August 31, 2013
Firechild

I should have known better, but I was still amazed at the speed and power behind the surveillance network of the O.S.I.R. Mr. Peterson provided intel on the whereabouts of the gifted woman starting the fires in Wisconsin. I've told you about the security cameras and about everyone's online videos. You might have guessed from recent events that they also exploit holes in the security of anything connected to the internet including your Z-Phones and the like. You may have even thought about this next one… they have military satellites, and as of more recent times spy drones. If you're outside they can see you for sure.

Back to the story. The target's was a seventeen year old girl named Susan D'Amico and you're not going to believe who she is. We tracked down Susan to a warehouse that is currently in business. It is for a company called Fauxtein. You've probably seen their ads on TV. Susan or someone from the company had pulled a fire alarm. Mr. Peterson was following us. I had Sarah and Jack watching him. Myron was watching the back of the place and Jenny and I went in to confront Susan.

Jenny and I had cornered Susan in the back of one of the massive storage rooms at the front of the building. We had told her that we just wanted to talk. We kept our hands down and our distance. I had a Bluetooth earpiece on so I could hear from Sarah or Myron. Susan didn't want to tell us why she was starting the fires. I was explaining why it was bad and why she needed to stop. I told her we could get her help. That was when Sarah sent up a warning that men were coming in the front of the building with a clear intention to kill. Myron came on immediately after saying the mob woman was coming in the back. I can only piece together what came next, but Mr Peterson slipped Sarah and Jack. He came in and killed the men coming from the front. In our room we didn't hear a thing.

Sarah, Jack, and Myron came in too. It ended up with the mob sister and three of her men holding Susan, Jenny, and I at gunpoint. Mr. Peterson burst in with his gun no longer silenced and fired on one man. I took another man's gun and Jack made the last man dodge an illusion of a uniformed cop. That left the sister. Amongst the shelves and stacks of boxes we got scrambled around. Susan and I ended up facing the sister. Melvin--using the warehouse security cameras from back at home--came over my earpiece warning more men had arrived in the room. The sister brought Susan and I out to a more open area. Her four new men were there.

They weren't alone. From out of nowhere came about ten men dressed in black riot gear with assault rifles. I didn't get any warning. They immediately demanded the surrender of the mob people. All of them except for the sister complied. She grabbed Susan and the two of them stood next to me. We formed a line. The sister said she would shoot both of us dead. A shot rang out and the sister slumped over dead. Mr. Peterson came out. One of the riot gear men spoke to him briefly. Mr. Peterson said to the mobsters, "You're little war ends here. Gezim. Megi is shopping right now and Luana is almost done science class. Len. Tariq is home sick with his nanny. Aleksander. Clea is in a meeting with the sales rep she buys paper from, Rea is doing math, and Eliza is getting ready to cheer on the football team. You're all going to pack up your families and leave the country as soon as possible or your families are going to pay the price."

Mr. Peterson paused. Sarah had slipped up behind me and whispered that the men were scared and so was she. Mr. Peterson moved next to me before continuing, "This man here? He and his friends are hands off. If anyone comes after him and his, you'll pray that his other friends get to you before I do. You only get to live to serve as messengers. My men and I, we don't exist officially. We have the authority to do whatever is required for our mission. You don't get a lawyer, you don't get a trial, you just die if you get in our way again. Now get lost!"

Mr. Peterson's men led the other men away. Sarah, Jenny and I stayed with Susan and Mr. Peterson. Mr. Peterson approached Susan and grabbed her by the shoulders. He asked if she was hurt and if she was okay now. She said, "I'm okay, Uncle Bob."

Susan is Mr. Peterson's niece by his sister. He told Susan that she had to go with me and that I would get her help. I was surprised she agreed so easily, but after seeing what transpired anyone would be quick to agree. The next surprise was warranted though. He told her that she had to make the right choice or his co-workers would have her killed. Then he hugged her and told her it would all be all right.

Tags: Fauxtein, Jack Tourmaline, Jenny Brumal, mafia, Melvin Klein, Myron Nath, O.S.I.R., Mr. Peterson, OSIR, pyrokinesis, Sarah Jayne, surveillance, Susan D'Amico, threats, Wisconsin.

August 24, 2013
A Strange Ally's Case

There have been a series of arson cases in Wisconsin not all that far from where I used to live. The locations were all abandoned buildings, but the last one was used by some of the homeless, and disaster was barely averted. Thorough investigation revealed that the fires have burned savagely where there is no wiring or electronics, no fuel sources, and usually in the middle of the room. Reports from the authorities suggest that the arsonist is using a new, unknown accelerant to set the blazes. Mr. Peterson of the O.S.I.R. obviously believes that he has the answer to how the fires have been conducted. What I cannot figure out is why he has asked me to look into it--as you might remember I mentioned last week.

If you think this is creepy or dangerous, hold on. Mr. Peterson ran interference while myself, Myron, and Jenny investigated one of the crime scenes. Sarah and Jack watched over Mr. Peterson from a distance just to be safe. Inside Myron and Jenny did most of the work. Myron has dealt with gifted children who were the unwitting cause of R.S.P.K. occurrences--their runaway gifts started fires once or twice. He has also dealt with a pyrokinetic entity. Jenny on the other hand has not had to pit her gifts against a pyrokinetic yet. She read objects remaining at the current scene. She hasn't had much cause to read objects affected by others gifts yet, but she seems to get a sense of it that will be helpful in the future. (It's something we should practice.)

Our investigation didn't yield any evidence of who is responsible, but we did get a sense from everywhere we went when looked at all together that, as you might expect if you watch a lot of crime TV shows, there will be more fires and likely someone will get hurt if we don't step in and do something. I'll keep you up to date as we learn things and put a stop to this person's rampage.

Tags: crime, entities, Jack Tourmaline, Jenny Brumal, Myron Nath, O.S.I.R., Mr. Peterson, OSIR, psychometry, pyrokinesis, RSPK, Sarah Jayne, Wisconsin.

August 17, 2013
Good Day Out Twist

I wasn't going to go, and I waited until the last moment to decide, but Sarah and I went back to Wisconsin to my old city and to the local street festival. It was a good time. It was the best since I've started blogging about it. That was aside from looking over my shoulder all of the time. Being predictable has it's price. There was one moment though that could have ruined it had I let it. I saw a couple of my friends and I had to avoid being seen by them. They don't need what a meeting with me can bring. Speaking of which...

Now you're going to think I've lost my sanity. I had a brief meeting with Mr. Peterson.

As if to prove I'm not as smart, or as skilled in evasion, as I think he caught my attention on the way out of the city. How he knew I'd be heading that way I can only gather was a matter of following me from earlier than my plans of which route to leave by were decided. He said that he had a job for me. He didn't care if I took it to the Protectorate or not, but he would only deal with me, or Sarah in a pinch. If I do it, it will keep us in Wisconsin for a few days. Once I've nailed down some of the details as accurate I will tell you all about it. Until then I'd rather not say what it is about.

Tags: evasion, festival, friends, Mr. Peterson, OSIR, The Protectorate, Sarah Jayne, Wisconsin.

August 10, 2013
Knowledge Gaps Net-style

I've been thinking more about the state of events on the Internet. I had to do some research and there was a lot of stress about security. I'm doing things with a high degree of anonymity thanks to Melvin. If you don't have a super technical, or similarly gifted, friend it can be a deadly proposition to do some kinds of research. We've had to watch what books we are seen signing out from the library since the 90s. E-books from the big stores are even worse. Everything online is watched, unless you have a third option.

For some that third option is the dark web. Like the gray markets the dark web consists of alternate sites of which some are legal and others not so much. You have to know people and you have to have a certain level of computer savvy to use them or even find them. I actually can't recommend using the dark web. They are way too brazen (that makes them highly scrutinized targets) and if you get into the wrong parts without a name to fall back on they can be more dangerous than the authorities.

Instead I have to suggest a more physical method that relies on regular criminals. First you need a fake ID. You use that to get a post office box. You use that to get a phone and internet access (not necessarily both together). It's best if you do this in another state than the one you live in. You use that access to find what you want. You can also set up another online identity at this time to use later when you return home--and with it another provider. This all of course has its dangers too, starting with that first step of an ID. So of course I can't recommend this either.

Your best bet is always just forget about anything that seems too dangerous. Don't research iffy subjects. Don't use the seamy underbelly of the Internet. Don't get fake IDs. Stay good, or fake it.

Tags: books, crime, dark web, e-books, gray market, identification, law, library, Melvin Klein, research, surveillance.

August 3, 2013
Mean Comedy Crime Attack

There is a rule in the Protectorate regarding the use of force on prime people. The prime get a pass on threatening us, and on spur of the moment violence driven by fear and rage. It only goes so far though. Our response is to be measured and only so much further than what was levelled against us. The O.S.I.R. pretty much permanently lost their grace from us. Last week I told you about the mobbed up sister of one of our prisoners. Her cronies have been hanging around where I faced off against her. Yesterday I had enough of them intimidating people and acting like thugs in a place that has nothing to do with me.

I got permission to deal with them as I saw fit. I went in covertly and threw them around without a word of warning, or being seen. One bright one started shooting blindly, including out into the street where people were passing by. I took a hold of his trigger and then his hand and I'll admit that what I did was petty. I made him shoot himself in the foot, high and to the right. There are bones everywhere in the foot so I couldn't avoid them entirely.

Then I took all of their guns one by one and stuck them on a roof. I soon thought better of it though. I didn't want them storming through the building. I dropped the magazines from the roof to the ground and popped any chambered rounds, then I threw each empty guns to the pavement with quite some force. I couldn't say what harm it did any of the weapons but it looked and sounded impressive. The thugs had moved closer to the street. A police officer showed up, but one of the mobsters (it seems silly to call these people that) had a backup weapon and pulled it on the cop. I made him smash himself in the face with the gun four times before I realized the harm it was doing him--it was more force than he would have exerted. Who knows what the police record shows about that. I was nowhere to be seen and the officer held them at gunpoint until his backup arrived.

Only time will tell if this stunt makes them backoff. I bet it probably won't, but I can hope.

Tags: law, mafia, O.S.I.R., The Protectorate, threats.