Nomadic:Sessions:20180224

At the Lazy 8 Ranch, Rick adds wifi to a new Lincoln Navigator. Marcus has presented his credentials to the government intelligence agencies, and acquires excellent comm gear for the group to use on future missions. Vincente remarks to Marcus, "The ends justify the means," then to Rick, "You need to be our governor in regards to right and wrong. When Marcus and I work together, it spells DOOM for some people."

Enigma issues an invitation to dinner in the ranch's private dining hall for August 31. Valerie, who is working in Los Angeles, is given a Skype link. Vicente: "I've convinced some people not to kill me. Marcus, did you steal any secrets lately?" Marcus: "Not that I'd tell you about."

Enigma's face appears on a screen. "I've lost an observer in a nearby reality." Adam Nicholson (6'1", 180#, 40ish, black eyes, balding; Level 1 Marksman rating) has worked for Enigma out of Atlanta, Georgia in that reality for ten years. His last communication indicated that on Sunday, August 22, 2010 he rented a car in Sacramento to drive to Bridgeport in Mono County CA in order to "investigate abnormalities." Twelve hours have passed since he should have reported; he has never missed a check-in before.

Enigma expects that the group will drive from Denver to Sacramento (15-20 hours) in order to reach the portal that will take them to Adam's reality, and is nonplussed when Valerie suggests they can overnight air freight the Navigator and all their equipment; Marcus, Vicente, and Rick can take a commercial flight from Denver to Sacramento, and Valerie will fly up and meet them at the airport. Vicente to Rick, who had started to object: "Bad guys and gray guys really know the law. Good guys like you, don't. We know we can't carry guns on a plane."

Vicente: "We need a cover story, something where we can carry guns." Enigma will furnish private investigator identification for "Private Solutions" as well carry permits, $100K cash and a debit card.

The next morning the group meets in Sacramento. They have breakfast, catch up with each other, and go over the documents and photos Enigma had given them. Around 5:00pm they drive through the portal. Vicente notes that the mana level is low and that there are more spirits around than usual.

Around 7:45pm they arrive in the small town of Bridgeport (pop. 800) and are drawn to the Ruby Inn. The parking lot is 3/4 full. Valerie notes two broadcast production trucks for Collin Media. Rick reports "chronodimensional/spiritual energy" coming from a 2009 Impala with Los Angeles plates. Marcus pops the lock. Vicente sees an old paper California map on the passenger seat, candy wrappers on the floor, a tissue box on the dashboard. The car is registered to Wade Miller. Inside the trunk are a gun case, a Geiger counter, and three tiki torches. He gives one of the torches to Valerie. Rick says the energy reading is coming from the tiki torches. The Impala is registered to Wade Miller, a PI with Tyler Investigations.

Vicente and Marcus find out Miller's room number. Vicente knocks; the door is answered by an athletically-built woman with dirty-blonde hair. She is dressed casually in a blouse, jeans, and jacket. Vicente, indicating the Impala: "Is this your car?" Woman: "No." She gives her name as Maya Cobb; "I'm an investigator, I'm checking out stuff." Vicente: "Where's your car?" Maya: "I rode up with Wade Miller." Vicente: "You wouldn't be armed, would you?" Maya answers "Yes," cutting her eyes over to where Marcus is pointing Miller's AR-15 at her. Vicente: "Would you slowly hand me your weapon?" She produces a 9mm pistol. Marcus, after giving her the once-over, points to her left ankle and says, "That one, too."

Vicente walks Maya back into the room, tells her to sit on the bed. Marcus: "Where's WAde?" Maya: "Out, checking out some stuff." Vicente: "Could you be more specific?" Maya: "He's meeting with Sheriff Barr." Vicente: "Would you speed up and tell me what I want to know? I'm not negotiating, I'm demanding." Maya: "Looking into some aspects of Collin Media Company." Vicente: "What makes them special?" Maya: "Our client lost money to them, wants to get them in trouble and turn them over to the law."

Vicente: "Tell me about the tiki torches." Maya: "One of Collin Media's film crews left them at the garbage pits, northeast of Bryant Airport." Vicente: "Why'd you pick them up?" Maya: "Wade did, two hours ago. He didn't tell me why. I told him they might draw attention." Vicente: "You were right. The tiki torches are why we're here. I guess we need to go to the garbage pit." Maya: "A film crew was out there. They're pitching some new reality show." Vicente: "Do you want to go to the garbage pit?" Maya: "No."

Vicente asks Marcus to check Wade's and Maya's luggage; Marcus drops a listening device in each. Vicente has Maya lie down on the bed, then casts Sleep on her. His spell works on her, but barely. Marcus tosses the firing pin from Miller's AR-15 to Vicente.

Valerie has located Nicholson's car. It's a little dirty, as if recently driven on secondary roads. As she crosses in front of the car, at a certain point she experiences a sudden chill, an uncomfortable feeling, and thinks she hears a distant, unintelligible whisper. Valerie says aloud, "I can't hear you." Then she hears a pleasant, soprano voice speaking rapidly, "You feel different, like he did. You're stronger. I shouldn't be here. Can you help me? Adam hasn't come back to his car. I might be dead." "I'm Valerie. What's your name?" "Carmella Johnson."

Vicente walks up. Valerie: "Carmella, this is Vicente. He can help you." (Vicente doesn't see a spirit, only a faint blur.) Carmella: "Adam said he would help me." Vicente: "How did you die?" Carmella: "I was murdered by some men in San Francisco. I resisted, and they killed me. I don't know this place. I visited the ghost town a couple of years ago.... Last I remember it was 2009. I don't know today's date.... It took me five or six days to get here." As she speaks, Carmella edges nearer to Valerie. Vicente warns, "Don't move any closer." Carmella repeats, "Adam said he could help me," and points to the second floor of the inn.

Rick, based on a quick internet search, verifies that Carmella Johnson was murdered in San Francisco on the night of June 2, 2009 by three members of a street gang. Before succumbing, she had killed one of the men and scarred another (who is in custody); the third remains at large. She was an administrative assistant at a brokerage firm. Carmella adds, her voice getting stronger, "I'm into cosplay. I was dressed as Vampirella... they were going to rape me."

In answer to the repeated question "what help can we give you," Carmella says "I don't know until..." and doesn't finish the sentence. Then her faint blue shimmer becomes a red swirl, and she whispers to Valerie, "Are you a good fighter? Would you come with me and we can give them what they deserve?" Vicente interrupts: "Two questions. First, how are you able to talk to Valerie and Adam?" Carmella, hesitantly: "I've always had a little of the second sight... my grandmother was Irish." Vicente: "And how did you get to Bridgeport?" Carmella: "I woke up here... I remember the attack, and the pain... then I woke up here." Vicente: "Where were you?" Carmella: "Just outside the city, where I met Adam by the river. I rode with him in his car."

Vicente sees six more ghosts approaching, three male and three female; he touches Valerie so she can see these ghosts, too. Vicente: "Carmella, are these your friends?" Carmella: "I've seen them around town." The six ghosts circle them. Vicente: "Hi, is there a problem?" One man speaks up angrily, "Yes, there's a problem! I want to move on! I don't want to be here! And you're going to help me!" Vicente cuts off the man's rant: "Who the f*ck are you?" "Ralph Anderson! I died in a construction accident in Sacramento, September 3, 2007." Ralph starts going off on another rant, and Valerie says sharply, "Answer the man, Ralph!" "I was... wherever I was supposed to be, then I woke up here in a garbage dump!"

The other five ghosts are Tori Epps, who died in a traffic accident in Sacramento and "woke up" in an aircraft hangar; Teddy Buckley, age 20, who died of cancer January 10, 2009 in a hospital in Mammoth Lake (an avid D&D player, he recognizes the term necromancer); Rhea Jenkins, also from Mammoth Lake, who died in childbirth in 2004; Nelda Collins, who died in a traffic accident in Sacramento, July 4, 2007; Rory Lott, shot and killed October 11, 2008 while robbing a 7-Eleven in San Francisco.

Vicente: "How did you know to come here?" Ralph: "I sensed anger." Vicente: "I need to find another person you can sense, besides us." Teddy: "I get it! You're not of this place, you're from another realm!"

Valerie, with Carmella right at her shoulder, goes and fetches the Geiger counter. Vicente levitates himself up three yards. Teddy reports, "Something flared." Tori says she saw a bright flash followed by a glow, and adds that she has seen "weird auras" on certain antiques.

Vicente addresses the ghosts: "The person who brought you here wants to use your energy; it will hurt, and you will be here forever. I want you to find all the living people who don't belong here. That person, or persons, brought you here. I don't know necromancy; when I kill people, they stay dead. When I banish, they stay banished. Except demons."