Eddie Lawson still in departmental disgrace is given the dirtiest job yet. But Fate seems to be on his side.
My latest playthrough of Scalphunter, a game of Solo Cold War Espionage. Scalphunter is available from Itch and DriveThruRPG, free or pay what you want.
Lawson had been called back from Istanbul in disgrace after the collapse of Operation Persephone. The Director of Intelligence had made it clear to “C” that Lawson’s reckless behaviour was a symptom of how the Director of Operations had been running the “Scalphunter” team as his own band of brigands, encouraged to take matters into their own hands and act without recourse to advice and governance. “C” that wily old operator knew full well that sometimes that approach was necessary but couldn’t officially admit that. Since D.Ops was on enforced leave (pending investigation) and could not stand up for Lawson, it appeared that Lawson was on the chopping block.
However fate (helped, Lawson suspected, by “C” himself) stepped in. An urgent request from the CIA arrived in the department asking for help from the Operations team. Lawson was the only active Scalphunter in residence and being in disgrace didn’t change that. “C” suggested that Lawson be assigned, telling D.Int that it would be good to have him out of the place while his future was being discussed (and telling Lawson that if he did well on this new mission it could go a long way toward clearing the air).
Operation DEMETER –
A joint operation between the CIA and SIS. The US agency has a confidential source inside a terrorist cell in Greece – the same one that had been buying arms from Korkut in Istanbul. The group, codenamed CHAFF, was planning a campaign of assassination in Athens aimed at the anti-communist junta ruling the island.
CIA agent Henry Harland is the man on the spot and, having worked with the Operations dept of SIS before he requested a Scalphunter to help with the … shadier aspects of the job. It will be a joint effort, Harland says, but he can only call in his team when absolute proof is obtained of CHAFF’s goals… but the absolute proof may not be available until it’s too late.
Goal – Perform a coordinated takedown
Significant difficulty (8) – Critical Urgency (4)
Task One
Lawson’s first objective is the removal of one of CHAFF’s bomb-makers, a man named Bouras who is as paranoid and wary as his role requires. Lawson knows that the only way to find Bouras’ location is to keep tabs on Bouras’ go-between, the weaselly fixer Floros who he has learned provides Bouras with vital supplies of alcohol and cigarettes. Lawson picks up Floros’ trail as Floros drives out into a remote mountainous region.
Shadow Target (Tradecraft) – Exposure/Stress
Result 5
+Exposure (1)
+Progress (1)
Floros is not as wary as Bouras and Lawson manages to follow him discreetly enough that the middle-man doesn’t pick up the distant tail. When Lawson realises that Floros is coming to a stop outside a dilapidated stone-built hovel, Lawson parks the car off the road and makes the rest of his way on foot.
Task Two
Lawson remains hidden outside the hovel while Floros is in there. He finds a comfortable hiding place and catches only brief snippets of conversation from the men inside. If he’d been here to gather intelligence he’d have risked sneaking closer and listening in. He’s not here to gather information though. He waits. Just after dark, Floros emerges from the hovel, gets in his car and drives away.
Lawson leaves it another half hour just to be on the safe side. When there is no sign of Floros’ return he moves in. The door opens silently and Lawson slips inside. There is music playing on a tinny radio – “Vraho Vraho”- and in the room beyond the next door there is Bouras himself, hunched over a workbench, soldering iron in hand. On the radio, the singer declares “Take me so I won’t see again, the rocks and death…”
Surgical Assassination (Action) – Stress/Oversight
Result 6
+Progress (2)
Lawson shoots him in the back of the head.
Task Three
Harland wants to keep his involvement quiet, letting the SIS seem to be making the running. For the next stage of the operation, Lawson has to obtain the assistance of a local Intelligence Officer who would be inclined to help. He manages to make it look informal and coincidental, bumping into an old contact, Karas of the KYP.
Contrive a Meeting (Interaction) – Stress/Exposure
Result 6
+Progress (3)
Karas is guarded but not unfriendly. Lawson shares a drink with the man and in exchange for a few pieces of low grade gossip he obtains in return the tacit agreement to turn a blind-eye to any of Lawson’s activities in the next few days… so long as they are focused very specifically on CHAFF.
Harland sees this as carte-blanche to act, but Lawson is more cautious. Does Karas have the clout to guarantee this?
Task Four
Using a secure line, Lawson puts in a call to London for a word with Connie Yvon
“You rogue, you rascal,” she chides him, “Surprised you’re allowed on the phone, so blackened is your name and so low your stock around here.”
“What do you know about Karas?” Lawson asks her.
Profile Source/Rival Officer (Analysis) – Stress/Oversight
Ally – Connie – Roll 6 (Retain Ally)
+Progress (4)
“Going up in the world,” Connie tells Lawson, “The very opposite of you in fact. He has the ear of his chief and considerable influence.”
“Thanks Con,” Lawson says and hangs up.
“Carte blanche,” he tells Harland.
Task Five
The next target is Axiotis, one of CHAFF’s organisers. Harland has learned from his inside man that Axiotis is due to coordinate with another cell to bring them into action. Lawson devises a plan to take Axiotis out of the equation. The first step is to break into a locked garage.
Tamper With Vehicle (Tradecraft) -Exposure / Harm
Roll 4
+Progress (5)
+Harm (1)
He emerges having sabotaged Axiotis’ car. The next day, Axiotis and his bodyguard will be travelling some distance to rendezvous with the CHAFF cell. Lawson will be waiting along the route.
Task Six
Through the sight of his rifle, Lawson draws a bead on the car that has stopped on the side of the dusty mountain road. The driver is looking into the engine, scratching his head. The bodyguard has emerged from the car and is pacing angrily, scanning up and down the road for danger. Axiotis, damn him, is staying safe in the car and Lawson has no angle on him from his vantage point. Taking a risk he moves from his spot and scrambles down a slope and along to get a better view of the car. Eye to the scope… And there is Axiotis. A tricky shot through the rear window of the car, but it’s now or never.
Silent Neutralization (Action) – Harm/Exposure
Roll 3
+Progress (6)
+Harm (2)
The first shot only clips the target. Lawson curses, calms himself and fires again – this time finishing the job. By now though the bodyguard is in action, firing off wild shots from his pistol in Lawson’s direction. They were all long shots and only some ill luck meant that Lawson took a glancing blow to the arm. Bleeding and cursing, Lawson makes it to safety.
Downtime
Back in Athens, Lawson calls on Harland who is only too happy to provide an entirely unofficial visit from an American doctor attached to the Embassy here. A few painkillers, some stitches, and a post-treatment bottle of whisky and Lawson feels ready to face the future.
DOWNTIME FOR Harm
Roll 3
-Harm (1)
+Urgency (1)
Task Seven
The future is ready for Lawson too though. As Lawson leaves his apartment the next morning and heads for a rendezvous with Harland he realises he’s picked up a rather clumsy tail. Glancing back carefully he’s alarmed to see that Axiotis’ bodyguard is following him rather inexpertly. This has to be blind bad luck, Lawson reckons. The man is too unskilled at shadowing for this to be anything planned. Had the bodyguard just happened to be passing and recognised him? No sense worrying about that now. Lawson turns a corner off the main street and makes sure the hunter gets just enough challenge in following him to make him feel he’s in control.
Unarmed Takedown (Action) -Harm / Exposure
Roll 6
+Progress (7)
Once safely away from prying eyes in an unobserved alleyway, Lawson waits for the bodyguard to turn the corner. Startled by the presence of his quarry at such close quarters and clearly unsurprised, the bodyguard puts up little fight. Lawson finishes the job with his bare hands and then steals the man’s wallet to provide an easy excuse for the police — backed up by Karas— to write this off as a mugging.
Downtime
(things have been going well for Eddie and the Urgency track is barely touched. Since he’s one solitary segment away from being Blown permanently, I decide to take some Downtime to clear that risk)
Lawson makes his meeting with Harland. Things are approaching the endgame now and Lawson doesn’t want to blow the operation by any more chance meetings. His next job is to service a dead drop from Harland’s man on the inside in the middle of the night. He spends the whole day at Harland’s safehouse lying low.
DOWNTIME FOR Exposure
Roll 3
-Exposure (0)
+Urgency (2)
Task Eight
A night time expedition to a very rough neighbourhood. Lawson checks the discreet signs left by the inside-man. A twisted and knotted string discarded on a window ledge. A chalk circle on a kerb. Signs that mean the message has been left. It’s another ten minutes of walking till Lawson can pick up the package from a broken water pipe.
Dead Drop/Brush Contact (Tradecraft) – Exposure/Stress
Roll 6
+Stress (1)
+Progress (8) – Tasks Complete
Nobody sees him. The package is there. A tobacco pouch containing a small folded paper among the tobacco. An address. A time.
“We’ve got them,” Lawson tells Harland. “Call your team.”
Conclusion
With the location of the active CHAFF cell confirmed, along with the presence of the weaponry and explosives intended for the campaign of assassination, Harland can mobilise his team. Lawson goes along for the ride. It’s all done by the book and with the cooperation of KYT with a minimum of fuss and bother.
Final Roll- Action
Roll 6
Full Success
A handful of the terrorist cell are taken alive. The armaments (some probably from Istanbul, Lawson reflects grimly) are confiscated. Back to London, and hopefully a better reception than last time.
Only Condition marked was one harm – roll for potential burnout: 3, no change. No roll for Blown.
Lawson gains 2EP (Total 7)
He spends 3 to gain a new Standing contact – D.Ops himself – now back at his desk and inclined to back Lawson to the hilt.
Otherworlds 