The residence of Robert Monroe was a scuzzy-looking apartment complex on the East side of Renton. The lack of police presence, while a boon to the team, was taking an obvious toll on the residents of the area. Signs of gang presence and open criminal activity were everywhere. Robert's building had been tagged by a gang sign, likely an indication that they were "offering" protection services to the people within. When the team arrived, however, the gang seemed to evaporate, recognizing sharks entering their little pond.
"Charming locale..." Alberich said, looking at the neighbourhood. "What are the odds this guy just missed a payment with his protection racket?"
"Pretty decent," X3 said. "Need me to interrogate some gangers?"
"We'll check the apartment first. No need drawing attention to ourselves if we can help it."
X3 nodded and headed for the front door. The outer security door had a broken lock and the door pulled open freely. "Great security here... why do I get the feeling we stepped in it with this job?"
Alberich nodded but didn't comment. If Gemini was right, the good reputation would do them good, but he couldn't help but be sceptical. Jobs from new Johnsons were typically unpredictable.
The elevator was broken and it appeared that it had been for some time, so the runners took to the stairs. Evidence that the stairs had been used for interrogations, brawls and late night trysts were strewn about on the ground and they made endeavours not to step in anything potentially incriminating.
The door to Robert's apartment was locked and undamaged, which ruled out a forcible kidnapping. X3 was ready to break down the door when Alberich motioned for him to hold fast and produced a set of lockpicks. After a minute, he heard the lock disengage and he turned the handle.
The interior was the telltale sign of an unemployed bachelor. Cheap, soy product wrappers lay strewn about the counter tops in the kitchen, unwashed dishes cluttered any available flat surface and a hacked commlink for Matrix pornography lay permanently attached to the old trideo unit.
"As sad as it is, I think this might be a better place than mine..." X3 joked, as he moved about the refuse, impressively not disturbing any trash as he navigated around the furniture.
Alberich activated his commlink. "We're inside. Nothing out of the ordinary from what we expected. No signs of struggle. I think X3 wants to move in."
The Filipino runner flipped Alberich the bird as he continued his search of the space.
"Copy that," De Madera said, "I've spoken with some 'friends' and these Monroe's are as unremarkable a bunch as any we've dealt with. This guy Robert barely appears as a blip on the radar, even for these people. His sister is a file clerk at some small programming firm, called Daikida. Barely more than minimum wage... she must have been saving for years to be able to offer us 20K."
Gemini muttered something under her breath that no one caught. The knowledge that the woman that was paying their salary would soon be unemployed, thanks to her efforts, was not a comfortable sensation. "I have a small slush fund we can use for legwork. It's not much, but hopefully it'll help cover us until we get paid."
Having a well-paid corporate job, Gemini made a point of keeping a small percentage squirrelled away in case of emergency: disappearing for a while, paying people off, etc. Better to have a safety net in their line of work.
"Good. I owe some dangerous people money for the digging they did on this guy. I'd rather not make them wait long," De Madera stated.
"Hey, Alberich!" X3 called from the far side of the apartment, "You'd better take a look at this."
The dwarf navigated the sea of debris and followed the cybernetic assassin to the rear of the apartment. "Ho-ly shit..."
The master bedroom was a blend of religious shrine and psychotic nightmare. Crucifixes rested on most flat surfaces here and the room was immaculately clean, in comparison to the rest of the apartment. Black paint had been used to paint crosses of various sizes on the walls and in a few places, the walls had been carved with a blade of some kind to depict the cross as well.
"Uh, Madera? Any of that info on Monroe's profile mention religious beliefs?" Alberich asked.
"What have you found?" Gemini asked.
"The cuckoo's nest," X3 commented, as he inspected the room further.
"The bedroom is very Christian... obsessively so. I think this guy owns more crosses than most churches."
"According to his SIN profile, he's Agnostic, so I think something's definitely changed," De Madera said, scrolling through Robert's profile.
"Let me check it out," Astrid said before falling silent. Alberich felt a cold shiver wash over him, a telltale sign that someone was astrally scanning the area, if you knew what to look for. "OK, something's definitely up. There's a strange astral echo in that room that isn't present in the rest of the apartment."
"Religious fervor? Maybe some form of mental break?" Gemini asked.
"Neither. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say emotional control by a third party. Not cast in the room, but strong enough to leave a lasting impression."
"So, now what?" X3 asked.
"See if you can find any information as to where he goes to worship. If he's that deep into it, we're more likely to find him at the church than his apartment, I think,"
"I want to scan the church. I have a hunch whoever is casting spells on him will be doing so there and it's possible that Monroe isn't the only one being influenced," Astrid said.
"If there's a chance I can put a bullet in a wizard that's finally snapped, I'm in," De Madera said.
"Found it," X3 said, pulling out a leaflet. "Southside Evangelical Church. Not too far from here. Any bets that this preacher is the fire-and-brimstone type?"
"Got an address?" De Madera asked.
"Sending it to you now," X3 said, scanning the leaflet and forwarding it to his teammates.
"All right. You guys get out of there and keep an eye out for Robert coming home. Madera and Astrid will head to the church and take a look around. I'm going to call Ms. Johnson back and see what she can tell me about her brother's religious views."
The Southside Evangelical Church was a brick-and-mortar style church that had been around for a long time. The building showed its age prominently, though it appeared as though it was being upgraded after an increase in cash. The exterior was being mended and the grounds groomed to be a social hub in the community, rather than another grey building in a fading neighbourhood.
"Looks like tithing is up here," De Madera commented seeing the scaffolding on the Church exterior. "Strange, seeing how destitute the area is."
"Agreed," Astrid said, scanning the outside for any signs of astral tampering. "There's nothing outside that hints of any kind of power site having been set up."
"I guess we're breaking in to take a look around?"
The runners walked toward the church and Astrid nodded to the holographic billboard that had been added to the church lawn. "Nightly sermons? Not just for Sunday mornings any more it seems."
"Feel like sitting through some propaganda?"
"I suppose it's the easiest way for us to find out what's going on inside. Let's find a nice spot toward the back where we can observe the congregation closely."
Much like the exterior, signs of change were appearing inside the church. The stained glass windows had been painstakingly restored or replaced. The pews had been refinished and the cracked floorboards were being mended. Despite the restorations, the front of the Church was decidedly lacklustre. The pulpit was a faded wooden stand, barely big enough for a Bible. The large crucifix at the front of the church was faded and cracked.
As De Madera and Astrid stepped into the Church, they were both surprised at the size of the congregation. There was little place to sit, as every row was filled to capacity. In order to keep a wary eye open, they opted to stand against the back wall during the sermon.
For everything the pulpit lacked, the preacher made up for it. The man exuded a powerful presence as he got up behind the pulpit and opened his Bible. His attire was a simple robe and his own appearance was nothing striking: a middle aged man with salt-and-pepper hair, chiseled facial features and a thin build. But his confidence standing before the congregation was commendable and his belief echoed amongst the congregation.
As the sermon began, those gathered were a mixed series of reactions. Those at the front were enraptured by every word and as you moved further back, people were less enthralled. Some even seemed bored.
"See anything yet?" De Madera asked Astrid.
Viewing the astral, she could see the background count in the Church building as the people were being wrapped up in the religious fervour. The priest at the pulpit showed as possessing some form of magical potential, though he wasn't using any spell presently. As Astrid studied the people watching, she scowled.
"Problem?" De Madera asked.
"The priest is definitely a mage, though I can't tell if he's the one leveraging Robert. The congregation though... while their reactions are mixed, they all have one trait in common: they're acting like junkies."
"Junkies? How do you mean?"
"The people at the front are enraptured by the sermon, but they're also eager for the end. The ones at the back are enduring the sermon awaiting the end. Something's going to happen toward the end to calm them. Keep an eye open...it could be subtle."
"I am. While you've been looking at the pretty colours, I've found our mark. Front and center..."
Astrid followed De Madera's gaze and saw Robert, huddled into one of the front rows, staring wide-eyed at the preacher. "If he's one of the enthralled, he's in pretty deep."
"So I guess we're done then. We've found him and he's safe. A religious nutjob, but safe."
"I'm not so convinced. Let's wait out the sermon."
Astrid settled back against the wall and listened to the sermon more intently. The man was quoting passages from the Bible, selecting the more violent ones, borrowing heavily from Revelations.
"Chalk one up for X3," she said, thinking back to his fire-and-brimstone comment.
As the sermon wound up to fever pitch, she detected the presence of magic building in the hall. A powerful spell exuded from the priest, causing the congregation's mood to mirror that of their leader. Erecting a wall of defence, Astrid shielded herself and De Madera from the mind-altering effects of the spell.
De Madera shuddered and looked at Astrid. "Just got a case of the willies. What the hell are you up to?"
Astrid didn't answer right away and De Madera followed the mage's gaze to the priest. "OK, what is he doing?"
"Emotional control..." Astrid said behind clenched teeth. "Pretty powerful spell too. I think that's the residue I picked up from Robert's apartment."
"Is that what these people are addicted to?"
"No, I don't think so... there's something else involved."
As the sermon wound down, the spell's effect began to fade and priest seemed tired from the exertion. He invited everyone to the front for communion and people filed into the aisle to partake in the wine and wafers handed out by the priest.
"There! That's it..."
"What's where now?" De Madera asked Astrid after her sudden outburst.
"Something in the wine or wafers is the source of the addiction. Everyone is sated after partaking. They're now feeling some form of chemical euphoria..."
"The communion shit is drugged?"
"Can you think of a better way of keeping your flock from wandering off?"
"This guy's a real piece of work..." De Madera muttered.
"I think we need to have a chat with the preacher, don't you?"
"All you want to do is chat with him? I'd like to hit him in the face with a stun baton."
"We'll talk first. Then stun baton."
As communion wound down and a half-sung, half-droned hymn was sung, the congregation staggered out of the church, all blissfully waving to the two runners as they waited for everyone to leave.
"OK, that was creepy..." De Madera muttered.
The priest remained at his place at the pulpit as the two runners approached. "What brings you to my humble Church? You attend my sermon and yet refuse the words of the Lord, nor partake in his blessings."
De Madera wound up to let loose a tirade, but Astrid motioned to him to be still for the moment. "So, you acknowledge that you're forcing your beliefs on those here by magical coercion?"
"The Children of Eden are stubborn and foolhardy in these modern times. Sometimes the words of the Lord need to be pushed harder than conventional means."
"And I'm sure the drugs don't hurt either," De Madera said, rolling his eyes.
"Narcotics are the tools of the Devil and have no place in this House of God. I find your accusations baseless and offensive."
"Really? Then how do you justify the reactions of your 'sheep' during communion?" Astrid asked.
"They've purged their souls of sin and replaced it with His righteousness. It is only natural to feel rejuvenated afterwards."
"Of course..." Astrid shaking her head. "I'm sure Knight Errant will be quite interested in you suppressing the will of the neighbourhood. They don't take kindly to rogue mages."
"My poor child, if you'd only let Jesus into your heart, I'm sure there would be no cause for alarm."
Astrid was ready when the priest fired another spell, this one directed solely at her. Being familiar with the workings of the Influence spell, she quickly dismantled it and glared at the priest. "Perhaps you should consider not trying to convert those more gifted in the Arts than you..."
Firing a Manabolt at the offending priest, she was surprised to see the attacked silenced before it struck home. Tendrils of black energy caressed the priest's aura and before she could establish their nature, a wave of energy erupted from the man and struck Astrid in the chest.
Visible to Madera, a blast of light flew from the priest and struck Astrid, flinging the mage across the church and slamming her into the rear wall with enough force to crack it. Astrid fell to the ground in a heap, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
"Oh shit!" De Madera said, as he retreated, making his way to Astrid.
"Take your heathen witch from my sight and never return, unless you are willing to accept His good graces into your heart," the priest said, an ever-present smile on his face.
"Accept this into your heart, asshole," Madera said drawing his pistol and firing. The bullets flattened mere inches from their intended target and fell harmlessly to the ground.
"Must... go..." Astrid muttered. "Weird magic...help me..."
Madera picked Astrid up, draping her arm around his neck and trying his best to support her weight. Activating his commlink he signalled the team. "I need assistance! Astrid's down!"
Limping away from the church, the priest's laughter echoed within the walls of the building, chasing them out the door.
