Harrowed Halls

GM: Evil Mike, Cruel, Silver Tongued Devil
Samuel Smythe (Steve): Occult Branch, Polish National, the Healer
Balthazar Magnusson (Owen): Operations Branch, Swedish, The Lindquist/Forger
Cyrus Lowenstein (Ben): Operations Branch, American, The Ladies Man
Nick Harmon (Mike): Occult Branch, American, Combat Psychic

Previously we had extracted a double-agent, named Willow, who was working for both the Chinese and the Russians. She had wanted to defect and we were in the right place at the right time to help her. Our handler, Mr. Myster, ordered us to escort her to a drop-off point in the city of Gdansk on the northern coast of Poland. Using the tech op at our disposal (Lowenstein) we discovered that someone, mostly likely the Russians, had planted a tracking device in Willow’s bra. We removed it and destroyed it. But now we knew that they knew that we knew…and they would be watching for us to transport her to somewhere safe.

Together, the brightest minds of the group (Lowenstein and Smythe) concocted a fiendish plan. After the “Giant Badger” plan failed, we went with plan B. This entailed driving into a tunnel where three look-a-like vehicles would emerge all traveling to different locations. This seemed to work for a while, until Agent Magnusson announced we were being followed. Willow had to visit the ladies room, so we stopped (again)—keeping a careful eye on the tailing car. It passed us by. Smythe escorted Willow to the ladies room. While waiting outside, Agent Smythe heard a commotion coming from inside. Agent Smythe burst in to the small bathroom to find Willow being pulled out through the window. His agency training took over and he lunged for her lithe, beautifully formed ankle. He must have been distracted by the ankle, because he missed. The next sound he heard was a car peeling out from behind the building.

Agents Lowenstein and Magnusson took off in hot pursuit of the car. Agent Smythe “borrowed” a car from a friendly lady at the gas station. Smythe wasn’t exactly sure if she gave him her car because of his charismatic charm or because of the machine pistol he was waving in her face. Anyway, Smythe joined the chase.

There were a couple of tense moments during the chase when both Lowenstein and Smythe critically failed their driving rolls. Agent Lowenstein plowed through several cars yet managed to get him, Agent Magnusson and the SUV out of it all unscathed. (Thanks to Lowenstein’s Ace edge that allowed him to soak the multiple wounds to the car.) Agent Smythe had no such edge. He had to depend upon the loving kindness of Evil Mike the GM…who told him to double the damage roll due to the critical failure. The GM ruled that agent’s Smythe’s car had hit a concrete barrier. Fortunately Smythe “Rolled a Mike”. That is, he rolled damage so low that doubling it only caused him to make a driving roll. Smythe survived.

During the chase Magnusson showed off his shooting prowess by taking out two tires on the lead car. But the kidnappers were the best of the best and were not going to let the loss of two tires stop them. Then Agent Smythe plowed his borrowed car into the back of their car. With the back of their car destroyed, they had no choice but to surrender. We required our package for delivery.

After a quick search, we left the kidnappers tied up in the trunk of their car and the trunk of the car Smythe borrowed.

It was dark when we reach Gdansk. Our orders were to drop Willow off at an old Buddhist temple. We found the temple in a rundown part of the city. We scoped it out using all of ours Agency taught skills. It seemed innocuous enough. As we slipped into the darken temple we could hear whimpering. As we moved closer, we saw men bound and gagged on the floor. And that’s when we noticed we were not alone…

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