Agents MacMillian, Herschler, Markham, Morrisson, Watts, and McGee were called in for a briefing by Tad Eccles. Eccles explained that since the change in management at Orpheus, there had been a sense of instability within the company, and several Agents had quit. He hoped that by bringing in some new Agents and letting different teams work together, the Agents would be able to build a sense of trust between each other and between themselves and management.
MacMillian, Herschler, and Markham were asked to investigate one Holwood Angler, age 78, living in one of the older residential districts of Eastside. Holwood was a self-professed medium, performing seances for cash. The Board of Directors was concerned that he might be defrauding his customers, which might reflect poorly on Orpheus' own reputation; alternatively, if Angler were the real deal, then they might be interested in hiring him. The Agents were to check out his operation, determine whether or not he had any real ability to contact ghosts, and report back.
Morrisson, Watts, and McGee were assigned a routine haunt investigation. Ghostly activity had been reported by several parishioners at St. James' Cathedral downtown, and the bishop had asked Orpheus to investigate. The Agents were to investigate the scene, evaluate the threat, and report back to Orpheus for further instructions.
After the Agents were dismissed, Eccles took Agent Markham, a new recruit, aside and gave him special instructions. The Board were particularly concerned that Mr. Angler might have access to Orpheus' trade secrets through his contact with other ghosts. Markham was to keep an eye out for any indication that Angler might possess any such information, retrieve it if possible, and report directly back to Eccles. Eccles asked Markham not to share this additional objective wth Agents MacMillian and Herschler; it was a confidential matter with the Board.
MacMillian, Herschler, and Markham first stopped by Bozzie's alley to see if he had any information about Holwood Angler. Bozzie was glad to see them, According to Bozzie, most of the ghosts in Eastside had heard of Angler, believed that he was authentic, and avoided him whenever possible. Bozzie likened Angler to "that crazy old guy that lived at the end of your street when you were a kid" — everyone was scared of him, but no one really knew why.
Once at the house, Agent Markham posed as a customer and asked Mr. Angler to do a reading. Agent MacMillian accompanied him in projected form, while Agent Herschler inhabited the house itself. Angler at first seemed reluctant, but then invited Markham into the kitchen. Angler began throwing handfuls of salt across the windows and outer doors of the house, while whispering a prayer to "let no evil enter here." Then he took a cane and rapped it sharply against the floor, calling, "Everybody out!"
MacMillian and Herschler suddenly found themselves involuntarily manifested. Angler then began beating Agent MacMillian with his cane, which could somehow affect her even though she was incorporeal. Herschler tried to possess him but was also beaten back by the cane. Agent Markham, meanwhile, retreated to a safe distance and called for backup. He also spotted a manila folder with the Orpheus logo stamped on it, hidden behind a cookie jar in the kitchen, and quietly confiscated it.
Meanwhile, McGee, Watts, Morrisson, and driver Tommy Fabrosi had arrived at St. James' Cathedral. The church was empty except for a ghost lying across the altar. When the Agents approached, the ghost sat up. He was covered in tattoos. Agent Watts immediately recognized him as the ghost who had killed Paul Ritter on their first training mission.
The tattooed man, who introduced himself as "Rook," explained that he had lured the Agents to the cathedral in order to deliver a message from Bishop to the Board of Directors. Bishop wanted a truce. Orpheus' recent conflict with NextWorld had been too costly and too dangerous. If Orpheus agreed to keep their Agents away from Bishop's interests, Bishop would tell his own henchmen to steer clear of the Agents.
Though Agent Morrisson was at first unwilling to acquiesce to Rook's demands, the other Agents persuaded him to follow the better part of valor, and they left without further confrontation.
As they were driving away, Agent Morrisson received a call from Orpheus dispatch, telling them to meet the other Agent team at Holwood Angler's house as soon as possible and provide emergency support.
Back at the Angler residence, Holwood Angler was holding Agent MacMillian at bay with his cane while she attempted to explain that they meant him no harm. "I won't come back," shouted Angler. "Tell your Board of Directors they can fight their war without me."
By this time the other Agents had arrived. Agent Morrisson, who had re-entered his body, ran to the back door and pointed a gun at the old man. "Put the cane down!" he shouted. Angler ran at him with his cane upraised. Morrisson fired once, hitting Angler in the chest.
Angler managed to gasp out the words, "...Sanderson... find...," and pointed at something under the couch. Then he died.
The other Agents acted quickly. Agent MacMillian manifested fully and grabbed a sheaf of papers from under the couch, evidently the remnants of a much larger collection of papers that Angler had been burning in his fireplace. Agent Watts searched the upstairs bedroom and discovered a small wooden box containg what appeared to be old skin tissue. Fabrosi collected the gun that had killed Angler as well as the old man's cane. They fled the scene before police arrived.
At debriefing, Tad Eccles apologized profusely for the intelligence failures that had led to both of these catastrophes.
The skin tissue and the cane were both analyzed. The "skin" was actually dried placental tissue, from what was probably a birth caul. The cane was ordinary oak, embedded along its length with fennel seeds.
The documents recovered by Agent MacMillian were financial statements, showing payments from a number of individual funds held in trust by Eurydice Corporation, from 1995 to 2000. One of the funds belonged to Rachel Sanderson. MacMillian did not turn this document over to Eccles at debriefing.
Agent Markham surrendered his folder to Eccles after the debriefing.
Agent Morrisson was referred to the Human Services department for counseling and has been taken off active mission rotation.
That night, in a parking garage somewhere in the City, Agent Markham met clandestinely with Walter Hanley and gave him a full report on the events of the mission.