Mean Streets - The Tough Times of Darrin McCoy

[Grognardsw]

The door bursts in and men in suits and trench coats flood the room, flashlights glaring and guns aimed.

"Get them!"

They hear Archer's cry and several continue through the other door, while a few help the private eye out of the crate.

"He's alive!"

Archer's head spins and he feels weak from the wound and blood loss of his missing left hand. He hears more gun shots, distant.

As he's lifted out of the crate Archer falls unconscious.

He awakens sometime later, in a hospital bed. A nurse is at his side and looks up as he stirs. She picks up a phone next to the bed. "He's conscious," she says into it.

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

"... watson..." the weakened patient manages to croak.

He avoids looking at his left hand, even though it itches like Hell.

[Grognardsw]

Archer fades in and out until he realizes he has visitors.

"Archer - can you hear me?"

The gumshoe comes to and sees Agent Watson and another man standing next to him.

"We had you tailed. You can understand why. Anyway, good thing. We got reinforcements just in time. What happened in there!"

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Archer closed his burning eyes. The goddamned BOI. Had Watson provided men when Archer requested them, rather than using those men to tail Archer, the detective wouldn't have tried to recruit McCoy. Things would have gone down very differently. To Archer's mind, Watson cost him his hand.

Archer opened his eyes and looked into Watson's. "... damn you..."

[Grognardsw]

"Nurse, is he coherent or still adled from the drugs?"

Agent Watson turns to Archer again. "You rest up now Archer."

"We rounded up some men, including McCoy, but the woman slipped through."

You can roll 1d4 for HP recovery from hospital care.

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Archer forgets his anger and urgently rasps from his hospital bed, "... McCoy is one of them... a cultist... he tricked me...
"Woman... Anne-Marie Levoui... a cult leader... sent letters to Carcosa...
"Himenez was there too... many others... "

Hospital: [1d4] = 2

[Grognardsw]

"Himenez too?" Agent Watson says, bending close to Archer to hear his raspings. "Yes, we suspected McCoy was in on it and tonight confirmed it. He bit off an agent's ear in the struggle. He was like a wildman. We'll get a search going on this Anne Marie Levoui; bring in the Providence police as well. You rest up."

Archer recuperates in the hospital for two days. The gumshoe has lots of time to think. He's recovered some stolen artifacts; had a ring leader in the thefts arrested; chased down the group responsible for the museum thefts, but hasn't shut it down. His museum association client wants more artifacts recovered and the operation shut down. But its more than business now for Archer, given the death of his partner, his own bodily harm, and the thieves being a murderous cult. Something more nags him, but he can't quite remember. Just a sense of danger in his mind that moves him to want to stop these nuts.

Archer is discharged and given a leather cover for his left hand stump. Luckily the private eye is right handed.

(Recover 1d2 HP additional hospital stay.)

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Heal [1d2] = 1

Archer should have listened to his own goddamned advice*, and Andy's, and steered well clear of the BOI.

• *

  As he listened to Watson's report, Archer grew more angry with each blossoming detail.
  He pulled down on his face. And listened to more.
  He got up on his hind legs. And listened to more.
  He forgot himself and who he was talking to. And listened to more.
  
  Then he stopped listening.
  
  Seeing red, Archer locked his jaw teeth tight and growled: "A team of agents killed, including Holmes?! Baines infected by the goddamn cult's hypnosis? Carcosa still at large? Jesus Christ! What a fine screw up you've got here! No wonder Andy won't touch this damn thing!
  
  "Where are your pack of amateur librarian-consultants now?
  When did you round up the Hepcats of Ulthar?
  And how many military divisions are you sending in to knock over the Shunned House, to avoid a repeat performance of that asinine, botched raid at Club Zothique?!"
  
  

In the hospital, Archer had time to turn things over in his mind.

The veteran of the Great War knew that recovery from a surgical amputation took months, including weeks of hospital stay. His mind would be clouded by painkillers for much of that time.

He regretfully informed his clients that he could no longer handle the case due to his convalescence. If he could recommend another dependable private eye to continue the case (Pym?), he would. And he'd be sure to carefully brief him.

Archer knew he needed to talk to Agent Watson. But if he saw him face to face, he'd have to overcome the urge to strangle him. Archer settled for a phone call. "This is Archer. You don't have a man outside my hospital room. You need to put me under surveillance," he said like he was training a rookie cop.
"Think, Watson. I was in the custody of the cult. We know they can hypnotize people to join them. We can assume I'm their new Agent Baines. Or Darrin McCoy. Why else would they let me live? I'm the only captive who's ever escaped them? That's a little too convenient. They needed a new inside man."
Archer let that sink in for a beat.
"You need to watch me closely. Make sure I don't decapitate anyone.
"You need to stop telling me the details of the case. Assume everything you tell me will go directly to the cult.
"You need to get a man down here right now."

Archer slammed down the receiver with his one remaining hand.

[Grognardsw]

As Archer ruminates a doctor comes in to give the private eye a medical update.



"Mr. Archer, while recovery from some amputations such as legs and arms can involve lengthy recovery periods, the hand is a different case. You should be able to leave in a few days. It is the mental adjustment more than anything else that patients struggle with most. Fortunately you are right handed, which will ease the transition."

Later, in conversation with Agent Watson...

"That's an interesting theory Archer. I'm not sure I buy it, but let's assume its true. We could use that to our own purposes. If hypnosis is behind this, and I did hear that the Dark Pharaoh character from the freak show used that on Eddie Sharpe, then we can bring in our own hypnosis expert. Someone to - what do they call it - uncover surpressed memories, maybe find out what happened to you. And try to counteract it. Then map out a strategy based on what we find."

"We'll put a guard on your room and tail you, regardless."

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

How long was Archer unconscious for?

Doctor "It is the mental adjustment more than anything else that patients struggle with most."

"That's swell," Archer said without pleasure.
"How long will physical therapy take, Doc?
"When will the wound be fully healed and the bandages come off?
"How long before I'm off the painkillers?
"When will I be ready to be fitted with a prosthetic hand?"

Watson " If hypnosis is behind this... we can bring in our own hypnosis expert."

"I'll see him," Archer fairly growled. "Send him around."

[Grognardsw]

Judging by his watch, Archer was unconscious for about 20 minutes.

"The physcial therapy will be only a few weeks," answers the doctor. "Minor on the scale of such things. Two sessions a week and a personal exercise regiment for at home. The painkillers will be prescribed for three weeks. Again on the milder side. I wouldn't drink while you're taking them, but we know that can't happen these days." He winks.

"Here is the prosthetic hand."



"We put it on in a few days. The BOI sprang for the latest model, which as you can see has some useful attachments. The first week wear it six hours a day, then increase by two hours every week."

"I understand you have a plainscothes guard at your door. And you'll have a visitor tomorrow, a psychologist who'll be by during non-visitor hours."

Archer realizes this is likely the BOI-hired hypnotist.

[Inferno]

Judging by his watch, Archer was unconscious for about 20 minutes.

I assume as a prisoner of Levoui?
How long was he unconscious at the hospital, please?
Thanks.

[Grognardsw]

In the hospital, stabilized with periods of sleep of 1-3 hours, then sleeping through the night.

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

Blank faced, Archer tries to double or triple his dose of painkillers, and wishes he could get a drink in here.

He waits to get a clean bill of health from the government hypnotist, so he can interrogate Darrin McCoy. To combat boredom and depression, the detective entertains thoughts of beating McCoy to death.

[Grognardsw]

"Good day sir, I am Emile Coue, hired by the Bureau of Investigation to perform hypnosis on you. I hope to ascertain past memories and dispel any existing hypnotically imposed influences, should there be any."

The man settles into a chair next to Archer's bed. "Now relax. I will walk you through the process as I do it." Mr. Coue takes a lancet case. "I shall hold it between the thumb and fore and middle fingers of the left hand; hold it from about eight to fifteen inches from the eyes, at such position above the forehead as may be necessary to produce the greatest possible strain upon the eyes and eyelids, and enable the patient to maintain a steady fixed stare at the object. The patient must be made to understand that he is to keep the eyes steadily fixed on the object, and the mind riveted on the idea of that one object. It will be observed, that owing to the consensual adjustment of the eyes, the pupils will be at first contracted: They will shortly begin to dilate, and, after they have done so to a considerable extent, and have assumed a wavy motion, if the fore and middle fingers of the right hand, extended and a little separated, are carried from the object toward the eyes, most probably the eyelids will close involuntarily, with a vibratory motion. If this is not the case, or the patient allows the eyeballs to move, desire him to begin anew, giving him to understand that he is to allow the eyelids to close when the fingers are again carried towards the eyes, but that the eyeballs must be kept fixed, in the same position, and the mind riveted to the one idea of the object held above the eyes. In general, it will be found, that the eyelids close with a vibratory motion, or become spasmodically closed..."

As Mr. Coue calmfully drones on, Archer begins to feel drowsy (please roll 1d100.)

[Inferno]

[1d100] = 50

[Grognardsw]

Archer has some skepticism toward this hypnotism malarkey, but recent experiences and a nagging memory of... something prompts the private eye to remain open to the mesmerism. Soon he feels his eyelids get heavy, his mind gets sleepy and he is under.



"Very good Mr. Archer. When I clap my hands three times, you will awake. Now...

During the warehouse incident, what is your last memory?

Who do you recall being in the room with you, or otherwise in your presence?"

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:


The maimed, amnesic detective slurred...

"... I'm finished..."

• "... they have me..."
  
  • "... McCoy is one of them..."
    
    • "... he's there..."
      
      • "... and the negress... Levoui...."
        
        • "... and someone else... wait."
          
          • "... I know that voice..."

[Grognardsw]

"Your mind's eye is opening wider, looking deeper into your memory..." intones Mr. Coue. "What do you remember?"

Archer feels a door unknown open within the structure of his mind, and finds himself remembering the voice. It was Eduardo Himenez.

Further memories unfurl, and Archer gives voice to them: 

"Bring him here..."

"Check his wallet..."

"He is a candidate for the unfolding..."

Then Archer speaks a foreign tongue, something he knows is a dialogue though the meaning remains hidden.

"Mr. Archer," says the hypnotist after the gumshoe's words end, "Have you heard this language before? Is it part of your case?"

[Inferno]

Sam Archer, private eye:

The mesmerized gumshoe slurred,

"...Himenez..."

• "...yes..."
  
  • "...a secret language..."
    
    • "...the cultists... speak it..."