The Campground [Concluded]

[Csargo]

Let the pain begin.

i herd u like to make bombs and don't afraid of anything.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Two hours later

A full 2/3 of the Clinton Police Department was on hand at the campground now that there was the possibility of a bomb going off at any moment. This was in addition to the three psychiatric specialists who had been tasked to deal with Yaseikhaan after his ordeal, representatives from the FBI, a SWAT response team, and a tripling in size of the media horde. All of this, and yet the final camper was still nowhere to be seen.

The Chief of Police looked over the vast conglomeration that had conglomerated and sighed. He looked over at one of the FBI representatives, who looked at him questioningly.

“No bomb squad?” the representative asked.

“It’s Clinton, Iowa.”

“Ah.”

“All right,” said the Chief. “Everybody we’ve got coming is already here. Nothing more to do than to bite the bullet and find this guy. Everybody searches a different sector in groups of three, and I want reguar check-ins. If I don’t hear from people every fifteen minutes, then I send in the FBI as backup. And nobody wants that. Any questions?”

Silence.

“Then move out!”

--------

Brenda Jorette found the Chief saying a silent prayer to himself. It had been roughly 45 minutes since he had sent everybody out a second time, and the third round of check-ins had just finished. Everybody was fine, but there will still no sign of the final camper.

“Any comments, Chief?” she asked him.

“Off the record?”

“Sure.”

“I hope to God that I don’t have to explain to anybody why a bomb went off in my town and killed half a dozen law enforcement officials; good men. I don’t think that’s too much to ask for.”

“Most of these campers lived on the road, you know,” Brenda said. “No real families, no contact information… they lived out of their cars, if they even had cars.”

“That life aspires to some, especially the young,” said the Chief. “It has its lures, anybody can see that. I just hope that this whole incident doesn’t turn anybody off from this life if they’re so inclined. It’s part of what makes this country so unique, that you can just *do* something like this and experience a greater slice of the picture.”

“At the very least, it will alert people to the dangers though,” Brenda said.

“Yeah, really,” said the Chief. “Don’t ever get caught in a secluded campground with only one access road that gets flooded in a freak storm with two convicted killers on the loose.” Both of them chuckled over the absurdity of the statement, some much-needed stress relief. However, their moment was interrupted by the Chief’s walkie going off.

“Chief!” crackled the radio. “Search Team D, checking in!”

“Go ahead, Search Team D. What do you have for me?”

“We have found the last camper. I repeat, found the last camper. He’s holed up in a secluded spot in the woods and refusing to come out. He claims he is armed and very dangerous! I’m sending you our exact coordinates right now. Over and out.”

The Chief paused for a moment, got his coordinates, and then issued a general order. “Everybody with me,” he said. “Everybody, no exceptions. This ends now.”

---------

The Clinton Police Department created a wide perimeter around the area, with the FBI and SWAT team hanging back in case they were needed. The media and other various hangers-on hung even farther back, since nobody quite knew how this situation would turn out.

After getting in a heated ten-minute long argument with the FBI representatives, it was decided that the Chief would once again handle the megaphone duties. Stepping forward far more cautiously this time than before, the Chief began speaking to the person inside.

“Please emerge from the woods with your hands up! We have you entirely surrounded! If you are not a killer than you have nothing to fear from us or anybody. We are only trying to help you.”

“I don’t think so,” came the voice. “I’ve seen too much weird stuff over the past week to trust anything! What if this is a trick?!”

“This is not a trick, son,” said the Chief. “Please step out with your hands up. This is the Clinton Police Department, and we are backed by the SWAT and the FBI. We *will* go in and extract you if necessary, but it doesn’t have to come to that.”

“Maybe it does!” came the voice. “You don’t know how many bombs I have! I could set off one right now if you like! I’ve been making them all night! They work, too!”

“Chief,” came another voice. It was Brenda Jorette, hustling over. “I have pictures. My cameraman is in a very good spot, he’s got a perfect angle of what the guy looks like.” She rummaged through her coat and handed the Chief a few copies of paper that were clearly only printed seconds ago. The Chief looked at them for a second, and then went back to his folder with the two glossy photos with the names.

“Wait a minute,” he muttered, “This guy doesn’t look like either of the two we have here…” And with that, he marched behind the siege ring, past the FBI and SWAT, past the media vans to…

…the spot where the psych specialists were handling Yaseikhaan.

The Chief marched right up to khaan and angrily shoved the photos in his face. “The last guy who’s still out there,” he said, “what’s his name?”

“Him?” khaan asked, confused. “Askthepizzaguy, of course. I was wondering why you didn’t ask me this right after you got me.”

“The two guys we’re supposed to watch out for are TheLastDays and johnhughthom,” said the Chief. “What about them?”

“Oh, those two? They’re both dead.”

Everybody had a good hearty laugh at this belated exchange of critical information. Two minutes later, Askthepizzaguy was extricated from his hiding spot without incident and both survivors were treated to one free meal each at Flava Flav’s local chicken joint, a good hearty meal for wherever the road would take them next.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Survived: 2
Yaseikhaan
Askthepizzaguy

Killed:
Renata
robbiecon
Reenk Roink
B_Ray
Chaotix
Visorslash
Csargo

Executed:
Who am i?
Zack
Diamondeye
God Emperor
Andres
Scienter
TheLastDays
johnhughthom

Result:
Townie victory!

[Askthepizzaguy]

NOBODY EXPECTS THE PIZZAGUY REVERSAL!!!

[GeneralHankerchief]

Four things:

1. I'm hurt that you guys automatically think "fake ending" when the endgame comes around for me. Of all the mafia games I've hosted over the years, I've only pulled that stunt twice, ever. It's not my fault if I'm a trendsetter.
2. I think this endgame helps prove the overall superiority of vanilla games. You just can't buy this sort of drama in the larger, more complex games when it comes down to crunchtime.
3. If anybody is interested, the campground is very loosely based on Eagle Point Park in Clinton, Iowa, which is also where I got the photos from. No, I have never been there, and I mean no offense to the good people of Clinton by featuring them in this game.
4. Lastly and most importantly, thank you all for a very enjoyable game. I had a lot of fun hosting this one, and I hope you had fun playing or watching it.

[Askthepizzaguy]

Four things:

I'm hurt that you guys automatically think "fake ending" when the endgame comes around for me. Of all the mafia games I've hosted over the years, I've only pulled that stunt twice, ever. It's not my fault if I'm a trendsetter.

You love the fact that we're paranoid about you, don't even deny it.

Now post the REAL ending.

[*]I think this endgame helps prove the overall superiority of vanilla games. You just can't buy this sort of drama in the larger, more complex games when it comes down to crunchtime.

[Visor]

1.I'm hurt that you guys automatically think "fake ending" when the endgame comes around for me. Of all the mafia games I've hosted over the years, I've only pulled that stunt twice, ever. It's not my fault if I'm a trendsetter.

I didn't. :( I don't know you granted.

2.I think this endgame helps prove the overall superiority of vanilla games. You just can't buy this sort of drama in the larger, more complex games when it comes down to crunchtime.

I think you're a brilliant GM and writer. :P

[GeneralHankerchief]

By the way, if you liked this experience, then I strongly suggest that you sign up for Mafia X when it comes out next week as the initial game in our Gameroom 5-Year Anniversary celebration. All the same crazy fun and endgame drama, with a lot more history and players.

(More information will be available about this within the next 24 hours or so. Watch the main forum!)

[Diamondeye]

Phew. Thank you for not being scum, Pizza.

Also, Mafia X! Awesome! I was hoping that was part of the Anniversary Cake!

[Askthepizzaguy]

I'm kinda grumpy that I wasn't scum. That would have been epic.