Current Assignment: Theseus and the Minotaur
You are charged with recovering the original golden Theseus and the
Minotaur statue, as well as identify where Ugo's final treasure
resting place is. Ideally, you'd get a preliminary survey of these
treasures.
Things that happened so far:
10 Sept, 2007 Monday
Web-Ex Briefing by Dyer
Full Staff Meeting - 10:00
- Dallas arrives late, she and Zach have it out afterwards. She produces Staters, Zach wonders who in the foundation ordered that.
- Dallas tries to get some rest, but things keep happening though unrelated to this assignment.
- Plans are made to contact Bromsptom, Wyatt, etc
- Research, examining photos of Carnifax cracking files, by Felice, Elizabeth, Jonah
- 14:00 - Praed St. shop explodes, Mr. Henry Sloan killed, Jessica injured.
- Ian gives chase and takes Fed-Ex man prisoner and transports him to Clapham.
- Fed-Ex man didn't survive the trip.
- Elizabeth finds that images of Carnifax have been tampered with
- Jessica retrieved from the scene, card given to Detective Pippen, Jessica can't remember events, but on car ride back with Elizabeth, Jonah and Felice, she suddenly remembers everything.
- 16:30ish - Dallas breaks into Sloan's home and retrieves his laptop.
- Jessica sketches the tattoo she saw on Fed-Ex man's hand, Zach tells her not to contact Det. Pippen just yet.
- Zach, Jonah, Felice and Ian dispose of the body of Fed-Ex man
- 17:30 - Dr. Elizabeth Grant is kidnapped as she leaves the British Museum
- Jessica is also kidnapped in a separate incident after dining at the Potemkin with Beringer.
- Felice finds a warehouse... calls in the troops
- 20:00ish - Zach meets with his contact Sam and gets a list of names
- 21:50 - the troops learn of the kidnappings
- 22:00ish - Maddock arrives from Cairo. Zach et al make plans for the rescue
- 23:00ish - Zach and Maddock's teams are on the move
- 23:30ish - The ladies are rescued from the same warehouse
- 23:30ish - Jonah is surprised when a device fails in the hands of Dallas.
- 23:45ish - Ian and Felice lose a car in the river and the truck they were following, rescued by Maddock's team.
- 00:30 - Debrief at Sangraal concerning the kidnapping events. Maddock is not pleased, nor is Charlotte Weston who had to scramble to get some good PR cover-up happening for events. Elizabeth and Jessica have both lost their cellphones.
- Seems Jessica's hot date is Beringer Grandville - on the Sloan hotlist...
- Elizabeth and Jessica are assigned bodyguards, Trent and Troy respectively. New cell phones are issued for both.
- 01:30 - Jonah requests a transfer to the ACU, Maddock and he discuss it privately.
- 01:30ish - Dallas visits her mother at the hotel. Estelle-Marie refuses Dallas a loan of 25k.
- Overnight - Elizabeth and Jessica have distressing dreams, inquiries are made regarding the occupants of the truck that was at the warehouse as well as the warehouse being searched by police, reports to be provided as a courtesy.
- 08:15 - Jessica calls in sick
- 09:00 - Zach goes to meet with Brompstead
- Jonah gets a message from Maddock saying that their satellite images are supplied by others, if they were tampered with, it happened prior to arriving at Sangraal.
- Maddock addresses concerns about Sangraal in general and that he'll be the contact for this assignment as of now. There are issues of jurisdiction, precedence and all that seem to be somewhat new and distressing for those used to the old 'chain of command'.
- Owen reports all quiet at Amy's place
- Dryer's staff apologizes for forgetting to include personnel files in Zach's packet of info.
- Dallas is at Heathrow, dealing with very personal issues
- Felice, Jonah and others (NPCs) are working on the encrption, images and now also Sloan's laptop
- 10:00ish - Elizabeth is feeling quite ill and goes to see Dr. Palis.
- Jessica ends up going for some 'light' training with Troy at the Sangraal facility off-site. Troy and Owen discover she's very good at hiding.
- Jonah goes to train, has a talk with Owen about eventually getting qualified for gun use. He sees Jessica there and objects to the training style. Owen expresses his satisfaction with it, Manny explains how ti works.
- Ian trains and gets equipped.
- 11:00 - Dallas returns to Sangraal, looking very haggard.
- Stone and Jonah get equiped with various things, legal and not so legal
- 11:45 - Dallas sends email to all in the group announcing she's been assigned elsewhere.
- Ian's research reveals that the tattoo is part of the coat of arms of Italy. The 'M' represents the Millenaria, a suposedly defunct criminal element.
- Felice continues designing the decryption program for Sloan's laptop.
- Noon - Briefing where Maddock reveals that this assignment is more dangerous and complex then originally anticipated. See details here
- 12:30 - Dallas leaves Sangraal on some errands.
- Jonah questions Zach about Dallas being removed from the team but it is shelved.
- Elizabeth reveals the image of the Latin inscription Zach gave her last night is a fragment of the Codex Usserianus Primus and that there is something else embedded in it.
- 13:30 - Dallas goes to Ms. Goodenough's residence to present her card and services. Miss Goodenough is apparently not at home.
- 14:00 - Ian follows Brompston - after getting more gear. He notes the arrival of several people: Ms. Goodenough and her bodyguard/driver, Count Poliponi and Beringer Grandville. Ian gets a gps on the cars and Jonah and Zach join up with him.
- 14:15ish - Elizabeth learns she's been exposed to exposed to several psychotropic agents, along with some other nastiness. She could suffer from hallucinations among other things.
- 14:15ish - Dallas goes to see if Dr. Wyatt is taking new patients and signs up
- 14:30ish - Elizabeth is hearing voices and she and Spencer discover she's reading minds...
- 15:00ish - Felice brings Maddock disturbing news that includes links to her mysterious past - from the code on the encrypted image! There is also a phone number she has not yet called also included... <cue eerie music>
- Felice also managed to obtain a clear image of Sardinia from the file.
- 15:15 - Amy exits Brompston's, looking like she's been crying.
- Maddock's other teams are summoned for surveillence.
- They set off, following Poliponi's car, the tracker is working and they have air support as well as 2 ground units.
- 16:00 - Felice begins cracking Sloan's laptop; Dallas keeps her appointment with Dr. Wyatt
- 16:15ish - The guys arrive at The D'Nial Gentlemen's Club.
- 16:30ish - They quickly deploy cameras and listening devices but can't hear very much - except for the following:
- "... Never told me ..."
- "... Mother ..."
- "... Recriminations over ..."
- "... Leave England ..."
- 17:00 - Dallas storms out of Wyatt's office, finds Ms. Goodenough there and waits
- 17:00ish - Poliponi and Beringer leave D'Nial with the boys in hot pursuit
- 17:00ish - Jessica remodels her brother's townhouse... inadvertantly by getting stuck in a dumbwaiter
- 17:30ish - The chase begins with the mystery car presumably carrying Poliponi and Beringer rams Ian and Zach's car... and mayhem ensues.
- A Haz-Mat incident prevents ACU ground units from helping, fake 'police' speak to Zach but all is resolved except for two totaled Sangraal cars when Thyne finally arrives as well as real police. Maddock is on the horn with the locals and the words 'Diplomatic Immunity' do come up and the incident is explained away as the drivers felt threatened by Ian, Zach and Jonah and in these trying times... resorted to their defensive driving skills to protect their employers from terrorist types. Thyne, at the scene, has the boys' version as a hit and run and advises them to leave it at that for now.
- The boys make their way back to Sangraal, Jonah a bit worse for wear and no further mention is made of the 2 men killed in the encounter.
- 17:40ish - Dallas speaks with Ms. Goodenough, both are injured when Amy's car explodes.
- 18:00 - Jessica is taken to the hotel by Troy's associate, Sabine.
- 18:00ish - Owen and his two man team explore the estate of Adair Williams-Smythe off Ware Rd, north of London. This is where the other car went.
- 18:30ish - Elizabeth has an odd encounter with a TV remote at her hotel.
- 19:00 - Felice cracks Sloan's laptop and begins cataloging what's there.
- 19:30 Ian returns to Sangraal and heads to the ACU for updates
- 19:45 - Elizabeth and Jessica are herded back to Sangraal by their bodyguards under extra security.
- 20:15ish - Dallas is reluctantly released from the infirmary with instructions to watch for delayed reactions and to report to the briefing.
- 20:30 - D'Nial briefing - It is revealed that Elizabeth is the victim of some remake of old Soviet type drugs designed to harness the power of the mind. There's no way to tell if what she's experiences will fade, change or go away. There is a danger that other things may happen, some of which might prove detrimental, though Maddock encourages Elizabeth to explore and perhaps make use of her mindreading ability. Also presented - the fact that D'Nial is a very secure place.
- Jessica slips her bodyguards (with a bit of direction from Maddock) and goes out on a date with Beringer - all recorded for posterity.
- 20:45 - Jonah and Ian are introduced to Trevor and asked to follow Jessica in the hopes that Beringer takes her somewhere private they can infiltrate.
- They head out while Trevor does some research once they've finished fighting over the music on the car radio.
- He learns: Beringer was born - January 13, 1968 born in Rome), but currently lives in Switzerland. Mother is one Sophia Mancuso (Italian). His father is listed as Fernand Grandville (English).
- 21:30ish - Dallas and Maddock have an interesting conversation in the infirmary.
- 22:30 - Beringer, Jessica (in one car) as well as Trevor, Ian and Jonah arrive at Beringer's estate after a major traffic delay.
- 23:00 - Dinner begins for Jessica, the boys go to work on Beringer's fiber optic lines and discover he has a major network hug there...
- Just as Trevor begins working his magic, something disturbs the groundskeeper's dogs and the boys leave though Troy and Sabine take over surveillance .
- Everyone settles into a quiet evening of rest... more or less
- 07:00ish - Morning briefing - Elizabeth's condition, medical issues. Dagan presents the Praed St bombing tapes which reveal: Uzi man and Poliponi entering the shop, then leaving with Poliponi making a cell call. Then the second man who asked Elizabeth questions show up (Mauri), makes a call. And then the Fed-Ex guy arriving with the bomb going off shortly thereafter.
- Bromsptom appears to be as clean as a lawyer can be.
- Maddock suggests Zach get a membership at D'Nial
- Trevor reveals that Ms. Goodenough paid Beringer 10k Pounds to retrieve the Statue. Beringer is apparently in business to recover artifacts. Also, Beringer apparently has something to hide as security was stiff. Russian codes are tough, and expresses concern that Jessica might also be infected.
- Felice reveals that so far, Sloan's laptop yielded information of 8 million sterling having been laundered. Also, mention of a Cousin Willard and that 2 dozen of these artifacts are now out and about.
- Dallas mentions that Amy mentioned a son and grandson...
- Just as Maddock says that if Elizabeth is up to it she can return to work.. Elizabeth, angry at how she's being spoken of sets Ian's notes on fire...
- The meeting kind of breaks up after that...
- Zach brings Maddock to task over Jessica but gets to review the recordings
- Zach berates and browbeats Lizzie over the fire incident...
- 09:30 - Dallas seeks out Trevor to try and trace the calls and email from Heracles
- Shortly thereafter, she rescinds her request. However, Trevor now checks both old and new phone records..and finds something interesting things, whilst also working on the Russian files and making dates with Gabby.
- It seems Amy will be available for a chat later in the morning, Elizabeth, Dallas and Zach will be informed when it is time.
- 10:30 - Jessica returns to Sangraal after her overnight date with Beringer
- Shortly thereafter, she and Zach discuss it.
- Trevor cracks the Russian files, meets with Maddock - reveals: doctor's names - Mikhail Lomonosov, Dmitri Kutuzov, and Vladimir Dostoevsky. Groups that bought this info - Nicholas Poliponi, Arthur Gibbs, Michael Weston and Nachman Farkash. Maddock asks Trevor to focus on: Nicholas Poliponi and why Gibbs and Farkash were interested, and who they are working for.
- Zach, Dallas, Maddock and Elizabeth await Amy's wakening, Zach goes on the offensive and Any refuses to speak.
- Beringer is followed, Sabine and Troy jailed in Folkstone.
- Noonish -- Ian and Jonah note they are being followed. Ian manages to get Jessica back to Sangraal safely.
- 15:30 -- Director McLean usurps the talents of both Zach and Elizabeth to take them on a world tour of Labor Issue conferences.
- 15:30 -- Maddock directs Ian to go to the training facility, all operations are moving there because of various issues.
- Beringer is tracked to a Paris bound train, Paris ACU will catch up with him there.
- 16:00ish - Felice makes a contact obtained from the files she cracked, it turns out to be Sheridan who quizes her about current assignment.
- 16:00ish - Trevor and Gabby leave for their date, but are soon in the company of Russians who shoot the other van passenger in cold blood. Trevor misses a call from Owen asking for a check on the guy (Walker/Winchester) who got them arrested.
- 16:20ish -- Jessica and Ian are at the training facility, Ian notes tha they're still being watched though nothing else happens.
as they gather in the main monitoring room. Maddock is not there yet. - 16:20ish -- Trevor dialed Maddock... what Maddock hears initially indicates that Gabby has been shot. Maddock storms out as the rest of the team get ready for action. More is heard, revealing Gabby is alive, and Trevor makes a point to mention they're going to Hanford
- 16:30 -- Trevor and Gabby are on a lovely drive in the country, enjoying the hospitality of their Russian comrades who offer the finest in things that give you brain damage...
- 17:50 - Dallas speaks to Amy and gets an earful - Amy and Zoltan fell in love, had a child. She believed both Zoltan and her infant killed when their ship was torpedoed - most likely late 1936. In late 1935 she says Rosenberg visited Zoltan (at Carnifax) where Rosenberg expressed such interest in some of the artifacts that Zoltan built secret room to hide them lest they become targets. Today, Amy's son (who she says is like is father and doing unconscionable things) wants the code that only Amy has, and is the reason for the PCs seeing her crying after the meeting with Brompston. She also mentions 'grandsons'. So, the questions remains - who tried to blow up Amy last night?
- 18:00ish - Report from Paris ACU indicates that Beringer arrived, but there was an explosion at Gateau's shop (one of the names on the list Zach got from Sam Axe . Sangraal employee Pierre Sanci was killed.
- 18:00 - 21:00 - Trevor and Gabby are held by the Russians, Trevor injected with something. The rest of the team joins the chase, leading to Slough and Middlegreen. They miss each other at Hanford as Trevor escaped, only be to 'rescued' by Emergency services. They eventually catch up with each other and return to Sangraal. Trevor experiences some very odd things including being a contortionist and floating off his bed. Palis has another guinea pig. Trevor explains that Russian was apparently retaliating for Trevor having cracked his code - question remains - what happened to 'Texter' at Hanford as he never came back, though it was indicated he would.
- 22:00 - Trevor, unable to sleep after his confusing ordeal, goes back to his Dallas investigation and meets with Maddock, accusing Dallas of being some kind of spy, with suspicious calls and shows his files. Contents of Phone File (this link will take you to the post on the group archive on Yahoo).
- 08:00 Off to Paris - http://tinyurl.com/279gzn
- Maddock meets the team to inform them of Sanci's death, wants them to catch Beringer, warn Jin (another name on Zach's list) and see what else they can find out about Gateau's death and the explosion.
- 11:47: Walker arrives in Paris
- 12:47: Ian, CJ, Jonah, Trevor, Jessica, Dallas arrive in Paris
- Afternoon adventures: Ian and Dallas find a body at Jin's place, but no Jin. Also, Ian pockets some vials found there as well as DNA evidence. Dallas takes the torn illuminations found - they refer to Christ's first miracle at the Wedding of Canas where he turned water to wine. They follow two men who came to Jin's as well.
- Trevor is having out of body experiences and notes Jessica is leaving the hotel, talking on a cell phone
- Walker, meets briefly with Beringer and is now in the company of Sarah, talking shop and other things.
- Jonah is building gadgets to assist with the investigation
- CJ and Owen go to Gateau's shop where CJ has a vision concerning Gateau's death, they then retire to the hotel bar
- Dallas calls Owen - Ian got on a bus with the two men, and she's following the car Ian put a bug on...
- Jessica is at the Eiffel Tower, meeting with Beringer
- Felice arrives, having flown in and will meet CJ and Owen at the bar...
Seversham Brokers (map) , 67 Praed Street, Paddington, London, England W2 1NS. Managed by Henry Sloan Home Address as provided at the meeting: 3 Blanche House, about a mile from the Brokers Shop. His soliciter is Reginald Brompstom.
Amy Goodenough lives in Kensington, just off Bayswater Rd.
- Her shrink: Gordon Wyatt at 79 Harley St, London, W1G
- Her Solicitor: Reginald Brompston - Bromptson Solicitors, 219 Kensington High St, London, W8 6BD 4
What's been discovered since: Zach's information from his contact Sam on Sept 13th, 20:00ish:
"Let's talk about the late Mr Sloan a minute, until his untimely demise he was travelling to the continent about once a fortnight. Mainly to Paris, ostensably to search the flee markets for little treasures but other places as well. This has been going on for about 8 months and during that time he has had regular contact with these people" As he introduces them he shows a photo of each before passing the phot o around, always going to Dallas first.
"Guangbi Jin, an Asian art dealer living in Paris."
"Francois Gateau, a Parisian antiquities dealer."
"Gunter Hermett, a Bern Antiquities."
"John Swanson, A British Customs officer. I'm assuming he's just a corrupt
cop as everytime Sloan came back from the continent £5000 appeared in
Swansons bank account and Sloan was never stopped or searched. Given the 8
months this has gone on that means he has made about £70,000 of Mr Sloan!"
"Beringer Grandville: possibly Swiss, another antiquities expert." Zach sits
himself back in his chair and takes another slug fro his coffee
"Back in August, Sloan spent three days in Bern meeting with these people. It was after this meeting that a series of 'undiscovered' art treasures and artifacts started to emerge on the European market. Among these was the statute of Theseus and the Minotaur, thought missing since the 1930's, that we now know to be a fake. Now my guess is one of these so called experts has some links with the carnifex site and is using the others to make a fortune. Whether the criminal element know this or not is the key. I suspect not and that whichever one it is desperate to cover this up to avoid his colleagues turning on him?"
More on Zolton from the Noon briefing on the 14th given by Maddock:
"This is what I do know. The town of Carnifax was destroyed by a flood when a dam broke. The details of why the dam broke are not clear. Some reports say sabotage, other poor engineering and construction materials. What is clear is that the so called Count Ugo of Sardina has a secret location where he stored his most prized possession, and included within that stash are several unique codex's and artifacts from the early 8th and 9th centuries that have been thought lost."
"The best guess we have is that Ms. Goodenough knows the location of this secret location, but has repressed it. There is hope that we can trade the statuette for that location, assuming she can remember it."
"However, the ugly part of the game is that Zoltan faked is own death. He has spent years rebuilding the Millenaria, but removed the pomp and circumstance from it. No secret cabals, no tattoos, etc. He wanted to control the crime in Europe, but didn't feel the
need to advertise. For the most part, his efforts succeeded, and in 1999, he died at the ripe old age of 98, still vigorous, from what
I've been able to gather. Even then, there was no evidence that he was the Millenaria."
"In 2001, a journalist by the name of Remy Martin did some digging about the patron of Koutalas, a city on the island of Seriphos. It turns out that Koutalas has become quite the destination for the jet-setters where press and papparazzi are quite unwelcome. This is due to Zoltan's efforts and monies from the Millenaria syndicate. Martin is now in the witness protection program, and no one knows his whereabouts."
"Based on this information, we have been able to determine that the Millenaria descended into some chaos after Zoltan's death. In 2004, it appears a new structure emerged, with the pomp and circumstances conceived by Count Ugo, and the secrecy of Zoltan. They have been involved in moving large numbers of artifacts slowly, all believed to be from this hidden vault. This has been the basis of their new funding sources. The senior members do not have an visible marks of membership, but the soldiers are all marked, and we're trying to understand what is done to them, but that's taking time. Needless to say, it appears that you were introduced quite rudely to several members of the senior leadership, who were in London for a meeting, and to take care of a problem."
A picture appears on the wall behind Maddock. Elizabeth recognizes the man. "This appears to be the head of the organization now. His name or alias is Count Poliponi."
Another picture comes up, and Zach recognizes the man as the one he was discussing issues with at the warehouse. "This is Mauro. He is Poliponi's son and being groomed to take over the business."
A third picture comes up, one Jessica recognizes, "This is Delacroix, also known as Beringer Grandville. He appears to be the second in command. He is a Swiss national. Educated at Oxford and the Sorbonne."
"Now, the goal of the foundation remains to find that vault and recover what is inside it. Your group will be tasked to get me a
location. The ACU will then move in to secure the site, and your expertise will be needed to identify the important artifacts from the fakes."
History of statue and Carnifax taken from the original briefing:
The Bronze that is currently in the Louvre depicting Theseus and the Minotaur was a test for the
real statute that Barye was commissioned to make - a statue of gold and gems for Marcus Goodenough, 3rd Earl of Grimsby for his wife.
The gold statue was lost in 1932 when the Earl's yacht was attacked by pirates - namely Zoltan the Magyar. All aboard were killed but for the Earl's daughter, Amy. She was kept prisoner for several years but eventually found her way back to England in 1936.
Zoltan sold the statue of Thesus and the Minotaur to Ugo, as well as
the information he had obtained from Amy regarding the art collection
in England. This lead Ugo to send a group of criminals to steal this
extensive collection and return it to his possession. Working with
Zoltan and others, Ugo continued to send out groups of criminals to
steal artwork and other precious commodities around Europe.
In 1934, Ugo constructed his own town, called Carnifex. Here, in the Nuoro
province of Sardinia, near the town of Piras, he constructed a **huge**
dam to generate hydroelectic power for his now town. The town was destroyed in 1936 when the dam burst.
Count Ugo of Sardinia', a criminal art thief and fence, who sought to create a new
criminal empire that would stretch throughout all of Europe. He
named this organization the Millenaria**.
**The original Millenaria arose in the mid-15th century as a means to
restore the Roman empire to it's original greatness. Members were
marked with the double 'M' symbol. Of course, they were hunted down
and by 1602, the last bastion of Millenaria were arrested, tried and
executed.