CYOA: Honeyman's quest

[Humanity has risen!]

You end up realizing that it is not so surprising that Lester's mother reacted with such apprehension to merely hearing about the group again, even if you had good intentions. Maybe she will end up calming down. You hope for it and decide to leave a note explaining your plan with your phone number, so she can contact you if she changes her mind.

Afterwards, seeing you have nothing else to do, you send a message to James asking if he found out anything that you could help out with. Then you decide to have lunch with Mylene.

Over the course of lunch...

"Say Mylene... what job does your father do? Does he work for the RCMP?"

(The RCMP is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Federal police force, that provides the vast majority of police manpower all over the country. Some cities have their own police force, and Quebec instead has its own provincial police force called the Sûreté du Québec).

"Oh not at all. He's a teacher at University of Ottawa. He's in the department of chemistry, and is also involved in the research.

My mother works for the federal government. Lots of people on both sides of the Ottawa River do. It's a civil servant's town, really.

I think you'll like living there. We can take walks in front of the Parliament, and easily cross into Gatineau by walking through a bridge. We can even skate on the Rideau Canal in the winter! And there are plenty of museums and other attractions to see."

(Ottawa and Gatineau are both on opposite sides of the Ottawa River, which in that area delineates the frontier between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa is in Ontario, while Gatineau is in Quebec. While separate, even though Ottawa is the capital of Canada, both cities are considered part of the national capital region. Commuting from one to another for work or other purposes is very common. As such, they are often considered one and the same.)

"Well, I look forward to it then. Is there anything to do in Gatineau?"

"Not much. It's basically a giant sleeping room for Ottawa. Many people stay there for the cheaper housing, but work in Ottawa during the day. It's a bunch of residential neighborhoods in a very long line. Although at the West end, there is a part of it called Aylmer that is both elegant and quiet.

There are a lot of green spaces, if you're into that kind of thing. I look forward to hiking there with you."

"Oh, and do people speak English there?"

"Some do, but they primarily speak French. Although, since it has lots of civil servants from Ottawa, and since many people from Ottawa go there, most people are bilingual and can speak it fairly well."

"Good to know. Well... your father said he wanted to help me, but I really have no idea what kind of help he had in mind. Since he's not in the RCMP, I don't know."

"I don't know either. But my father is a serious and dependable man. He wouldn't say that to you if it wasn't real."

"I guess we'll see..."

After having eaten, you still don't know what to do. So you contact someone you haven't heard of in a long while: George Godfrey.

He says he's been really busy and hasn't really found anything new. You tell him about what happened so far. How you've dodged another assassination attempt, are now on the trail of David Janssen who is part of the Vagrants cult, and are working with former members to try to dismantle it.

"Ha, I can't believe that his name was spelled differently. No wonder I couldn't find anything. Still, I don't doubt that he was only a very minor member.

I do remember the Vagrants, there was an article about them long ago, about parents looking for their children who'd been bedazzled by the cult and had then left everything behind.

Sounds like an intriguing project, actually. You always have the coolest stories. Let me know if you have enough material to make a good article about it.

I like the sound of a big showdown between they and former members.

That Pious guy sounds totally crazy. Usually, cult leaders are always trying to get other members to give them some sort of advantage. He, however, really doesn't appear to have gained anything from it. They're all living a nomadic lifestyle with the absolute bare minimum. Even eating off garbage cans sometimes."

You tell him that you will see if you get anything for him. That most members are good people who have just been misled and do not deserve to be smeared unfairly.

Afterwards, you realize that you haven't told anything of substance to your friends back in Winnipeg. They don't have the faintest clue that you're on the verge of exposing a cult, and that you're now a married man. You ask Mylene if she would be interested to meet your friends. She is very shy, but ultimately is excited about it.

You start a video call through the encrypted app, with Julian, Steven, Sonia, and Rachel.

Once the whole gang is there, you tell them what you're doing. You infiltrated one of the most secretive cults on the continent, where the man you've been looking for has taken refuge, and are working with other members to dismantle it, so that all the young people who have been cut off from their families can finally rejoin them.

They ask a few questions about it and tell you to keep safe.

Then, nervously, you tell them that in the process, you fell in love with a woman captive from the cult, and through the process of escaping it, she fell in love with you and you both decided to marry.

... You see everyone's jaws dropping to the floor. They're looking at you blankly, completely stupefied.

Sonia says:

"You've WHAT????"

Then Steven chuckles and says:

"Haha wow man, you're not wasting any time, that's the least that can be said!"

Julian: "Well whatever, it's your decision. It's very good news, in fact. Let me be the first to congratulate you. Very happy for you, Bruno!"

Rachel: "Can we see her? Can we?" (she's so enthusiastic, she can barely contain herself)

Bruno : yes in fact, she's right here. She's a little shy. Come and say hi, Mylene!

Mylene is red like a tomato again. She steps in front of the phone.

Everyone greets her and she spends an hour telling her story. Who she was, what life was like in the cult, what the members were like, memorable anecdotes, then how she met you, how you two eloped from the group, and how you decided to marry... and help others escape.

Afterwards, they introduce themselves to her.

All in all, they're all proud of both of you and wish you the best. You tell them that later, you will pass by Winnipeg so they can all meet for real.

Rachel: "Awww, you two just look so cute together. I'm so jealous! What a sweet story!"

Once the meeting is done, Mylene appears very satisfied:

"You have really nice friends, Bruno. I can understand why they like you so much. You take care of them.

Sonia is a nice girl too. I assumed she was just a loose woman and an unreliable drug addict. Now I deeply regret it. I shouldn't have judged her so harshly, without knowing her. She's been through so much, but she already is positive. I still have a lot to learn about how to be more Christ-like."

You smile upon hearing this. Then she looks at you with slight worry.

"She's... pretty, isn't she? Did you like her? Was there anything between the two of you?"

Mylene is obviously being torn by her insecurities.

"Sweetheart, what's with the inquisition?"
"Sorry..."
"I have eyes to see. And I can't deny that I did feel affection for her at some point. After what we've been through, it would have been hard not to on some level. But I chose not to pursue it.

It's you that I chose. You're my favorite woman in the whole world. Please don't doubt me.

Anyway, last I heard, Steven was trying to get with her, according to Rachel. I don't know what's going on now, but let's hope that it will work for the both of them if there indeed is something going on."

Mylene appears comforted by what you are saying.

"Bruno, what should we do now? What if Lester's mom doesn't want to talk to us? Should we just leave and go to either Calgary or Edmonton?"

"Let's give her a little more time. Maybe if it was me, I wouldn't want to hear about the group in any way, shape or form, even from people purported to have good intentions."

You would like to just spend quiet time with your new wife. But, you are left with the feeling that things are being left undone.

After you've had supper, you get a call from James:

"We did talk to some ex-members today who agreed to help us. How's it going for you?"

"We went to Lester's parents house and his mom answered the door, but she just asked us to leave. We left her my number along with a letter in case she changed her mind."

"Well while you're still in Red Deer, I have another lead for you. There are two former members living there who like you two, decided to elope and marry. My hunch is that they have a good story to tell. Larry and Monica Scott. (He gives you Larry's phone number)."

"Sounds good James, thank you. Keep us posted. I'll call them."

You ask Mylene if she knew Larry or Monica

"Yes of course I remember them! I didn't know that they got married! I was just told they had left at some point, but not the reason."

"In this case, you're better to be the one doing the talking. They will have more trust in someone that they already know."

Mylene dials Larry's number...

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Larry answers. He is very surprised to hear from Mylene, but glad! He's also glad to hear that she left the cult, and congratulates her for her marriage.

Mylene tells her of her project and he is shocked... but ultimately thrilled. He is determined to help.

"Count me in! Let's help the others get free from the spell of these maniacs!"

You two invite them for supper.

You meet the Scotts, who appear to both be in their late twenties. Larry is tall, thin and has brown hair. Monica is small, slightly overweight with black hair.

Bruno: "So what exactly happened to you? And what convinced you to leave?"
Larry: "Quite simply, I found out that Pious was lying to me in order to keep me in the group.

Marriage is a huge point of contention in the group. It's never said 100% explicitly, but an unwritten rule is that you can only marry if you have Pious' blessing. Ultimately, he's the one in control of everything.

It's not easy for young people, or even older adults, to have to renounce their sexuality, their desire to interact with the opposite sex and to have their own family.

And yet, because the Vagrants are a high control, very demanding group, Pious is in a huge conflict of interest. When members marry, they start having privileges that are denied to the others, such as sleeping together in a private space and having sex. This creates resentment. Also, when members have their own family, their priorities will naturally change.

And yet, Pious cannot outright deny members the right to marry, because the Bible says that a man and a woman who cannot control each other and love each other should be allowed to marry.

So that the group functions better, it's useful for him to follow the "carrot on a stick strategy": that is, to dangle the possibility of marriage in front of others. To listen to people who say that they want to marry a brother or sister, to appear empathetic, but to then say that he is waiting for "a leading" from God. Then months pass, and the member gradually loses hope. He is gradually made to feel guilty, without marriage being outright denied to him. So he feels like it's due to his own fault, for not having preached enough, for having sinned repeatedly, etc... Pious hopes that eventually, you will stop bothering him with it and give up.

In my case, I initially wanted to marry Monica. He dealt with me exactly in this manner.

But after months, seeing as I was desperate, I asked him again insistently. To get rid of me, he told me with a kind smile that "sadly, Monica told me that she's had a leading from God showing her it's not a good idea for her to marry you. It would be best not to bring up that topic anymore to her, because she doesn't dare telling you".

I was devastated. But then afterwards, I became interested in another sister, Angela.

A year later I told him that I had a dream of me and Angela marrying. You'll never guess what he did!

He said that it was a good choice, but that he needed time to consider it.

And then, sporadically, he dropped comments saying that Monica "had really improved and became an exemplary sister".

He seemed to encourage me to go to Monica after! He went back and forth like that for two years! Most likely, he did it on purpose... he was never going to outright allow me to marry or deny it to me... he just tried to drive me nuts with indecision so I would become discouraged and gave up!

At some point, I just decided to disregard what he said. Monica was kept away from me, but I just went ahead and told her everything."

Monica: "I was shocked because I never told Pious that I had a vision telling me I shouldn't marry Larry. In fact, separately from this, he was using the same tactic with me and another brother! It just went on and on! I was furious, because he pretended to be an anointed man of God, but he blatantly lied to me!

I said to Larry that we were stuck in a cult. That we needed to just leave. To get married. To forget about all these people, they were under mind control and they were not going to change. The solution was simply to go our own way."

Larry: "I work as a painter since then and I enjoy my life very much. Monica works as an orderly.

I'm glad and comforted that you two did the same thing, but realized that was going on so much faster.

Bruno, I think what you are doing in great. I don't want to give up on those brothers and sisters. If you want us to go to Vancouver with you to help put pressure on Pious, we're in all the way!"

Having the evening is done, you shake his hand. You leave the Scotts, and show them how to add you on the encrypted app.

As you leave, you notice that you have a voicemail message.

"Hello, I'm Suzanne, Larry's mom. I'm sorry I reacted so harshly towards you. I took my anger out on you two. Come back home so I can discuss my son's situation with you."

She's had a change of heart! You take a taxi to her home. You ring. She invites you in for coffee.

You tell her the entire story.

"Good that two you escaped, and you make a fine couple. Sadly, Lester isn't here anymore. My husband and I ended up so torn up about my son's situation that we ended up divorcing. I'm alone here now.

After years, my son was kicked out of the group. He took it so badly, having the group that he relied on rejecting him. He came back to me, but he clearly wasn't the same.

He got a job at the grocery store but lost it quickly. Turns out he started using meth and was stealing from the grocery store to help pay for it.

He ended up stealing from me too. Although I deeply regret it now, I decided to kick him out.

He took it as yet another rejection and went into a downward spiral.

Now, if he's still alive, I think he's homeless and living in Calgary. My brother lives there, and saw a disheveled homeless man that looks very much like him one day. However when he attempted to talk to Lester, Lester recognized him and ran away. We've not seen him ever since."

Mylène: "We're so sorry for Lester. We'll go to Calgary soon and do everything in our power to find him, I promise."

She offers to go to Vancouver when the time comes.

"Sometimes I start to doubt God's existence. Why did he let my son go so low? But every now and then, I see signs that He really does exist.

He sent you both to me. I cannot thank you enough."

You thank her, take her phone number, and go back to your hotel.

You both decide that since there doesn't appear to be much for you two to do, you will go to Calgary and try to look for Lester. This will also allow you to touch base with the group, so they don't start suspecting that anything is wrong.

On the next day, you book a ride on the app. A sympathetic woman gets the both of you to Calgary, which takes a little more than two hours.

Finally, Calgary is in view.

You don't know what to think. You've never been in a city so big. You see the downtown area with skyscrapers, surrounded by extremely large residential neighborhoods with houses that all look identical. There are similar looking houses as far as your eye can see!

Calgary has the reputation of being a place where people only think of work, and not much else. What you see so far suggests exactly that.

The driver drops you downtown. You start walking toward the group's lodging (a sympathizer's house), which isn't far away.

You knock.

Brother William opens and is surprised.

"Oh brother Bruno! It's so good to see you! And sister Mylene too! How did it go in Red Deer?"
"Oh, not very well. You know, in Alberta, people seem to have a no-nosense attitude. So when you talk to them about religious beliefs that seem a little out there for them, they look at you funny and dismiss you quickly."

"Haha, you're right about that! But still, not everyone is the same, so do not get discouraged, brother. Ask God to give you strength.

Come in, and Mylene too. Have lunch with the others."

You enter and see that many brothers and sisters are here. It seems other groups have joined you.

Then, Mylene has an intense look of surprise. She pulls you aside discreetly.

"Bruno, it's him. It's him! HE'S HERE!"
"Who, Pious is here?"
"No, not him!"

You get frustrated that she seems to be beating around the bush.

"Cut it out Mylene. Who is it?"

She seems frozen. Then she mutters.

"It's brother David. Elder David. He's here with his group. David Janssen!"

Then, she leaves so that nobody else looks at you two and starts getting suspicious. She joins the other sisters and greets them.

You are paralyzed. You cannot believe that it's real.

The man you have been after for so long? You've finally found him? After all this time? After so many trials and tribulations?

He's HERE?

 

[Humanity has risen!]

You look in the direction of the group Mylene was staring at. You see about ten people, eating together and discussing the bible.

You get closer.

You have no difficulty in recognizing who David Janssen is. You see a man in his mid-thirties or so with a very commanding presence, who just exudes authority. His head is shaved. He has a thin face and a large nose. He is thin and really tall. He really, really reminds you of Bernard.

There really can be no doubt.

You're not sure what to do. You really need to talk to him. You need to spend time alone with him so you can have a private conversation, possibly including Mylene. While you have the chance. While a man as elusive as Charlie, sought after even by a powerful gang, is standing right in front of you.

You don't want to arouse suspicion from him or from the others...

A) Introduce yourself to the members of this group individually, and lastly to David.
B) Ask to join the bible study.
C) Wait later to get an opportunity to talk to David while he's not surrounded by his disciples.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

C

 

[hello friend]

C

 

[Nevill]

"Sometimes I start to doubt God's existence. Why did he let my son go so low?"

Probably has something to do with the family that can't be bothered looking for him (even though his uncle lives in the same town), having to rely on two complete strangers to bring him back.

A) Introduce yourself to the members of this group individually, and lastly to David.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

"Sometimes I start to doubt God's existence. Why did he let my son go so low?"

Probably has something to do with the family that can't be bothered looking for him (even though his uncle lives in the same town), having to rely on two complete strangers to bring him back.

A) Introduce yourself to the members of this group individually, and lastly to David.

Members of the group are trained to do just that, as in, to actively shun any family members who try to reach out to them so as not to get corrupt. As such, I don't see it as unlikely at all that he would have retained the same habits. For all you know, they looked for him many times but he was never found because of his extreme avoidant/paranoid behavior, all problems that are usually magnified even more when people live on the streets.

 

[baud]

A) Introduce yourself to the members of this group individually, and lastly to David.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Since we have a tie, I broke it with head or tails. The resulting choice was C.

You find the scene too messy to intervene in. Sure, just joining the group would give you some cover. But, you are not sure how the others would react. It's better to involve as few witnesses as possible.

You decide to eat with the group you already know. You give each other news of what you did. Of course, you hide any detail that would create a scandal or look amiss.

Later on people end up scattering; some reading the Bible by themselves, some taking a nap, some discussing among themselves, some are outside...

Then, at some point, you feel someone tapping on your shoulder.

You turn your head, and you see David smiling.

"Hello brother, I haven't seen you before. You are?"
"Hello elder David. I'm Bruno. Bless you, brother."
"Bless you too, brother!"

David looks serene and happy. He starts to discuss the bible with you. Starts explaining the signification of some passages.

Then he says: "We'll, it's pretty noisy here. Why don't we go out for a walk? I will teach you what I know there."

David then says to Elder William that he wants to offer you some "spiritual guidance", to you and your partner. Elder William nods approvingly. The three of you start walking outside, on the streets of this dilapidated area of downtown Calgary.

He gives you a few bible lessons.

Then, once you are all far away, he stops. He sits on a bench. He suddenly appears very pale and nervous.

Then he looks at you in the eyes and bluntly says:

"Frank sent you, didn't he?"

You are aghast. He recognized you were his envoy. You're not sure how. But it did make things easier.

"Yes. How did you know?"
"That doesn't matter right now. Can we trust this sister here?"
"Yes we can. She's in with me."

Then he looks downward nervously. Afterwards, he stares at the starry sky.

And he says: " Finally, the day has come."

He turns to you and smiles:

"Locating me must have been extremely difficult."
"You don't say. About as hard as looking for the Holy Grail."
"How is Frank, by the way?"

You look at him with disappointment.

"Not good, he was killed. Incinerated by his own gang."
"I kind of suspected it. Frank had a death wish. He was playing a very dangerous game."

Mylene starts getting impatient

"OK, that's enough now. You two have made him jump through how many hoops already? Do you know what he went through? He went through danger to find you. Stop these silly allusions, and just tell it to us straight."

You are impressed by Mylene. She was coached by the group to be passive and meek. Yet now that she is with you, she grows more active and more bold.

He looks at her with embarrassment, and then to you.

"I'll tell you. But it seems that there is something that you haven't figured out about Frank. Something very, very important. Maybe it's better this way, and it should remain this way. But surely, a man like you wants the whole truth.

Have you figured out by yourself what it could be?"

You really have no idea. You can't even grasp what he's talking about.

"I'll tell you... but before, I will warn you that it will change your life, forever. Perhaps very negatively. Are you still sure you want to know?"

"Yes, yes, YES! You drive me nuts!"

He heaves a sigh. Then says softly and with hesitation:

"Frank Ramsey... was your father, my boy."

WHAT????? IT CAN'T BE!!!

 

[Humanity has risen!]

It's almost as if you're having an out of body experience. And yet... while you think back of everything, in part at least, it would make sense. Frank was being unusually friendly to you out of the blue.

But yet, there is one thing you absolutely cannot understand

Bruno: he only met me once at a bar, and yet he said nothing! He only left a note in my trouser, saying to seek you out.

So suppose he's my father. He spends time looking for me, and finally finds me. And yet, he says nothing? How the f*** does that make sense?

David: I'm sorry. What's your name?

Bruno: Bruno Honeyman.

David: well Bruno... let me start from the very beginning. Maybe then you will understand.

Then, David finally takes a long time to reveal all to you. And here is the truth:

Frank Ramsey wasn't a saint, far from it. When you knew him, he was pleasant to be around. However when you crossed him... he was often without mercy. He had people killed. He was universally respected and fear. And he was very content of that.

That is, until one day. When a jewelry store told his men that no matter what, they refused to pay them.

Incensed by their boldness, he told them to douze the entire place in flames, to make an example for others.

And so they did. The building rapidly burnt to the ground.

Except there was collateral damage: a teenager who had the misfortune of sneaking in at the wrong time to rob the place.

The teenager got stuck as the place was burning up, and died of a horrible death. Firemen only found his carbonated remains the next morning.

It made front page news and was a huge scandal. The Skull Riders had to lay low for a really long time in Winnipeg after that. Even though nobody was able to prove that they did it.

Privately, however, Frank was torn up.

There was a drug addicted woman he met at a bar and had sex with a few times. Years later, she came to him, saying she had a son from him and demanding him support. She showed him an infant boy.

But instead of taking responsibility, Frank told her to piss off and to never bother him again.

Who was she to tell him what to do, really? Nobody. So she gave up, moved, and never contacted him again.

Now that it was much later, the incident with the dead teenager hit Frank hard. He remembered his son. He realized that the dead teenager might as well have been you.

His heart of stone was finally broken.

Back then, David was new member who was never much comfortable in his role as a gangster. Him and Frank developed a relationship. He kept his tough attitude toward everyone else, but he confided in David.

He had a criminal empire... but he realized that his empire was built on the blood of many. He was the king of an empire, but an empire of blood, that only brought misery to everyone it touched.

So, he vowed to make amends. He wasn't sure how.

Ultimately, over a very long period... he conducted very extensive surveillance, of every major operation and figurehead of the Skull Riders.

David: that's what the Skull Riders are really after. He put all that evidence in a box, and concealed it in a place where he made sure nobody would ever find it, unless they knew exactly where to look. A box that contains so much extremely damaging evidence that the entire group will fall apart if the authorities get their hands on it.

Bruno : but why didn't he just send the box to the RCMP?

David: I actually agree. But Frank told me he was afraid that the box getting out would only bring even more misery. He didn't want a vacuum that would merely be filled by other competing groups.

He wanted to make sure that only a worthy and very determined man would get it.

We'll never know exactly what he thought... but the truth is obvious: he decided that man was you, Bruno.

He knew he was a dead man walking, and he wanted you to undo his terrible legacy. He trusted only in you to be capable of it.

He saw that you were his only real treasure. The only good thing he ever did in his life.

He confided in me and told me that one day, someone would seek me out. That finding me would be the proof of the individual's worthiness to carry everything out to the end.

I know why he didn't tell you that night that he was your father. He told me before that he was so eager to meet you one day. But yet, that he was terrified that you would get extremely upset and reject him if you learned who he was, a bloodthirsty tyrant.

He was obviously killed because the Skull Riders learned about the box and he refused to give it to them.

Bruno: I guess I understand if you look at it this way. So where is that box?

David: I don't know. I kept meeting him even after having joined the vagrants. He said he would hide it somewhere in Quebec, and give the emplacement to someone there he trusted.

The box is actually far more protected than that. It's in a specially made miniature chest. That chest is protected by three locks, each needing to be opened with a unique key.

If anyone attempts to tamper with the box, it is intricately ladden with explosives. The box will then explode, and whoever attempts to open it will too.

Frank didn't want the Skull Riders to have any means to get the box. So, he decided to give a key to three important figures, in three different crimes syndicates that were considered enemies of the Skull Riders, but who had some people Frank was on friendly terms with it. He told me who:

-Thomas Day, chief of the Wolverines Amerindian gang, in Thunder Bay
-Alberto Giannola, from the Giannola crime family, the Italian mob that controls most of the organized crime in Montreal
-Sylvio Tremblay, from the Fearless, a minor bikers group, headquartered in Sherbrooke

If you want the box, you have to meet these three people. Convince them to give you the key. This will probably involve rendering some sort of service for them. Find something that they need, that wouldn't involve plunging into extreme criminal behavior. If you tell them you are Frank's son, they will respect you and pay attention to you.

Bruno: are you really, really sure that he's my father?

David: at first I wasn't... but I looked at you more... and I had this discussion with you. You don't ressemble him that much physically... but you do somewhat.

It's especially when you got upset. It reminded me exactly of the way Frank acted when he got worked up. At this point, I no longer had any doubts.

And that's not all Bruno... there is something else you should look into... Frank was even more scared of something else than dismantling the Skull Riders... I'm not sure of what.

But he told me that some of the higher ups of the Skull Riders were getting into "extremely creepy stuff". You need to find out exactly what these activities are. That seems to be even more important than the evidence in the box.

I advise you not to tell any of the exact specifics of what I told you to anyone. Only you and your girlfriend should know. It's very imprudent to let it out for now.

Mylene stares at you:

"Bruno... I married you... for better or worse.. I don't care if someone as infamous was your father... that will not change my promise to you. I will gladly honor it."

After you know the whole truth, you explain your current schemes with the group to David.

You find out that he already came to the same conclusions. He stayed with the group because he felt trapped, and he was worried that the Skull Riders would get him if he reemerged.

He gladly accepts to help you. He says that finally, he feels liberated. Before going back to the group, he wants to finally call his father. To reconcile with him.

He leaves while you stand there lost in thoughts and Mylene stares at you.

One thing starts bothering you... is there a way to prove without a doubt that Frank Ramsey really is your father?

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Exceptionally, the next question will be open-ended. No multiple choices...

Think of what you know...

is there a way to prove that you are Frank's son without a doubt?

 

[ERYFKRAD]

Exceptionally, the next question will be open-ended. No multiple choices...

Think of what you know...

is there a way to prove that you are Frank's son without a doubt?

I mean, DNA tests, but getting a sample of Frank is gonna be a bit of a challenge.

 

[hello friend]

Find the mother perhaps. Probably not, but she might have a baseball cap with his DNA on it or smth from back in the day.

 

[baud]

other DNA testing, I'm not seeing anything. And his body has been burned to a crisp and is most likely buried now... Perhaps he has still living relatives, those should work for DNA testing, right?

 

[Nevill]

WHAT????? IT CAN'T BE!!!

I believe the proper phrase would be "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!"

He had a criminal empire... but he realized that his empire was built on the blood of many.

I like it when after a lifetime of killing people suddenly realize they might have hurt someone.
Can you blame them? How could they have known? Dead men tell no tales!

A box that contains so much extremely damaging evidence that the entire group will fall apart if the authorities get their hands on it.

It'll take either that, or a Jackie-Chan.

Honestly, I am a bit disappointed. I thought it'd be about the Nazi gold, or at least the cult of the Old Ones, but it's simply about some evidence collected by an old man who couldn't decide whether he wanted to dismantle his criminal group or not.

I actually agree. But Frank told me he was afraid that the box getting out would only bring even more misery. He didn't want a vacuum that would merely be filled by other competing groups.

He wanted to make sure that only a worthy and very determined man would get it.

Wait, why does it matter who gets the box if the goal is to reveal it? Unless he wants us to depose the bosses and inherit the organisation. I don't think "you kill it, you own it" works even on a street level, much less in organized crime.

If anyone attempts to tamper with the box, it is intricately ladden with explosives. The box will then explode, and whoever attempts to open it will too.

...ah, I see, the classic "you need X keys to access the McGuffin" narrative structure.

I say, screw the three key holders, and hire a sapper instead. I can buy why you can't bypass ancient traps of Chinese Pharaohs designed by aliens, but it's merely a booby trap commissioned by a middle-ranked criminal boss. How hard would it be to bruteforce?

Also, the setup doesn't quite work if the papers are only worth something to the rightful heir. Why would you booby trap the evidence? The party that you want to hide the evidence from seeks to DESTROY it. You are helping them, not us!

But he told me that some of the higher ups of the Skull Riders were getting into "extremely creepy stuff". You need to find out exactly what these activities are. That seems to be even more important than the evidence in the box.

Alright, the Old Ones may still be on the menu, gentlemen!

Find the mother perhaps. Probably not, but she might have a baseball cap with his DNA on it or smth from back in the day.

Dead of drug overdose some twenty years ago.

Frank's house is still standing though. We also have his note, for what it is worth.

But the important question is, why does it matter? The guy wanted us to have a shiny that Important People are after when we didn't have anything better to do with our life. Why do familial relations matter? It's not like we were forcibly separated and then happily reunited, you can't get more deadbeat than the man. He never did anything for us except give us a quest through which we found our calling; thank you and good riddance, I say!

 

[Humanity has risen!]

As you go back to the house to sleep, you think back of those revelations.

Suddenly, the events of the last few months make more sense. Things fall into place.

You look at yourself in the mirror. Then you look at your hands. It looks almost certain that you, the boy with no past, are in fact the son of one of the most prominent criminals in the country, perhaps even of the continent.

Your father's name evokes fear just by mere mention of it.

What does this mean for you? Does it change who you are?

Does it mean you are irremediably corrupt and destined to hurt people?

You can't even fathom all the wrong he's done. All his victims will probably forever hate him, and forever hate you, by mere association.

What more, he was extremely callous toward you and your mother. He gave up on you. Sure, he appears to have had a profound change of heart, and better late than never... but can it really atone for the broken lives he left in his wake?

And yet... you try to bring yourself to hate the man... but you can't. You've always wondered who your father was. You tell yourself that, through the course of the trials that will come, you will come across more people who knew him. They will be able to tell you more about who your father really was. Then at that point, when you have a more complete picture, you can make a decision.

Frank put tremendous trust in you. You are not sure if you are worthy of that trust.

You think back about a way to proving definitely that he is your father, so you don't have to doubt it anymore. DNA definitely seems to be the best method of arriving at it. However, what source of DNA?

You have the note, but you're not sure whether or not that is enough to prove filiation.

You also think back of the house... there probably is enough material there to achieve that goal. But what and how to gather it exactly? It would seem a delicate operation.

You decide that for now you will not worry about it. You put it in the backburner.

The next morning, after breakfast and showering, David comes to see you. He says he told Elder William that he will accompany the both of you to help mentor you in the ministry work.

Once you are farther away from the house he says:

"So, not too shaken up by yesterday?"
"I guess not. I guess that it's kind of a relief. Things make more sense now."
"I would surely be shocked if I was in your shoes. It must be hard to realize that your father is a notorious criminal. Yet, I was able to have a relationship with the man and see a different side of him that suggested me he wasn't all bad.

Towards the end since he knew I was a pastor's son, he was asking me a lot of questions about the bible and about God. We were discussing and praying together sometimes. It seems like he was trying to repent for what he had done.

Also, I called my father. I finally had the guts to do it. He was really glad. He said you two had done a lot of good work in saving people who were trapped, like me. So, I really want to thank you and assist you in whatever way I can. For sure, we have to be very careful, as I'm sure you've noticed that the Vagrants, while looking warm and friendly, really are a paranoid bunch. If we get exposed, we could quickly be cut off, and be left without a means to save the others.

Anyway, that's a lot of heavy stuff for now. What to you propose we do today?"

"We have someone we want to try to find and save, an expelled member. Lester's mother told us he was probably living there, either as a homeless, or in squalid conditions."

"Oh yes I remember him. He was so motivated and eager too. He seemed really happy to have found acceptance. I don't know the exact details of his banishment, but I totally get that it must have been very devastating to him. Let's see if we can find him."

You now wonder where you could start your searches to find him... at this time of the year in Calgary, it is very cold. You are not likely to find him standing outside all day.

A) Show his picture in homeless shelters.
B) Ask around in bars.
C) Try to find drug dealers.

 

[Nevill]

C) Try to find drug dealers.

Start with what you know!

 

[ERYFKRAD]

C

 

[hello friend]

C

 

[baud]

A) Show his picture in homeless shelters.

 

[Humanity has risen!]

I have a lot of work this week. I will post an update later.

I just want to say for now that the plot point about a teenager being killed by accident by a bikers gang is something that really did happen in Canada. It wasn't a business being punished for not paying protection money, rather it was the Hell's Angels striking back at a rival gang called the Bandidos. A young boy died in the explosion of a car. Totally innocent bystander. It gave a lot of people pause about biking gangs.

And they do absolutely retaliate against people who don't pay protection money, or don't buy from their preferred providers.

In my hometown the Hell's Angels burned the pizza store of a guy like 3-4 times. They were burning one down, he opened a new one nearby 1-2 years later, and the whole process kept repeating. Until he finally had enough and gave up.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

They were burning one down, he opened a new one nearby 1-2 years later, and the whole process kept repeating. Until he finally had enough and gave up.

Pizza can't have been that bad

 

[Humanity has risen!]

As you start walking toward the less savory area of downtown Calgary, on a bench, you see a man in his mid-forties who appears depressed. As you pass him by, he looks at all of you. He notices that David carries a small Bible. He says:

"Oh, you guys are part of some ministry?"
"Why, yes. We're part of a group that tries to be faithful to the Bible, unlike others, who have compromised with the world.", David replies.

A dialogue then ensues. The man speaks with a very slight French accent, which is a little unusual for a place like Calgary. But not all that much, as the oil industry also employs a lot of Quebec workers, who come for prolonged periods in Alberta to work in this industry, enjoying better wages.

The man says he is originally from the Montreal area, but lost his job in Calgary due to an economic downturn. At the same time, his wife ended up divorcing him. As such, the man is now depressed and aimless. He says he is curious about the Bible and Christianity. Understandably so, he seems to consider it as a source of comfort, guidance and clarity, as he is going through though times.

You look at the others with a concerned look. You don't mind helping the man, as this is exactly the type of work you are doing right now anyway. But does a man in a apparent state of vulnerability deserve to be dragged into a high control group?

On the other hand, the group is probably about to fracture soon. So maybe the brothers can just give him the support they need in the next few weeks before the group finds his freedom again. Or you can tell him of your findings if things get too bad, and before he has been indoctrinated. As the man seems desperate for support and willing to join you, you end up agreeing.

Mylene: "I'll bring him to the house and introduce him to the others. You two go on about your business."

Probably, this is Mylene not wanting to have dealings with drug dealers or other such shady individuals, but being a little shy of saying it outright. Anyway, you agree with leaving her out of it. Who knows if someone you meet gets violent? It's better for men who are trained in combat to deal with this.

You decide to go to the roughest part of downtown Calgary. You and David spend a little time walking around. You stay on the lookout for guys who stay in place for a prolonged period, even though it is cold.

After one hour, you find such a guy.

You two approach him.

Bruno: "Yo man, what do you have?"
Man: "You want to get high, I guess?"
Bruno: "Yeah I guess."

(You don't intend to get drugs from the man. You are trying to build rapport.)

Man: "Well I have meth on me. $10 a pop."
Bruno: "Too bad. I prefer coke."
Man: "Come back in a week, I might get some for ya."
Bruno: "All good, thanks bro."

You get the picture out and show it to him:

Bruno: "Hey man I used to get my stuff from this guy, but he just vanished at some point. Do you know where he is or what happened to him?"

The man stares at the picture of Lester. Suddenly, he becomes extremely uncomfortable.

"N....no. No idea, sorry."

You step up to him with a devilish grin.

"Oh really, you don't know. That's why you just turned white as a sheet?"

"F*** just leave me alone man, I said I don't know. You guys aren't cops, are you?"

"No, we're not. But we can spot BS when we see it."

David: "Just fess up and we'll be on our way."

The man obviously doesn't want to create a scene, considering his illicit activities.

"Alright. Let's go to a quieter place."

You two go to a deserted alley.

Man: "Anything I say, you didn't hear from me. Alright?"
You and David nod.

Man: "Lester came from Red Deer. He was pretty aimless. He had a knack for dealing with people and approaching them. As such, the Riders recruited him as a low-level dealer."

(So these dealers are working for the Skull Riders. That makes it a little trickier.)

Man: "Unfortunately, at some point the guys found out that he was using some of their stuff for himself. He was stealing small quantities here and there.
He was warned to stop and promised to. But just recently, the guys found out that he kept doing it, and was taking much higher amounts. At this point they grew furious.
They are holding him somewhere. Trying to teach him a lesson"

David: "Oh wow, where is that somewhere?"

Man: "The old soda bottling plant. (He points to an address).
He's been there for a few days. I didn't hear anything, so I think he's still there."

Bruno: "That will definitely help. But it seems like this is pretty dangerous business. You saw what they did with him. Aren't you scared that they might start treating you the same one day, if they feel you've wronged them?"
Man: "I didn't agree to it. I don't agree with a lot of what the Riders are doing these days. Things are getting tense. People are scared. They are being more and more ruthless.
I've been thinking about leaving town for a while. I don't want to face the same fate, for sure."

David: "That would be a good idea.
I used to be in the Skulls, myself. I left in part because I saw that there was nothing to gain from it. All it does it corrupt your soul and take everything from you, leaving you only fleeting pleasures."

The man looks inspired. Maybe he will have enough courage to escape the organization. In a way, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between the way a gang works, and the way a cult works. Well, except the cult has less violence... well, less overt physical violence, at least.

Now that you have the information, you wonder what to do.

Bruno: "David, can you fight if need be?"
David: "I try not to anymore, but yes, I can throw a good punch if need be. I used to be pretty wild. Although, I don't think it's a good idea to go all Rambo on them. I'll try calling the police."

David takes his phone, calls 911. He tells the operator that he's been told that someone he knows is being held in the derelict soda bottling plant. The operator promises to send someone out.

You two walk closer and closer to the bottling plant. Then you wait.

After two hours, there doesn't seem to be anything special that's happening. You pass by the road. But it's quiet and still. People in the surrounding houses and businesses are just going about their daily activities.

David calls the Calgary Police Service, while you look around.

It seems David is getting into a heated argument. He looks very frustrated. He hangs up.

David: "You're not going to believe it. They said they sent a guy to look around, who said there didn't look to be anything suspicious. He said to stop bothering them and wasting their time. I told them it was serious but he just started going on a tirade on me."

Astounding. A man is being held up, and they're ignoring it.

Godfrey is going to love this story, and the CPS is going to look like idiots for sure.

Bruno: "Looks like it's up to us two, David. Are you in?"
David: "I didn't want to fight ever again or get into confrontations ever again. But if a brother is being held like a slave, that's just not right. We can't turn back and do nothing."

You wonder what is the best way to infiltrate the plant. There is a road going up on some sort of hill behind the plant. If you go there, you might have a peek at the rear without getting close to the plant and risking being spotted.

While David awaits for you on the road down, you climb up the road. You see a spot with a large parking lot, some garage, a house, and what appears to be a condo. This seems to be the only spot where you can have a clear view from the rear of the plant.

You figure that you can just have a quick look there.

Unfortunately, things do not go as smoothly as you planned. You barely have time to take a glimpse, when a man gets out of the nearby house. He looks very angry.

"Can I help you? Just what are you doing there?"

Bruno: "Oh I'm so sorry sir. I was just curious and on a hunch, I wondered what that old plant looked like from behind. I just wanted to take a look and then leave."
"You're not the owner of this land. This is private property!"

You understand his point. You apologize, said it hadn't even entered your mind, it happened so quickly. You really didn't want to create a disturbance. You tell the man you will leave immediately and wish him a good day.

"No, don't wish me a nice day. This is private property! Who do you think you are?"

You were sorry initially... but are now starting to grow very frustrated. You went out of your way to apologize and to be polite to the man and tell him you would be on your way. But somehow, his needless belligerence is only increasing. It seems gratuitous and totally uncalled for.

"Just get the f*** out of here already!"

Wow. Now, any sympathy and guilt vanishes from you. This man is just being a bully, for such a benign, non-incident. Nobody has pissed you off this much in a really, really long time.

You realize that bullies must not be dealt with with kindness and meekness. These are only traits they are dying to prey upon. You raise your voice.

"I said I was leaving already. You don't have to be rude to me."

The man stops talking. Seemingly he got the hint.

Then you walk down. Unfortunately, you didn't get a good chance to see what it looked like. If there was a rear door or something else.

Still shaken up, you arrive on the street downhill and step up to David. You tell him what happened.

David: "Wow, what a jerk. Just pay no mind to him. Don't let your day be ruined by some idiot. We have more important things to do."
Bruno: "But that means we will have to go on the ground and risk being spotted early. I didn't get a good view at all from the rear because of him."

Hopefully, he doesn't come here and interfere with you somehow. Although, if he was that despicable, if he went that far, it would actually be helpful. If he contacted the police because he saw you on the plant's ground and came off as so obnoxious that they'd go again just so he stops pestering them, if they could get off their lazy butts and actually come here, and you know... help a person who was abducted, after they did their bare pathetic minimum which failed. That would help.

You two walk up to the plant. It has been abandoned a few years ago. You see a door on the left side up some stairs, and the front door.

You are not quite sure what to do here. You don't know where in the old plant they are, or how many people are guarding him, or if anyone else than him is there at the moment. You don't know which of the two doors is most discreet.

Before you try to go in, you send a message to Mylene. Telling her what has happened and where both of you guys are.

Then, it is time to enter this perilous place.

A)Pick the lock on the left and enter it. Try to do it quietly.
B)Enter from the front door. No time to waste.

 

[ERYFKRAD]

B

 

[baud]

A

I'm not a barbarian