Nomadic:Sessions:20160102
It is Sunday, August 31, 2014. The national news is reporting a shooting at a posh hotel in Gateway, Georgia, after which Aaron Golden, manager of the punk band Howling Coyotes, had gone missing. A PR rep for Howling Coyotes announces that the concert scheduled at Gateway Ravens Stadium tomorrow night will go on as planned, with over 100,000 fans expected.
The local news notes a shootout near a Motel 6 and broadcasts poor-quality cellphone video of the exchange. Police are said to be looking for a Winnebago.
Father Martin becomes aware that the concert fits in with his visions of death and disaster. He prays over Golden and feels that Golden is now "clean" but rousing him from his coma at this time would cause him injury. On his own, Golden won't wake up for at least 24 hours.
Vicente checks on Bert Case and Mr Everett. Case pleads, "I really got to go." Vicente: "If I have to chase you, I'll kill you." As Case rushes to the bathroom, Vicente frees Everett, who says "I didn't sleep very well." Vicente: "I don't know what to do with Case. You, we're gonna keep." Everett: "As long as you keep me alive, I'll cooperate." Vicente: "It doesn't make any difference to me."
Vicente, Everett, and Case join Rick and Jack at breakfast. Rick says that the surname Carbone is prominent in Chicago; Vicente mutters, "Then I'm staying away from there."
After completing his morning meditations, Father Martin joins the others at breakfast. He asks Everett about Heinrich Kimmler. Kimmler is an international financier, with offices in Geneva, Shanghai, and New York.
Howling Coyotes consists of: Riva Romero, lead singer; Weston Lambert, bass; Gene McKenzie, guitar; Jamal Chan, keyboards; Kell O'Hearn, drummer. Kell reportedly has a keen interest in spiritualism. Everett notes that the band was "probably out partying" last night, which is why they weren't at the hotel with Golden.
Marcus suggests that to counter the expected evil rituals at the concert, Father Martin "bless a lot of water" and run it through the sprinkler systems at the stadium.
Valerie awakens in response to Lori Griffin's thrashing and whimpering in her sleep. Valerie comforts Lori, who relates having dreamed of her ex-boyfriend, Pete Pennington, being restrained in a large, dark room by two men who were torturing him by cutting into his body and peeling away his skin. She felt sure that the dark room was in Gateway but has no other clues as to its location. Regarding the two men, all she can recall is that one was an older man who was well over six feet tall, the other man rather shorter than average. Lori hasn't seen Pete in months, but abruptly admits, "I just realized -- I'm in love with him." Valerie suggests that Lori phone him, but Lori says the last time she tried that a woman with a soprano voice answered, saying she was watching the house.
Lori calls Pete's cellphone. Valerie hears her say, "Yes... Doctor? Why are you answering Pete's phone?... He's in intensive care?... Oh, just a friend." After hanging up, Lori tells Valerie that the person who answered was Dr Manuel Molina at Gateway Presbyterian Hospital, who said that Pete had been in a bad car accident.
Pete works as an aide to Senator Owen of Alabama, who is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Ways and Means Commission. Lori doesn't know why Pete would be in Gateway at this time.
Marcus gives Lori a Glock with which to defend herself. While she feigns reluctance to accept it, her expert handling of the weapon belies her protestations.
Howling Coyotes is scheduled for two events today: at 3:00pm, an event at Music Emporium, and a private party at 9:00pm.
Vicente and Father Martin go to Golden's room. Vicente casts Awaken but Golden doesn't stir. Vicente's Body Reading spell reveals a tangle of swollen veins in the back of Golden's head and a dozen small tumors that are gradually shrinking. He shows these things to Father Martin via Illusion, and the priest concludes that when he drove the evil out from Golden, it tried to kill Golden as it fled and managed to incapacitate him.
Vicente: "We're going to a hospital. I can change his appearance, and we can have him placed in a private room." Father Martin: "May the Lord guide our steps." Vicente: "Or at least not get in our way." Rick fetches a wheelchair and Vicente casts Illusion Disguise on Golden.
Vicente and Marcus 'walk' the unresponsive Golden into the ER. Vicente, seeing two ghosts in the area, says to them in an aside, "I'll be with y'all in a bit." He notices that a child about four years old is also looking directly at the ghosts. Vicente explains to an ER nurse, "We found this guy on the street, unresponsive and with no ID."
Valerie rushes up to the ICU nurses' station, asks breathlessly where Pete Pennington is located, and scurries quickly away with Father Martin following and the baffled nurse shouting after her, then picking up a phone. In a curtained-off area, a doctor and a nurse are discussing Pete's chart when Valerie bursts in. Father Martin senses an oppressive, spiritual darkness. Valerie can tell that Pete has been badly beaten. As the doctor responds to Valerie's flurry of questions, the nurse attempts to sidle away. Valerie turns and asks, "Ma'm, is there something wrong?" The nurse freezes in her tracks, staring wordlessly at Valerie. Seconds pass, then Valerie breaks the tableau with two swift kicks -- one to the doctor's groin, the other to his jaw. The doctor collapses, unconscious, and the nurse faints. Father Martin observes, "The doctor was being influenced, and the nurse was going to tell the 'trappers.'" Valerie and Father Martin put on lab coats (borrowed from the doctor and nurse) and prepare to move Pete out of the hospital.
* * *
4:40pm -- Father Martin and Valerie go to the abandoned warehouse, where the priest begins preparing holy water. His effort is visibly tiring him. Valerie urges him to take a short break ("Granola bars are good... You're strong in spirit, and you need to take care of your body"), but he musters his force of will and persists in his work.
5:00pm -- Golden's eyelids flutter and he responds groggily to the doctor's questions. Vicente casts a Simple Illusion on himself so that he looks like Jamal (the keyboard player for Howling Coyotes) and enters the hospital. "I think our manager might be here," he says to the people behind the front desk, and continues down the hall to the ICU. The attending physician argues, "He doesn't look a thing like Mr Golden!" Vicente drops the Illusion on Golden, then requests "time alone." The doctor rushes off to notify the police.
Vicente collects the three cameras that had been placed earlier. Golden asks, "Jamal, what are you doing here?" "I have someone for you to meet. Remember the father? Well, I'm the son." Vicente Teleports himself and Golden to the car; they get in, and Marcus drives off.
The bug placed on Kell and Gene offers up this exchange -- Kell: "We have to tell the cops!" Gene: "We'll get them back ourselves. We'll call Kimmler and Wolf." "We'll have to move the totems." "Wolf is searching for this prophesied group." "I didn't think she knew that much." "I've never sensed so much power in a priest!" "Is it some special unit, sniffing at our heels?" "We won't admit the other three were kidnapped."
Valerie singles out Weston, since he seemed the least fanatical of the Howling Coyotes, to try to turn him away from the rest of the group. After a few minutes' conversation, however, it's quite evident that he's irredeemable. So while giving him the "doe eyes," she kayoes him with an elbow to the jaw and ties him up.
Golden: Kimmler is very dangerous. He owns 60% of Daybringer's Security, while I own 20%. There's a story going around that when he appeared at a Bay City event, he was assaulted with AK47s and emerged unscathed. The plan is to stage a significant event every month with hundreds of deaths. For example, there was a college campus shooting where hundreds of students were killed; even the ones in hiding were hunted down and shot. The plan for tomorrow night is to wire the stadium for explosives that will kill thousands and cause panic. I last saw Kimmler in June in Djakarta. Wolf reports directly to Kimmler. Wolf's looking for us.
Valerie: "Lori can tell us the prophecy."
Rick reports that Pete has been prompting Lori to repeat the things she's already told us, as though he knows we're listening in. Kell held a press conference a few minutes ago.
6:00pm -- Father Martin completes the holy water creation rituals.
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