Aubrey wrinkled up her nose

"A user is always tricky"

----

Aubrey spends some time trying to find out any information about Veronica Blassingale. She is hopeful to get something but doesn't allowing any pessisimon in her thinking. She then moves on to calling the reporter from Daily Feed to see if she can get a meet up time from him.

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 100):

Did you mean 'pessimism'?

'Veronica Blassingale' may be an alias.  If not, she's done an excellent job of erasing herself off the grid.  There are a couple of Veronica Blassingale's out there.  One lives in Montpelier and is on vacation with her boo in Aruba, at least according to Facebook.  There's another who's more local.  But she looks like a grandma.  Her Facebook page even has posts of her distributing cookies to Mexican kids who are standing outside an INS office.

Other than those two hits, you get nothing.

There's a little more about the Scales and this 'school' though.  A couple of news articles mention rumors of it.  You find a subreddit about it.  The OP claims to have gone to the school.  He kind of vibes 'BS Artist', but there is an interesting exchange in the comments between him and a poster named Forked Tongue

Forked Tongue:  U R an A Hole.  Your story is bogus.

OP:  How would you know?

Forked Tongue:  OK. How old were U when you got inducted?

OP:  27.  Just out of Army

Forked Tongue:  Right there.  Says U R a liar.  That's not how it works.  Douche

And then that's it.

---

You end up trading e-mails with Couper.  He agrees to meet you for lunch as a taco shop a couple of buildings down from his office.

He's already seated at the bar and munching on an al pastor taco plate when you arrive.  He glances at you when you say his name, double takes, and gives you his undivided attention, wiping his hands on his napkin.

Have a seat.  Sorry I started without you.  But I have a full schedule today.

Roger Couper.  Sorry.  Was it Bree Davis?

What did you want to talk about today?

Aubrey gives Tate a call to see if he can trace Forked Tongue IP address to any location. She then dresses to make an impression and heads out to meet the the questionable investigator reporter.

Aubrey smiles and sits down

"A pleasure to meet you Mr. Couper yes it is Bree Davis. No sorries needed, I understand that lunch time is a limited time and I wouldn't want you to go through it hungry"

Aubrey pauses for a moment and continues changing the volume of her voice to just include the both of them.

"An associate we have in common, Bullfrog, sent me in response to a question I was looking into. I'm from a bodyguard company and came across a name and needed information about a group by the name of Scale Society and a ghost name of Veronica"

ooc: LOL yes... pessimism not the fruit

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 102):

Tate texts you back The IT guy says it traces back to a public library.  The one over on South Hampton.  Anything I need to check?

Couper raises his eyebrows, both at your dress and the mention of Bullfrog.  His brow then furrows when you bring up the Scales and Veronica.

Blassangale, huh?  She's kinda of a legend.  Or maybe a myth.  I dunno.  But her name comes up a lot.  People say she's the A1 recruiter for the Scales.

Thing about the Scales is...once they get caught...they don't live long.  Their people get brainwashed.  Really they're more of a cult than an underground army.  Even the few that don't slit their own throats once they get caught, get found dead pretty soon after.  I heard that the Justice Commandos had an informant in the Scales for a while.  That lady was shipped to them in pieces.  Postage due.  Forty seven boxes.  The Scales don't play.

He spoons some black beans and adds some salsa verde to them before shoveling them in to his mouth.

That being said...I may know a lil' somethin' somethin'.  But quid pro quo.  Why is a pretty lady like you interested in the Scales?

Aubrey texts back to Tate

`can you check to see if there is a time stamp and any security camera from the library that we might be able to get a few possible faces for this posting~


Aubrey smiles

"What is their end game if they are a cult? Who are Justice Commandos and what can you tell me about them? "

Aubrey makes a face when she heard about the lady shipped in pieces

"Wow... that is really gross"

Aubrey grinned at the reporter and didn't roll her eyes at him

"Well, my client's girlfriend last communication was something about them and i'm doing an assessment of their risk. Not a lot is known about them. When I asked for the best of the best in this whole confusing thug hood world, that truly knew fact from fiction and had the balls to tackle down the story and help. You know it is so difficult to find talent and integrity....."

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 104):

Oh yeah. You probably don't know about the Commandos.  They're a Fed run Cape team.  They were formed to basically deal with the underground armies like the Scales.  Last I heard about them, they were fighting La Revelacion Iluminada in Mexico.

No one really knows what the Scales are after.  Most of these groups have some whack job philosophy.  But usually it's a good ol' fashioned power grab by those in charge.

He grins back at your compliment.

You do like to lay it on thick, don'tcha?  But that's fine.  I operate the same way myself.

He takes out some bills and lays them next to his plate.  He nods at the waitress.  See ya later Rosie.

He nods towards you.  Come on.  I'll show you mine.  He laughs at whatever face you make when he says that.

'His' is a large shed at a UR Alright  Storage facility.  He fishes out the key for his padlock as he explains. I can't keep this stuff at the office.  Cos every so often one of the various armies I report on raids this place.  Our company's insurer told my Editor after the last one that either I move this stuff off site or they were cancelling our policy.  The paper at least pays the rental fees.

The inside of the shed is stuffed with boxes, though they seem to be well organized.  At the far end of the large space are a row of chalkboard stands with rollers.  After turning on the light, Roger points at a chair.  Make yourself comfortable. Lemme get...let's see...where did I put the Scales?..

He heads towards one of the chalk boards, pulls it away from the wall, and then pushes it back.  He picks another one.  Paydirt.

He wheels the stand over to you.  The front of it is covered with newspaper clippings, a map of the city, lots of notes and pictures, and lots of strings hanging between items.  Lots and lots of strings.

Roger stops in front of you and says, And this is The Scales...as I know them.  I keep track of every incident that is definitely tied to them...  He points at some of the strings which are green in color.  Everything that people think may be associated with them...  He points at some strings which are orange.  And the ones everyone thinks I'm crazy for thinking are them.  He points to some strings that are red.

With me so far?  Now this... He points at the city map, ...is location mapping.  Notice anything?

There are push pins placed into it at various locations.  Some green.  Some orange.  And some red.  There are also some white ones.  The white ones and most of the red are grouped around one area of the city.  Hampton.  Like where the South Hampton library is located.

Aubrey gets up from the table after he paid for his food and arched her eyebrow at him when he said he was going to show her his and left that blank.

"You are like me, in that you lay it down thick"

Aubrey laughs with him, though she is very cautious and staying focused in case he isn't helpful and more like a villain.

Aubrey looks at his storage and information and shakes her head

"This is pretty impressive fact gathering in light of people with lots of power and a strong motivation in being autonomous. I'm glad the paper pays for the fees, seeing as you are the one taking the risk and they are the ones profiting from that. "

Aubrey listens to what he shows her and really turns her focus on the pins and lines on the map

"Is there a pattern in the actual incidents types as well as locations? What are the red and white color for? It looks like they lead to the library.... Do we have blueprints for the library? "

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 106):

Library?  Oh.  There is one in that area.  But no.  It's not about the library.

The red ones are incidents that no one but me thinks are Scales connected.  The white ones are items I haven't decided on yet.

Here's the thing.  It's not all centered around the library.  I think it's the two buildings close by though.

He taps the map in two places.  One is South Hampton Elementary.  The other is Jackson Prescott Junior High.

Roger grins, though there's more of a grimace to it than any joy.  Welcome to what I think is recruiting ground grade A for the Scales.

"HOly Crap... you think it is the elementary or Jr. High school?! I mean that is diabolical to the extreme"

Aubrey looks deeper at the lines and the map trying to make sense out of everything.

"What differentiates the Scale members? Do they get tattoos or anything? What are these incidents? Have you gotten blue prints of the schools to see where you think they might be meeting? Are they masking it to look like PTA"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:39, Tue 28 Jan 2020.

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 108):

He holds up a hand.  "One question at a time now.  But yeah.  I think they're recruiting from the schools.

Specifically, I think they go after kids from unhappy homes.  They sort of..." he hunts for the word.  "...mentor them.  They indoctrinate them slowly.  Of the seventeen Scales soldiers who have been captured, half of them went through this school system at some point in time."

He shrugs.  "I've tried numerous times to get a handle on how it's going down.  But I never can.  I'm too famous." He laughs.  "No one will talk to me.  I'm pretty sure the Scales run that neighborhood.  But they keep a very low profile.  So it's not direct.   And they're smart.  Very smart.  They don't make overt moves.  But if I can get someone to talk to me, they're gone pretty soon thereafter."

He taps the map.  "Somehow.  Someway.  They've got someone in there, hustling troubled kids and turning them in to fanatics. But I can't prove a thing."

Aubrey shock her head as she looked through the information on the wall.

"Young impressionable minds would be a field day for the despicable. I'm thinking a teacher or counselor in order to get to the kids they want. Any super teams going after them? "

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 110):

He laughs.  With the political climate these days?  Well.  To be fair.  It's not like there's a lot of overt activity going on.  And what's someone like the Invincibles gonna do?  Go busting into an elementary school and start shooting laser beams around?

He shrugs.  Of course, they aren't exactly jumping over themselves to look into it either.

His eyes narrow.  So.  What do you mean to do about it?

"What i'm going to do about it... not sure yet.  There are at least two conflicting feelings about this.  The feeling like these kids are not getting a fair shake and getting put into a situation where they are brainwashed into something that to leave is only in a body bag seems so gang like and wrong. So does one go in and try to find out what they can so they can possibly find the domino that causes the start of a good reaction.... or do I only use this as an assessment of risk for my client. And as far as that goes, it is simply informational in that they are in risk of unknown quantities and qualities of hide in plain sight potential threats."

Aubrey sighs

"So do something, do nothing... What would you wish for?

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 112):

He shrugs.  I want the world to change. I want it to be a better place.  I can't do that myself.  So I try to get information to those who can.  That's about it.

Other questions for Roger?  If not, what would you like to do next?

"I guess we all have a little bit of the hero complex. Thank you Roger for your information. Someday I hope I can repay you for your kindness"

Aubrey heads home to do some recon on the schools and to see if she can start getting a list of the workers at the schools and any blue prints of the building. She also sends a check up text to Charlie.

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 114):

Well...if you want to repay my kindness...  He wriggles his eyebrows and grins, like he's about to say something really, really gross.  Tell me what's really going on here.  Your 'client'?

---

No response from Charlie.

You end up doing more research than you thought:  a school has a lot of people associated with it.  And you're dealing with two.

But the most disturbing connection is, perhaps, the most obvious one.  You first come across her when you find an article detailing a fair two years ago held to raise money for sporting equipment for the junior high.  There's a photo showing several of the volunteers, and she's standing at one, smiling kindly.  That grandmother you found when you did your original search:  Veronica Blassingale.

She shows up in a couple of other instances.  Always as a volunteer.  In every instance, her photo shows a big smile with kind eyes.  She looks too much like a grandmother to be a recruiter for the Scales.

Aubrey smiles and giggles at Roger

"I think your eyebrows look great. Don't let them do any threading"

Aubrey wished that she knew Roger better so to know what to trust him with and what to not trust him with. But she did trust Bull and her lips were sealed with what she needed to know.

"I hope to talk to you again Roger. Perhaps I might be able to add something to your investigation. Watch your 6"

Aubrey heads home disappointed in her not getting intel on Charlie, but not really knowing what to ask to get it and not be used as information to someone else.

Still no response from Charlie had Aubrey conflicted on what to think or feel. She was worried, but maybe he was undercover. So she threw herself into her work because if Charlie or whatever the hell his name was, was in trouble then she might be able to help.

Aubrey would have yelled out a whoop whoop when she found Veronica in the photos if she wasn't a little shocked. Aubrey starts to then really dig into Veronica's background and anything she can find. She calls Tate to find out if he could help her look up very carefully in the dark net explaining that either Veronica is a recruiter or they are using her somehow as a figurehead.  Aubrey next tries to see if there is anything near the house that she can put a camera up. Aubrey also looks for any kids that might be related to her. If they were in junior high two years ago then maybe they are in the high school.

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 116):

Ya know Tate drawls in to the phone.  You might wanna check in with Rob.  He and Vic have been fightin' again.  But yeah.  I'll look into your lady for you.  Give me a few.

Between his searches and yours, you come up with the following information.

Veronica's public persona is a retired social worker who has lived in the Hampton Hills area for thirty plus years.  Her late husband was the head mechanic for the city's public transport system before his death eighteen years ago.  Veronica fills her time working for various charities that either support public schools or support at-risk children.  While she doesn't foster children herself, she works as a liason between foster families and the Child Protective Services to insure quality care for foster kids.

There are holes in this though.  For one thing, there was a Harold Blassingale.  And he was the chief mechanic for the city.  But the accounts of his wife are conflicting.  Most point to Veronica, including the marriage license.  But you find an old, old wedding announcement stating Harold was marrying Andrea Willoughby.  You can't find anything outside of official documents that details their marriage.  No anouncements in the newspaper.  His obituary doesn't list Veronica.

Veronica lives in an apartment complex.  You might be able to plant a camera in the hallway outside her door.
The other odd thing is her appearance.  You can find photos of her dating back fifteen years.  And in all of them, she looks the same.  She hasn't aged.  Gotten fatter or thinner.  She even wears the exact same bun in all the photos.

There are a couple of cryptic references on some deep web message boards.  The boards seem to be local.  They make reference to some city landmarks like Pascale's Ice Cream and the annual Cabbage Festival.  But these boards seem to be by some rather odd and disturbing individuals.

Ms V came by today.  She syz if I finish the bomb I can go 2 to 6 flags

One poster is going on about the 'people I'm with now'.  I swear if it wasn't for V I'd fuck them all up!  I'd fuck every last one of them up. But she says wait

Another writes Ms V says I did good!  I can get bit!  I'm so happy I could squee!

Aubrey sighed when she heard about Vic and Rob fighting again. Perhaps they should rent a boxing rink and allow the boys to burn off their frustrations. Aubrey dials Rob and then perhaps Vic to find out what was going on.

"Hey butthead! What's going on"


Researching proved to be worrisome. Seeing the two handles Aubrey called to talk to Tate to find out how hard was it going to be to find out the names of the two posters. Aubrey looks up anything she can find on 6 flags and the area of the schools. Could it be the amusement park....  She looks for any history of other conversations by the same handles and tries to find any sort of pattern.

She checks her phone again to see if she got any thing from Charlie. Could she get into the phone records and try to find out where Charlie's phone was last pinging off a tower to try to get a general location. She calls Tate again to see if he could help her pinpoint a general location.

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 118):

Rob does not to answer your call.

Vic is sighing as he picks up.  He started it...

He sighs again.  It's just the usual.  He wants me to drop the Mom an' Dad thing.  I don't.  Same story.  Different day.  What do you have goin' on?

---

Tate tracks back as far as he can on the posters.  Nada I'm afraid.  The e-mail addresses they're hooked to look like dummies.  Can't find where they were ever used off Reddit.  The other stuff on Reddit...meh.  Sounds like kids talkin' kid stuff.

Six Flags being the amusement park would seem the logical first guess.  Problem is your city doesn't have one.

A cruise through internet land shows a few other references to Six Flags.

GOIN' TO SIX FLAGS!!! YA BABY!!!

I don't care if i did screw up i deserve to go to 6 flags this is unfair

if i nail the next test my ass is six flag bound

All the posters seem to be the same type as what you found before.  Sound like young kids.  Handles lead nowhere off Reddit.

Aubrey sighed

"Vic did he state why he wanted you to drop it? Like I think we all need to be more open. Maybe this is the shit is hitting the fan and I need you to drop this for three months. Or something is really wrong with Alex and we all need to deal with this in the present. Someone or thing or whatever is messing with our family. There are too many mysteries and we need to debrief and get on the same page. We may need to drop this for a little bit with the understanding that we are going to picking this all up as a team and hitting it as a team. Or Rob is being a dick and he needs to be talked too. But Vic... I need you both being on the same side. Tell me how to get that done?"

Aubrey frowns and doodles on a piece of paper

"I'm trying to research some crazy group and I came across some stuff. If you got time I'd love to show you what i've found and get another set of eyes on it"

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 120):

If I knew the answer to that Bree, do you think we'd be having this conversation?

He sighs.  Look.  Someone killed our Mom and Dad.  Maybe they weren't perfect people.  But they were our Mom and Dad.  Yeah.  I get that we need to rally and Alex has issues and everything else.  But we are always going to have problems.  If we deal only with the here and now, we lose sight of the then and...the...will be.  Or something like that.  It sounded cooler in my head.

Anyway.  You get what I'm saying.  And have you thought that maybe all our problems might be connected?  That maybe whoever killed Mom and Dad is back for an encore?  I mean...what are the odds that one family has problems like this over and over again?  Right?<Green>

He is silent a moment.  <Green>I'll...try talking to Rob again.  Okay?  Yeah sure.  I'll be happy to take a lookie lou.  You want to swing by?

"Vic...I agree with you. I think there is something shady about how and what happened to Mom and Dad. Even knowing what they were in to. And I also think that what happened probably has something to do with all the weird stuff going on. And it would be smart for us to be ready for whatever is coming our way. But I think Rob is trying to protect us and probably knows a bit more of what is going on. And if we push him to much, he will do something stupid and I can't lose any of you."

"Yeah.. i'm on my way. I'll be there shortly"



Aubrey heads over to Vic's house to go over what she had been working on and some of her concerns about Charlie.

In reply to Audrey Eden Davis (msg # 122):

Interesting.

Vic looks kind of tired.  He's drinking black coffee although by now it's eight in the PM.

He listens to everything, looks over what you found, and frowns.  Somethin' doesn't make sense about this to me Bree.  I mean...you found this pretty easy all things considering.  And I'm not sayin' it's not good work.  But...how come this Roger guy didn't find any of this out?  I mean...if he's a hotshot reporter, don't you think he should have stumbled across all this too?

Aubrey flops down on the couch.

"Yeah... you know that voice in the back of your mind that makes you relook at a shadow or triple check to see if you turned the oven off has kind of thought the same thing. It didn't come 'easy', but it does seem to be to much in the open. And I was warned that this Roger is a user. So I have no doubts he would use me to fish out something"

Aubrey continues

"And I was really just invested to find out if Charlie needs help. I mean, sure, it could be that he is ghosting me. And that would suck and I would be pissed. But I would almost rather that then him being in some sort of trouble and I just didn't do anything. So I have to find out. He came to my help when I needed it. I should at least be a friend and do the same"

Aubrey drops her pen on the table

"Finding all of this just made me worried that he is caught up in this. "