Bones' Destruction

Saturday early morning, July 19, 2014

Vampire Joel Grayling's body was lying on a table in STRIKE FORCE offices, still staked. Next to it was the casket containing the "spare" skeleton that Ebony had got STRIKE FORCE to source for her earlier attempt to trick Oberon, On a third table were the bagged bones of the Created that Ebony had recovered from beneath Defacto's garage.

Oberon had texted Theo, and Ebony: "Bring me those bones or else". Theo threw away the SIM card.

"What do we do now?" asked Ebony.

Reginald and Leon, as one, grabbed a STRIKE FORCE cleaver and decapitated Joel's remains, giving him the True Death. The party then watched, with some morbid satisfaction, as the remnants dissolved back to the body's true age - about 85 years; the skin tightened and dried to the bones, and the organs withered to a few husks in the rib cage.

They put the dry pieces in the casket with the spare skeleton.

"May as well burn that too," mused Ebony. "Oberon knows all now."

Lieutenant Prospero arranged for a police escort to take the three sets of bones to the furnace, which was now up and running, at Pennsylvania Hospital.

This trip was uneventful.

When they got there, the furnace was blazing bright and hot. Grayling's bones and the spare skeleton was burned first. The Created skeleton was then put onto the conveyor waiting to go into the furnace.

They needed to decide who would take the moral hit. Doctor Donald had pointed out that this Created was technically an "innocent". There was no indication that it was evil, and there was no indication that it posed any threat to the group, nor to the world.

None of these moral qualms affected Reggie. He stepped up in a flash.

"I'll do it," he snapped. And pushed the "go" button. [ He made his Morality roll. ]

The created's bones slipped into the 1200 C furnace.

Saturday sunrise, July 19

Sledge Hammer had been severely wounded by the gunfight, so the party checked him into the hospital; the very hospital where they had just finished burning the bones.

Sledge was put into surgery straight away.

In the recovery ward, he was visited by Doctor Bryan Philby, the heart surgeon and ... demon. Pete the orderly worked here too. Bryan recognized Sledge straight away, and told him he'd receive the "best care" here.

"I will personally see to you," said Dr Philby.

Later, Philby presented Sledge with the three bullets that they had extracted from his body.

Saturday late afternoon, July 19

Theo was becoming increasingly worried that Oberon would now be hunting him. This was not helped by Reginald starting up another sweep-stake as to when Theo would be killed.

He took off in a taxi a way out into the country. He was sure he could get his cursed ring out of range of Oberon's tracking. So stayed the night in a bedsit, some 100 km north of Philadelphia.

Sunday morning, July 20

The party visited Colleen Thomson and ex-Captain Lassard.

Theo wanted to try Colleen's Dolly to see if she could give him a fate reading. Colleen was happy to oblige, and handed the little doll to Theo.

Dolly didn't disappoint. Theo closed his eyes and let Dolly into his mind. Her gentle ethereal whispers faded away, and suddenly an image formed in his mind: on a grassy hill stood an old twisted oak. On a rope, twisting in the wind, was Theo's body. Hanged.

There was no indication of time, and not many landmarks around.

Sunday afternoon, July 20

Preparations for Sledge's and Safiya's up-and-coming wedding were well underway. It was now only nine days away. Plans had been made to change the exact time of the wedding to be plus or minus one or two hours, and they would contact all the RSVPed guests the day before. Mrs Hammer had invited a whole swag of Sledges relatives, so security was a  nightmare. The hope was that the Morte Christe biker invaders, seen in Sledge's Dolly-vision, would be fooled by this last-minute change of time.

Jacob commented soberly.

"Your vision had no indication of time," he said. "How do you know the vision wasn't of the new time?"


Sunday late afternoon, July 20

Theo went off into the country again. To get out of range again.

Monday morning, July 21

Lieutenant Prospero had some news.

My job application was approved," he said. "I have been confirmed as the new commander of STRIKE FORCE in New York. I shall be promoted to Captain Prospero."

Murmurs of congratulation all around.

"I'll be starting a week today. And it means the position for STRIKE FORCE commander for Philadelphia will now be open."

Reginald's ears pricked up.

"I will apply, sah!"

"Whoever gets the position," said Prospero. "will be promoted to First or Second Lieutenant depending on their current STRIKE FORCE standing."