Memorial BBQ & Lazlo Retreat at Cypress Cove Anex

[Willie Long]

This more recent post of "Celeste" came from somewhere in Maine.

I think that's where she went after Saginaw, but wasn't she in D.C. when she was destroyed?

[Ron Caliburn]

Not DC proper, but close enough.

[Holister]

Um; hello to my fellow Lazlo members.

This is Randolph Carter, Ben's friend and co-founder of the Lazlo Annex here in Cypress Cove.

Has anyone heard from Ben since yesterday?

I went to check on him last night to discuss matters for the BBQ and he wasn't home.

His office was a mess but his computer was on.

Molly is at her grandparents' for the week so she wasn't home thankfully.

Normally I wouldn't be concerned, I know how Ben gets sometimes, but this time he didn't take any of his firearms or gear.

I believe he may have fallen to foul play. I have contacted the local authorities, and their preliminary findings agree with my conclussion.

Ben Holister has been abucted....

Not by supernatural forces I am affraid, but by flesh and blood culprits.

There were tire tracks leaading away from the house that match up to a Mercedes 360 SL and several blood droplets leading from his computer to the driveway.

Wait.....I have an e-mail from the station. I have to go now. I will do my best to keep you all posted.

[GhostSpider]

Well shit...

[KonThaak]

It's always something... Can that guy never catch a break?

Logan, is there anything you can do?

Two things strike me... First, "Celeste"'s posts were coming from Maine. Two, I'm supposed to arrive there Thursday evening.

Mr. Carter, could you meet me somewhere public? Say, The Brick? I'll be there around 9PM, local time, and I'll do what I can to help from there.

[GhostSpider]

Good luck guys. Call me if you need a substantial body count.

[Holister]

Two things strike me... First, "Celeste"'s posts were coming from Maine. Two, I'm supposed to arrive there Thursday evening.

Mr. Carter, could you meet me somewhere public? Say, The Brick? I'll be there around 9PM, local time, and I'll do what I can to help from there.

This is Carter again. Yes Mr. KonThaak that is possible, but I am affraid the Annex may be of little use to either of us.

The e-mail I received last night was a text message sent by Mr. Kincaid informing me that while we were out at Ben's looking for clues. Someone broke into the annex. We were for lack of a better phrase, Hit Hard.

Our armory, our computers, our Society data all stolen. Our library was dumped out back in a trash bin and set ablaze.

All that was left was a first-aid kit with a note that read " You'll be needing this soon enough. " and one intact bullet that matched the casing found at the scene of Ben's shooting several weeks ago.

The local LEOs are running the note for prints and the annex for any forensics evidence.

I am sorry to say we lost everything.

[GhostSpider]

Wait a sec, what do you mean by Society data?

[Ron Caliburn]

Yes, what data?

[Holister]

Um, well yes. You must understand we had a quite well designed security system installed with the latest in computer protection software...and yet they somehow hacked into the terminal.

And downloaded....everything.

Names, places, dates, activities, member lists, contacts, the whole database, even our own passwords here at the annex.

Everything we have gathered on or about The Lazlo Society seperately or collaboratively over the past several years.

[Logan]

Carter, I assume you are requesting federal aid regarding a crimescene of an "unusual" nature, am I correct?

Do I need to bring a group of analysts and eggheads, or would a tactical strike group be more appropriate?

[Sir Typhis Black]

Good Sir Logan, I do not believe that the good sheriff would want a strike force of any kind running rampid within his town. I believe that because Mr. Hollister was taken and the Lazlo Annex there was attacked directly, that this may be a subtle assault on the Lazlo Society itself.

There may be more sinister motives at work here.

Another question, what has happened to Mr. Hollister? Perhaps the society should send a psychic there to aid in his recovery before something dire happens to him.

I wish his rescuers well and I hope that this attack does not repeat itself.

How vital was this information they stole anyway Mr. Carter. It sounds as though it was quite important.

[Ron Caliburn]

1. We need to recover Hollister and the information.

2. Any information about people who did not consent to such information being collected needs to be destroyed. My lawyer will get involved on this if need be.

3. We need to find out who/what did this and put them out of buisness.

[Ethan Skinner]

I'm not advocating that we don't go and help Holister, but has anyone bothered to wonder if this is a trap?

Think about it. First he plans this party in Maine come Memorial Day, and when only a few of us sent RSVP's, he (or someone pretending to be him) adds something about being kidnapped to get us all down there.

The thing I hate the worst is, you guys should go check it out anyway. I'd go down too, but work isn't so free with my time. I got the weekend plus Memorial Day off. That's it. For the rest of the time, I'm on call. And I'm not about to let Clarity go off by herself.

[Holister]

This is Carter again.

Before I head off to meet KonThaak at The Brick I thought I should keep you posted.

Both the police and our own efforts has uncovered nothing as to the where abouts of Ben's location.

We are stumped.

Maybe will have a stroke of luck this evening. I do hope so.

[Logan]

Dawes, if any federal authorities had Holister, he would already be in my posession (well the NSA still trumps us, but I would have at least been told if they had them).

Black, you don't seem to understand yet how myself and others like me operate. Due to juristictional issues, I have no ability to become involved in any but the most cursory manner, unless there is proof that a crime crossed a state border, or if the local law enforcement asks for our aid (one of the reasons for DR1313's)

Caliburn, 1.Agreed. 2. Agreed to disagree, good luck sueing over dossiers built by observation. 3 Definately agreed.

Carter, are you requesting federal aid on a case of an "unusual" nature?

[Ron Caliburn]

I don't care which method I need to use, if someone is collecting data about myself or any other Lazlo member without their consent, it needs to be stopped and the records destroyed.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

I’m having a . . . rough time. Josh and I had a long chat the other night, and he left early this morning after . . . well. And now I had this dream . . . a nightmare . . . a vision.

It was like I was flying through the night air . . . following a country road below me that was hemmed in on either side by trees. Somehow, I knew the small gathering of houses and buildings that spread out below me was Cypress Cove. I passed the small town and continued on, the road turning to the side; the trees fell back and the coastline replaced it. It was dark, but I could see by way of the stars. I followed the road what seemed like for an hour. Precariously hugging the cliffs of the coastline, looking ready to topple into the sea, was a dark, squat building, with a strange, dull glow around it like firelight. Shadows encrusted the worn bricks like dry mud. I went nearer . . . the scene started to fade.

The room was dark . . . bloodstained. The silhouette of a figure I knew well was laying flat and tied to a stone slab placed horizontally before another dark figure in a long coat. The figure on the table . . . the altar was in obvious pain. Old wounds crisscrossed his body, standing out in the shadows of his skin like iron brands.

Ben.

“You have proven most resilient against our . . . methods,” the figure congratulated the sheriff. I tried to turn away as images ran across my Sight like unwanted flies. Images of Ben being dunked headfirst into water, pulled out and dunked in, again and again until he started bleeding from the nose. In another scene, Ben was whipped and flogged by rope knotted with barbs dipped in vinegar . . .

“But your usefulness has come to an end,” the man standing over . . . over the silhouette of Ben sneered, raising a giant, serrated hook and setting the tip slowly into the flesh of Ben’s stomach. He flinched as the razor edge when through skin and muscle. Goodbye, Mr. Holister . . .”

When dreaming, I See all no matter what I do. It was no use; I was helpless.

Unable to scream and turn my head, I could only watch in horror as Ben was drawn and quartered.

[Koralth]

Oh, geez, does anyone else think that... *ahem* Those guys that shot Holister last time came to finish the job? I'd need to see more details, but the rundown sounds like when that Ivy league professor was abducted and murdered...

[GhostSpider]

Shit!

What I'm doing here in Chicago is really important, but if you guys need me, i'll be there.

[Sir Typhis Black]

Miss Dawes I hope that you are not implying that Mr. Hollister has something to do with his own abduction. To think that a fellow Society member, aor any society member for that matter would sink so low as to aid the enemy. Its perposterous.

I would have expected better from you Miss Dawes.

I do hope that a rescue mission is underway. I unfortunately can not make it to Maine fast enough. My resources are somewhat limited.

Humm? Mr. Holister in Maine. Miss Chambers in Vermont. Activity in the Chicago area according to Mr. Spider. Perhaps my attention should focus on the Canadian border near the Great Lakes for similiar activities.

To those fighting the good fight, I wish you all luck.

[Cameron Thorne]

Ol' Benny went and got himself kiddnapped. Again. How amusing. This makes it what? The umpteenth time. Maybe we should just implant a tracking chip in you Ben and save us the trouble.

However, I too sensed that strange sensation that brought me back here stateside. Eilonwy is correct....pain, suffering, agony, blood,...death. I think that Ben may be in over his head this time. Regardless of his aptitude for getting into trouble he is in desperate need. Looks like I must pay another visit to The Cove.

Ms. Solstice.....I have had another vision regarding you as well. We still need to talk. Privately.

[KonThaak]

It's already over... I'll be leaving Cypress Cove for Chicago soon. I'll post details when I can.

Last night was oh so very much fun, in the kind of I-love-dental-surgery-without-anesthetics kind of way...

Expect a War Stories thread.

[Holister]

Hello all, and I am truly grateful for Mr. KonThaak's aid in this otherwise grim situation. If it was not for his assistance, I am affraid Ben would have been killed.

Ben is currently resting at an undisclosed location with people watching over him.

I am recovering from some injuries myself, again thanks to KonThaak and his magic, wounds that were not to severe.

I do regret to inform the society one deputy lost his life during the struggle.
May he rest in peace. His family has already been notified that be died in the line of duty.

The culprits of this ordeal were a Dybbuk possessed ringleader of several human followers armed with hunting rifles. I believe he called himself Rolf if I am not mistaken.

Odd that a Dybbuk would name itself.

There was also a naga serpent that seemed to obey the commands of the dybbuk. Again, another oddity.

But fear not, due to the heroic efforts of KonThaak, myself, and several deputies, the naga has been slain, and three out of five of the human followers have been arrested. Two died in the conflict I am affraid.

Two are in the clinic for wounds they sustained during the conflict and will be under 24 hour gaurd.

Despite our best efforts however the Dybbuk got away.

I do believe that KonThaak has proven his merit yet once again and I am glad he is on our side.

Thank you again KonThaak for your help,we would not have done it without you. May your wounds heal quickly.

[Eilonwy Solstice]

What . . . so-so soon, Josh? Th-thank goodness. Is Ben all right? Are you all right? I was so worried . . .

Heather . . . I do believe in psychic premonitions. And you’re free to not believe. But please, don’t talk about Ben that way. It’s bad enough that I had to have such a nightmare without you saying such awful things about him.

Cameron . . . why do you continue to have visions of me when I myself don’t? Why didn’t you meet with me when we had the chance? Please, if you’re going to meet with me, let’s set up a time . . . but I would like to have some say in the matter. Give the freedom to choose, please.

[GhostSpider]

Oh goody, Thorne's back.

Glad to hear Ben's alright, and also sorry to hear that a deputy lost his life.

[KonThaak]

My stomach hurts like hell from where the Dybbuk punched me, but other than that, I'm alright. None of Ben's wounds are too bad, either. All of us got bruised up, but not too badly beaten...save for the one poor soul who died.

Why do you sound surprised that I saved Ben so quickly, Ei? Another thirty seconds, and your premonition would've come true...

[Sir Typhis Black]

Congratulations on your victory brave sir KonThaak. You truly are every bit the legend I have heard about. It is good to see that you made it out of that situation along with Mr. Hollister.

Though it is a shame that a brave soul had to lay down his life. I wish that deputy who fell in the line of duty peace on his final journey. So is the pity of all those who stand against the crashing waves of darkness when they fall suddenly down upon our heads.

As for the rest of you who bravely returned, I hope your wound heal quickly and that you find the strength to stand against the darkness when it returns to threaten the innocent once again.

G'Day

[GhostSpider]

I am a little miffed that information on the Society was being collected without our knowledge and consent, by one of our own no less.

Still, I trust that Holister will answer all questions once he's back on his feet.

[KonThaak]

I...I didn't ask about the information. I had...a few other things on my mind.