who can testify as to what went on here... Guess I'm barking up the wrong tree."

Keeper:
(Idea roll says he grabbed masks after getting the laucher.)

Lundquist:
(Good job Kelly!)

Keeper:
"Unless you can commune with the dead, yeah." The EMT shakes his head and goes back to inspecting the corpses.

Keeper:
Another (loud) helicopter drifts overhead.

Lundquist:
"Rogers, we may need you to run interference. If the cops start getting pushy with us back here, you might have to stall them, keep them busy while we do our thing."

Lundquist:
"Just want you to be ready if the situation crops up."

Keeper:
"Right."

Keeper:
A searchlight shines on the yard and drifts jerkily over the shed, the corpses, and your group. Then you hear another helicopter coming nearer, too.

Lundquist:
Argh, what's worse? The secret government stealth-job black helo, or eye-in-the-sky news bird 11?

Keeper:
After a minute, the searchlight winks out and the first chopper moves away.

Keeper:
"We going in?" Kelley asks. Danforth checks his shotgun.

Lundquist:
Do the medics look like they're going to be done any time soon? Are there any cops or ESU guys back here?

Keeper:
There's just the one medic in the back, and the two ESU snipers.

Lundquist:
Where are the snipers? Are they up high, or on ground level?

Keeper:
The snipers are on ground level, using the ritual posts and shed for cover as they watch the house.

Keeper:
Rogers mutters, "Time to run interference early." He goes to intercept the precinct captain and lieutenant who are coming through the fence toward you.

Lundquist:
"Okay, let's get ready to do it. Follow me." I walk around, looking at the bodies and the cult trappings back here. I won't notice the captian and the lieutenant.

Keeper:
Danforth and Kelley follow you.

Lundquist:
I'll position myself on a line roughly between the snipers' posts and the back door.

Keeper:
The house looks squat and quiet above you.

Lundquist:
Then I'll start looking at the house. Suddenly, I'll point and say something quiet to Danforth. "Hey, what's that?"

Lundquist:
"What is that? Kelly, you see somebody moving?"

Keeper:
Danforth looks at you, follows your gesture and theatrically cranes his head to look. "Something moving?"

Keeper:
Kelley says, "Yeah. Looks like a helmet in there. Wait--he's out of sight again."

Lundquist:
"I bet they need help! Shit, we can't just stand here!" Turn to the nearest sniper, point emphatically towards the house. "Did you see that?!"

Keeper:
The sniper scowls, the other one looks through his rifle scope into the house. "I don't see shit," he calls out.

Lundquist:
"It was right there!" Turn back to Kelly. "We gotta do something! Shit... Okay, we'll go in fast and get out fast. Let's not dwadle in there. If we can't help right away, we get right back out! Got it!"

Keeper:
"Yeah--yeah, let's go. Maybe we can get one out." He turns back to the snipers. "You both stay put and look sharp!"

Lundquist:
"Cover us!" I shout. "Let's go! Let's go!" I rush up to the back door.

Keeper:
The sniper looks up. "What the--?"

Keeper:
The three of you charge the door. It is standing open; all is dark inside.

Lundquist:
"We'll be right back out! Don't shoot us! Okay, move in!"

Keeper:
Kelley goes in low behind the beam of his laser sight. He slides night-vision goggles down over his eyes and thumbs the switch.

Lundquist:
I follow and cover his back. Once inside, I get out of sight and tug on my gas mask.

Keeper:
Danforth goes in and follows suit. Things seem even more hot and muggy within the masks.

Keeper:
Kelley moves down the hall quietly, very quietly.

Lundquist:
"Okay, let's go quick. Through that door, so they can't see us. Fast, guys."

Keeper:
Danforth follows you with his shotgun.

Keeper:
Kelley opens his duffel bag and pulls out the plastic gallon jug of gasoline.

Keeper:
Then you hear a thumping sound from above.

Lundquist:
I look up, training my gun towards the sound.

Keeper:
You just see the shadows of the ceiling. You hear the sound again; this time it seems to be a slow scraping or dragging, then a dull, heavy thump.

Lundquist:
Not our problem... "Hurry up, Kelly, I'm covering you."

Keeper:
Kelley nods and sprays gasoline around the hall.

Keeper:
Danforth says, "Shit!" He aims his shotgun into the darkness down the hall. Kelley lurches back against the wall and fumbles for his weapon. You see a low figure there, then you hear a voice: "What is this?" It sounds like an old man's voice, low and wheezy.

Lundquist:
"FEDERAL AGENTS! DROP YOUR WEAPONS! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" I'm backing away as fast as I can, and pulling Danforth with me.

Lundquist:
(Hopefully Kelly has enough situational awareness to follow suit...)

Keeper:
The low voice chuckles softly. "I have no weapon, sir." It sounds like the voice has a Caribbean accent.

Keeper:
Kelley drops the gas can and brings his submachine gun up to aim at the figure as he steps back. "He looks alone," he says. Then he barks at the figure, "Hands in the air or die."

Keeper:
You hear another scrape and a dull thump from above.

Keeper:
This one seems a little further away, toward the stairs, where the old man stands.

Lundquist:
I'm still shouting and backing out as fast as I can. I'm not stopping for anything. "GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR! DO IT NOW! GET DOWN!"

Lundquist:
(Come on, Kelly...)

Keeper:
The figure chuckles again and obeys. He kneels and places his face and hands before him on the floor. "I do not fight you," he says. "I come out, now."

Keeper:
Kelley says, "Do I put a hole in this geek, or what?" He steps back again, after you and Danforth.

Lundquist:
"Stick to the plan, Kelly! Let's go!" I'm still backing up. Kelly can stay here if he wants to. "THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! DROP YOUR WEAPONS RIGHT NOW!"

Keeper:
The man looks up.

Lundquist:
I look to one side.

Keeper:
Kelley drops his gun and lets it swing on its strap as he reaches into the bag for the tear gas launcher.

Keeper:
Plaster flakes off the ceiling above you and Danforth and falls around you.

Lundquist:
I back away some more and look up.

Keeper:
Kelley takes a step back, brings up the launcher, and aims at the old man. "Wait," says the old man. WHOOMP! The cannister shoots out and slams into the old man's leg, knocking him down.

Lundquist:
"Let's go! Let's go!" I fire a couple of rounds through the wall for the noise.

Keeper:
Kelley looks around, then takes out the flare gun and drops the bag with the rest of the tear gas cannisters on top of the gas can.

Keeper:
Danforth looks up and aims at the ceiling. Then the ceiling collapses down into the darkness between you two and Kelley and the old man.

Keeper:
Danforth's shotgun blasts away in a strobe of sparks, lighting for an instant a massive corpulent shape of wet black and green falling down before you.

Lundquist:
"Get out the front, Kelly!" I say as I run for the back.

Keeper:
The shape blocks your view of him, but you hear a sudden hiss and see a bright flash, and a second later the hall erupts in brilliant flames behind the thing.

Keeper:
In the sudden light you glimpse spiny tentacles as the shape surges up from the floor behind you.

Lundquist:
I am so not even waiting around to see this much...

Keeper:
Danforth screams and follows you, pale as a sheet. You feel strange--you feel a strange pulsing in your ears, just below hearing as you slowly, slowly run for the door.

Keeper:
(Lose 1 SAN)

Lundquist:
(That seems generous..)

Keeper:
Spiny tentacles whip into the air near Danforth but collide into the wall instead. He stumbles and ducks again for the doorway.

Keeper:
(Lucky SAN roll)

Keeper:
(Danforth lost 5)

Lundquist:
(Oh, good... Well, better him than me...)

Keeper:
You duck out the back door and sprint into the yard, with Danforth close on your heels.

Lundquist:
"DON'T SHOOT! FEDERAL AGENTS!"

Keeper:
You catch the sharp flash of a laser sight in your eye, then it winks off.

Lundquist:
I go straight towards the snipers. "Did you see it?"

Keeper:
You hear gunfire from the front of the house, a lot of it.

Lundquist:
I turn and run towards the front of the house.

Keeper:
They stare inside. "I. . . " One of them stares through his scope into the doorway; he looks shaken. "I don't know. . ." his voice trails off.

Lundquist:
"You shoot anything you see, okay? None of your people are left alive in there." I run off to the front.

Keeper:
Danforth hits the ground near the snipers and stays there, staring up at the voodoo trappings of the shed.

Keeper:
Around front you see cops by the cars shouting and staring at the front of the house, and some of them are still shooting into it blindly. You see Kelley ducking low and running away from the stairs of the stoop. The front door hangs open, half broken from its hinges. Firelight glows inside, getting brighter.

Lundquist:
I run up to Kelly.

Keeper:
Somebody shouts a cease-fire.

Keeper:
He looks around, wincing and grimacing. "Shit," he breathes. "Been. . . been a while."

Lundquist:
"Man am I glad to see you!"

Keeper:
It looks like he has blood on his sleeve, and part of his coat looks like it is eaten away by a trace of acid.

Lundquist:
"Christ... What was that in there?" I look back... how does our fire look?

Keeper:
"Yeah." He laughs reflexively. "Fucking cops shot at me." He glances back at the doorway and shakes his head hard.

Keeper:
The fire is going strong. You seem to see a shadowy shape moving among the firelight for an instant. Kelley says, "Dunno what the hell that was. Nearly ate me up, though. I stopped for that old geek, and man . . ." He shivers again.

Lundquist:
"What?"

Keeper:
He shakes his head again. "Just almost got me, that's all. It stopped inside when I got out the door."

Lundquist:
"Let's hope most of the house goes up before the fire dept arrives."

Keeper:
"Yeah."

Keeper:
You see the police captain running over again.

Lundquist:
"Shit, I'd better go check on Danforth. I think that thing might have hit him or something, he didn't look too good."

Keeper:
He has somebody else with him, now, somebody new.

Keeper:
Your head starts to throb hard, again.

Keeper:
"You deal with the brass," says Kelley. "I'll find Danforth."

Lundquist:
Oohhh, time for more Tylenol... Or is this, something... else?

Keeper:
Tylenol-time . . . probably. ;-)

Lundquist:
Is Rogers with the Captain?

Keeper:
Rogers is jogging up behind him to catch up.

Keeper:
The captain stops in front of you. "That's it," he says. "I want some explanations, Mr. Lundquist. I want them now."

Lundquist:
I look briefly towards the house. Are the flames spreading visibly?

Keeper:
They are. The woman with him looks you up and down, and glances at the house. "I'll be interested in them, too," she says. "Jessica Morgan, DEA."

Lundquist:
"Well, we got suckered, Captain. Pure and simple. We saw movement in the first floor of the house. Looked like one of your men in a kevlar helmet, beckoning for help."

Lundquist:
"We went in to pull him out. But it was a trap. It was one of the gang members, with a helmet on... What's more, they had thw whole place doused with.. something, smelled like gasoline."

Lundquist:
I look back at the house. "We barely made it out in time."

Keeper:
The captain looks back at the house. He sighs. "Are your people hurt?"

Lundquist:
"Jeez, that place is still lousy with the fumes, too... My head is all woozy... Yeah, one of my men got cut on the arm somehow, and the other one, the young kid, looks pretty shook up... But I think he's okay."

Lundquist:
"Agent Morgan, I'm Brian Lundquist from Justice. We were supposed to meet the other day, but I'm afraid events have gotten ahead of us."

Keeper:
She nods. You hear fire-engine sirens. "All right," says the captain. "Have a seat. I've called the US Attorney to come help sort this out. We need to talk."

Lundquist:
"That we do. Tell the fire fighters to be careful... The fumes are everywhere."