Land Grab

GM: James
Transcribed by: Simon & Justin
Date: July 9, 2017
In Game date: November, 2011
Episode: 11

Fergus Mac Cormaic has finally arrived in Seattle with his fiance, Anna Maria Avila. After only a week or two to settle in on Vashon Island, Fergus is approached by their host-Gemtriax Theophania-at the maker commune; “Three Firs”. The kindly old woman who has rented the property to the commune for the past 40 years is being forced to sell because of some sort of tax issue and Gemtriax asked if Fergus might be able to pay the deposit they had waived to help the commune catch up on some back rent. Fergus had little money but promised to do what he could and Gem assured him that they would probably be OK with selling some pottery at an upcoming festival. Troubled that he and a very pregnant Anna might soon be homeless, he agrees to see what he can do.

Not long after, he and Anna are on the Vashon/West Seattle Ferry, on their way to the OBGYN at the Radcliffe Clinic in Capitol Hill. While on board there are some odd occurrences, including seagulls behaving oddly and a few power fluctuations, nothing too serious, until the couple disembarks directly into the path of a group of very large and grumpy Russians. Thanks to quick thinking by Anna, Fergus is able to step on his own inclination to face off against the rude group and he defuses the situation with a half eaten bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, proffered as an offering to the trollish group.

Meanwhile, David Clay is approached at his office by Rabbi Jerith Shulman , who asks David to look into a legal issue pertaining to a well-liked old lady of the community; Channa Rikeman. It seems as though she’s been unfairly targeted for back taxes on an old property on Vashon Island. After some research, David realizes that the Ms. Rikeman has indeed been targeted quite suspiciously; the files for back taxes being uncharacteristically expedited through all the red tape at Town Hall. The red flags immediately go up in David’s mind and he picks up the phone to call Craig Big Eagle to discuss the case further. Craig agrees that this smells extremely fishy and after some discussion agrees to store copies of the sensitive files at his place, for redundancy and protection. In passing he mentions that he has seen a notable uptick in similar tactics used to push seizure of massive amounts of properties throughout the city. Is this the steady march of gentrification or is there something more sinister working behind the scenes?

At this moment, Fergus and Anna step off the bus in front of the Radcliffe Clinic and Fergus breaths a sigh of relief when he sees that the clinic does indeed cater to supernaturals. He winks at the pair of trolls guarding the veiled supernatural entrance as he follows the oblivious Anna into the regular waiting room on the corner. Knowing they have some time to kill while they wait, Anna sends Fergus on a quick run to Dick’s to satiate her ravenous cravings. Only too happy to get himself out from under her wildly seesawing hormones, Fergus eagerly obliges her. As he waits for the order to be filled his thoughts turn to his unborn son. He isn’t quite sure what his confused status as a Changeling might mean for the pregnancy, relieved that the clinic may provide him with some advice.

Not long after he returns and watches Anna wolf down half a dozen greasy patties, they are ushered to the back of the clinic. Aunt B takes Fergus aside and contrary to his hopes for general assurances, she chides him harshly for not telling Anna the truth of who and what he is and what that will mean for their nascent family. His ears burning, Fergus, steps out into the hallway leading back to Anna’s exam room, and his eye is caught by a tall man in a lab coat carrying a small medical transport cooler.

Fergus’ hair stands on end. Something is not right. This “man” does not belong here. As he walks towards the man, he calls out, and the stranger runs to the end of the hall and out onto the street, passed the surprised troll guards. Fergus moves inhumanly fast in pursuit, but as he burst outside, the man turns and his forehead blossoms a third eye which flashes a blinding light directly into Fergus’ unprotected eyes. Stunned, Fergus runs at full speed into the side of a parked truck and tumbles to the ground, stunned. A few moments later he is lifted to his feet by the chuckling trolls-George and Frank-and he is desperately trying to catch his breath. The stranger is nowhere to be seen. Aunt B, her face a thundercloud, ushers Fergus back inside and to the door of Anna’s exam room, admonishing him yet again, this time about the strict “no violence” policy of the clinic. Since the violence was mostly done to himself, he is let off with a stern warning.

Meanwhile; David has done some more digging into Ms. Rikeman’s case, while checking city records he discovers that the property was recently reassessed. The reassessment was spurred forward by a complaint from “Lakeshore properties” Pushed by Raymond Avila. David Calls Avila, and is instantly stonewalled. In an attempt to get Avila to give up some information, David drops his cred as a Harvard Alum, but Avila catches the golem in a lie about it and promises to investigate David if he doesn’t back off. Craig big Eagle confirms to David that Lakeshore is owned by Vanguard Realties*, a Peter Kirk Syndicate front company.

* See Book 01: The Jade Eyed Demon for more about Vanguard Storage, where Lisa Shan was framed for stolen art, and Vanguard shipping, the place where the artifacts were stolen.

David returns to city records. He asks after more unusual property deals and acquisitions and while digging deeper discovers that Vanguard Realty, shielded by lots of shell companies, is owned in part by the Peter Kirk Syndicate (a Radcliffe company) and Charles Glupp whom is associated with Novoship (Russia). At almost the same moment he makes this connection, power is lost at Town Hall and David decides to use the rest of his time that day to visit Ms. Rikeman’s disputed property. He calls ahead to make an appointment and then walks back to his car, ready for the long drive to Vashon.

Fergus is now ushered into Anna’s room, where he is introduced to his fiance’s hunky new OBGYN; Leif Wotensen . Anna seems completely taken with Adonis-like young doctor and Fergus fights a brief flash of jealousy. They are both reassured that the baby is very healthy and everything seems to be in order.

As they are leaving the clinic, suddenly the screech of tires breaks through the usual hubub of the Capitol Hill neighborhood and a dinged up van hops the curb and 6 hooded figures boil out of its depth to rush at Anna, obviously attempting to kidnap her. Happily, David just happened to be driving down the Hill when he saw the van in question so blatantly break traffic law and then begin an assault on a seemingly defenseless pregnant woman.

Fergus fights valiantly, putting himself between the hooligans and his woman. Anna is grabbed and hooded but acquits herself quite stupendously, fending off two of the assailants with well placed knees and elbows, while Fergus and David tackle the others. Many chaotic moments pass, Anna is dragged to the van, but Fergus distracts 3 of them while David jumps in after Anna. The three of them finally drive off the assailants, but not before one of their hoods is pulled off to reveal an ugly, froglike face. The Fomor have struck out at the young family, for some reason. David conceals his rapidly claying exterior while Fergus sits Anna down on a nearby bench and consoles her.

END OF CHAPTER 01

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