Operation Winter Strain: Chapter Eight
Making unwelcome new friends in the Delta Green TTRPG 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.
Thumbnail Photo by Daniel Torobekov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/dry-field-and-rocky-formations-under-starry-sky-at-night-7638088/
Driving Through Sagebrush - 6PM
We dropped Debbie off and she stumbled into her apartment building, slightly disoriented but coherent and with something resembling good humor. Nancy escorted her inside, which was good, as I had a missed call from Jasper and didn’t want her to eavesdrop.
“Ran into some trouble on a supply run.” He said softly. “Nothing we couldn’t handle, but we have another couple of bodies to dispose of.”
“Sorry I missed it.” I said and he chuckled.
“You any good with a rifle?” He asked.
“Pretty good.” I answered honestly. “Why?”1
“Because I have a highly illegal Chinese assault rifle with no serial number and hand crafted bullets here, and I don’t want to use it.” He answered drily. I blinked.
“Where on earth-?” I started to ask. “Wait, did they jump you with a rifle?”
“They wanted to, certainly. These guys aren’t exactly guerilla fighters, I could smell the coming a mile off and I mean that both figuratively and literally.” He followed this up with a sneeze and a few mumbled curses before continuing. “I got the jump on them with Nate, so we bundled them into the SUV, but neither of them survived the extraction. They’re just skin and bone, like the ones from the warehouse. I half expect they would starve to death in a week or so, if left to their own devices.”
“I don’t think their minds are really their own anymore.” I said softly.
“Really?” He said, a note of surprise in his voice. “What gives you that idea?”
“I’ll head back to the safehouse soon and fill everyone in. But I think whatever is in the church either alters or dulls their mind. I followed up on a person of interest, and they said one of our suspects completely changed after visiting an area near the church. They became sluggish, slow and fixated on the area.”
“Interesting.” Jasper hummed. “It would explain a lot. You’re on your way back?”
“Soon, I just have one more lead to figure out, and then I’ll head back.”
Nancy returned shortly after I hung up and I started to drive us in a wide loop of Sagebrush to keep us moving while we talked.
“I think its best if we keep your team out of any part of collapsing the caves.” Nancy said firmly. I wanted to protest, but it would save me a lot of explaining and possible arguments, so I just nodded.
“Will you be able to collapse the tunnels by yourself? Do you have access to explosives?”2
“I can probably jury rig something.” She said vaguely. “But I’m also pretty strong, and my kind are good diggers. It might take a bit of time, but it’s not like I have plans.”
“Your kind?” I asked.
“Best not to think about it. For now, I’m just Nancy!” She said with hollow cheer, placing her hand on her chin in a faux cute pose that was extremely disconcerting. She held the pose for a moment before returning to her normal, solemn expression. “If we survive, and work together again, I’ll tell you all about it, assuming you want to know. I wouldn’t, in your position, for the record. Curiosity and the cat, remember?”
“Fair enough. You collapse the tunnels, and I’ll move my team in and eliminate the the church.”
“Burn it to the ground.” She said firmly. “Fire doesn’t work on everything unnatural, but it sure as hell works on these things. Whatever happens internally to the people that ingest these mushrooms, they go up like dry paper.”
“I could pick up a case of cheap booze and make Molotov cocktails.” I mused. “You just put the cloth in the top, right?” Nancy looked at me with bemusement.
“Aren’t you an FBI agent? Shouldn’t you know how to make a Molotov cocktail?” I shrugged awkwardly.
“I’m part of the criminal investigation department, not the counter terrorism department.” I answered defensively. “Kidnappers and white collar criminals don’t make Molotov cocktails.” She laughed softly, and gave me a patronizing pat on the head.
“Nate and Nolan know how to make then, get them to make them for you before you leave.”
“So this is the extent of the plan? Burn the church, kill everyone inside and collapse the tunnels?” I asked.
“Yup.” Nancy said.
“What about James Scott?” I asked. “And whoever this ‘K’ is?”
“I have no idea what your talking about.” she said.
“James Scott is the infected town counselor funding the church. And ‘K’ is some guy from New York I think, who seems to be involved.” I shuffled in my jacket pocket and handed her the letter with the Order of Midnight’s seal.3 Her sharp eyes narrowed.
“The Order of Midnight?” She murmured. Her fingers began an insistent tap on the dashboard as she fidgeted nervously for a few moments. “What do you know about New York? From our side of things?” She asked eventually.
“Not much.” I said. “I’ve dealt with a few drop-outs from this cult earlier in the year, people who left it for their own reasons and started performing rituals that got them killed.”
“Until recently, everything in NYC was under control of a group called the Network.4 My cell had a few run-ins with them, but the standard protocol back then was to consider NYC enemy territory. You don’t need to know the history, you can bother Nolan for it on your own time later. All you need to know is that early last year, the head honcho in the Network disappeared without a trace. This guy was The Boogeyman, he had been confirmed dead at least 3 times and he always came back a few days later, laughing about it, cracking jokes and as healthy as ever. His disappearance has not gone over well, even for our side, and now all the cults and groups that made up the Network are in a sort of cold war, vying for position, trying to fill the vacuum left behind. This cult.’ She tapped the page. “Is an old one. Not big players, mostly rich folk that dabbled a little too much and sold their soul somewhere along the way. Now though, who can say. It is not a good sign. Whoever this K is, kill him, and burn the body.”
“Thanks for that.” I said faintly. That was a lot to take in, but I wasn’t sure how much of it was relevant. I would have to remember to ask Landry for more context. Or maybe I wouldn’t. Too much knowledge didn’t seem to be doing anyone any favors.
I picked up a case of cheap vodka and scotch from a liquor store on the edge of town before dropping Nancy off in the middle of nowhere.
“Shouldn’t I drop you off closer to the church?” I asked, looking around at the rolling desert plains. She shrugged, her eyes distant.
“I need to grab a few things. Don’t worry about my end, I’ve got the easy, if time consuming, job. Focus on the mission.” She opened the back doors of the van and hauled both bodies out. I jumped a little in surprise. I had forgotten they were there. “I’ll take these off your hands.” She said casually, hauling them onto her shoulder with an ease that shouldn’t have been possible with her slender frame. “See you around Kat.” She called over her shoulder. She took a few steps, and then stumbled to a knee, the bodies dropping from her arms as she braced against the ground. I jumped slightly, again, and got out of the car.
“Shit, Nancy? Are you ok?” I ran to her side, and she looked up at me, her sharp blue eyes milky white and glassy. She tilted her head, and then her hand gripped my lapel as she pulled me close.
“Where is it?” She hissed. Her voice was different, somehow, tense and her lilting southern accent was suddenly much more prominent. “If M-Cell finds it, we’re all in big trouble Nolan, can’t you see that.” She looked at me pleadingly, and I looked back in confusion. I had no idea what the hell she was talking about. “Nolan?” She said, looking at me. “Nolan please.”
“Nancy? It’s me, Kat. Nolan isn’t here. I don’t know what your talking about.” She looked at me for a moment longer, and then her eyes refocused, the milky hue clearing until her vibrant blue eyes looked back at me. He hands were wrapped around the lapel of my jacket, pulling my within inches of her face, and even in this form, I could smell the hint of the death on her breath. “Nancy?” I asked again, cautiously. She cleared her throat and released me, rising to her feet.5
“Today has taken more out of me than I thought.” She said with a hollow laugh. “Sorry about that Kat. I’ll be fine once I rest for a bit. Keep your team away from the caves, ok?” She said. She grabbed each corpse by the arm and broke into a loping run before I could respond.6 What the fuck was that?7
CIA Safehouse - 8 PM
“Please tell me your joking.” Jasper said, his eyebrow twitching in visible strain.
“What? Its going to be useful. We can blend in with all the other crazies at the church. Now open the garage!” I had pulled the removals van up the driveway to the safehouse and Jasper had come to meet me. He was looking at me with a mix of horror and, unless I was mistaken, barely contained rage. He clicked the remote and the garage door wheeled open. He followed me inside and fixed me with a glare as I exited the truck.
“You’ve brought one of the most conspicuous vehicles in Arizona directly to the front door of a CIA safehouse.” He said. It wasn’t a question. “Is operation security a thing for other people? Am I the only person in this fucking house that has any idea the shit storm that is brewing with all of this shit?” He was breathing heavily, and his usually dark and mild eyes were almost feral.
“Can I explain?” I said calmly
“Please do.” I spent the next few minutes filing him on the misadventures at the library, glossing over exactly how I had eliminated and disposed of the bodies on my own, skirting around Nancy’s involvement with as much skill as I could manage. I wasn’t ready for that conversation with Landry, and as much as I liked Jasper, I didn’t relish that conversation either. Besides, I don’t think he needed the extra strain.
“So they jumped you? Why?” He said, his calm returning by the moment. He was a professional if nothing else. I passed him the note and his eyes narrowed. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He said, his voice quavering again with barely restrained emotion.
“What’s the deal with these Midnight guys?” I asked. “Are they that big a deal?” I didn’t want to reveal what Nancy had told me, but I needed to know why these fuckers kept turning up.
“Its not actually our side of things that’s the problem. I have no idea what kind of threat they pose as a cult, and if Nate knows anything, he isn’t sharing. Everything I know about them is their more ‘legitimate’ public side. The CIA keeps tabs on them.8 They have a lot of connections overseas that are questionable.” he emphasized the last word with an eyebrow waggle which was so out of character I nearly giggled, which would have been ridiculous, and very embarrassing.
“So they are normal world evil, on top of weird world evil?” I asked
“Bingo!” He said. “They are also very wealthy, so even though we have to rent a warehouse to store all the dirt and evidence we have against them, it’s all very hush hush.”
“Seems a bit out of your jurisdiction?” I said, leaving the follow up point unsaid. Unlike, for example, a bureau of investigation?
“I really shouldn’t talk about it.” Jasper said with a sigh. “Trust me, I’m not happy about it. And if this ‘K’ person from that letter is really part of it, then we need to make sure nobody ever finds a body. You have no idea how much shit I’m going to be in already.”
“Because of the safehouse?” I asked.
“That too. Come on, let me catch you up before we debrief the others.”
Shit had gone sideways for his side of the investigation.9 Landry’s less than legal friends had pulled through after it became clear that any blood sampling technology available locally was not for rent or loan, no matter what was offered on the table. They had requested the favor returned immediately, and Jasper had spent most of the day fulfilling the need.10
“How bad was it?”
“Pretty bad.” He said. “Dealing with a rival group. It’s always these butt fuck nowhere places that have a shockingly developed criminal network, you know?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “If any of that shit gets tied to me, my career is over.”
“I’m sorry Jasper.” I said solemnly.
“Don’t worry about it.” He muttered. “Everyone I killed today was either insane or comprehensively evil. Anyway, the blood analyzer came with a good old fashioned double edged sword.” He said, opening the door to the back room. He pointed at a woman in a lab coat who sat looking at her watch on the inside of her wrist, her finger on the pulse of a slightly less blue CDC agent.
“Who the fuck is that?” I asked, shocked. She was older than me, in her late 40s if I had to guess, with a mane of light brown hair and an angular cross shaped scar on her cheek. The lines were too precise to be an accident, and added a dark, almost menacing cast to her features, a look that was amplified a moment later when she smiled unpleasantly at me.
“Your friend is so charming, spook boy.” The woman said in a thick, almost comical Russian accent.
“This is Dr. Petrov. She’s..” He trailed off. “I actually don’t know what she is.”
“I am doctor, obviously.” She said with a rueful shake of the head. “Americans are always so elitist.” She said with mock sadness. “Is my medical degree from St Petersburg not good enough? Must I have an American certificate to know how to treat people with mushroom poisoning?”
“Preferably!” Jasper snapped. He gestured for us to leave, and Dr. Petrov wiggled her finger in a dismissive wave goodbye. I stopped him a few yards down the hallway.
“This is fucking insane.” I hissed. “Why is she here? She’s obviously part of the mob! What happened to Op-Sec?”
“I don’t like it either. She makes my skin crawl. But Landry can’t fault her professionalism, she’s been quiet, and the color of both of the CDC agents has improved. She claims they’ll both survive, if we can keep their fevers down and topped up with water.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. I had written them off as dead since that morning, and a small ember of emotion flared a little at the thought they might survive. Jasper’s expression softened.
“Really. Besides…” He paused, and then took my arm and lead me into the empty kitchen before continuing. “I’m pretty sure these Russians know more than they are letting on. About the unnatural, I mean.”
“What gives you that impression?” I whispered back.
“I can speak Russian. Not well, admittedly, but I understand it better than I speak it. They used a few terms that I’m almost certain relate to the occult. And Petrov took one look at Joe’s sample, and called it a ‘space mushroom’.” He did a little air quote around the words ‘space mushroom’ and I gave him a wry look.
“It is glowing blue.” I pointed out.
“But space mushroom?” he insisted.
“It’s a bit of a stretch. But if you’re right, then we need to be even more careful.”
“Agreed.”11
Not a lot going on this chapter, it was nice to get a breather and firm up a few background threads. I’m also trying out zooming in more on the conversations and dialogue this time, mostly because I like writing Nancy and Jasper. Fun fact! Dr. Petrov was originally named Balalaika because I hadn’t prepared a Russian name generator, and it was my go to female Russian mobster name. Let me know what you think and thanks again for reading!
This is the PC positive from last chapter
Oracle: Does Nancy have explosives? 50/50 - 33 Yes and Random Event
Does she recognize the seal? 15 Yes
See Delta Green: Conspiracy for details. They are very interesting
I didn’t take notes very well, but this was the random event from note 2. I think it was NPC Action - Nancy but I can’t remember the prompts.
Sanity (Unnatural) - 83/49 -1 Sanity
End Scene Chaos Factor 5 . Test Scene - 8 Scene as Expected.
Oracle: Do the order have connections abroad? 50/50 34 Yes
Oracle: Did the favor get resolved by Jasper? Likely- 14 Yes
Oracle: Was the favor only moderately illegal? 50/50 93 - extreme no.
Ending mid scene here due to length.
Space Mushrooms! It does describe them well! It reminds me of the story “ The colour out of space”