Operation Report: Handle With Care Part 3 - JACK In The Box
Since dr. Fincher was not properly inducted into the conspiracy, Agent JACE opts to take him along while he observes the Casavecchia estate so that he can learn tradecraft on the field. The family lives on a large compound in the hills outside Las Vegas. Fincher recognizes that most buildings on the grounds are modeled after early Italian Renaissance architecture, and many structures are useless or vestigial: a servant house and a stone barn, for example. The main house is shaped like a horseshoe, with a young olive tree and a well in the heart of the courtyard. Fincher opts to go and look up property records and floor plans at city hall, while JACE stays to watch over the compound. JACE can't shake the feeling he too is being watched, from above.
Meanwhile, JACK is studying his copy of the De Mulieribus. Most of the later portion of the book is unchanged, if not for certain peculiar choices in translation. The first part, covering goddesses and mythical characters, is a whole other matter. There is the recurring theme of unifying figures associated with motherhood and birth (like Eve and Isis) into a single 'All-Mother', which concerns JACK.
The most important information, however, is contained in the expanded section belonging to Gaia Cecilia, queen of Rome during the late monarchy period. Born with the name Tanaquil in the Etruscan city of Tarquinia, she accompanied her husband to Rome, where the two adopted Latin names (Tarquinius and Gaia Cecilia), climbing the political ladder, with her husband even becoming king. The book claims Tanaquil was 'wise in the occult arts' and aided her husband with rituals in honor of the goddess Nurthia, later known to the Romans as Fortuna. Upon her husband's death, she was directly responsible for the next king's rise to power and reign. Most worryingly, this version of the De Mulieribus claims that when Tanaquil was cremated and buried after her own death, a secret order of worshipers of Nurthia found a way to bring her back to life from the ashes, which is described in great detail in the book.
Dr. Fincher successfully locates blueprints for the Casavecchia Estate, as well as finding an interesting history of its construction. Sandrino Casavecchia, patriarch of the American branch of the family, had the manor built in the image of his family's ancestral home in the hills north of Rome. Apparently, there is no aquifer or natural underground source of water beneath the estate, and the well is purely decorative in both houses.
Las Vegas, Nevada. March 19, 2005.
Agent JACE continues staking out the Casavecchia compound, trying to piece together the family's daily routine and find potential weak spots to exploit: he wants to discreetly access the grounds to find possible Unnatural involvement, as well as plant bugs to keep close tabs on the family in the future. He is occasionally joined by dr. Fincher, who reports his findings about the house itself.
Las Vegas, Nevada. March 20, 2005.
Kyle Gardner (Agent JACK) is visited in his office by a peculiar stranger. Tall and gaunt with an unnaturally pale complexion, he's wearing a suit with a bow-tie and a lapel pin in the shape of a bird. He introduces himself as Conrad King, magician of worldwide fame, though JACK does not recognize him. King says he knows Gardner has been getting into magic lately, and perhaps could learn some interesting tricks. He offers to tutor him. King says that after his employers in New York 'were no longer in the game' he turned to freelance work, which brought him to Las Vegas, that his temporary new employers msy be of interest to Gardner. JACK is about to throw out the strange man when he demonstrates a 'magic trick'. He speaks in JACK's own voice, perfectly simulated, and mentions being acquainted with a "Mr. Green". He promises revelations, if only Gardner will allow him to perform in his casino on the 21st of March. Agent JACK, both awestruck and scared, agrees, and decides to notify his cell leader.
Agent JACE answers the phone. He is not enthused to hear what happened. Even less so when he agrees with JACK that he will have to attend the show and monitor Conrad King. But, even if he is lying about his unnatural connections, his knowledge of "Mr. Green" (an alias JACE knows is sometimes used by A-Cell) is worrying enough by itself.
Las Vegas, Nevada. March 21, 2005.
JACE and dr. Fincher continue surveillance on the Casavecchia compound. Identifying a bried window of opportunity, they sneak in and plant a bug in the manor's dining room before making a swift exit. Meanwhile, JACK organizes the evening show at the Crimson Reef, trying to make sure it appears like a regular event but minimizing the number of guests who may be potentially exposed to danger.
That night, the three Agents gather at the casino. Despite JACK's best efforts, a couple dozen people still managed to show up. The next hour is gruelling: the Agents sit in the crowd, waiting for the something wicked to come. The magician maintains eye contact with them while delivering an enthusiastic, though mostly unimpressive show. Some guests stand up and leave.
"For my next trick, I'm going to need an assistant. Would any one of you lovely people gathered here tonight like to volunteer?" Silence. King glares at Gardner, then urges him to stand up. After a moment of discussion, the Agents agree that he should go on stage. Conrad King wheels out a wooden box, about the length of a person lying down. "Show the crowd there are no illusions, no mechanisms, no cheap tricks at their expense here! Check the inside, the outside, find this to be a regular wooden box!". JACK demonstrates the authenticity of the item to a less-than-captive audience. JACE puts his hand on his holster and counts the people in the room. Beyond the Agents and King, there are 9. Too many to act now, he thinks, but he is ready. "This is a disappearing trick. I'm going to make our amazing host disappear for a minute or so, and then return him to our world. Preferrably, unharmed. Are you ready?" He ushers JACK into the box. Into the coffin. JACK sees the lid close over him.
"I'm going to need someone to come up here and confirm, for the sake of the ladies and gents in the audience, that mr. Gardner has, in fact, disappeared. You, over there. With the floral shirt and sour expression. Would you mind?" He points to dr. Fincher, immediately isolating him despite him having sat a few rows behind Gardner. JACE is almost standing up at this point. He gives his colleague a clear look. They might as well go along with it: trying to stop the man now would only result in a bigger mess to clean up. Fincher walks up to the coffin, and opens it: empty.
The audience is finally paying attention. JACE swears under his breath and sinks back down into his seat. Powerless. He should never feel powerless. Fincher checks the inside of the box over and over, finding nothing. Finally, he decides to close it with a trembling hand. Starting a couple seconds after the lid closes, banging and screaming can be heard from inside.
JACK finds himself inside a coffin, choking on dirt and dust. The wood of the coffin is cracked, letting through a little light. He can feel he is being carried, and overhears somber conversations in Italian from outside. It appears he is in the wake of an earthquake or other natural catstrophe. A distinctive-sounding voice promises to help rebuild the town if he is allowed to purchase a bell from the local church. After a few bumps, JACK is finally still. The coffin shift position and he finds himself falling. Falling. Falling for so long the coffin falls apart around him and its wooden boards shatter on the walls on the endless well shaft around him. And still he is falling. Until, after endless years, or perhaps a mere few seconds, he hits the ground. Half-submerged in dirty water, he finds himself lying down in the middle of a strange chamber. The walls are simple brick and stained red cloth covers the floor irregularly, showing several large bumps. A huge bronze object, perhaps a bell, stands tall in front of him. As JACK finds his balance, he begins to hear the resounding toll of a bell. The shapes in the cloth shift and dance around him, until they envelop him completely. He is in the box again, struggling to push open the lid. He rolls out onto the floor.
King bows and begins to leave. None of the props used in the show were his own, and he leaves them all on stage at the Crimson Reef. Fincher struggles to keep control of a partly-amazed, partly-confused audience and the terrified Agent JACK. Meanwhile, JACE chases after the magician in an alley outside. The man is unnaturally calm as JACE approaches him, gun drawn, in the neon-lit dead end. "Who are you? What the fuck did you do?", the Agent yells out. "I doubt you or your supervisors know.me personally. Do ask Mr. Green about my previous employers in New York, though. Ask him about Apocalypse. And about your friend, don't worry. I'm just trying to offer a helpful insight or two". He walks past JACE and into the larger street. As soon as his back is turned, JACE pulls the trigger. His gun jams. King walks off, without a care in the world.
Las Vegas, Nevada. March 22, 2005.
The Agents have gone home to recover. JACE reports back to BERNARD, who gives him some useful information about 'Apocalypse': it was an occult underground organization dedicated to the gathering and use of Unnatural power, which managed to hold its own against the group in New York for decades. It collapsed from within in 2003, but many of its members are still unaccounted for. King fits the description of an operative known as 'the Lord of Tongues', or James Alford. If that is the case, he is to be watched carefully before elimination: he is extremely dangerous, even separated from his organization.
JACE and Fincher listen in on the bug in the Casavecchia house. They amange to overhear something about what Frank, the youngest son, 'is doing to those women' and how it 'will get out eventually', that he's been careless. Then, a bottle can be heard toppling over, which results in a great chaos. Finally the room goes silent for a moment, then dinner resumes as normal. The Agents suspect the family has found the bug.
JACE also visits JACK to check on him and inform him of the new developments. He is surprised by the Agent's condition: JACK has been making panicked arrangements to dispose of the De Mulieribus for good. He has seen what that shit does to people, and he wants nothing do with it. JACE gently places the book on his subordinate's desk. Gardner will keep reading. He will do so with care to absorb all of the contents, learn all of the bizarre procedures and occult formulas. And he will do the same for any book JACE pleases. The cell leader need not remind him he is in charge for a reason. He need not remind him he knows things Gardner would never want out in public. After that, he takes his leave. JACE is afraid, now more than ever, and the resuscitation ritual in the De Mulieribus has started to look very appealing to him.
1-Collage put together by myself, using: photo of magician Rob Zabrecky taken by Taylor Wong ( featured in: https://lamag.com/arts-and-entertainment/magician-rob-zabrecky-brings-the-spook-show-back-to-l-a/ ) + The Fate version of the Eye of Ra, featured in the Delta Green: Handler's Guide on page 86.
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