Casefile 141-A-1/23/2010 – Faceless Man

[Sakura]

Casefile 141-A-1/23/2010 – Faceless Man

Final Log
Time: 15:00 Hours
Date: 1/23/2010

The final account of the Faceless Man case is as follows. After the death of multiple local Amarillo citizens representing a cross-section of the makeup of the local people I began a private paranormal investigation. This casefile is a representation of private and paranormal investigation in that it involves both elements.

Upon launching the investigation, it was revealed that the victims were seemingly killed by a large wild animal within the confines of the city, seemingly at random as victims ranged from a homeless man to a law enforcement officer. Each victim was found with their bodies mauled, the skin and flesh of their faces removed. At first it appeared a ritual killing, but evidence upon the deceased indicates they were not desecrated or further eviscerated in any other fashion than their manner of death and the subsequent removal of the victim's face. The victims each died either by ensanguination or destruction of cervical vertebrae from bites consistent with an attack from a large animal predator. Bite mark impressions indicate canine but is not consistent with any known North American predator. No trace evidence was left at the scene or upon the victims. No special animal handlers or zoos reported loosing any predatory animal of any kind. Based upon the size and relative health of the victims, combined with the bite sizes from said victims the responsible predator would be roughly one hundred pounds in weight and almost waist height for an average male human. Bite impressions taken from the victims also indicated up to four of these predatory creatures.

The one officer that had been attacked was off duty. He had been armed at the time of his death and did discharge his weapon defensively. Ballistic trajectories are consistent with firing at an animal but there was no indication that this expert shooter ever hit his assailant. It also appeared from the bullet strikes in the alleyway where the officer was found that he was potentially facing multiple attacks. However, only one set of bite marks appeared upon the victim. The weapon was not fully discharged as several rounds remained in the magazine of the officer's sidearm. Defensive wounds on the right forearm and wrist from bite marks indicated an attempt to struggle, but the officer was disarmed by his predatory attackers. This suggested intelligence, training, or direction. Defensive wounds on the knuckles indicate the officer struck his attacker several times but with little effect.

The other victims had no such defensive wounds or minimal defensive wounds, suggesting surprise and a violence of action that was overwhelming.

The lack of trace evidence, paw prints, visual sighting, wounding of the creature, nor matching the profile of any known predator, and attacking inside a large city indicated that of the unnatural and perhaps paranormal. The lack of further mauling or consumption of any portion of the victims were a possible indicator that these attacking animals were trained or controlled in some fashion, suggesting that they were not simple supernatural predators acting on their own though at first this is how they appeared.

Assistance in the investigation was rendered by a local occult and arcane expert by the name of Brandon Greene. Greene cross-referenced the times of the killings with lunar and solar cycles and other factors of paranormal activity, as well as the layout of local concentrations of paranormal energy known as Ley Lines and Nexus Points. While the Texas Panhandle is a hive of supernatural activity, especially due to Native American influences from battles and burial grounds it does not contain a great deal of Ley Lines. Nevertheless, they are present and do exert their influences on the flow of magic and psychic activity in the area. The killings coincided with the elevated levels of local energy and also matched a spiral pattern typical of most sociopaths and sex offenders exhibit.

Also during this time I was able to catch sight of one of the predators in question, and also wound up in an altercation with it at the Washington Street Amarillo College park. Unfortunately, several witnesses were present, so Amarillo Police Department and campus police intervened before I could deal with the creature in question. As such, I was forced to flee the scene, especially with how twitchy and nervous campus police can be after numerous school shootings such as the Georgia Tech shooting.

After ditching my vehicle and wiping it down I switched to another, and continued the investigation, of course most of this report thus far is a recount of events listed previously.

The predator was that of what could be described as a large wolf made of shadow, but standing larger than any wolf on record at double the size. It appeared spiky and jagged, and able to shift from intangible to solid at will. A later altercation at my apartment as recounted on the board reveals that they were able to teleport from shadow to shadow by entering the shadow. Some even displayed some command over shadow itself and was able to make a projectile of solid shadow, but in the past was not needed due to swiftness of violence and surprise. A hunter of the supernatural and paranormal though is not quite so easy prey and is better prepared.

The attack, and subsequent connections discovered between the victims revealed they were also part of a case and were witnesses in the case. Due to legal constraints I cannot discuss the nature of the case. Suffice it to say that all of the prosecution's witnesses were being killed off. The last witness had been moved into protective custody at that point but if I could be attacked in my own apartment I doubted that protective custody would matter. At this point it was doubtless that these shadow beasts were being controlled. They were being directed and could attack with impunity as evidenced by taking down a local cop and nearly killing me in my own house. Luck was mostly what had saved my life during that attack. I had my doubts that any mundane protection team could keep the last witness safe much less alive against attackers such as the shadow beasts, especially if they were directed by someone. If one almost killed me, and had killed others, and evidence indicated that there were at least four there was no possible way they could handle four being ignorant. I passed along the things that I could and was suggested by members of the Lazlo Society in the hopes that this last one could be more easily safeguarded.

As mentioned elsewhere on the Society boards Brandon also came under an attempted mobbing. I managed to send them away once. However, he was brutally attacked and left for dead in the alley outside of his home later. Beaten and battered to incapacitation his attackers then poured charcoal lighter fluid on him and ignited it, turning him into a living torch. Luck, and a sense that he was in danger had prompted me to head toward his home a short time before so I pulled up as he was being lit up. Exiting my car I fired a warning shot, but several members of the mob went for weapons themselves as the rest fled the scene. They opened fire but were running to flee as well. I returned fire, injuring but not killing two of them. I managed to pull a blanket out of the back seat and using it smothered the fire on Brandon, but I expected him to be a corpse already. However he survived the fire and was burned but not as severely as he could have been. I can only guess that he used a spell he had managed to cast without being noticed, or perhaps was saved by an object on his person.

Thankfully I was able to get him into the hospital, but I wouldn't be able to visit for some time. Between the incident at the college, and now with Brandon being a known associate of mine, and other factors I was now suspected to be involved in the murders of the other victims and the assault and attempted murder of Brandon Greene.

During the course of the investigation it was discovered that the local DA had attempted to have the trial and charges dismissed but the prosecution would not rest. It seemed that the DA had prior connections and business associations with the defendant James Darren. Apparently the business was good enough for him to try to protect.

I caught up with the DA at his home and confronted him with the evidence. He was cool and confident, regarding the information as “crazy”, circumstantial, and coincidental at best. A search of his home, phone records, and confiscation of his cell phone revealed that he had made a call to the same person each night of the killings around the time of death for each victim. However, it seemed that there were no traces of the paranormal or supernatural on the property. No magical paraphernalia of any kind or symbolism. I took him into custody, which was admittedly not the most desirable of situations as my business property was likely under surveillance as was my apartment. That being said I was forced to resort to leaving him secured at a friend's house while I went to check on the person that he had called.

Thankfully, there hadn't been time for this person to be warned. Keeping the DA's cell phone with me I intercepted a text message to meet at the offender's home. Loading up with assault gear for both the supernatural and mundane I went to go the suspect's house. The place was a decent size unassuming house in the middle of a nice but slightly run-down neighborhood. The property was registered to a one Nicholas Cox. The man's criminal record was fairly boring but indicated he was a violent individual with prison connections as well as referenced as being a practicing occultist.

Entering the property I noticed several signs on the place that were indications of occult activity. From the front of the house hung a somewhat disguised pentacle, which was only one example. Thankfully it was daylight which meant I had some modicum of protection against shadow beasts, and I found myself hoping that they were his only guardians, but I doubted that would be the case.

Beneath the house I could sense something present, besides a human as now my senses both mundane and psychic were soaring on an adrenaline rush. I opted not to go for the civil approach, or for kicking down the front door. Instead, I quickly picked the lock and slipped into the premises. Expecting shadow creatures of course, I brought along a small amulet that Brandon had managed to construct for me before his attack in the alley. Its purpose was to create a spell, a Globe of Daylight, as was also mentioned by someone else on the boards, but I didn't light it up, nor use any of my tactical lights. Instead, I relied on an experimental set of optics and eye protection but one that allowed me to see in total or near total darkness, and see things normally missed, along with a few other things.

Casefile continued in next entry

[Sakura]

The house was quiet, but I wasn't going to let my guard down as I held onto my shotgun, but this one modified to interface better with the paranormal, since I was expecting the incorporeal. I swept the room and cleared it then began a further sweep and clear. Heart hammering in my ears, my breath ragged as I rode the rollercoaster of adrenaline, hoping that enough cortisol would kick in that I wouldn't be too jazzed. At least my hands were steady... mostly.

There was a tick-tock of a clock in the house, annoying as it was... counting the seconds in an uncaring rythm. It took me only a minute to find the basement door, and as quietly as I could I started down the steps, thankfully my boots were the soft-soled kind for extra traction and silence some special forces and SWAT teams use to stay quiet. Thankfully the stairs didn't creak, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have mattered.

Making it down to the basement floor, the air was cool, and the plain cinder block and drywall walls around me stood in mute silence. The room was dark, but to me it was lit just fine thanks to my goggles. But... it meant that against these shadow creatures I would have a rough time dealing with them, and it would only take a moment to surround me.

Clutching the amulet at my neck I would have to react as fast as I could to get the thing to work, hopefully before I went down. Almost on the heel of that thought a weight slammed into my back and sent me flying across the bare room into a pile of trash and what had started out as a decrepit bookshelf lined with books. Somehow I stayed concious though my ears were wringing, my back was wrenched and blood was leaking from a gash in my forehead from hitting the wall. I kicked on the Globe of Daylight spell flooding the room with bright light. My goggles instantly adjusted, and I heard a startled shriek in suprise. Slowly I climbed to my feet, staggering, then bound up my forehead as I saw one of the wolf-like shadow creatures.

I raised my shotgun as the thing revealed black fangs in a snarl. Without hesitating my shotgun discharged full into it's head as it didn't bother to dodge, but it went down with a yelp of pain, thrashing in a pile of old clothes. The thrashing stopped, but the thing was back on it's feet again, across the room. I fired again and again, hitting it twice more before it went down for good. A few moments later it began to evaporate into thick smoke that disappated into thin air. One down.

Turning, I checked the bandana that I was using for a bandage and looked at the door to the left and to the right. No doubt the fire had been heard, and no doubt there would be reinforcements arriving within moments. I reloaded the weapon. Sure enough the other three came slinking in, one through each door and one from the shadow of a coat rack in one corner.

I reached into my pants pocket pulling out a homemade toy of mine that I'd been preparing and saving for this occaision. It had taken a lot of elbow grease too. It was a magnesium powder charge, but one that I had also added flecks of silver, and a few other special ingredients. It looked like any regular pipebomb but it wasn't. It was more like a flare but designed to throw off much more intense light, and combined with the other additives I hoped it would hurt the creatures even more. I set the flare off and immediately I was greeted with howls of pain and frustration but I couldn't see the effects as I squeezed my eyes shut to keep from being blinded.

When I opened my eyes agian, they were gone and I was sure they wouldn't bother me again. I'd lost precious time in dealing with the creatures though. What I really wanted was their master. Dropping the shotgun I reached down and pulled out my Smith and Wesson.

Finally I found the man. He was in his late thirties and in one hand he held an Ingram Mack 10, pointed at me. The hand was steady though, and in his other was a wicked looking ceremonial dagger. "So... you're tougher than I thought, and no cop either," he said, glaring at me down the sights. "You've caused me a lot of grief, you know."

I shook my head as I dropped my pistol. "It doesn't have to be this way. I know you were being paid for this, you were put up to this. It's not your fight," I replied calmly. "What the hell do you know about it," he shouted, angry, a little twitchy but focused. "I know you dont want to go back to prison, and I'm sure the DA threatened to put you there," I told him calmly. A look crossed his face, there and gone as fast as thought. A confirmation.

"So why didn't you just kill him with one of your summoned creatures?"
"He cut me a deal to get me out early, and he was paying me too. I needed the money."
"You sell your power and skills a lot like that?"

The man shook his head. "Not for a long time."
"You know a lot of people have gotten hurt because of you... because of him."
"They got in the way. What else was I supposed to do?"
"How much was he paying you for this?"

Again, he delayed. "How much? You're gonna kill me anyway, right?"
"Fifty large," he responded after a moment.

Before the words were out of his mouth, a mental shout of pure will had shoved his machine pistol asside and I swept one hand up to keep it checked, while wrenching it out of his grip before he could fire. Cursing he swept his knife around, holding it with the blade down. I managed to get away from it mostly but he still cut my shoulder. I waited for him to come back, to stab at my chest which he did. Catching his wrist I punched just above the elbow into the nerve there, sending shocking pain and numbness through his arm, his fingers momentarily deadened. The knife dropped to the concrete. He leaned away some and then side-kicked me right in the gut hard enough to make me loose my footing, and I went down to my knees, loosing my grip on his wrist.

The knee-sandwich I got in the face made my eyes water and knocked off my goggles, and I fell onto my back. I used it to my advantage though and kicked the back of his knees, dumping him to the floor as I rolled away, coming up with his Ingram. I didn't know the gun well so I dropped the magazine out and ejected the round in the chamber as he scrambled to get the knife. I stood quickly, pulling my own.

"You're gonna have to do better than that to kill me," I said quietly. He grinned, then turned to the table that had been serving as his altar and he stuck the knife home into a plate that was sitting there. A moment later it felt as though my blood was on fire but being drained as a red mist began seeping from the blade into the air, growing and coagulating from a mist into a shape.

Reacting quickly I looked to my pistol on the floor and stretched my hand out, calling for it. It leaped up and settled into my grip and I turned and fired in rapid sucession. The first shot snapped the blade in half, the second shattered the plate, the third missed everything but the wall. The fourth, fifth and six rounds found my opponent, one clipping his side, the other two taking him straight through the heart.

Whatever spell or magic he had been attempting to complete... well there wasn't any energy to finish it now.

A search of the house and property netted a good deal of cash, as well as a few books that were worthwhile. Cleaning up the shell casings and bullets, and the scene, it remains now for me to deal with our wayward DA, and to sort things out with Amarillo Police Department, and see about Brandon's condition.

[Grace]

Any idea how you're going to deal with your wayward DA?

[Sakura]

I'd -like- to execute him. He's too dangerous and damaging to my business, not to mention the city because it seems like I'm the only one out there on the streets cleaning up the things of tooth and claw.

Not to mention he'd make life hell whereever I went. He's also just going to hire people to kill people again. I cant just let him go and expect him to be a good little boy.

And its not like he can be taken to court either, because oh my gosh monsters arent real! Neither is magic or anything else that we deal with so... I have no case.

So, I think I will strike a deal with him.

[Grace]

I'd -like- to execute him.

Ordinarily I'd offer to help with that. But I'm afraid this affair with Mr. Caliburn is consuming most of my attention and efforts.

So, I think I will strike a deal with him.

If you're willing to wait an unknown period of time, you could always strike a deal with me instead.

DA's are worth a lot...

[Sakura]

Exactly what business would you have with a DA in Amarillo, Texas, much less have any business in my town to begin with.