>>982917
"Fine, sure, whatever! But your going to have to tell me everything you know about your 'partner'. You and I and Sam can have a nice, long, chat together."

STEVE. You've been compromised by your partner. You aren't going to get your turn on this case, or the FEDS would audit our whole department. You know that.

Not everything is even on that tape. It Just confirms a few things. If you need time so bad, tell me what you're going to do with it.

I'll ignore the threat and at least appreciate that if this had happened with my team I would want to be able to handle it personally without everone butting in. But you already know well enough that I want to actually get this case delt with insted of just being treated like a timed obstacle for you.

Tell him to calm the fuck down. This is incredibly traumatic for him and he is being irrational. Letting the 2nd take control of the case would only make things look worse, especially if anyone else may be compromised. Offer to let STEVE work with us if he wants, however it would have to be on the down low so as to not arouse suspicion. Promise that you are not out for vengeance and will try your damnedest to keep the 2nd's reputation from being harmed.

>>982917
Promise it won't go public, but your guys are going to have to hear about this. ERIK knows he's rumbled, he's not going to work subtly any more.

"STEVE. You're not going to get the case. As much as I would trust you with it, when (not if) it will be revealed I handed it off while knowing full well your partner has gone rogue, we will both get skewered by our respective administrations and possibly make all our work unusable in court.

Now, I can hold my tongue if you need some time, but if you have a plan, you better tell me about it. We need to work together on this."

On a side note, I really doubt STEVE is part of this conspiracy, no way he's faking it. I think we can trust him with all the info we have on the case. Heck, our partner is incapacitated and his partner has just gone AWOL. We might as well team-up, at least for the rest of the day.

>>982953
this one. STEVE's losin' his cool. He's shown us he's at the very least a better cop than that.

1/2 BAN 2020/12/14(Mon)10:25 No. 983566 ID: 88966b
File 160797035059.jpg - (345.41KB , 900x702 , cop134.jpg )

You regain some nerve and shake your head. "You're being irrational," you snap. "Take that back and get a hold of yourself, before we both say something we'll regret. You know you're not going to get this case, not now."

>"I'll show you irrational, you little...!!" STEVE snatches you by the vest for a moment, but thinks better of it and lets go. He backs off, wiping his bloodied hand on a pants leg. "Damn it all... Fine, forget I said that."

You hold your ground and adjust your blood-soaked tie. "I get where you're coming from, but the 2P's compromised. I can promise not to go public but our people need to be told, and when they find out what happened here..."

>STEVE deflates a little. "Goddammit, I know. There's not a snowball's chance in hell that we'll be allowed to head the investigation."

"Exactly. If you took over now, we'd both get skewered by administration. But..." You decide to front an idea that's just come to you. "Maybe, if you kept things on the down low, we could share information and still handle this case together."

>The captain lets out a humorless laugh. "'On the down low,' huh? So I should work under you in secret, that's your proposition?"

"We're up to our ears in this together, STEVE. We could be looking at a full-on war in the streets, soon." You cautiously extend a hand. "Drop the pride bullshit, and quit threatening me. Work with me, and I'll try my best to help keep the 2P's name clean."

>STEVE stares at you. "BAN, you and your precinct are a bunch of bastards," he says frankly. He hesitates for another second, then takes your hand and shakes it roughly. "But damn it, you might be the only cops I can trust with this. I'll help, for now."

Teaming up with STEVE, you think to yourself. Just a few days ago, the thought would never have crossed your mind... "Alright," you say. "Just so we're clear, though, if the time comes--"

>"Yes." STEVE's eyes are drilling right through your skull. "Yes, I'll handle that motherfucker when the time comes. I'll do it with my own hands."

You swallow hard and nod. "Great. Now I think you, me and Sam should have a talk..."

2/2 BAN 2020/12/14(Mon)10:34 No. 983567 ID: 88966b
File 160797086675.jpg - (351.15KB , 900x814 , cop135.jpg )

You call Sam into the office. He still looks shell-shocked... He props himself against the desk and stares at the computer monitor.

"First things first," you say, turning to STEVE. "Tell me everything you know about your 'partner.'"

>STEVE closes his eyes and leans against the wall. "We all started in the academy at the same time, ten years ago. You remember those days, right? Probably not, you were like a zombie back then."

"Just talk ERIK, STEVE."

>"Right. I knew him since the academy, we were both assigned to work in Wartown and came up together. I think he started working as my partner seven or eight years ago. I knew he was a veteran, but he never talked about it and I never asked."

"Do you have anything more?"

>STEVE shrugs, a bewildered look on his face. "I trusted him with my life, we were inseperable on the job. Shit, we were even co-chapter leaders for Wartown's cop union. But standing here thinking about it, I don't know if there's a single notable thing about him that I could tell you."

>"That's ERIK, for you." Sam's hoarse voice startles both of you. He continues gazing at the monitor. "You wake up one day and you start wondering why this total stranger is next to you, pretending to be everybody's friend. When you notice it, you can't unsee it. You don't know when he showed up, or how long it's been. You start wondering why everyone's going along with it like it's normal. And why you are, too...."

>Sam shakes his head like he's coming out of a trance. He grinds his teeth for a moment, clearly thinking hard about something. He turns to you, looking even more distressed than before. "I'll... I'll tell you everything I know, alright? Whatever you want to know, if it'll help you catch ERIK," he blurts out. "Anything, if I know it, I'll tell you. Just... I think something terrible's about to happen..."

Let's start with the obvious one- what's he trying to accomplish?
Your sister in law the prospective new mayor- one with a lot of financing- What kind of thing would she back that Joe wouldn't?

Too much gang involvement for this to just be an affair.

Wait did someone mind control Erik in here Sam?

Is there anyone else that matches the "out of nowhere" or is Sam just being wierd.

I am thinking there is some big ass history we don't know about.

>>983567
"Sam, are you saying he has mind control powers or something? Or is he just really persuasive? Oh, and tell me everything you know about this 'hunt', what happens in it and the like."

You need to know about the cult's hierarchy and charter - who's in control, and why are they doing this?
You also want the names of anyone loosely linked to all of this. You should focus on decoupling anyone related to this whole mess right now, before the cult reaches its aggressive phase and sends its members into a death spiral.
Lastly, you need to know about any safe houses under the cult's control. If you take them over, you can wage an intel war against the cult and take out enough key members to minimize the damage.

>>983567
the fuck are you guys talking about mind control, what?

Ask about the hunt, that's the most important question here. What is the hunt? Why would someone sacrifice their allies and reputation for it?

>>983567
Doubt it is mind control. It is probably just a Machiavellian personality and a healthy dose of charisma.

>>983567
Yeah, no shit. We have a pack of fanatics with guns running the streets and planning some terrorist crap, and we've had one of them spying on us for who knows how long.
ERIK is a manipulator, there's no denying that. He wormed his way into the force to keep tabs on us and keep whatever assholes he's working with out of sight.
Who are these people? What's their motive? Their endgame? How many are there? Do they have any hideouts?

BAN 2020/12/21(Mon)04:28 No. 984080 ID: dba489
File 160855368457.jpg - (534.73KB , 800x888 , cop136.jpg )

"First of all, what is this 'hunt?'" you ask. "What exactly is ERIK trying to accomplish?"

>"A few months before shit hit the fan in Canard, ERIK had us all memorize this passage from one of his books. 'His spears will become her own, and hunt the wrongful master and all that is his unto death,'" Sam tentatively recites. He screws his eyes shut and thinks hard. "Uh... 'Blood will flow like water, and upon it she will descend. Thus EIRIS, the master's master, the spearman's shield, will exact justice...'"

>He opens his eyes and looks at the two of you anxiously. "What's he trying to accomplish? He's trying to go postal on this city, that's what. I don't know who his next target will be, but I know that if he stays loose, somebody else is bound to die. And if more guys from my company are in on it too..." he shudders.

"And he'd sacrifice his allies and reputation for this?"

>"Yes," Sam says without hesitation. "'Anything and anyone, for the mission...'"

>"But why?" STEVE asks, frustrated. "The war ended a decade ago. How could these assholes still be this obsessed?!"

>"It doesn't leave you easily, officer. The end of the war was a nightmare for the Advance Team," Sam explains. His expression goes blank as he recalls it. "For months we were hit with ambushes, artillery, bombing runs... Comms with our 'support' was a joke, and we were strafed by our own fighter jets more than once. We found out later that we had literally been left for dead--while we took on the whole damned country, the rest of the UCS forces just sat on the border and watched. A whole battalion, thrown to the wolves to stall for time. And after we bled to take and hold all that land, the peace treaty just gave it back..."

You absentmindedly finger the butt of your shotgun. That's enough to make anyone jaded for life, you think bitterly.

>"While our company was in it, it seemed like my brother and ERIK were the only reasons that any of us were still alive. We were all-in on everything they preached, we did anything they asked like our souls were on the line. That quote was like a mantra--we looked forward to the day when we'd finally make it out and go on the hunt, and pay back some of the fucking bastards that put us there to begin with..." Sam's own words seem to scare him. "I, uh... I'm just saying what we thought at the time. When the war ended, I got past that stuff. But a lot of other guys didn't..."

"Tell me about your company's hierarchy," you say. "How many of them are there?"

>"If everyone from my company who crossed the border and survived is in on it, there could be at least 150 vets ready to hunt. If guys who didn't make it that far get involved, maybe 200. I don't even want to think about the chance that guys from other companies would get roped in, too. For all of our sakes, I hope that I'm overestimating..."

This is getting better and better... "Assuming the worst, what would their chain of command be? Can you give me names?"

>Sam racks his brain desperately. "ERIK's the highest-ranking officer that's still alive. Not counting me, I remember seven other squad leaders that made it through Canard... Ronnie, WES, YAMA, SALLE, PAVEL, BRICK and ANDY could all be in. There were some others that ate it way before we hit the border, and I remember BILL got wounded and flown out right before we went over. Below that, it's just a lot of privates and corporals."

"I see... You don't know of any hideouts or safehouses, do you?"

>"I don't know for sure," Sam says. "When SABA and Miles came clean to me about being in town for the hunt, they mentioned that they were laying low on the south side of Wartown. But they also told me that I could tell you that, which might mean it's a trick..."

"I've been wondering about something else," you say. "Your sister-in-law, the prospective new mayor. Is there anything that she would back that he wouldn't?"

>Sam's face falls. "I've been thinking about that for a while now," he sighs. "I... I don't know. They're practically the same person when it comes to politics. But if the same person's going to end up the mayor either way, I just don't know why my brother had to die..."

>STEVE glances at his watch. "Shit... If you've got more questions, we should handle them on the go," he says urgently. "Whatever those bastards are gonna do next, they have a twenty minute head start. This is your case, 'boss'--what should we do?"

You ignore the sarcasm, check your own watch and utter a curse as well. STEVE's right--It's already 12:00. You try to quickly digest everything and figure out the best course of action...

>>984080
I can't think of anything to follow up on in the immediate sense, but it's notable to me that of the 9 surviving ranked officials mentioned, only two are human: Ronnie and Sam.

We've seen that demons are a LOT more durable than humans so far, which tells me that these two are some particularly hardass humans.

Now, Sam's pretty rattled by this whole situation, but that makes sense to me since he's pretty much just gotten confirmation his most proven allies in life are involved in a military death cult.

But what's Ronnie's deal? He stands out to me.

I think we should get to Dane ASAP and find out.

>>984080
So ERIK's gone Big Boss and wants to create his own Outer Haven cult.

>"Why my brother had to die"
Occam's Razor? Jealousy. Your brother was on the fast track to becoming a senator, or even a shot at running the big fish election, or whatever. His motivation to stay on as a co-leader of the cult of EIRIS withered, while ERIK couldn't catch up in power. Hell, he might have been planning the cult's downfall and his convenient 'bust' of them as his magnum opus - or rather, ERIK would think that way. All your brother had to say to trigger ERIK into a murder-fest was "I don't want to lead this movement anymore" or "we have to lay low".

>What do
Send a drone to scout the place SABA and Miles were talking about. It's likely a trap, so bring an unregistered model and make it look like the local kids were having fun; don't worry about collecting solid evidence, just find some leads and trip deathtraps before someone else barges in and gets killed.

Search the internet for those phrases, the sooner you can find a copy of whatever scripture ERIK is quoting, the sooner you can get a framework for their charter and motives.

We can't keep this shooting a secret for long, if at all.

Sam, you're not being detained, but you're now a big part of the case. We advise you to stay under police custody. There's no guarantee if you go home they won't try to get you.

I suppose working the internet angle and investigating the hideout are both logical points of interest. STEVE's gonna examine ERIK some more- at this point, he's our probable perp.

Maybe we should go see Dane.

>>984080
Yama. Yama, we've heard that name before. Wait, he's the top donor for the mayor
YAMA DeValle - approx. 80 million, Errata Corrige'

So right now he's the tentative top suspect
'

1/3 BAN 2020/12/23(Wed)18:05 No. 984224 ID: dba489
File 160877553102.jpg - (455.24KB , 980x606 , cop137.jpg )

"We should get eyes on that place that SABA and Miles mentioned," you tell STEVE. "You guys don't have access to drones, do you?"

>"Of course we do," STEVE says incredulously.

Of course they do... "Get your hands on one and try to scout that spot out. And make sure the drone looks civilian, we're not trying to set anything off yet."

>The captain's got an eager look in his eyes as he nods. "It'll be done within the hour. What's the address?"

>"Somewhere on Fourth Avenue, a few blocks from the bridge, they said." Sam's shoulders sag. "I'm officially in the game now, aren't I? So much for getting out of Dodge..."

"Sorry," you say. "You're not being detained, but you're a big part of this case now, Sam. We'd advise that you stay under police custody--we can't guarantee that you'd be safe if you went back home."

>The veteran sadly nods. "I understand..."

>"I'd offer to get him squared away, but he might be safer with the 1P," STEVE says. "Think you can get him to your station in one piece?"

"Of course," you say. You grab your shotgun and start for the door. "Let's get moving."

2/3 BAN 2020/12/23(Wed)18:16 No. 984225 ID: dba489
File 160877616853.jpg - (421.93KB , 900x843 , cop138.jpg )

STEVE hangs back to give some last-minute orders to his guys while you head outside, Devin and Sam trailing close behind. As you pass by the aftermath of the fight, neither of your fellows can bring themselves to look.

>"I don't think I'll ever be able to eat here again," Devin says somberly. "It was a good burger, too... Where to now?"

"DeValle Memorial," you say. "I should check in with my partner."

>"Yes, sir!!!" Devin stops at the door to the van and looks you over. "But maybe you should clean up a bit before getting in..."

Devin's failed costume is repurposed as a cleaning rag. Your vest and clothes still look terrifying, but at least your face isn't covered in gore anymore. Soon, you're on your way into the center city.

After getting Devin up to speed, you sit back and mull over everything you've learned. So, ERIK's trying to erect some kind of military cult of personality... It's a lot like that Steel Gears game you used to play, years ago. He could have any number of motives for orchestrating Joe Durst's death, maybe jealousy, or maybe a twisted sense of self-preservation. If Joe had voiced any kind of of dissent to what the two of them had been planning, it could have been the catalyst for all of this...

>"A secret army on a religious crusade," Devin says giddily as he makes an illegal left turn. Getting some distance from the place where he almost got shot seems to have helped his mood considerably. "God, what a story. If we can just stay in one piece for long enough, we'll be set for life."

An idea comes to mind. "Devin, can Sam use your laptop?" you ask. You turn to Sam, who's currently wedged between two boxes in the back. "If we can find the book that that passage is from, we can get a better handle on what exactly these guys want."

>"Yeah sure," Devin says. "The Loginos Library's online catalog should have anything you're looking for, if you connect to the internet. Just don't open my Crosshair folder, yeah?"

>Sam searches for a few minutes before excitedly nodding. "This is it, I'm sure of it! 'Soldier's Way,' that's the one he read from, I remember this cover. It's been translated a million times but it originally dates back to ancient Doria. Like, pre-Christendom, pagan times. It looks like a lot of tactics books have quoted it too, I'm seeing military texts from the middle ages all the way up to 'Concrete Jungle.'"

As Sam keeps browsing, you decide to ask him something that came to mind earlier. "What's Ronnie's deal? The two of you seem different from the rest of your company's surviving sergeants."

>"Ronnie?" Sam looks up from the laptop. "He was just like Joe, he was what we all tried to be during the war. A crazy motherfucker, tough and lucky, the closest thing to a demon that we could dream of being. With Miles gone, I guess the two of us are the only human NCOs left from our company." He grimaces at the realization.

If he shared a rank with someone like that, Sam's probably a lot tougher than he lets on too, you think. You go over the list of sergeants one more time, thinking about any others that stood out. There was one name that gave you a sense of deja vu...

"Wait, YAMA? As in, YAMA DeValle...?" you ask, half to yourself.

>"How'd you know his last name?" Sam asks. "He was one of the squad leaders in Joe's platoon."

>"WHAT??!!!" Devin yells, spinning around in his seat. The van swerves wildly in response, and he sheepishly faces the road again. "YAMA DeValle served in your batshit unit?!! Like, our local billionaire?!!!"

>It's Sam's turn to be shocked, now. "Billionaire?! I haven't kept up with him, is he really...?" You watch as the name of your current destination clicks in his head. "Jesus, really?"

>"He's the poster boy for both new and old money," Devin says. "After the war he took over DeValle Works, his father's arms company, and he expanded it into this huge industrial monopoly. Half the country runs on his equipment, now. Geeze, if he's payrolling these nutjobs...!!"

"He was the top donor for Joe's campaign, too... That's a real possibility." You get a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. KYLE headed out to track down persons of interest three hours ago, and YAMA was on his high-priority list. You hope he hasn't run into any trouble...

A few more hazardous turns, and the hospital comes into view.

3/3 BAN 2020/12/23(Wed)18:28 No. 984230 ID: dba489
File 160877692117.jpg - (368.70KB , 900x708 , cop139.jpg )

It's just short of 12:45 when you enter DeValle Memorial Hospital's grounds. The stark white building is massive--you're sure that in this part of the city, its enormous capacity is put to good use. You wonder what part of this giant structure Dane's currently stuck in...

>Devin pulls into the parking garage and tries to park as inconspicuously as he can. He glances around, scanning every other nearby car for danger. "Uh, maybe you should take point on this one," he says with a nervous laugh. "Just in case?"

"I've got it," you reply, climbing out. "You two stay here and lie low."

You'd feel wrong toting a shotgun inside a hospital, so you opt to leave it behind. You feel scarily naked when you close the door...You touch the taser holstered in your vest for reassurance and start toward the main entrance.

It's a fairly busy day for the front desk. You join the line of people waiting to check in.

>A passing nurse does a double take when she sees you. "Oh my god," she exclaims, a look of horror on her face. "Oh my god!! Sir, are you alright?!"

Heads turn, and more people stare in shock at your appearance. You squirm awkwardly under their fearful gazes. "Uh..."

>Sir, are you alright-
"I'll manage. Most of the damage is to my armor, give me a quick checkup so I can get back to work."

Don’t worry, it’s mostly not my blood, I think.
I’m here to see my partner, she would have come in recently after a car crash and shootout. Could you please direct me to where she would be found.
She’s the one with the potty mouth and ceaseless glare into your soul.

>>984230
...are we? We should probably take stock of that now that the adrenaline's worn off.

>>984244
Mostly like this, I think.

1/3 BAN 2020/12/25(Fri)10:26 No. 984287 ID: dba489
File 160892081276.jpg - (433.31KB , 950x750 , cop140.jpg )

"I'll manage," you say cheerily. "Don't worry, most of it isn't my own blood, I think."

>Somehow, your remark seems to make the nurse even more upset. "Oh my god...! Please, come with me!"

Before you have a chance to say anything, you're being rushed to the ED. Within minutes you find yourself in a small room, getting your vest removed by two nurses. As they carefully undo the straps, you're a little scared to look--you go over the whole firefight again, asking yourself if you really got through it in one piece or not. You know just how long a man can go without feeling an injury, as long as he doesn't see it...

>"Do you think it's shock? What do we do?" one of the nurses whispers to the other.

"What?" You blink. "No no, I just zoned out for a second. I'm fine, really..."

>"Barely," the second nurse says. He hefts the vest and slips out one of its plates so you can see how damaged it is. "One more shot to the body, and you'd be in surgery right now. Belle, give me a hand with his shirt--we should check for blunt trauma."

They slowly remove your bloodstained shirt and tie. The first nurse gasps and puts a hand to her mouth.

You glance down worriedly, but are relieved to see nothing out of the ordinary on your torso. You've got some angry-looking bruises where the bullets struck the vest, but other than that you're unscathed.

>"Jesus," the second nurse says under his breath. "So you've been this lucky for a while, huh..."

>He looks you over and runs a series of basic checks. Eventually, he reluctantly nods and hands you back your shirt. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but with a day or two of rest you'll be good to go, physically."

"That's great," you say.

>He shakes his head, a stern look on his face. "Not just great. In this part of town that's a miracle, cherish it. Can we do anything else for you while you're here, officer?"

"I actually came here to see my partner," you say. "She would've come in recently, from a car crash and shootout? She's got a mouth like a sailor and a pretty intense stare, if that narrows it down at all..."

>The two look at each other, then back to you. "You mean the sergeant. So you're Captain BAN?"

>"She's been fighting with our staff about getting discharged all morning. We had to move her to one of the upper levels, it was getting too disruptive..."

You nod vigorously. "That's the one. Can you tell me how to get to her?"

>"She has a room to herself on the tenth floor," the first nurse says. "I can take you there."

2/3 BAN 2020/12/25(Fri)10:30 No. 984288 ID: dba489
File 160892104693.jpg - (364.96KB , 1284x500 , cop141.jpg )

You quickly put on your shirt and tie, and slip back into the damaged vest. One of the nurses leads you back through the ED and into a hallway with an elevator.

>"She's as tough as you are," the nurse says as she punches the button for the tenth floor. "Maybe even tougher, considering her smaller size. She was pretty shell-shocked when she came in, but it seems like the initial trauma was the worst part--right now, it looks like all she'll have to worry about is moderate bruising along the posterior chain and a light concussion. When she first came in we were sure she'd be paralyzed, so this really is the best case scenario."

You reach the tenth floor and follow the nurse to a door at the end of the hall.

>The nurse knocks on the door, then turns back to you. "If I can just say something before you go in," she says, lowering her voice a little. "I'd highly suggest letting her rest for a week or more, just to be safe. She's been very...adamant about seeing you and getting back to work, but I don't think that's the best course of action for--"

>A rough voice calls from the other side of the door. "I can hear you, cunt! What the fuck do you want now?"

>The nurse glares daggers at the closed door. "Sergeant, there's another visitor here for you," she grates through a fake smile.

>"What did I say the last time, bitch? If it isn't my boss, tell them to shove it!!"

3/3 BAN 2020/12/25(Fri)10:40 No. 984289 ID: dba489
File 160892161387.jpg - (548.55KB , 850x904 , cop142.jpg )

You open the door and peek inside. Sergeant Dane is sitting at the end of a hospital bed, arms crossed, face as red as a tomato. The hospital staff managed to get her out of most of her gear at some point--her vest and cap are sitting on the floor in the corner.

Her eyes widen for a second when she sees you. She immediately jumps off of the bed and marches toward you. Seeing her in one piece fills your heart with relief, and you outstretch your arms for some kind of greeting. An all-too-familiar sense of dread returns when she bats your hands aside and takes up a fighting stance...

>"YOU!!" She winds up to sock you in the stomach, but hesitates when she notices your armor's appearance. She keeps her fists up as she concernedly looks you over. "What the fuck did you do...? Who did this to you?!"

"Video games convinced me taking a meatshield was a valid strategy. It wasn't.

The good news is, we caught ERIK in the act, on tape. They'll post bounties on him in about a month."

Whatever you do, don't say 'calm down'.
Dane, You really ought to be resting and recuperating, not shaking with rage at anyone who enters the door. Though I am glad you're still in fighting shape.

Good news, we know who did it and... mostly why. I guess it's fair to say I know the motives but don't understand them.
Bad news is we still need to catch them. And by 'them' I mean Erik and like 150 of his goons, financially backed by YAMA DeValle.

>>984289
Armor wasn't enough. (mental note to wear full body armor and have everyone use plate inserts rated for multiple shots with the highest armor rating you have at your disposal.)

Tried to reverse a hostage situation... then they deliberately shot their guy instead of trying to go for me.
I wanted to make sure you were okay and get you back to the station since things are heating up a bit and pretty soon we’ll need all the help we can get.
You’re still on bedrest though until we need you.

>>984298
Emphasize that that reverse hostage thing was a heat of the moment decision and was a bad idea to begin with (morally speaking).

>>984289
"Ain't my blood, bud. Took one of theirs hostage during a shootout, gave me a new paint job for the trouble. Bright side, turns out STEVE is on our side now and ERIK was actually evil the whole time. We got him on _tape_, AND we know what's actually going on now.

There's an honest-to-god military death cult, Dane."

>>984289
"Easy, sergeant. Most of this isn't even mine. Turns out these guys aren't afraid to shoot through each other, and I learned that the hard way."

>>984289
What the others said, plus "Oh come on, Dane, why are you giving the hospital staff such a hard time?"

>>984317
Don't say any of this here. Don't say anything sensitive. This isn't a secure location.

>>984362
too paranoid. it's a hospital broseph, they wouldn't have had any opportunity to bug it in advance.

>>984368
You are probably right, but there are other ways, like to have someone we wouldn't recognize sit nearby.

Given they have a rather wealthy backer, they could also use something like a laser microphone to listen in from a distance.

1/2 BAN 2020/12/29(Tue)10:44 No. 984446 ID: dba489
File 160926746690.jpg - (276.01KB , 800x718 , cop143.jpg )

"Easy sergeant, it's not my blood," you say hurriedly. You decide not to risk the words 'calm down' until those fists disappear... "Turns out these guys aren't afraid to shoot through each other, and I learned that the hard way."

>"You learned it the--!" Dane stares at you in disbelief. She grabs your vest and yanks you closer, checking again for any visible signs of injury. "What happened, BAN?"

You glance back at the door. Is it safe to discuss this kind of thing here, you wonder? It's a hospital, there's no way anyone could have gotten in and bugged this room beforehand. The possibility nags at you, though... You decide to save the news about ERIK for the van just to be safe, and--!!

>"Don't fucking do this right now!" Your partner shakes you roughly and snaps you out of your thoughts. There's as much worry in her eyes as there is anger. "Focus, motherfucker, and tell me!"

"There was a hostage situation with the guys that hit us earlier!" you blurt out. You catch yourself and lower your voice a little. "I tried to reverse it by taking one of them hostage, and that's when I got this new paint job... They deliberately shot him before aiming for me."

>Dane lets go of your vest and steps back. She takes a few calming breaths before speaking again. "Why would you even think about trying something like that without me? Did you have any support?" She tsks angrily when she sees your reaction. "No, of course not."

"It was a heat of the moment thing, and in hindsight it wasn't a great idea," you admit. You hang your head in shame. "Er, to tell you the truth, I saw it in a video game once and thought that it would be a good strategy..."

>The sergeant looks like she's ready to have an aneurysm. She makes a frustrated sound, throws her hands in the air and heads for her gear. "I knew it," she rants, hastily tying her hair into a bun. "I told you not to do anything stupid, dipshit. I leave you alone for just a few hours and you almost get smoked."

"I'm fine," you stress. "I just came by to make sure you were okay, and to get you back to the station. Things will probably be heating up soon, and--"

>"Getting shot four times isn't things heating up, yet? Jesus, BAN!" Dane winces in pain as she throws on her vest and adjusts it. She recovers quickly and shoots you a dangerous look. "I'm fine. You, on the other hand... I'm getting back to work, before you fucking kill yourself."

You shake your head. "I'm glad that you're in fighting shape and all, but you should really focus on recovering... You're on bedrest until we need you."

>She scoffs at that. "That bitch put you up to this, didn't she? Cut the bullshit, you need me right now."

You ignore the possible truth in that assertion. "Come on, Dane, it's just common sense. And there's no need to give the staff here a hard time about it, either."

>"They started it," she grumbles. "Those assholes wanted me off the case for a week, minimum. A week! For some bumps and a goddamned headache. If I'm gone that long, who knows what you'll do with yourself."

>The nurse peeks in. Her fake smile falls apart the second she sees Dane in her full kit. "Sergeant! You're up again, I see," she says flatly.

>"He's taking me with him," Dane says brusquely. She elbows you in the side. "For...'bedrest.'"

>The nurse smiles at you gratefully. When she looks at the sergeant, there's some added smugness to the look. "It's really for the best. Just hold off on anything strenuous for a week or two, and you'll be back in action in no time."

>"Just give me the paperwork, bitch."

>"Slag," you hear the nurse mutter on her way out...

2/2 BAN 2020/12/29(Tue)10:50 No. 984447 ID: dba489
File 160926784101.jpg - (583.85KB , 900x831 , cop144.jpg )

Dane probably sets a record for the least amount of time spent filling out hospital paperwork. The ED staff seem especially eager to help get her through the system and out the door. By 1:10, the two of you are headed for the parking garage.

>Dane squints at the sky and grimaces. "Damn, it's bright out..." She pulls the brim of her cap lower and looks at you. "So what's the state of the case?"

You make sure that nobody's nearby before replying. "The good news is we know who did it, and why...mostly. I guess it's fair to say that I know their motives, but I don't understand them... Also STEVE's in our corner now, and he wants to help us out."

>"How the hell did you manage that?"

"It's kind of connected to the bad news... Our suspects are still loose, and we have to catch them."

>Dane palms her fist eagerly. "Hell yeah, who are we going after?"

"ERIK and 150 or more of his goons, all backed by YAMA DeValle's money..."

>Your partner stops in her tracks. "You're shitting me."

You nod. "We got ERIK on tape, and now he's on the run with the perp who got away. From everything we've learned today, it looks like we're dealing with a full-on death cult."

>If she's overly fazed by the information, Dane doesn't show it. She falls back in stride with you as the van comes into view. "Fuck. I guess we don't need to show that kid his picture anymore, then..."

Devin catches sight of you and the van's engine sputters to life. He waves energetically at Dane, but is quickly shut down by a glare. Before you head around to the passenger side, Dane stops you.

>"Just so we're clear, that bedrest talk was bullshit for the nurses, right?" she asks cautiously. "What's the plan from here, really?"

>>984447
My vote's on putting Dane on overwatch. Get her drone support and a walkie talkie, make sure she's not "in the action". She's not going to take being left uninvolved well, but if she's still contributing she'll probably take it with a minimum of grumbling about it.

Concussions aren't to be fucked with, if we have to do any running and jumping that's gonna get real bad for her fast.

I'm suspecting BAN know that from experience given his spacey attitude and firefight personality shift, if she doesn't wanna get as forgetful and dopey as us she's gotta focus on recovery at least a bit.

Plus, man, I really don't wanna see her get plugged.

>>984447
Nope, Dane needs to recover. We just need to put them somewhere safer since they could become a target.

Anyway, since we literally have an ex-military company at large with fuck knows what for hardware given that budget, might it be time to call in the feds? This is reaching FBI/GIGN-level stuff here. We are just one precinct in one city.

1/2 BAN 2020/12/31(Thu)18:03 No. 984592 ID: dba489
File 160946663130.jpg - (281.87KB , 1060x513 , cop145.jpg )

You shake your head. "I meant it, the plan is to get you somewhere safer so you can recover. You'll still be involved, I promise," you quickly add when you see her brow furrowing, "but you can't fuck around and stay on the front line with a concussion, trust me. Not unless you want a brain like mine..."

>Dane shudders at the thought. "Fine," she says resignedly. "But you'd better keep me busy, or else..."

"Of course." Plus, you really don't want to see her get plugged, you think to yourself... Looking at the rapidly growing scale of things, your next step seems clear. "I think it might be time to call in the feds."

>Your partner spits. "The SIG? They're good, but they're a bunch of fucking creeps. It'd be a deal with the devil."

"I know, but we've got to level the playing field somehow. We're just one precinct, the odds aren't exactly in our favor against these guys right now."

>She thinks on it for a moment, then growls and starts toward the van again. "If we're going that route, we should talk to The Major. She knows how to handle those assholes better than anyone."

The two of you pile into the van and tell Devin to head for Shiptown.

2/2 BAN 2020/12/31(Thu)18:12 No. 984593 ID: dba489
File 160946716430.jpg - (310.69KB , 900x595 , cop146.jpg )

Everyone's on edge as you move slowly through Wartown, but you manage to reach the bridge without further conflict. Not long after crossing into Shiptown, you're pulling into the 1P parking lot.

>"Holy shit," Devin says as he turns into an open spot. "Are those yours?"

"Yeah," you say as you get out. The journalist is gawking at three 1P cars parked nearby. They're all riddled with bullet holes, and scratched up to varying degrees... They must be the patrol cars that your guys went out in, earlier.

>"Motherfuckers," Dane grates. She looks over the damaged cars with clenched fists.

Devin quickly fills one of his boxes with everything you collected from the mansion, and the four of you enter the precinct.

>The receptionist looks relieved to see you. "Captain, thank god you're alright! Your team got back earlier, we were all worried about you two... I think they're still here, if you need to speak to any of them."

"Thanks." Your watch reads 2:15... You mull over anything that you'd want to do here before visiting The Major.

Practice your Butt-Secs dance.

>>984604
consider that you may be developing dementia if thoughts this unfunny are entering your head unbidden

>>984593
See if you can catch up with Kyle, ask him if he found anything.

>>984593
Sitrep guys. What's going on and where?

>>984620
Would it be better if he was thinking those thoughts willingly?
Anyway, leave Sam in a guarded cell for his safety for now and go see the major.

1/2 BAN 2021/01/03(Sun)12:45 No. 984740 ID: dba489
File 160970672803.jpg - (312.74KB , 800x713 , cop147.jpg )

You arrange for a couple officers to put Sam in a cell and guard him, for his own safety. He hangs his head, but goes along with them without a fuss.

You peek into KYLE's office and are relieved to see him sitting at his desk. A patrol vest is on the floor by his chair, and Dane's rifle is propped against the wall. He looks up from his laptop and gives you a wave.

>"You made it back in one piece," he says gladly. He looks over the sorry state of your armor. "....More or less."

"What's the situation?" you ask. "What's going on, and where?"

>"Right now? Not a lot, honestly... The patrol guys trickled in a while ago, and it looks like they went through some shit to make it here. Hugo and Pete got nicked, but they say they're still ready for duty. The rest of the guys are still alright, somehow. When they didn't hear from you they decided to just wait until you got back, I think they're all in the ready room right now."

"How's it going with you, did you find anything?"

>KYLE scratches his ear. "I've had one hell of a day, man... After the action this morning I came back here to suit up, but my gut told me that I should stick to plainclothes. I put the rifle in the trunk of my car--my car, not the patrol one--and went out digging, again. I've never been so scared, just driving around town..."

>He waves a piece of paper at you. You recognize it as the mansion guest list. "Do you know how many of those donors are on this list? All of them, mixed in with some bureaucrats and other donors. I almost didn't know where to start. I was still a little scared to go knocking on doors, so I figured I'd come back and start with the guy that I could find the most dirt on from a distance, YAMA. Did you know he fought in the war, too?"

"Yeah, we picked up on that earlier today."

>"Well, did you know that he's also the current head of the Anomaly Collective?" KYLE shifts through some of his notes. "And these two, LILLITH and ADAM, they're also Collective members. Between the three of them, they've got their fingers on the pulse of every industrial, medical and police worker's union for people like us in the city. All of these other big donors are chapter leaders for major unions, based out of different parts of the city. It's uncanny though, it's like half of these guys don't exist in real life. YAMA's obviously huge, it looks like LILLITH's something of a celebrity and ADAM's a big name in veteran affairs, but these other people have no public history to speak of. Weirdly anonymous, for millionaires... I'm just trying to figure out their angle, now."

"I might be able to help with that..."

You fill your subordinate in on everything you've found out since this morning. His eyes widen as he listens--you can see something click in his head as you explain. When you finish, he frantically turns to his laptop and starts typing.

>"Fuck, they've covered all of their bases. That action comittee that they donated to is a front to pool their wealth. They've got direct influence over the local government, and through running the unions they have intel on the whole damned city's infrastructure. I've gotta trace every single guy from that company, we need to know where they are. They could be acting as sleepers, anywhere in the city." His typing gets more desperate as the information sinks in further. "Anywhere, jesus! Give me a sec buddy, I have to figure this out...!"

KYLE's gotten completely absorbed by his work. You decide to leave him to it and go practice your--what?? Why would you think that? You try to clear your mind as you head for the door. Keep it together, BAN...

2/2 BAN 2021/01/03(Sun)13:09 No. 984743 ID: dba489
File 160970818215.jpg - (341.42KB , 1200x554 , cop148.jpg )

You move to The Major's office, flanked by Devin and Dane. You leave the shotgun at the door and head inside. She rises from her desk when you enter.

>"Major!" Dane barks, saluting smartly.

>"Captain, sergeant. You had me worried," she says, returning the salute. She glances at Devin and smiles. "Mr. Fletcher, yes? We ran a background check on you earlier. You really get around with that camera, don't you?"

>Devin slinks behind you sheepishly. "Er, yes..."

>The Major looks at you more seriously. "I hear that things went poorly this morning," she says. "From the looks of my cars out front and your vest, very poorly. If you're able, I want a full report."

You tell The Major everything that's happened to you and Dane, and what KYLE's come up with. Devin presents the photos that he took, and the three books that you collected from the mansion. As she listens, your commander's usual half-smile slowly falls.

>"I see," she says heavily. She crosses her arms and sighs. "Damn... I'm sorry that I threw you all into this unprepared. I had no idea that Mayor Durst's death would be tied to something this big, and frankly, it's way past your pay grades."

>"We can handle it, ma'am," Dane says. "We just need the resources, that's all."

>The Major closes her eyes and leans against her desk. "There are two options that I can think of. They're spread pretty thin right now, but if I went to the SIG with this, we'd get at least a platoon from their Capture Team and some of their special agents, maybe thirty or forty men total. They're the best around, but they're paranoid as hell--it'll be tough to expand our team any further once they get here, unless they decide to bring more SIG members in. On the other hand, I could reach out to the other precincts, and put together a much larger task force. If ERIK's men are spread as far as you think, though, we might compromise ourselves in the process..."

>She opens her eyes and looks at you again. "It's your choice to make, captain. As out-of-hand as it is, this is still your case, and whoever we pull in will be your men."

The feds or more cops, you muse. Either option would be a great addition to your force, but you're sure that they both come with baggage. You think about the options carefully and try to come to a decision...

Government corruption is what started this mess, but ultimately? We're dealing with a billionaire. We need to Umbrella this @#$%er and get YAMA's assets frozen by the government as soon as possible.
Call the feds, make sure the team is more interested in political power than economic connections, because YAMA will cutout-bribe everyone who touches this case.

>>984743
Feds is going to be the best choice. As KYLE said, these guys have the police unions under their thumb. More local cops is too risky. The feds will be too high up the food chain to be influenced since the cult's influence seems to only be within this city. Feds will also have access to much better gear than we do.

That being said, round up as much gear (swat gear, flashbangs, assault rifles, shields, armored cars, etc.) as you can and start practicing with the cops we do have. Is there a shoothouse at the range we could use to practice cqc in?

We don't know if Erik's persuasive enough to have moles in SIG.
We do know he's burrowed in nicely among the department.

It's a shitty choice in general, but going to the feds is the tactically correct one. At least that Paranoia will serve us well.

Paranoid is pretty much what we need at this point. We can't rely on other precincts, any cop could be a sleeper agent like ERIK. Call the SIG, dealing with police corruption is in their job description.

I almost don't even need to suggest, but yeah, if this isn't a time to call the feds, I don't know what is. Other people explained it nicely; they aren't compromised, and they can grind the flow of the enemy's assets to a screeching halt; dealing with corrupt cops and billionaires is their whole job.

>>984743
Feds for sure, but remember what we promised STEVE. We're gonna do our best to get 2p out of this with a clean rep.

>>984743
I hate to say this - and I really do - but I think it's time to call in the suits.
The force - the entire city - is compromised. Anyone could be in league with these freaks, and we can't take risks.
So, as much as I dread to think what the consequences may be, call in the feds.

1/2 BAN 2021/01/05(Tue)10:40 No. 984990 ID: dba489
File 160987202944.jpg - (262.56KB , 880x437 , cop149.jpg )

The more you think about it, the clearer the choice seems to become. "If you could contact the SIG, I'd appreciate it," you tell The Major. "If this isn't a time to call the feds, I don't know what is..."

>The Major nods and walks over to a telephone on the far wall. "Good call. I'll make it happen, captain. Take a breather in the meantime, all of you have earned it."

You're dismissed from The Major's office. The three of you regroup a little further down the hall.

>"Forty SIG slugs squatting at our precinct," Dane thinks aloud. "I wonder who they'll arrest first, ERIK's crew or ours..."

"It was the right call," you say. "It was a shitty choice in general, but at least we know those guys aren't compromised." The SIG does have a reputation for getting cannibalistic with other departments, but maybe some paranoia is what you need, here. You are a little worried about what their presence could mean for STEVE and the 2P, though. Coordinating with him and keeping his precinct's name clean may take some extra work, now...

>"So what now, we just wait for these SIG guys to show up?" Devin asks. A thought crosses his mind, and he looks at you worriedly. "Hey, just how paranoid are we talking here? I'm not gonna disappear or something, am I...?"

Dane silently stares at Devin and smirks. The look makes him sweat bullets.

>"H-hey, you know what, why don't we go do something?" Devin says nervously. "You know, idle hands and all that..."

2/2 BAN 2021/01/05(Tue)10:50 No. 984991 ID: dba489
File 160987263546.jpg - (578.50KB , 1100x640 , cop150.jpg )

Devin busies himself with getting the new evidence processed while you and Dane work on consolidating gear. First, you check the parking lot for anything tougher than a patrol car. There are several patrol SUVs sitting toward the back of the lot. At the very back of the lot hides the shame of the 1P, the decrepit 'Battle Van.' In all of your years here the precinct's mobile command vehicle has only been deployed once before, when you got bored while rescuing a cat... It's easily the most well-armored vehicle in your arsenal, but it's also the most run-down.

You go back inside, go downstairs and visit the armory. When it comes to tactical gear, the selection is poor, to say the least... You can't find any assault rifles or heavy armor, just stacks of patrol rifles, shotguns and standard patrol vests. Some deep digging uncovers an ancient box marked 'RIOT' with a stack of infantry helmets inside. You also find a crate that looks like it used to hold flashbangs, but it's empty... You inwardly curse the precinct's miniscule weapons budget, and hope that the feds bring some extra gear with them. While you're here, Dane bluntly reminds you that your vest still looks like dogshit, and you take a moment to replace it with a fresh one. Your clothes are still rough, but your armor is ready to go, now.

You look around as you exit the gun vault. You find what you're searching for down near the end of the shooting range--a long maze of walls and windows, a makeshift killhouse. It probably hasn't seen use since the last major police academy exam, but it should still work. You could practice CQC with your guys there, if you wanted.

You glance at your watch as you plan your next move. It's only 2:35... The Major will be on the line for at least another hour, getting everything figured out. The concept of downtime is weirdly foreign to you, considering how the day's gone up until now. You're hesitant to go back across the bridge, but if there are any other tasks that you want to handle here or elsewhere in Shiptown, you should have the time for them...

>>984991
See if you can contact STEVE and have him send over as much supplies as he can (actual riot gear and shields, assault rifles, rams, grenades, drones, etc.). Also we need a shortlist of everyone he his absolutely positive is not involved with any shady shit. We need to consolidate.

In the mean time, practice breaching and clearing in groups of four. Shotgun in front. Since we don't have adequate armor or grenades, only have guys like you (demons) take point since you can take a few hits. You will get shot at.

Close quarter combat practice sounds quite relevant right now.

Also, make a mental note to propose a city-wide curfew to the Major once the feds show up. If ERIK is planning to literally paint the town red, people must be made to take shelter.

We absolutely should not let slip that we know what's going on. Give STEVE time to work, and SIG to set up it's dragnet.

So yeah, tactical drills, incident reports about this morning, but nothing special until we've got all our pieces on the board.

>>985011
Backing this.

1/2 BAN 2021/01/07(Thu)13:25 No. 985196 ID: dba489
File 161005473019.jpg - (838.88KB , 800x919 , cop151.jpg )

You round up your task force for some drills in the killhouse. Dane's sidelined and KYLE's too busy with his work to join in, but all of your team's patrolmen are present. Hugo and Peter are sporting some bandages, but they seem to still be in fighting shape.

You give your guys instructions on how to breach and clear rooms. Move in fireteams of four, breach with a shotgun, soften the room with a grenade, hit them fast and hard... Muscle memory kicks in almost immediately, and you have to consciously slow your pace until they get the hang of it. After an hour of drills, though, they're all moving a lot better and can keep up with you...almost. When you finish the practice session, they all decide to stay and keep running drills.

>"You're not bad at that," Dane remarks. She watches jealously as the cops head into the killhouse for another drill. "I would've been a better support, though... They weren't catching onto everything you did."

"Until you're back in the mix, they're good enough," you reply. Maybe she's right, but by most people's standards your cops are surprisingly solid. You're sure that they'll be able to hang in there beside any of the SIG's less-skilled operatives, especially if they've got someone who's hard to kill taking point. You'll handle that job yourself, you decide...

2/2 BAN 2021/01/07(Thu)13:49 No. 985199 ID: dba489
File 161005618151.jpg - (712.66KB , 880x759 , cop152.jpg )

It's 3:40, now. You head upstairs, stop by the dispatch office and ask them to try and get STEVE on the line. The dispatcher tells you that she'll make the call and patch him through to your phone, soon.

You head over to your office. While you wait, Dane digs around in her corner of the room and throws a shirt at you. It looks a lot larger than the rest of hers.

>"You didn't bring any changes of clothes," she says flatly.

You're about to object when you realize that you haven't even seen the inside of your apartment since Tuesday. "Er, I--"

>"I knew you wouldn't." She crosses her arms and faces the wall. "Put that on, you can't just run around with blood on your collar."

Your phone starts ringing mid-change. You rush to finish putting your vest back on as you pick up. It sounds like he's somewhere with a lot of traffic. "STEVE?"

>"No, it's grandma," STEVE says snidely. "Just listen for a second, I've got a lot to tell you."

"Shoot."

>"The 2P's major is another vet, BAN. I don't know if he's from Durst's company or not, but I'm not risking it. I'm trying to make sure he's convinced that I don't know anything about that, just in case. I told him that there was a hostage situation at Burg's because you bungled something related to the murder case. I said that the two of us came to support you, and ERIK's still out tailing the perp that got away. And as much as it pains me to say it, I'm pushing for the major to station 'us' at your precinct as fast as possible..."

"What about the security footage, though?"

>"Nobody else knows that it exists or that we've seen it, as far as I know. If we're lucky, I can get the hell out of here and start working on this shitshow more openly."

An idea comes to mind. "Do you think you can get supplies sent over, as well? Riot gear, better weapons, rams, drones..."

>"Jesus, do you want my house, too? I'll see what I can do. I painted a pretty ugly picture of the current state of your precinct, so he may just say yes to anything out of pity."

You try to send a glare through the landline. "Great, thanks... Is there anyone else at the 2P that you know for certain is clean?"

>"I wish I could tell you that... My sergeant KEN doesn't have a military background, but I'm not certain about the guys below him. Cops who I'm not in charge of, I have no idea. I'll try to find out, but I'm not blowing my cover for it--"

Someone starts talking to STEVE, but you can't make out everything that they say.

>"Shit. Land it, we'll report back," he says to the new voice.

"What's up?" you ask.

>"That address that Sam Durst gave me," STEVE says. It sounds like he's started moving quickly. "Me and one of my guys just scouted it out with a drone. It's a traphouse that we've been watching for weeks... The Southern Bandits' headquarters."

Shit...! "Any sign of the getaway car?"

>"I don't see it. They've got a garage, but the door's down." STEVE'S end is silent for a moment. "BAN, he could be in there. Even if he's not, someone in the know could be. My guys have been waiting for an excuse to crack down on those punks anyway, I could take them!"

Can you hire an assassin or something? That place is a deathtrap waiting to be sprung.
Have snipers posted around the area, and scout the nearby sewers. Do not engage yet, fly as many disposable RC drones into the building as you can, trip the C4 and other traps. Then you may breach.

Wait for backup, STEVE! You rush in there with a head full of steam, you're liable to lose it!

>>985199
>My guys have been waiting for an excuse to crack down on those punks anyway, I could take them!
"You can take a warehouse of street punks. But if that's a warehouse of armed vets?"

I mean, yeah, you probably could take ‘em but if you attack now then we risk losing a potential advantage later and not to mention that if there are any of the vets in there then things might escalate before we have a proper plan set up.

How about you take note of it’s location and continue to have it watched. Later we can probably use this knowledge against them, knowing where they’ll retreat to hide and lick their wounds is a pretty useful thing, could get them all at once if we do it well.

Steve, you do not get to say "Nobody else knows that it exists or that we've seen it", followed by "waiting for an excuse to crack down on those punks anyway, I could take them!". You know they know you're coming, PLEASE don't get killed tempting fate.

We should get Dane to get someone to fix up the precinct's old battle Bus. Fill up the petrol tank, brakes, hydaulics, even the windshield wiper soap. The entire maintainance works. We might need it later on. Better to have and not need to me.

>>985231
Will we have time for something like that?

BAN 2021/01/12(Tue)07:48 No. 985479 ID: 88966b
File 161046652510.jpg - (223.21KB , 900x526 , cop153.jpg )

He's actively trying to get jinxed, you think to yourself... "Wait for backup STEVE, if you go running in right now we'll lose our advantage. What if there are more vets in there? Just note the location and have it watched, maybe check the surrounding area and sewers. We'll hit it when we have a solid plan."

>There's another brief pause, followed by a frustrated sigh. "Alright. We'll hang back and keep tabs on it. Give me a call if you need me, I'll go see about getting those supplies."

You hear STEVE say something to another cop, and then he hangs up.

>"He'd better not do anything stupid," Dane mutters.

You peer out through your small window. That beast in the back of the parking lot keeps catching your eye. "Do you think you could get someone to try fixing up the Battle Van?" you ask your partner. "General maintenance, filling the tank... Would we have time for it?"

>"Give me a few hours, boss," she says resolutely. "I could do it myself."

"You're a mechanic, too?" you ask, surprised. The glare you receive in response makes it clear that this is another thing that you've just forgotten. "...I mean, that would be great."

>She lowers the brim of her cap and starts for the door. "I'll drive it to my dad's shop and handle it, don't burn the place down while I'm gone."

"Hang on, you'll drive it?" The command vehicle already handles like a bitch, you can't imagine anyone trying to drive it with a concussion.

>Dane crosses her arms at you testily. "What, you want someone to drive me? Who's got the time for that, you? Because you're not putting the paparazzi behind the wheel of that thing..."

One of the other cops could do it. Having a concussion is a real problem and having someone for driving and backup is the best idea.

>>985479
Any other cop. Like, literally anyone else. We are not letting Dane get herself killed from a combination of stubbornness and a concussion.

>>985479
I'd say pick out whoever looks most winded from the drills earlier, they'd probably appreciate the break.

We can spare two cops on this, let's send someone with her.

>>985479
See if we can't get some tools brought over here. We should probably keep the van on the premises.

>>985479
I'd send another cop with her. Tell them to come back with coffee. It'll be a long night.

1/2 BAN 2021/01/14(Thu)07:33 No. 985655 ID: e30795
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You rack your brain for options that don't include her operating a vehicle... "Can't we just get some tools brought here?" you ask. "The van should probably stay on the premises."

>"We could do that," Dane says. "I'll just grab a car and go pick them up--"

"Hugo will grab a car and drive you there," you say in your most authoritative cop voice. "Peter too, we can spare two cops for this. They both could use a break, anyway."

>Dane stares at you with an unreadable expression on her face. When it becomes clear that you're not going to budge, she tsks and heads for the door. "Got it, boss..."

"Bring back some more coffee while you're at it," you add. "It'll be a long night."

You heave a sigh of relief after she exits. Keeping Dane's stubbornness in check until she's healed is going to take a year off of your life... Speaking of coffee, you realize that in all the commotion you forgot to eat lunch. Your wallet will be upset, but you might want to hit that diner by the docks again later.

You only have a moment's respite before your office phone rings again.

>The Major is on the other end. "Captain, I've gotten everything squared away with the SIG," she tells you. "Three special agents will be here by tomorrow, and a Capture Team platoon will be in by Saturday."

"That's great," you reply.

>"It's something," your commander says uneasily. "The discussion of jurisdiction and command got...interesting. I managed to get them to agree to act as support for you, but it was tough. Very, very tough... These guys will be a huge help, but stay cautious, BAN. You'll have to keep them convinced that you're two steps ahead of them, or they might just snatch the case and leave us in the dust."

"I'll do my best, ma'am." Is there a single outside force that isn't trying to screw you over, you wonder...

>The Major switches to another line for a moment, then comes back to yours. "Captain, it seems like one of the SIG's agents is close by. I'll see if I can arrange a meeting for the two of you so you can--"

A loud knock on the door yanks your attention from the phone.

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A woman that you've never seen before steps into your office. She looks around with visible disdain at the small space...

>"Captain BAN?" she asks as she comes closer. She pulls out a badge and shows it to you. "I'm Special Agent HALE. I was already in town for my last assignment, so I figured I'd come over to scout things out. I understand that we'll be working together, now."

You hang up your desk phone. That was...fast. You try to hide your bewilderment at the agent's sudden appearance. "Yes, that's correct."

>"So...?" HALE stares at you expectantly.

"What...?"

>You bristle as she keeps staring. Her vibe is unsettling... "Four cops in a basement, a couple detectives in broom closets?" she asks. "That's your counterterrorism team? Really?"

We didn't know this was a terrorist conspiracy until a few hours ago, and we didn't request additional support from the other precints for fear of them being compromised, like the 2P was.

>>985657
>saying that 2p was compromised
>the thing we promised not to do

hard no.

Instead, we say that we've taken command of the 2p assets, and have been rounding up the home troops for a raid. This is more or less true, since STEVE is already in position and just needs backup. It'll also paint us as immediately ahead of the game, thanks to STEVE's proactive nature.

Be sure to mention he's going to be heading the raid so we don't accidentally steal credit for his op, we really want to make sure 2p gets through this mess.

Play a little to her paranoia, but don't target 2P in particular - target the entire police force. Looking into who's a war vet or not is something they'll think of anyway, so it's not a dead giveaway - it'll just make you seem paranoid. Which with these guys is probably a good thing.

"Apologies for discovering what appears to be a serious terrorist conspiracy on a mere precinct budget, miss HALE, but the situation is fluid and we're still trying to bring some of the other precincts' resources to bear - resources right now, not men, although I've liaised a bit with Captain STEVE from 2P. You'll find that 1P's nature has been - and may continue to be - a strength, though. There are a lot of war vets out there who could harbor sympathies with these guys and some of them joined the police force - like me - so I can't guarantee there won't be someone feeding them a line from other precincts. In 1P, I'm one of the few vets - you can do background checks I'm sure. In fact, please do, just in case someone hasn't been forthright. Frankly speaking, this precinct isn't as... glamorous as the others. We do good work, but there's less local violence, so less gear and funding. The Mayor's case happening in our jurisdiction was sheer happenstance, but we took it as seriously as we could and this is where it lead us. Now I'm building up a force to find and neuter these guys before things go bad."

Fold your arms, facing her.

"I want this to be taken seriously, not shuffled off someone's desk until the inevitable happens. Take it from me - if the two I ran into were any indication, these guys are itching for a fight, but want to pick the time and place. One literally begged the other to shoot him so he couldn't be kept captive and interrogated. They've got zeal, they're local and probably dug in and relying on anonymity, local connections. They've gotta be pretty confident about their numbers and chances if they're popping off people like they have so far. Did anyone tell you there was an attempt at me and my sergeant's life as well? Before we figured out there was a conspiracy? So, proactive and disturbingly well-informed."

Sigh.

"Anyway, SIG got called in because, yes, we need the backup. You're out-of-towners, so we can put a little more trust your way. You've got extra sway and pull to throw around, so I don't have to rely on other precincts for everything and can keep a tighter inner circle. And here's a bone to you: if it all blows up in our faces - or looks about to - you can swoop in like angels and call it my mess. See how that works? But until then, this case is ours, so please help like you mean it. And by help I mean, what can you do for us that a lowly captain wouldn't immediately come to think of? I've got ideas, of course, but I haven't worked tightly with SIG before. If you want to get to work ASAP, far be it from me to keep you from it."

Pause and look her up and down again.

"Also, trust-wise and all, why were you in town, agent HALE? A case? Do you have any local connections yourself?"

Make a mental note to see if YOU can run background checks on the SIG team.

Once you review the evidence Ma'am, I'll be happy to discuss how I used too much caution.

Up until 2 hours ago, This was just a murder case.

>>985655
Honestly, idk. It might be better if they just take over. I mean, it wouldn't be ideal, but in the end, the only thing that matters is that the criminals get brought to justice.

>>985669
>trusting the feds to do a good job

This is usually a bad idea. They'll only ever do an adequate job because this isn't their hometown they're mucking up. Maintaining control over this is a better idea.

>>985656
"Oh, my apologies, Agent HALE! I can assure you, if the secret terrorist cell of actual cultists had done the polite thing and phoned ahead, we would have been more prepared! Really, it's so embarrassing. I hope you can forgive us."

Don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong. You've been a counterterror unit for less than a day and have already ran drills, requisitioned bigger guns and got the war wagon out of storage. Unless she's offering some of that federal budget to renovate the building herself, you don't want to hear it. Now, 2P has a suspect location surrounded and under surveillance, have you any assistance to render before I go down there?

>>985656
We were investigating a murder. When the case expanded, we sent it up the chain of command.

>>985682
we want to come off as competent and in-control, not as petulant impulsive children. Don't do this.

>>985656
"Ma'am, less than 4 hours ago this was still a murder investigation".
(1540 STEVE called - moments ago - and 1200 was when Sam spilled the beams on it being a vast conspiracy rather than a mole and some old war buddies)

>>985656
"We... didn't exactly get the funding for that kind of stuff..."

We should go to the Mayor's house soon. Or at least call in. We did have an appointment.