Operation: Final Spiral - Chapter Eight

Taking respite in the Delta Green RPG, using Mythic 2e

Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are ©SolumProtocol, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

Photo by Justin Schlesinger: https://www.pexels.com/photo/facade-of-an-abandoned-motel-20575893/

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White-Tail Inn Motel, Maple Grove, Mississippi - 10PM

I pulled the Jetta into the empty parking lot of an old, rundown motel in the middle of butt fuck nowhere.

“Wait here.” I said, leaving the car and moving around to the trunk.¹ I pulled a small bag out from the under compartment and used the wet wipes and mirror to clean my face as much as possible so that I looked at least slightly presentable. I heard something vibrate in the trunk and frowned. Digging around, I found a small flip phone with a number I didn’t recognise on it. Despite the sinking feeling in my stomach, I opened it and answered.

“Agent Jones?” A smooth voice said over the line and my stomach dropped and the light, fake friendly tone. I had hoped Landry or even Oakes had smuggled this into my car, but I was dissapointed.

“Mr Reeves.” I said, keeping my voice as blank as possible. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I’m a big believer in a positive working relationship between our agents in the field and management.” Reeves said brightly.

“That’s interesting, but I’m not sure how it applies to our working relationship.” I said, matching his bright tone with one of my own. He laughed, and even over the line it sounded hollow and humorless.

“I’ll tell you what. Let’s do a secret exchange, to build trust and start a dialogue. You tell me what you found in that Iuka Facility and I’ll tell why it’s so important you stay in March Tech’s good books.” There was a silent expectation on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I was extremely tempted. March Tech didn’t seem to be going anywhere and I would love to know exactly why we were handling them with kids gloves instead of telling them to fuck off.

“Sounds like a much better deal for you that for me.” I said, placing the phone between my shoulder and ear so I could finish cleaning my hands. “Can you tell me anything more specific to sweeten the pot?”

“Like what, Agent Jones?”

“Do you know what happened to McCown?” I asked.²

“Why don’t you tell me?” Reeves said, his voice suddenly quiet and with an undertone of hunger.

“She isn’t human anymore.” I said. “I don’t know what she did at the facility, but she isn’t there. Not anymore.”

“That is very interesting.” Reeves said, making a long, thoughtful humming noise. “Did you see anything else?”

“Nothing I would discuss over a cheap phone line.” I said drily.

“Oh this line is secure, trust me.”³

“Fine.” I said with a sigh. “There was a vault.” I told him about the vault filled with corpses, about the computer turning to ash and the vines that grabbed me to drag me deeper into the jungle. I told him it was a trap, and that we barely escaped. I found it was hard to stop, once I started talking.

“Well, Agent Jones, while none of this is good news, I thank you for sharing it with me.” Reeves said cheerfully. “I think you’ve earned a few pointers.” He cleared his voice, and when he spoke next, his voice was very calm, all emotion gone and voice dangerously soft.

“I’m not an external contractor, Agent Jones. I’ve got a direct line to your boss, and her boss. The Program wouldn’t exist without the March Board of Directors. So if you want to survive long in this line of work, you and I are going to be very close moving forward.”

“Understood.” I said tightly. This was somehow even worse news than my own report, but there was no guarantee I would survive long enough for it to really affect me in any great detail. “Got anything I can work with then, Boss?”⁴

“Oh I like that.” Reeves said warmly. “My subordinates aren’t chatty, so this is a pleasant experience. And to think that your file said you were a challenge to work with!” He laughed again, the hollow, corporate chuckle that sent a chill down my spine. “Keep a hold of this phone, it’s a March Tech original.”

“It looks like a cheap Nokia.” I said, holding out and glancing at the perfectly square device..

“That’s the point, Jones. There should be a USB cable in the trunk near where you found this phone. Plug the phone into a laptop and call this number again. I’ll send our files on Mercury Aeronautics over. I’m trusting you with these, Agent Jones, because unlike your colleagues, you seem to understand how things work.” The phone clicked a moment later and I shrugged. Whatever got me to McCown. Even if it felt like I was making a deal with the devil.

---

I booked us three rooms and handed over a fistful of bills to a bored looking middle aged woman behind the motel counter. She gave me three rusted old keys and returned to her crossword, an old country music station playing a song that was mostly static behind her.⁵ Tracy and Jasper were awake, their eyes wild and panicked, but I calmed them down and guided them to the my room, close to where we parked. I left them with Jo and began moving gear from the car. We still had three rifles and a few boxes of ammo, as well as my battered old combat vest. Jo had Candela’s laptop, as well as that weird box and a modified disposable camera that looked more than a little odd. Other than that, we were pretty strapped for resources.

“What do you two remember?” I asked, once I had picked up a few cans of soda and bags of chips from the vending machine and distributed them to the team.

“Not much.” Tracy said. She looked exhausted, slumped in an arm chair and sipping a can of coke. “I saw those bodies, the March Tech goons with the blue lines on their face, and then there was an old body in the tree. It looked desiccated and then something started laughing and then….” She shuddered.

“Pain.” Jasper said, his voice raw. “It felt like something tore into my mind. Next thing I know, I’m in the back of your car.” His eyes narrowed and flickered to Jo, who was already on her second can of diet coke and tapping away at Candela’s laptop.

“Whose the kid?” He said.

“A friend.” I said, before adding “Kind of”

“Thanks Ma’am! I think we’re friends too.” Jo said cheerfully.

“Jesus Christ Kat.” Jasper said, moving over and pulling me away from the girl. “That’s an actual child. She can’t be here. Especially not after what we just saw.”

“Look, it’s fine. If we kick her out she’ll probably just show up again, so it’s better if we can keep an eye on her.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.” Jasper said, his voice strained.

“Jasper. Look at her. Really look at her.” He did, and his eyes flashed gold for just a moment, his pupils becoming pinpricks as he took in Jo properlly for the first time.

“What is she?” He asked softly..

“No idea, but at the very least, she brought the car around. I’m not sure we would have got out without her.”

“That isn’t reassuring.” He said as he moved back to the bed and almost collapsed into the thin sheets. “I have a really bad feeling about this, Kat. My head still feels thick. How did we even get out of there?”

“I’m not too sure.” I said honestly. “Pretty sure I grabbed you both and ran.”⁶

“It was fucked Kat.” He said with a shudder. “I don’t know what we’re up against here.”

“Me neither.” I admitted. “But we’ll figure it out.”

I sent the other two to the other rooms and stayed with Jo and, more importantly, the laptop.

“What’s the plan?” She said brightly.

“Give me the laptop.” I said. She held it protectively for a moment before handing it over with a grumble. I pulled out the burner phone and plugged it in with the USB cable before dialing the number back. It rang once, and then cut out. A text message came through a moment later with one word, ‘Enjoy!’ and then the phone vibrated one more time and a loading bar appeared.

“What’s that?” Jo asked.

“A Lead, I hope.”⁷

---

White Tail Inn - April 5th, 7 AM

I woke the next day tangled in sheets with the comforting sound of Jasper breathing softly next to me. I stayed like that for another five minutes, enjoying the calm before slipping out of bed and into the cheap shower in the adjoining room. The water was harsh and cold on my skin, which did wonders in waking me up, if not making for a particularly relaxing experience. Jasper was still asleep when I finished and I let him rest. Whatever he had seen when I had blacked out had taken it’s toll, if his restless sleep had been anything to go by. I retrieved the motel key and buckled on my pistol and knives, taking a moment to run a possessive finger over the hilt of my good luck charm, before slipping out of the room and walking down the corridor.⁸ Something felt slightly off in the air, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until I reached Jo’s room.⁹ The door was closed and the old padlock that was on all of the doors was engaged. But that shouldn’t be possible. If Jo was in there, the lock would prevent her from getting out. It had been on the counter in her room when I left the previous night, and resident’s were told to use the deadbolt if they wanted to lock their door at night.¹⁰ I sniffed the air, but apart from the distinct smell of mildew and old, untreated wood, there was nothing to smell. Nothing. Jo had the key and I was fairly sure she wasn’t here. She didn’t have the distinct smell of a cultist or monstrous creature, but I’d spent three days trapped in a car with her, and the smell of cheap soda and unwashed youth hung around her like a sickly sweet blanket. It was absent here. I glanced down into the lot, and saw my car was still there at least.¹¹ There were two battered ford trucks that looked barely road legal parked at the edge of the lot that hadn’t been there before. I felt my eyebrow twitch.¹² I moved back to Jasper’s room and retrieved my rifle.¹³ I tried to be stealthy, but he snorted in a mildly adorable, dazed way and looked at me blearily.

“I know this isn’t a dream because your fully dressed.” He mumbled, half asleep.

“Absolutely shameless.” I whispered back, abandoning any attempt at subtlety. I had a bad feeling, and while I respected Jasper as an Agent, a small, terrified part of me wanted him to stay asleep, just in case my instincts were right and there was something wrong.

“What’s with the rifle?” He asked, his drowsiness gone the moment he fully took in my appearance.

“Jo’s gone. There’s two shitty trucks parked outside. Call me paranoid, but something doesn’t add up.” He shrugged and moved smoothly from the bed. I won’t describe what the muscles of his back looked like, but it was an enjoyable, if fleeting, distraction. He was dressed in moments and armed, a grim expression on his face.

“You’ll have to tell me about this kid sometime”’ He said, failing to keep the irritation from his voice.

“Go get Tracy. I’ll explain later.” I said, and we split paths.

---

I moved towards the trucks with my hand on my pistol and my eyes sharp.¹⁴ The area around the motel was dense woodland and the trucks were parked close enough to the tree line to earn my suspicion, but I was searching for a sign of a struggle and I didn’t find one. Jo was an unknown factor, and the idea that she had left unprompted in the middle of the night was not impossible. I just couldn’t see the point.¹⁵ My worry found a focus immediately when I glanced in the bed of the truck closest to me. I didn’t need my FBI training to see a kidnapping kit, zip ties, handcuffs and a number of blunt instruments with what I knew was dried blood flecked on it. Either these people were thrift store hunters with questionable ethics or they were here to disappear a person. I unslung my rifle and loaded it and looked at the other truck.¹⁶ There were a few garden tools that, in conjunction, with the kidnapping kit in the other truck solidified that these people were not here for a good purpose. Finally, I found something. A garden trowel was dug into the trunk of a tree, a small piece of cloth attached to it. Small drips of blood marked the ground at the tree and I snarled and started to move.¹⁷ The trucks were still here and their tires were still warm from the road, which meant the trail must be fresh. I could see the footsteps in the mud deeper into the forest, two pairs and then a smaller pair leading them, but once the mud was replaced by grass, I couldn’t make heads or tails of where to go. I could wait by the trucks and lay an ambush, but I would bet my life savings that the girl had the laptop with her, and we needed those March Files. We were thin on leads enough as it was. Tracy and Jasper arrived as I stared angrily at the ground, trying to figure out which way they went.

“There’s a kill kit in the back of those trucks and some tracks leading this way, but I can’t figure any details.”¹⁸

“They went West, deeper into the forest. “ Tracy said. She had the M4 slung on her shoulder and she moved forward silently, completely at ease in the forest. “Follow me.” She moved and Jasper and I followed, guns held low.¹⁹ We found them after a few minutes of moving swiftly, Tracy’s eyes fixed on the trail as she picked up the pace. Jo was huddled up a tree while two men with long poles prodded at her and muttered darkly.

“Are those fucking scythes?” Jasper whispered.

“Looks like it.” I said. “Hey! Stand down or I’ll put you in the fucking ground.” I called, aiming my rifle at the one on the left.²⁰ Both of the men turned to me and raised their hands cautiously.

“Drop the weapons.” I said. “Don’t make me ask twice. Get on the ground!” The men shared a look and obeyed, slowly kneeling and placing their hands on their head. They looked like truckers, plain red ball caps and denim on denim outfits. They were dirty, but looked mostly sane and they didn’t resist as I cuffed them both and hauled one of them to their feet.

“You’re going to answer some questions there, buddy.” I said, reigning in my anger under a thin veneer of professionalism. They two had surrendered, much to my annoyance, which meant I had to go through the motions of arresting them. I read them their rights while Tracy coaxed Jo down.²¹

“I hacked into the cameras.” Jo blurted out. “Someone kept coming to my room and testing the door, making sure I was alone. I locked the door and tried to get to you guys, but they found me. I don’t know what they want, but it is not good.”

“No shit kid, did the laptop finish it’s download?”²²

“Yes, just before they arrived. I haven’t looked through it yet. I waited all night.”

“Well then kid, let’s get moving. You can look over them while we ask these gentlemen some questions.” Both men were silent as we led them from the forest.²³

---

This was intended to be a slower session after all the chaos of the last few, but I the oracle disagreed and things started to go sideways almost immediately. Got to love Mythic for that, it always keeps you guessing! I’m sure this whole thing is probably a misunderstanding anyway. Thanks for reading!

1. Oracle: Do I have a clean up kit? 50/50 11 Yes, Random Event. NPC Action Mr Reeves. ‘Compel and confession or surrender’

2. Oracle: Do they? Unlikely - 76 No

3. Oracle: Sanity (to see if Kat holds back) 81/16 Nah, she is too hungry for murder

4. Oracle: Does he have anything pertinent to the case to give me? Likely - 13 Extreme Yes.

5. Oracle: The other two awake? 50/50 07 Extreme Yes. Do they remember anything? 50/50 87 No

6. Oracle: Does he buy it? 50/50 37 Yes

7. End Scene - Chaos Factor 6 - Test Scene -5 Altered scene - Remove and Object - Remove a Character Jo and laptop

8. Oracle: Is my car still in the lot? Likely - 09 Extreme yes

9. Oracle: Forced open? 50/50 96 Extreme no

10. Oracle: Any smells? 50/50 81 No

11. Oracle: Any other cars? 50/50 54 Yes. Townie style? Likely - 07 Extreme yes

12. Oracle: Signs of a struggle anywhere? 50/50 76 No

13. Skill: Stealth 58/49 - Jasper wakes up

14. Oracle: Any sign of a struggle here? 50/50 98 Extreme no

15. Oracle: Any sign of Jo? Likely - 08 Extreme yes. - Deadly Cascade

16. Oracle: Did they go into the forest? Likely - 65 yes. Jasper and TRacy catch up? 50/50 85 No. Tires cool or still warm from the road? 50/50 93 (Extreme warm)

17. Oracle: Can I follow the trail? 50/50 74 No. Survival - 80/17 no

18. Tracy - Survival 79/80

19. Oracle: Do we find them while Jo is safe? 50/50 56 Yes

20. Oracle: Do they yield? 50/50 26 Yes

21. Oracle: How did Jo know to run? ‘Abandoned Individual’

22. Oracle: Did it finish downloading? Very Likely - 81 Yes. Do the thugs say anything? 50/50 79 - No

23. End Scene. Chaos Factor 7. Test Scene - 9 - Scene As Expected