Lawyers, Guns & Money: The New Inquisition Sourcebook (Unknown Armies)

131 Pages·1999·15.82 MB·English

by  Greg Stolze

A T L A S   G A M E S   P R E S E N T S
T H E   N E W   I N Q U I S I T I O N   S O U R C E B O O K
B Y G R E G S T O L Z E
art director John Tynes graphic design, illustrators Toren Atkinson
cover artist Heather Hudson photos & production John Tynes Paul Carrick Dennis Detwiller
editors Timothy Toner proofreading John Nephew Thomas Manning Tony Moseley
John Tynes Jeff Tidball Richard Pace Jim Pavelec
publisher John Nephew
special thanks to
Hazel Blackwell Rev. Al Green Kenneth Hite Damon Lipinski Allan Tynes Karen Tynes
The intellectual property known as “Unknown Armies” is owned by Greg Stolze & John Tynes and is used by Trident, Inc. d/
b/a Atlas Games under license. With the exception of any and all previously published elements of the Unknown Armies Atlas Games
intellectual property (which are all ©1998–99 Greg Stolze & John Tynes), the text of this work is ©1999 Greg Stolze. The Atlas Saint Paul,
Games logo is ©1999 and ™ Trident, Inc d/b/a Atlas Games and John Nephew. All rights reserved worldwide. Except for
purposes of review, no portions of this work may be reproduced by any means without the permission of the relevant copyright Minnesota
holders. This is a work of fiction. Any similarity with actual people or events, past or present, is purely coincidental and uninten- www.Atlas-Games.com
tional. Acknowledgements: The Kreature Comforts Lowlife Guide to Memphis was instrumental in the maintenance of
sanity during production of this book. “They said you was high class / That was just a lie” [email protected]
Digital Edition Version 1.0
Metamorphosis Pill..........................................44 Appendix C: Dossiers ..................89
Aura Film.........................................................45 Justine Anander..................................90
Psychic Bullets.................................................46 Neal Brinker.......................................91
Damnation Rounds..........................................46 Richard Dederer..................................92
Hatred Injections.............................................46 The Freak..........................................93
Trouble Magnets..............................................47 Daphnee Lee......................................94
Therapeutic Pillows..........................................48 Alicia Millborough................................95
Arnold’s Commission.......................................48 Dugan Nunn.......................................96
The Wrecker.....................................................48 Dr. Pete Putman..................................97
The Wrecker (Significant).................................49 Coretta Rowlands................................98
Amy Walters......................................99
Chapter 4: Personnel..................50
The Hit Squad.....................................52 Appendix D: Missions................100
Stanley “Tex” Chang.......................................52 Mission One: Fresh.............................100
Clarice Dominguez...........................................53 The Initial Problem........................................100
Adam Johanssen..............................................54 Trouble Brewing.............................................101
The Smart Patrol..................................55 Richard’s Kids....................................................102
Dale Chiswick...................................................56 Clarice, Aged Four [Diana].............................102
Mavra Piagetti.................................................56 Richard Dederer, Master of Spirits...................103
Team Teamwork..................................57 Rusty, Aged Eight [Harlan].............................104
Jeremy Warren.................................................57 Janey, Aged 12 [Juno]....................................105
Vanessa Rhames..............................................58 Richard’s Place..................................................105
Pepper..............................................................59 When the Cat’s Away........................................107
The Weather Channelers........................60 Direct Confrontation..........................................108
Kim Naybors....................................................60 Sneaking Up......................................................108
Moonglow.........................................................62 Won’t Someone Think of the Children?........108
Uriel Sterne......................................................62 Mission Two: Exhausted....................... 110
New Artifact: The Ghost Blood Dagger (Major)63 Pillow Talk.....................................................111
Other Personnel..................................64 Ralph Hendricks..................................................113
The Shrinks......................................................64 Loose Ends and Dead Ends............................113
Roll Your Bones.......................... 2
Dr. Kaiyo Atsui.....................................................65 New Orleans......................................................114
Bernard Walters...................................................65 Gary Neville.....................................................115
Chapter 1: History......................18
The Reservists..................................................66 Coretta’s House...............................................115
The Fall of the Keys...............................22 Cage.....................................................................66 Rare-Bit Fiends...............................................116
What’s in a Name?..........................................23 Cage’s Specialty................................................67 Chicago...............................................................116
Sandy Metcalf......................................................67 Monica Renfrew..................................................117
Chapter 2: Operations.................24
Sandy Metcalf’s Specialty................................67 Doris Broder.......................................................118
New Inquisition Slang.....................................27 Officer Bob...........................................................68 Playing Hostage...............................................119
Salary...............................................................27 Officer Bob’s Specialty.....................................68 The Meeting.....................................................121
What Teams Do...................................28 Dr. Jennifer Koeb.................................................68 Let’s Have A War!............................................122
How They Do It.................................................29 Dr. Jennifer Koeb’s Specialty............................69 Florida................................................................122
Allies & Enemies..................................29 Ruth Fahi.............................................................69 Breaking In......................................................123
The Naked Goddess Sect..................................30 Ruth Fahi’s Specialty........................................69 True Order Employees........................................123
Mak Attax.........................................................30 The Brain Trust.................................................70 Dugan Nunn, True Order Manager..................123
True Order of Saint Germain...........................30 Maureen Greeley.................................................70 Surveillance.....................................................124
The Order of Saint Cecil...................................31 Dr. Xerxes Ineich..................................................70 Snatch-a-Cracker..............................................125
The Sleepers.....................................................31 Dr. Winston Kroll.................................................71 Snatching Dugan.............................................125
Dr. Karla Schweitzer............................................71 Bait the Trap Well..............................................125
Chapter 3: Resources & Gear.........32
Money..............................................................34 Chapter 5: Secrets......................72
Identity.............................................34 Tracking Implants................................74
Safe Houses.......................................34 The Virgin Ein-Sof.................................74
Mundane Equipment.............................35 Automata..........................................74
Night Vision Goggles.......................................35 Senator Andrew Ginchman.....................74
Shotgun Microphones......................................36 Luther Miles.......................................75
Pepper Spray...................................................36 The Two Jocks.....................................75
What You Get...................................................36 Dion Isaacs........................................77
Stun Guns.........................................................37 The Pattern........................................77
Illegal Equipment.................................37 Nights Templar....................................77
Cell-Phone Scanner..........................................38 The Messenger....................................78
Plastique..........................................................38 The Woman in Red...............................79
Bugging Equipment.........................................38 Lost Schools.......................................79
“Car Cards”......................................................38
Hand Grenades................................................39 Appendix A: New Skills................80
“Hush Puppies”...............................................39 Body Skills.........................................82
Sodium Pentothal............................................39 Speed Skills.......................................83
High-Tech Goodies................................40 Mind Skills ........................................84
Screen Stealers................................................40 Soul Skills .........................................84
Computer Bugs.................................................40
Napalm Lighters..............................................41 Appendix B: Car Chases...............86
Bondwagons.....................................................42 How To Run It.....................................86
Gas Rings.........................................................43 The Head Start.................................................86
Poison Pens......................................................43 Hazards............................................................86
Plastique Credit Card.......................................43 Risks.................................................................86
Pen Grenades...................................................43 Insane Risks.....................................................87
Table The Brain Rinse................................................43 Ramming & Roadblocking...............................87
Unnatural Equipment............................44 Passengers.......................................................87
of
Lock on the Door of the Law...........................44 How To Describe It...........................................88
Contents
Have you ever been a part
of something larger than yourself? It happens
IN
all the time, but it’s rare that we notice every instance of this phenomenon. There are the
larger larger things to be a part of, of course: you’re a part of the human race, the planet,
the cosmos. You may also point to larger things such as the company you work for, a
sports team you play on, an organization of some sort that you’re involved in. Then,
scaling down, we reach the smaller larger things: your circle of friends, your family, your
relationship with a lover, perhaps even a chain of reincarnated lives of which your present
life is but a subset.
All larger things have traits in common. They are defined by the dynamics of those they
encompass. They strive for goals that the individual members may not otherwise have
TR
pursued. They have memories larger and longer-lasting than those of any single compo-
nent. They exist both within you and without you. They need you, but they can need
someone else if they must. They offer some benefit to the individual members. They ask
something in return.
Think for a moment of the larger things you are a part of. I’m willing to bet that within
your personal list of such allegiances, there is at least one you would be willing to kill
for—or at least, having killed for it, you could find reasons to defend your actions, to
yourself if to no one else. Would you kill someone for the sake of your children? For your
OD mother? Your best friend? Your boss?
Murder is an extreme example. What about violating some social custom? If someone
approached you and another member of your affiliation, and the presence of your fellow
affiliate meant that you had to avoid making conversation with the person approaching
you, would you? If, for example, the person was an ex of your present partner—would
you ignore that person, even if you might otherwise find common ground? If your part-
ner had told you terrible things about this person, would you be rude to him or her, even
though it would never occur to you to do so under normal circumstances?
UC
How much influence does it take to change your behavior? Envision, for a moment, that
there is some baseline set of your reactions to ordinary situations. Now imagine how that
set would change depending on which affiliation you filtered them through. If a friendly
stranger suggested the two of you get some lunch, would you, if you were in a loving
relationship with someone who might conceivably be jealous? If you had work to do at
the office? If you needed an hour at the gym before the game tomorrow?
The stranger smiles, uncertain, as the outer expressions of conflicting thoughts cascade
across your features. What do you do?
TI
Our decisions are not our own. No choice we make is free of the pernicious, enveloping
web of affiliations. We must type the report, we must buy flowers, we must send a card
at Christmas, we must hold someone’s hand while crossing the street, we must tuck
someone in at night, we must fight to protect someone, we must do whatever we are
compelled to do by the promises we have made, by the free will we have surrendered, by
the obligations we feel we must fulfill.
By comparison, the demands of Alex Abel and his particular affiliation, the New Inquisi-
tion, seem quite mundane indeed. Turn the page, forsake your name, and enjoy the ben-
ON
efits TNI will grant you.
We promise you’ll earn them. And that’s our affiliation to you.
—John Tynes
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RollBones
Your
Neal just froze, an icy sensation of shock running
Neal sat on his couch, naked, with the
from his heart right down to his groin. Then he dou-
remote control and a bottle of hand lotion close by. bled over, trying to hide his genitals with his hands
He kept sucking the left corner of his mustache in be- and body. Only after that did he notice the guns.
tween his lips, absentmindedly chewing it. He was Both men were large—larger than Neal, anyhow.
watching a porno movie called Bridal Whorehouse— The first one was kind of portly, with straight dark
supposedly Her best. He’d seen it twice already, try- hair and thick glasses. The second man was taller,
ing to figure out what was so special about Her. He more muscular, with dark ginger hair. He also had a
hadn’t seen a damn thing—just plenty of body hair and beard, which was mostly covered by his surgical mask.
chemically tanned flesh. The first man had an identical mask. Both wore rub-
Nothing to make you think you were watching a ber gloves and raincoats as well. Pistols with silencers
goddess. completed the picture.
Neal wasn’t much of a skin-flick fan, but he’d The dark-haired man walked into Neal’s trailer,
caught himself thinking about it at work that after- looking around in disdain. (It wasn’t even a double-
noon—getting a little aroused, too. wide.) The larger man followed, closing the door be-
What the hell, he’d thought. I’ll just use it the way hind him. Their movements were easy, but alert, and
they meant it. Maybe that’ll do the trick. the two black barrels of their pistols never pointed
The best scene was next. She was in it, flushed and away from Neal.
flustered, trysting with Her groom’s closest friend. “Uh. . . you guys mind if I . . . ?” Neal nodded to-
He had to admit, She was even acting a little—bit- wards the bedclothes wadded at the end of the couch,
ing Her nails, looking conflicted. Neal found himself opposite the pillows he’d been leaning against.
liking it. Everything about the scene said that She was “Sure,” the ginger man said, but the other shook
a woman who didn’t want to do the wrong thing, but his head sharply.
was compelled—carried away by Her own lusts. Sure “No way.”
there were tits and ass and dick, moaning and grunt- “What? Why not?” Neal asked. A tiny part of him
ing and contorted faces, but it was the story that got wondered if this was how a lot of people behaved at
to Neal. The transgression. gunpoint.
He also liked the fact that they hadn’t made an “For all I know, you got a gun hidden under
obvious “best man” joke. Neal’s hand moved faster there.”
and he stopped thinking about his facial expression, “Oh, come on!” Neal cried. The taller man guf-
and then two men kicked in the door. fawed, earning him a dirty look from the dark one.
“Freeze! Or I’ll—oh my God!” said the first one Their body language said that the shorter one was in
when he saw what Neal was doing. (That is, what charge, but that they didn’t get along. “How paranoid
Neal immediately stopped doing.) He even turned his do you think I am?”
head, squeezing his eyes shut. “Not enough,” said the tall man, still snickering.
The second man just started laughing—big belly “Profile says you’re one of them chaos freaks,”
laughs. Around his snickers, he finally managed to say, said the boss. “Even if there isn’t a gun there now, you
“Drop your weapon!” could witch one up if I let you. I’ve seen your type
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practically pull ’em out of thin air,” he said, and raised yourself to Chance. No one had said it out loud; the
his gun slightly to make his point. phrase had just echoed through Neal’s mind. Risking
“Well, shit, could you at least give me some un- your money or your reputation—that’s powerful. But
derpants? Look, I’ll . . .” He almost said he’d put his how much more powerful is it to risk your life?
hands up, but he didn’t really want to. “I’ll keep my Neal had been taught that risk was the basis of
hands right here, you can give me some pants, and Chaos Magick. That was why, when the tall man
we’ll just talk, okay?” opened the drawer and tossed him a pair of boxers,
“C’mon, Bob. Give the poor bastard a break,” Neal lunged across the couch, grabbing the bed-
said the tall one. clothes and flinging them behind him.
Bob just grunted, then nodded, while Neal des- “Fuck!” Bob cried, and fired. The shot was no
perately tried to figure out if they were going to kill louder than a finger-snap, but when the bullet hit,
him. If they were, why go to the trouble of covering Neal felt like he’d been struck in the ribs with a
their faces? But if they weren’t, why would the tall one sledgehammer. He’d been diving towards an open
call the other by name? Was “Bob” some kind of code window, covered with cheap blinds and a screen that
name? Or was the big one just careless? gave way as he crashed against it. He hit the ground
“Top drawer in the dresser,” Neal said gratefully. shoulder first. There was a nauseating pain as his
“You get it for him,” Bob said emphatically. brain crashed against the side of his skull, but it was
“Don’t worry, I ain’t ’fraid of no underpants,” the overwhelmed by the torrent of sharp agony from his
tall man said. Neal couldn’t see him grinning, but he bullet wound, which took his breath away and left
could hear it in his voice. him gasping. But on another level, Neal could feel
The corners of Bob’s mask crinkled, and when he something completely different.
spoke it sounded like he was smiling, too. “You Power.
haven’t looked in a bachelor’s drawer in a long time, He’d had little tastes of it before, while gambling
have you?” away his savings, riding roller coasters, playing “chick-
If you want Chance for yourself, you gotta give en” in a stolen car—but now he knew what it was,
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R knew how to use it, knew how to use it to stretch and “A whammy, huh?”
P bend reality. It was the power of magick, the power of “Yeah.” Bob turned to Cage and glared. “What
chaos, and through his gasps he muttered the words, else?”
“Police car.” “I thought you told me you have to work the slide
“Little bastard!” Bob was standing in the window, on these guns before they shoot again. That’s why
pointing the gun at him. They both heard the sirens at they’re so quiet, right?”
the same time. Bob glanced up, then looked down at “I did work the fucking slide!”
him and pulled the trigger. “Really? I didn’t see you do it.”
Nothing happened. “Well, I did.”
“Fuck!” Bob cried out in frustration, then turned “If you say so.”
from the window. His tall friend had already jumped They were silent for a little while. Then Bob
out of the front door and was legging it towards a spoke again.
Lincoln Town Car. Neal started rolling under the trail- “I didn’t see you putting a cap in his ass at all.”
er, hoping it would shield him from more bullets. “Didn’t expect him to bolt.”
When he was well underneath, Neal looked back “Why the hell not? That whole underpants thing
towards the front yard. He could see Bob’s legs pump- was a ploy. I thought so from the first.”
ing as the short man bolted towards the car, and he “Oh Jesus, Bob, are you serious?”
grinned through his agony and said the word “Pain.” “Yes! I’m totally serious! I knew he was yanking
Calling up the cop car had taken a lot out of our chains.”
him—the power was weaker, and the agony in his side “Bob, the only thing he was yanking was his dick.
made it hard to concentrate. He could feel the tan- We could not possibly have surprised him more than
gled strands of chance, will, and magick snarl, resist we did. Or was he tossing off in front of a porno
his pull, and he let it go. No parting shot at Bob; but movie in order to trick us, too?”
he was alive. Bob relaxed a little. “What a jerk.”
“What the hell?” he heard someone say, and he Cage started snickering again. “Come on, you
rolled his head around to see two pairs of blue-clad have to admit it’s kind of funny.”
legs ending in comfy-looking black shoes. Cop shoes. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Help,” he tentatively said. “And those cops didn’t follow us.”
“Good lord! Lookit all that blood!” “We lucked out.”
Aurora’s finest, Neal thought. Then he found More silence, then Cage asked “So where’s the
himself thinking about his mother telling him to wear brass?”
clean underwear in case he had to go to the hospital. “What?”
“You know, the brass thing off the bullet you shot
him with. The, uh, casing. If you worked the slide like
“Well, that was a balls-up,” Bob said in
you said, it should have been in your hand, right? I
disgust, yanking off his mask and gloves. His partner— mean, you wouldn’t leave evidence like that behind,
who was called Cage—just nodded. They drove with- would you?”
out speaking for a moment, listening to a police band Bob was silent for a moment.
scanner. “Okay, maybe I didn’t eject the fucking cartridge,”
“Sounds like they don’t have a good fix on our he said at last. “Goddamn, what a balls-up.”
car, at least,” Cage said.
“Yeah, with a description like that they’ll never
Miles away, in one of his Gold Coast
find us. Pull on the freeway here.”
“Which way? East or west?” apartments, Alex Abel stared down into the stone of
“Less traffic to the west. We can turn around in an emerald ring. It wasn’t big or gaudy—no “Mr. T.”
DeKalb.” jewelry for him. A classy ring, the way only expensive
They were silent for a while, then Bob spoke things are classy. Alex found it very calming to look
again. down into its green, cool depth.
“Thought I had the little punk, but he must have One of his operatives had spread the rumor that
put a whammy on my gun.” Abel’s emerald ring was the Ring of Solomon, giving
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him dominion over the Spirits of the Air, who would “Oh.” She began flipping through her notes again.
devour the liver and kidneys of anyone who dared to Abel idly wondered if she’d go to bed with him. She
attack him. This was, of course, utter bullshit. The was pretty, but not his type—he’d always felt a vague
ring was just a ring. contempt for rich black men who pursued white
The charm that would dissolve the liver and kid- women. (He’d read Frantz Fanon.) He also wondered
neys of an attacker was made of failed lottery tickets, if she found it weird to work for him. Probably not;
sandwiched between pictures of Princess Di and people who could wrap their brains around magickal
James Dean, cemented together with toad’s blood and thinking were usually too abstract to get bogged down
the fat of a murdered man. He kept it in a sealed gold in social conventions. (Though there were exceptions.
case, because the smell was not to be endured. With magi, there were always exceptions.) He decid-
Alex Abel was not a man to keep waiting, but ed it would be nice if she wasn’t bothered by working
here he was, waiting—waiting for the report of a with a black man, but he’d also prefer it if she
southern white-trash witch who predicted the future wouldn’t go to bed with him. It wasn’t a race thing;
by reading the serial numbers off dollar bills. she just seemed like a nice girl, and Abel liked to be-
Really, Abel didn’t mind waiting—he didn’t have a lieve there were a few nice girls left.
lot in the way of “down time” and he’d always found “All right. You remembered last tahm, when ah
it strategically valuable to step back and reassess every said your position of strength was threatened?”
once in a while. Running a multi-million-dollar multi- “By a young man.”
national corporation with multiple accounts, multiple “Uh huh, an initiate armed with the powers of
investments, and multiple projects took a lot out of chaos and destruction, but not yet their master.”
you; add to that the distractions of masterminding a “I remember.” Abel had compared her predictions
private occult conspiracy and you got a life almost too with those of his tarot reader, who had told him that
full to bear. Still, it beat working on a road crew. his plans would soon cross with a young man, a magi-
The girl—really, she didn’t look any older than cian, who would come into money—probably through a
twenty—glanced up at him apologetically. “Ah’m sorry, game of chance. The tarot reader had furthermore told
Mr. Abel. Ah’ll try to hurry this up for ya.” him that this man might become his ally or his rival.
He smiled. “No hurry. I’m willing to wait for “Ah foresee conflict between you and this man.
quality.” His voice was deep, clear, and possessed of He’s already overcome you—you or one of your plans.
absolutely perfect diction. He’d spent a lot on voice The big confrontation is yet to come.”
coaches. Although he’d only admitted it to his private He leaned forward. This was new.
psychologist a month before he terminated services— “There’s also a woman—a powerful woman, stand-
that is, right after he’d stumbled across the occult un- ing between the two of you. He’ll pick one of you.”
derground—he’d felt more than fully repaid when, af- “Is the woman a magician?”
ter months of bargaining for Tower Construction over “Ah can’t tell,” she said apologetically. “If ah had
the phone, he’d finally gotten fed up, completed a some of her money, maybe. These nines might lead
hostile takeover, and only then met Dale Tower, III, in one to think that she’s a so’ceress, but it could be that
the flesh. Tower had never suspected that Abel was she’s deeply religious.”
black, and the man’s cleft chin had dropped like . . . “Or both.” Abel grated his lower jaw lightly against
“Okay, ah’m getting something heah.” The witch his upper teeth, like he was chewing a thought. “A
had charts and books spread out on the table, along young man with the power of chaos, who’s thwarted
with bills from his wallet and a yellow legal pad for my plans once and who’s interested in a religious or
her notes. “On two of your bills, the second number powerful woman?”
is two, which reflects duality and conflict and corrup- “Uh huh. Does that sound familiar?”
tion. Coupled with the foah in the first position, “Maybe,” he said, thinking it was definitely Neal
which indicates stability in the past . . .” Brinker.
“Ms. McIntyre . . .”
She looked up at him, politely dismayed. “Oh,
When Neal woke up in the hospital, it took
yew can call me Violet,” she said.
“Violet, then. I trust your methods. I’m only inter- him a moment to remember everything that had hap-
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P “Oh, Mr. Brinker. So glad you’re awake. How are “I ain’t gonna pipe down. You are so fucking sus-
you feeling?” picious it’s not even funny.”
“Really sore, groggy, exhausted . . .” “I’m suspicious ’cause I’ve learned. Seen too many
“That’s normal.” She started paging through the ox-eyed assholes ready to believe the best in people.
clipboard at the foot of his bed. “The doctor said you They got cut down like you wouldn’t believe.”
were very lucky. Apparently the bullet didn’t do much “So you think Alex Abel has his elevator bugged?
damage at all.” You think he’s got nothin’ better to do than spy on
“I’d feel luckier if it hadn’t done any.” people in his elevator? Is that it?”
She kind of laughed, then saw something in his “It just pays to be careful.”
chart and frowned. “About your insurance . . .” “I’ll show you careful. Hey Abel! Only a fuckwit
“I don’t have health insurance.” would have run when that guy ran!”
She went a little pale when Neal said that. “Shut up, you asshole!”
“Well, that’s something of a problem . . .” “Asshole, am I?” Cage put his hand on Bob’s
“Just bill me . . . I’ll pay it however I can.” shoulder and shoved him.
“Yes, well . . . we’ll see what we can do. Are you “Knock it off!”
feeling well enough to answer a few questions?” At that moment the elevator door opened, and a
“Huh?” man was standing there facing them. The man’s fea-
“There’s a police officer here who’d like to talk to tures were anonymous, plain, flat, immobile. He
you.” stood a little slumped, hands at his sides.
“Please, not just yet.” Bob’s flash assessment was that this guy had at
Her expression softened. “Of course, Mr. Brink- least two guns on him and probably a knife. The scars
er.” She waddled away. on his hands and wrists said “violence” and the crude
Neal sat back and thought. A cop outside was tattoo peeking out of his shirt collar said “jail time.”
good—for now. Good if those goons came back. Cage looked at him differently, noticing how his
(Thinking about the two men, he found himself blush- muscles were developed—big, but not well-cut—like a
ing. He got mad at himself for being embarrassed at plumber or an old-time boxer. Someone who uses his
what two men who’d tried to kill him might think body instead of building it. He stood relaxed, his
about his personal habits.) No way could he tell the weight on both feet, comfortable—and ready to move
cops the whole story, though, even if he knew it. First, in any direction.
they’d never believe his claims to be a “magician” and Mostly, though, both noticed the man’s eyes. Bob
secondly, if he did persuade them, the rest of the oc- had seen eyes like that over long rap sheets rife with
cult underground would be on him like red on a bab- phrases like “brutal” or “execution-style” or “chilling
boon’s butt. The one iron law followed by all schools lack of remorse.” As for Cage, this man’s eyes remind-
of magickal study was, “Snitches get stitches.” ed him of his dad. He didn’t like it one bit.
He sighed. Down inside, he knew who he had to “Gentlemen?” The man’s voice was flat, empty of
call, but he didn’t like it. affect, just like his face. He gestured to his left. Wari-
He reached for the phone. ly, Bob and Cage got off the elevator and followed
him towards a door.
“Mr. Abel? Robert Franklin and David Kajinski
Bob Franklin and David “Cage” Kajinski
are here to see you.” He held the door for them. The
looked around the elevator they rode. It was the nic- soul of courtesy, but each of them stepped through
est one either had ever been in. Bob kept wiping his with a feeling that Abel’s man was ready to slam the
hands on his pants and Cage’s lips kept pursing and heavy oak door on his trailing ankle and then pound
relaxing, like he was rehearsing a facial expression. the hell out of him while he was limping.
They’d been called in to see the boss. It was the “Thank you, gentlemen.” Alex Abel looked short-
first time for each of them. er in real life, but he had that same nice telephone
“Man, I’m going to be one pissed pilgrim if Abel voice that made Cage feel like his shirt was untucked.
thinks we dropped the ball,” Cage finally said. “Allow me to introduce my associate, Eponymous.”
“Pipe down, fer Chrissakes. This elevator could Bob and Cage glanced back at the man from the ele-
UnKNOWWnn

ARMIES