Escalation With “Slug Squad” - Wed, Nov 21, 2018

• Philomena arranged a rush XRF scan of concrete taken from Dyer’s basement wall.
  • The lab confirmed the concrete contained the same three heavy metals previously found in Jaz Ihejrika’s blood: mercury, zinc, and antimony, and that these metals had soaked directly into the wall.
• The team reviewed what case materials they actually possessed.
  • They did not have the full Southside Tiger case file; they only had FBI BAU notes.
  • They noted that full crime scene photos and evidence logs were held by Los Angeles law enforcement, and they explicitly did not trust LASD paperwork.
• The team considered Calamatiano’s notebook and its “eldritch toolbox” of ritual/spell options:
  • Summoning, dismissal, healing, mental suggestion, mind transfer, body-changing “Mother’s Milk”, and punitive blights.
  • A specific additional option was also called out: genital withering.
• The team decided to extract information from Slug Squad (rather than make arrests that would create exposure and scrutiny).
  • Frank purchased a boat using layers of shell companies and opted for a simpler plan:
    • Kidnap Sergeant Freddie Sutton, interrogate him offshore, then decide what to do with him afterward.
  • During a week of preparation, Philomena’s surveillance of Sutton’s Carson home established multiple red flags:
    • Sutton had a nice house inconsistent with a deputy salary.
    • He kept night-owl shifts.
    • A violent domestic incident escalated into a screaming match, ending with Sutton’s wife appearing with a black eye.
• Kidnapping execution (Sunday)
  • The team used a bluffed warrant at Sutton’s door.
  • Sutton attempted to stall.
  • Booth forced entry, got Sutton off-balance, and dropped him.
  • The team disarmed Sutton, bagged his phone, and Jay administered a sedative to knock him out.
  • Sutton was transported in a chest freezer to the boat.
  • About an hour after the abduction, MAS_TICATE was headed out to sea.
• Offshore interrogation results (recap)
  • Sutton initially lied, but changed his story once the team produced a syringe (implied threat of injection).
  • Sutton claimed Sergeant Anton Gulley performed the injection on Jaz Ihejrika.
  • Sutton said that during the Dyer raid, Rosario Clements killed herself immediately after being freed.
  • Sutton identified Lieutenant John Marlin as “Fish,” and said Fish ordered the scene cleaned and the story rewritten.
  • Sutton said Gulley was instructed to dump the lab gear, but Sutton was uncertain whether Gulley actually did.
  • Sutton claimed the team was targeted because Ihejrika was making noise around the Dondre lawsuit (“too loud, too close”).
  • Sutton begged for a deal: exile, anything, so he could survive.

Between-session mechanics

• The Handler instructed the group to complete skill improvement rolls (character improvements) before resuming the on-boat scene.

On the boat: deciding Sutton’s fate (below deck, then on deck)

• The team resumed in the boat’s interior (“below decks”), with Sutton cuffed on deck under Jay’s watch.

• The agents debated what to do with Sutton, focusing on the fact that:

  • Sutton had already messaged Marlin during the initial encounter (texting essentially that the FBI was at his house and being told to “play it cool” and get the union involved).
  • If Sutton did not return, Marlin would know something happened, and would investigate; if Sutton returned at all, he might create additional complications.

• Proposed options and arguments included:

  • Release / “swim back” death staging was discussed as a darkly joking possibility, with immediate pushback around practicality and risk.

  • The logistical problem of body disposal at sea was raised:

    • The Handler noted a common real-world issue: even weighted bodies can become buoyant later due to decomposition and may resurface.
    • Players discussed weight, rope, and other solutions but acknowledged uncertainty.

  • Mind-wipe as an alternative to murder

    • McCarter raised an occult option: using the spell Obscure Memory to remove Sutton’s memory.

    • It was established that only McCarter had actually read enough to know this spell; others had the book but hadn’t read it (notably because it was largely in Russian).

    • Costs were discussed:

      • McCarter referenced 1 SAN and 3 Willpower as the casting cost (and study cost as 1d4 SAN).

    • The group connected mind-wiping to prior evidence:

      • They referenced prior victims (child welfare staff connected to Cornucopia House) exhibiting advanced-onset Alzheimer’s-like symptoms and implied brain damage/scarring, treating this as a plausible side effect or pattern.

    • The team questioned what mind-wiping would actually “buy” them, given:

      • Sutton had already sent warning texts.
      • Sutton had likely been seen or recorded during earlier surveillance activity around the lawyer.
      • Even if Sutton forgot the kidnapping, his disappearance and reappearance could itself be suspicious.

  • Black-bagging / holding Sutton

    • McCarter asked if they could simply black-bag Sutton and send him to a facility.
    • Frank rejected this as pointless and outside their authority, emphasizing Sutton was not an asset they needed to preserve.

  • Maintaining the “FBI” cover story

    • Frank, drawing on law enforcement knowledge, noted that when the FBI makes quiet arrests, there is commonly a sealed warrant and a paper trail; Sutton’s associates could make calls and learn quickly that there was no legitimate FBI action.
    • The group concluded that pretending this was a real FBI action would likely fail once Marlin’s people started contacting federal channels.

  • Leverage strategy

    • Philomena advocated extracting value before any final action:

      • She argued Sutton had meaningful knowledge of the organization’s inner workings, and that evidence could be used as protection (by exposure or pressure) even if the team itself was not acting as ordinary law enforcement.

    • Counterarguments emphasized:

      • Anything extracted under coercion might be considered unreliable or dismissed.
      • The group believed Slug Squad had already weathered serious evidence without consequences.

McCarter inspects Sutton up close (“gravy smell”) and arms himself

• While the team argued below decks, McCarter went up to the deck area where Sutton was secured.

• Sutton was restrained to a chair, facing the sea, talking nonstop and begging; Jay sat behind him, visibly uncomfortable but maintaining watch.

• McCarter approached and smelled Sutton, detecting:

  • Normal sweat plus a distinct “rich gravy” scent.
  • The Handler noted McCarter’s mouth watering, indicating this reaction had become familiar and unsurprising.

• McCarter searched a fishing gear area and located fish-gutting knives.

  • He attempted to palm a knife discreetly and failed the attempt; Frank noticed McCarter tucking a knife into his jacket pocket.

• During this, Sutton could hear the group discussing options above him and renewed his pleas, offering to help.

Philomena confronts Sutton; Sutton reveals what Marlin knows

• Philomena asked directly: “How do we keep your boss off our ass?”

• McCarter privately told Frank he wanted to be the one to do it: he did not care where, he just wanted to be the person who killed Sutton.

• Sutton escalated his bargaining:

  • He claimed Marlin knew who some of them were and was collecting “insurance.”

  • Sutton identified names associated with their apparent identities, including:

    • Frank Booth
    • Philomena
    • Justin Smith
    • Matthew McCarter
    • He did not recognize Jay as part of their identifiable set.

• The Handler clarified that these names aligned with what had been shown on FBI IDs and that Slug Squad had learned additional personal details:

  • Philomena’s employment at the British Museum.
  • Justin’s status as a civilian (not law enforcement).
  • McCarter’s status as a professor and family details (including having a daughter).
  • Philomena having a husband.
  • About Frank specifically, Sutton said Marlin described him as “some kind of spook” and that Marlin was afraid of him.

• Sutton offered to become useful:

  • He said Marlin (“Fish”) trusted Sutton.
  • Sutton offered to go inside the organization and bring back information.
  • Sutton suggested Gulley might have “their drugs” and offered to bring Gulley to them if they wanted.

Decision: kill Sutton (rope)

• The team rejected Sutton’s plan to contact Gulley as too risky and demanded a “better plan.”

• Sutton broke down, sobbing and proposing he could flee to Mexico and disappear.

• Frank retrieved a length of rope/line from the boat and handed it to McCarter as a “cleaner” method, emphasizing he did not want blood or DNA evidence on the boat.

• Philomena chose to remove herself from the immediate act:

  • She went below decks and explicitly disengaged from the execution conversation.

• McCarter executed Sutton by strangulation

  • McCarter placed the rope around Sutton’s neck from behind while Sutton remained bound to the chair.

  • McCarter planted a foot against the chair for leverage and pulled tight.

  • Sutton reacted with a croaking scream, then violent thrashing:

    • Boots kicked the deck.
    • Hands flexed against restraint.
    • Skin color changed as the struggle continued.

  • Frank reinforced the method, urging McCarter not to stop early.

  • Jay watched without intervening, visibly concerned and uncomfortable, and glanced toward Frank as the act continued.

  • Eventually, Sutton’s movements stopped; the rope slackened; Sutton slumped forward.

• Sanity and immediate aftermath

  • Philomena made a SAN check triggered by hearing the initial strangled scream and the kicking; she failed and lost 1 SAN.

  • Frank checked Sutton for signs of life (pulse/breathing); Sutton was confirmed dead.

  • McCarter was described as breathing heavily and sweating, yet feeling energized and calm afterward.

    • The Handler granted McCarter +1 SAN (explicitly linked to the act and his current psychological state).

Body and evidence disposal at sea

• The team discussed whether to cut up the body to prevent bloat and reduce identification risk, but Frank refused to carve the body on the boat due to blood/DNA contamination concerns.

• Final approach:

  • Frank and Jay loosened Sutton from the chair and heaved the body overboard.
  • They used boat fishing hooks to jab holes in the body to encourage scavenging and decomposition in the water.

• They cleaned and disposed of all trace evidence they could:

  • Jay wiped down the chair and cleaned the hooks.
  • Restraints and materials (tape/line used to restrain and kill) were bagged, weighted, thoroughly taped shut, and thrown into the ocean.
  • Sutton’s phone and gun were thrown into the ocean to sink.
  • Sutton’s deputy badge was noticed hanging from a hook and was treated as acceptable to discard with the rest of the cleanup process.

• The team returned the boat to the marina, taking care not to draw attention.

  • They visually scanned for police presence while approaching and saw nothing overtly suspicious.

Return to land; abandoning the vehicle; hotels

• The Handler established that the team had used a procured vehicle with minimal paperwork (not a standard FBI SUV) to avoid linking the kidnapping to official assets.

• At the marina, after docking without incident, Frank checked the vehicle for trackers or tampering and found none (successful alertness-based check).

• The team abandoned the vehicle (wiping it down, leaving keys inside, ensuring it would be removed or stolen).

• Late that night, they returned to their hotel area, then chose to switch hotels as an additional precaution.

  • The team made alertness checks for surveillance; nothing unusual was observed.
  • They secured rooms at a different hotel (a Marriott was specifically referenced).

• Communication with Antonia Pitzerelli:

  • Pitzerelli was described as checking in lightly (“everything going okay?”).
  • Frank did not volunteer details; he replied simply that things were fine and to contact him if needed.

• McCarter was specifically noted to sleep easily that night, with no roll required; his hands were raw where the rope had rubbed during the strangulation.

Monday morning: LASD approach and burner phone

• When leaving the new hotel the next morning, the team saw a marked LASD cruiser in the parking lot.

  • Two uniformed deputies approached, neither recognized by the team.
  • The deputy leading the interaction wore a name tag reading Peterson.

• The deputies framed their purpose with careful euphemisms:

  • They spoke of “introductions” and “interagency friction,” implying tension without stating specifics.
  • A successful HUMINT read indicated they were messengers delivering a prepared message and did not seem to fully grasp its significance.

• The deputies delivered a sealed envelope containing:

  • A cheap burner phone with one programmed number (no name attached).
  • They instructed the team to call if they wanted to speak to someone and “establish clear channels.”

• The deputies left without making arrests or escalating further.

Moving on Gulley; handling the phone; call with Marlin

• The team proceeded with their plan to go to Anton Gulley’s address in Thousand Oaks.

  • Philomena drove and took a convoluted route designed to shake any tail.
  • The team watched for surveillance; they did not identify any tail.

• The team opened the envelope and examined the burner phone.

  • They immediately treated it as potentially trackable due to the SIM, and planned to minimize exposure.
  • They kept the phone off and placed it into a Faraday bag.
  • They agreed to make the call near their current location rather than powering it on in a random place.

• Frank called the programmed number

  • The call connected after a few rings.

  • The person on the line identified himself: “Lieutenant John Marlin.”

    • He acknowledged Frank directly: “Hey, Booth.”

  • Marlin proposed meeting privately to sort out issues:

    • He said the team had been asking questions about people in his unit.
    • He offered to answer questions and framed it as resolving crossed wires and getting “ducks in a row.”

  • Frank pressed aggressively for the objective:

    • He demanded “the stuff” and told Marlin to bring all of it.
    • Frank referenced having a video of Jaz Ihejrika’s injection.

  • Marlin denied knowing what Frank was talking about and reiterated he wanted to talk first and align.

  • Frank rejected the premise:

    • He told Marlin they were not on the same side and ended the call abruptly.

• After the call:

  • The phone was turned off and returned to the Faraday bag.
  • The Handler ended the session noting that Slug Squad was now fully engaged, and the team had effectively escalated conflict with at least part of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department.