Jan 27, 1935

“Somethings come up they need you to handle”

That’s all he was told, all he’s ever told. Revenant acquired certain skills during the war and after. He adapted and attuned his senses living a life of ever-present danger. He blends into shadow and background by habit. He’s that guy nobody can ever describe but they remember the tats and nose mole of the other lug.

Sitting at a bar table with several city leaders and a score of crew leaders around He’s slid a newspaper with a large envelope concealed in its folds. Without even looking, for he will study it thoroughly before even departing for the location he nods “It will be done”. It’s an honor to be chosen recognized as someone who can be counted on to handle delicate issues. To be trusted to do it right and return successful.

8 days later and he’s making final preparations. They don’t call it doing the devils work for nothing. One underboss in a Seattle branch has went Rogue in a manner of speaking. He set up connections across the Pacific. along with the regular opium or heroin shipments his company was importing people. There’s a thin line when it comes to peddling flesh in the mafia. For those who choose that profession it can be a lucrative partnership. When you steal children off the street and sell them to whoever has the money. Then it’s an embarrassing and disgusting mark on the family and one that will bring much attention if discovered.

He’s holed up in a fortress somewhere in the Northern California forests. There was some legwork in the permit’s office and a few greased palms to get the real plans. But Revenant had little difficulty discovering its location. He’s gathering up the rest of his special equipment when the phone rings. Its Shadow.

“Last set of prints were developed. Nice and clean pattern follows previous night. Need anything else before I see you tonight?” He asks.

“Yes I need the following items. 6 car batteries, 500 feet of PURE copper wire, 2 three phase arc welders. This is important if you cannot find a 3 phase one up their call home and have the 2 here in the shop sent up to us. I also need 20 pounds of very fine powdered thermite. The rest ill have with me if the courier ever arrives.”

The knock at the door announces his arrival and a good-sized crate is brought in by two very burly men. Tipping their hats, they leave Revenant with the job of opening it. Like a child on Christmas morning he tears into it. Shipped at a premium cost on private plane from New York. There is a festive greeting card though its nowhere near Mother’s Day

Heres what the card looks like.

Inside it read “Hope this helps your bear problem. Please let me know how the Hawkeye Geese worked and if they survey your property satisfactorily. Hope you enjoy the new “Toy” I included a spec sheet on it. With warm regards N.T.”

He met Nikola Tesla in 1929. Living in hotels in New York he had spent his fortune and was considered by some to be mad. Revenant thought his ideas of communication with Wi-Fi frequencies, the potential of every person in the world being able to carry a communication device fascinating. That it not only would broadcast voice but information and images. Whenever he’s in New York Revenant always makes time for an evening of debate and discovery along with heavy drinking.

He wired his friend saying he had 2 problems. One he wanted to map and survey his property from the air, and he wanted a way to incapacitate some bears that were causing dangerous problems in the vineyards. The Hawkeye Geese, a contraption made of a balloon painted like a goose, a simple control rudder, one of Tesla’s bladeless turbines, and a high-speed camera. The Geese had taken multiple flights over the target over the last couple days. They had photographic timelines of guard posts and patrols. They knew every bit of the building from what was on the plans in city hall to what they could see from the pictures. They even had images of the crew and had picked up similar outfits and made some crude masks to help disguise them. Shadow was a master of disguise and had been busy making mustaches and other hair pieces.

With pieces and a technical diagram of the whole the other part of his plan used equipment meant to immobilize bears. He hopes its not too much for bastards. One final thing a large case with a manual

“Teleforce”
The New Art of Projecting Concentrated Non-Dispersive Energy through the Natural Media,

Revenant scanned the pages of descriptive then stopped with his jaw dropped.

“The SOB invented a death ray”

Grinning widely he hoped he had a chance to try it out. Unwieldy it was about the size and weight of a machine gun. With a backpack containing power source and capacitors. It had 3 different gas cartridges marked only in color. This was typical and as Tesla would put it “I don’t give out the secret till I got the patent you can thank that thief MR Edison for that” Revenant chuckled, his friend was a odd one indeed but very talented. The gas was used to create a field of vacuum where massive voltage was held in place and compressed. When it reaches a preset level the jets angle and its repelled like a magnet out the barrel. The difference between this and a magnet is magnets aren’t balls of intensely compressed electron energy flying out at the speed of light. This was.

Holding back the urge to try it there as it had multiple settings, he vowed to see what it could do. It was the least he could do for his good friend and would give them something to talk about when he visited to report on the other items.

He arrived at the cabin they had leased to serve as operations base. Taking one more night to do another series of flights. Revenant was delighted to see the prints and the details that could be gleaned. Mr. Jung liked his dinner promptly at 6 and sat in his dining room admiring the dusk while eating. If Revenant ever wrote a list of things not to do if you want to live a long life one of them would be don’t be predictable.

The final plan was simple. Using their knowledge of where everyone was at what time the team installed devices along the front and North side of the building. Coiled around various parts of the structure it was the culmination of the anti-bear system. Specter would man the controls for this. The Wraiths were to accompany Shadow to the South entrance where they would subdue the guards. Using an improvised Ruhmkorff coil they hit the guards with a jolt that left them twitching. They both had on prosthetics and clothing to match the guard they took down. They would then converge on 2 other outer perimeter guards before entering the barracks and taking out the sleeping shift. Shadow would cut off the communications and the guard manning that room. Then he would sound the general alarm but shut it off after 3 cycles. This would be taken as a stations alert drill and all guards would move to the outer walls for further instructions. Nonchalantly they gather at their rally points. That’s when Specter hits the main switches on the modified arc welders.  

Current has been flowing from the batteries to charge several capacitors. As the switch is hit hundreds of thousands of volts leap through the cables. Magnifying transmitters, another Tesla invention are placed at intervals along the lines. Each one comes to life arcing a lightning bolt with other transmitters, lights and other electrical devices, men, the ground, everywhere along the walls the remainder of the conscious guards had gathered. He made a note he would have to let Tesla know the results of this trial. With a chuckle he noted the devastation. At 5% of a natural lightning bolts strength it still killed everything within ten feet of a transmitter. The horrible burns of electrocution and the smell of burnt flesh whispered through the air. A couple places the building was smoldering.

Revenant marches through the front door wearing a Devil mask. Several low-level office staff turn pale when they see him.

“Release the cargo, NOW and take a message, a warning, with you. Slavery is illegal in the civilized world.” He growls

They rush to several cargo containers. Had he said release the people, prisoners, slaves, they would not understand him. To their mindset it was only cargo, all they saw was numbers on paper. The realization when they opened the doors and saw what came out staggered them. They do not know how lucky they really were Revenant had moved on before he saw. Boys, girls, mostly girls. Babies stolen from their mothers to sell to childless couples. Young children bought to grow up a domestic servant to someone who thought they were helping them. Or worse, much worse things could happen to them. Teens already told what they would have to do to pay off their debt. They were told their family would be killed if they did not pay. Nobody told them they will never in 20 lifetimes make enough to pay it off. Even some middle-aged people for whatever reason. Up till now if you wanted to buy a disposable human being this was the place.

Smoking a cigar Mr. Jung is stomping back and forth angrily. Its 6:05 and his dinner isn’t served. A short fat bald man his jowly expression resembles a pig when he frowns. Hearing footsteps he turns, and yells COOK

Then he sees Revenant, for a moment his mind can’t put the scene together. Then panic hits and he goes for his gun. Revenant shoots him in the shoulder just as he grabs it causing him to flinch and send it flying across the room. Wary of back up weapons he may have Revenant slowly advances with his pistol leveled at the man. If man is what the puddle of quivering blubbering jelly this creature had become. He begged, pleaded, tried to buy him off. He offered him everything.

“I am here to do the Devils work.” Was the only reply. Revenant shot his knees out from under him. Still trying to make a deal he watches Revenant with wide eyes. Pulling a bag out from his backpack Revenant dumps a fine black powder all around and on him. Opening another pound package, he circles the pig dumping the powder all round. Another and another, Revenant pauses and leisurely dumps out this sparkling powder even tossing one half full at this turd who still is trying to bargain for forgiveness. He walks behind a very well stocked bar and takes off the mask.

He picks a bottle of rum out of the 5 brands available. He takes a long pull off it then tosses it at the, corpse.
“Corpse, that’s what you are already. You killed yourself long ago and have rotted away since.”

Tossing more bottles sometimes taking a drink out of them first. “You deal in tears, misery, hopelessness. You became the tear monger. Your moneys no good with me”

Smiling wickedly because normally he would believe anyone could be forgiven. This roach has not shown any regret for what he did only ways he thinks he could get out if it. Revenant pulls the last 2-pound packages of thermite out of his pack. Scattered all around the dead man in density of a dusting to small scattered piles. The sparkles of glass and dark spots where the alcohol soaked into the powder. The blood, it was like a surreal masterpiece. He tore open one package and began to make a trail across the floor. Using the last package to complete the trail to the door leading out He finished the line with a small pile of the dark glittering powder. Popping a road flare, he leans down and touches the burning end to the pile. A bright flash hits as the exothermic reaction started and this finely powdered iron oxide started to burn at around 2500 centigrade.

Thermite is great for starting fires Revenant mused as they were packing up the salvageable equipment. The building already had flames jetting from the roof. Revenant realized they never used the Teleforce. Glancing through the field manual one more time he sets the device up and powers it on. Bracing the weapon on a log to the whine of charging capacitors the hissing of gas as the cylinders are attached make it apparent this isn’t a stealth weapon. As everything is set up and charged, he dials the setting to one. Without any means to aim Revenant points the barrel at the building and hits the arm button. Vibrations and the humming of mechanics inside the device whirling round get louder before the green ready light glows and Revenant hits the trigger buttons.

There was a loud FOOM and this strange bend in the air like a slash. Tracing it to there the building was scattered like it was made of cards and someone hit it with a truck. Trees and part of the distant hillside had a gap where light moving at light speed went through or swatted aside everything. They hastily gathered up the gear and got out of there.

Back home there was no need to report. His coming back was assurance what had to be done had been done successfully. Revenant was thinking ahead and planning time to meet with his dear friend to discuss the field test reports and the possibilities of imagination.