#[REDACTED] The Haemolife Files

[dis--parity]

It is indisputable in the current canon that Haemolife is no longer in operation. The two main ringleaders are dead, as are many of the people affiliated with the cult to begin with - even after the exposure of Haemolife as a cult, only precious few other survivors of the cult were found from Haemolife compounds outside of Malmo. The Haemolife Files exist in public archives, documentaries and internet videos have been made about the incidents in question - but this is not the only way in which Haemolife still persists in the world.

One facet is through memory, of course - and I’m not just talking about hearsay, dramatised television programs, archives of the news reports... I’m talking about those who lived the experience. Garis is the most prime example, of whom not one of the people who attempted to document the Haemolife incidents knows the current location of. Xe cannot be traced by the psychological profile made by Dr. Kerata Paterson, as it is in her own archive and subject to patient confidentiality. And, of course, there’s Alex, who knows of the Haemolife files, heard Garis speaking indirectly to her - but to this day, isn’t even quite sure if what she heard was real.

Another facet is simply through remnants of Haemolife’s impact on the world; records of television commercials from the cult’s inception to the brink of its collapse, endorsements from certain celebrities, promotional posters and pamphlets left behind in darkened street alleys or in the black corners of someone’s wardrobe, left to rot in the elements, yet persisting just enough to signify their own existence.

And, of course, those who did survive the cult are branded with its symbol, forever unable to escape their affiliation - and in some cases, unable to even understand its significance. Most aren’t so lucky as to have a buffer for the mental torment that the cult experience put them through, and to this day still struggle to adapting to an appropriate modern worldview, to move past what happened to them in those pristine white halls and get on with their lives.

[dis--parity]

Okay so a few small observations on the logo itself-

The entire shape is that of a heart - representing, of course, the cult’s front as an organisation researching bloodborne disease, the cardiovascular system, and heart disease. It’s within this ‘shell’ that the rest of the symbolism is contained.

In the lower part of the ‘heart’ is a crucifix - the first hint towards the cult’s Neo-Christian agenda behind the closed doors of its market front. Above that is the Godhead, or a segment of the Tetragrammaton, another symbol of God. When juxtaposed like this, the crucifix could represent humanity as a whole (the group whom Jesus died for, according to their beliefs), and the godhead above would represent, of course, God. Innocent enough from a purely Christian point of view, but confine the understanding of humanity to those within the cult, and the image of God with the prominent God in the Numbers, well....

Finally, a bit of a behind-the-scenes fact, but I originally wanted to simply incorporate the Tetragrammaton with some health symbols, then realised that wasn’t simple enough to convincingly be used as a casual logo (as well as something else I have in mind...). I used symbols from fiction like the logo of Abst.ergo from Assas.sin’s Cr.eed for inspiration, and decided to form this logo by picking apart the lines of the runic form of ‘YHWH’ (God’s name in Hebrew) and rearranging them into basic shapes - which got me this!

[dis--parity]

rebirth.

Summary: Garis finds inner peace. Trigger warnings: None Author’s notes: The last entry in the Haemolife story proper - we’ve got one more after this which I hope you’ll enjoy just as much!

“... how are they doing?” “Out like a light. It’s the best thing for them - deprogramming will continue even while they’re unconscious.” “... how long have they been at it?” “Hard to say. Couple days now. Eight hours consecutively, at the most. They’ve been asleep for two since we started. I’m the one on shift to monitor their vitals. They’re holding up fine.”

And there they were. Sat on a chair without restraints to hold them down, no film to wipe their slate clean - simply an audio reel, and a pair of overly-sized earplugs. Even now, Liam could only marvel at the antiquity of the technology they were using. Were the old ways the best, he wondered, or was there simply nothing else available?

His eyes follow the thick orange cord that runs from the tape machine, dragging across the marble floor and intertwining with the tube of an IV drip that crept up the side of the chair they were sat on. The thoughtless, slumbering figure of the one he went way too far to keep safe lay more comfortably in their seat... at least from what he could see. The taller, tattooed man sitting across from them in his own, noticably more comfortable chair, shot a sideways glance at Liam - enough to push him to finally question what he saw before him.

“So what’s so different here?” “... hm?” “They were already brainwashed once. Trade the marble floors for concrete and the plastic chair for a wooden one with restraints, the audio reels for film... what’s so different about this, ‘part from the method?”

“I understand your concern,” the tattooed man says, rising from his seat, adjusting his red tie that rest over his black shirt, barely concealing the canvas of his torso and back. “But your cult’s methods were degenerative brainwashing. Using a template of rapid-onset trauma and shell-shock to create a blank slate for personality. But, these effects aren’t so much of an erasure of personality as they are an override. Your girl, your Yeong-Hui is still in there. This process... simply brings that person back out again. As they were meant to be, minus the bad experiences of whoever’s the host right now.” He pauses - leather shoes slowly circling around the frame of the chair, creaking with every step taken upon marble flooring, nearly scuffing the bottom of his slightly oversized suit trousers with every footfall.

“As for who they are now...” he continues. “Best guess is they make like how the original personality is now. The one crafted from trauma just recedes. Who knows what it’ll take to bring it back out?” “It doesn’t matter,” Liam replies. “So long as they still feel as though they’re their own person. That’s what they wanted, anyway. Myself and them... we owe you people big time.”

The tattooed man simply shakes his head - a slasher smile that at least tries to convey some measure of comfort making its way onto his face. “Nah. You’re the one who called this in - and you did the late Kimura-sama a real good turn a while back. Saved his life, and all that... ironic how he died of natural causes later, but it doesn’t take back what we owe you. Consider that debt repaid in full. Now y-”

Whatever monologue he was about to launch into about companionship, brotherhood, whatever else - was interrupted by the stirring of the one before them. Prepared as ever, the tattooed man scurries back to a desk that they face, picking up what seems to be a script. From the number of pages he has to flip through, it seems like there have been quite a few attempts at the same thing - but to little avail. He hopes this time will be different, though the wait he endures as the one in his care regains their consciousness leaves him with little hope of such a thing. With their eyes open, he finally proceeds...

“What is your name?”

They look dazed for a second - taking in their surroundings, wincing at the bright lights reflecting off pristine white tiles at their feet. It takes the repetition of the question for them to focus again - brushing the golden streak of hair coursing down the right side of their face away to face the tattooed man questioning them... and finally, they speak.

“... Yeong-Hui Han. My name is... Yeong-Hui Han.”

That slasher smile comes back - but nobody in the room feels any intimidation towards the toothy grin on display from him. Adamantly, he continues.

“Where were you born?” “Busan...” “How old are you?” “I think... eighteen years old. Almost nineteen.” “Where are you right now?” “Japan... somewhere in Japan. I’ve... lived here for months. No- years, even! Yeah.”

He backs off at last - it’s a solid foundation. Solid enough to tick all of the boxes on his list. Yet... there’s one more thing he needs to confirm. A callused hand gestures for Liam to step forward - their to-be caretaker. The look they give him is one lacking all sense of warmth or familiarity. Nothing they saw in those eyes were what they saw on the plane, or in Nevada.

“Who is this man?”, the tattooed man asks. There’s a long silence as icy azure gaze draws in all of his features - brow furrowing in the last flickering, fighting remnants of recognition, before fizzling out. They shake their head, and turn back towards the tattooed man with their answer.

“... hey there, Mister Landsteiner.”

Liam steps into their vision again - holding out his tanned hand for them to shake. “That’s right. I’ll be lookin’ after you.”, he introduces himself. It takes a second, but eventually their free arm rises - the one not connected to the drip still itching at their arm, to clasp his hand in their own, bouncing it with a single, gentle shake.

“I’m... looking forward to it.”

“... me too.”

[dis--parity]

Interview 02-IO/GW-██

TRANSCRIPT -- Interrogation session 02-IO/GW-██ Date: ████ of █████, 20██ Interrogator on site: Captain ████ Raynes Transcription Correspondent: Agent ███████ Brewer Begin recording at 1931 HRS.

S001, ‘Garis’,  awaits in the interrogation chamber. Their mood has somewhat improved.

Interrogator agent Raynes is cleared to attempt interrogation.

Agent Raynes enters the interrogation chamber. Door is locked.

Begin Questioning.

Raynes takes a seat at the opposite end of the table. Garis does not appear fazed by his presence.

Raynes: I don’t think I’m the one who needs to apologise for earlier today, but… let me apologise on my colleague’s behalf. Garis: No need to. That guy was an asshole. … wait- that’s not going on record, is it? Raynes: Ha! Yeah, no, you’re right about that. You have every right to say that, between us.

Note: Fuck you, Liam.

Raynes: Alright… we need to pick up where we left off -  we’ve still got some questions for you, unfortunately. Anything else you need to de-stress before we proceed? Garis: We could do with a smoke. Raynes: Ah-uh. Not in the interrogation chamber. Garis: What are you going to do, detain me? Raynes: … I mean, touché, but still. Common decency, Garis. Garis: You’re the boss.

Note: How come I don’t get a share of the banter?

Raynes: Alright, we’d better get this over with. I don’t wanna keep you here longer than I have to. Garis: It doesn’t matter to us. Hell, we could sleep in here and not notice the difference in environment. Don’t let us rush you. Raynes: Alright, alright, enough. You don’t wanna be here for any longer than you have to, so I’ll just get right to it. So… you did your best last session under the circumstances. What you said was helpful to our investigation, but… we still need some details. Did you ever have contact with anyone outside the cult? Garis: Only… only schools. That’s about it. Other than that… we were expected to know what the adults knew, do what they did. What they wanted. Raynes: Like-… Garis: Yeah. That. We were… I guess, held to the same kind of standard. Of… maturity. Even diets, we were given the same portions as the men. We were no different to everyone else there, not even the kids. Some of us… we were as young as ten. We were seven when we first went there, and they-...

Agent Raynes pushes a stress toy towards S001. They accept.

Raynes: … I’m sorry. Just… it’s done now. I wish there was more I could say, more I could do to help you, but… yeah. Garis: No… no, thank you. We… we appreciate that. Raynes: Can you keep talking? We’ve still got some things to get through. Garis: … yeah. Yeah, we can keep going.

Note: Why so sentimental, Raynes? This doesn’t help us.

Raynes: Okay. Alright… you mentioned schools. You were only let out of the compound to go to school and back, is that about right? Garis: … yeah. We got schooled locally, most of us. Public education. At least, the ‘special’ ones. We don’t know how they discerned, apart from… I was one of the ones that wasn’t homeschooled. Fuck, I feel bad for those ones. We were, all of us, stuck to a timetable. The God in the Numbers enforced it. Raynes: And you got a little more leeway from that in Sweden? As an adolescent? Garis: Yeah. I guess they realised now that they were getting more publicity, they needed a better image. Sent out people like us to have a better social life, spread the word about… y’know. Healthy living. That’s all we were… a fucking promotion. Raynes: So… you were sent there to get more people into the cult. Why didn’t anyone question families going missing at that point? Giving themselves over completely to the cult? Garis: My guess? Nobody believed it. Relatives got a text from some company their sister-in-law mentioned, they ignore it because they figure it’s just another pyramid scheme to trick old white women. Life goes on for the both of us.

Agent Raynes examines a list of members - particularly those new ones who joined since S001’s transfer was registered in 20██.

Raynes: So what about you? Garis: … what about me? Raynes: You knew it was a cult. You knew it wasn’t just a multi-level marketing company selling wholesome products. How? How’d you know? How’d you break through your programming like that? Garis: … they didn’t factor in Gale. Only Iris was the part of us who was truly influenced by what they put us through. We were made… Gale, was made as a defense mechanism. I was… a protector, I guess. We saw the cult for what it was. Defended ourselves. But… we also knew better than to make too much noise. Raynes: Which is why you never told anyone? Garis: Right. Well… except for one person. But, we couldn’t raise the alarm. Couldn’t say anything that could be traced back to us. Who knows what they’d do to us if they found out? Raynes: One person? Who?

Garis appears drowsy, and fatigued. Pained, even. No answer to Agent Raynes’ question.

Raynes: … right. You’re tired. Well… I can either double down on what you said earlier, or you can go to your room. What’s it gonna be? Garis: .. y’know what? We’re sick of this room. Anywhere but here is fine.

Conclude interrogation. S001 is escorted back to their holding cell.

Raynes reports that he will confer with Dr. Paterson for further topics of questioning.

Note: What does she have to do with this? She’s just the psychologist.

She can’t possibly know anything.

Remind Raynes that he’s wasting our time.

[dis--parity]

the message.

Summary: Meanwhile, in a hospital in the south of Sweden, a person reduced to a thoughtless shell is filled with new life. Trigger warnings: None. Author’s note: A little bonus chapter that I was excited to get out! It pertains to the final interview file and, well... it’s a pretty big piece of someone’s story.

It’s such a strange, horrible sensation, being trapped in your own body. Motionless, breathless, not even able to blink, not even able to see what little I hear. Days have passed. Or at least, I think they have; all my vision’s a blackout, and I’m quickly losing track of all time. When your eyes aren’t open, when your brain isn’t working right but your ears hear everything around you, it all just seems to melt together. The conversations of the doctors and nurses around me change at the flip of a switch.

I can’t even bring myself to try and count the hours, the days, the months I’ve been out cold. The last sensation stuck in my mind is the impact of a hammer against my arm, my chest, my head. Then, numbness, darkness, oblivion. Absolutely nothing crosses my mind after that. And I can’t even remember how long it’s been this way. 

It’s funny. For as long as I can remember, I’ve romanticised the idea of shutting off from the world; to be alone with the imagination without having to concern yourself with the real world. What a dream that must be, I thought. What a unique, astonishing bliss that must provide. Though, now that I lay here, unaware of how long it’s been, where the hell I am, and without even the will to decide whether I should be thankful for, or horrified by this comatose oblivion, something occurs to me.

The lucky ones, I’ve come to realise, are the ones whose mind and body die at the same time.

Will I ever wake up? Or will this mind finally give in and follow suit to my failing faculties? When I think about it enough, it crosses my mind that it probably doesn’t even matter which way that goes; my mind’s been like scrambled eggs for as long as my eyes have been closed, for as long as this ventilator’s been stuck on my mouth and this IV has been in my arm. I can only think of one person right now that would miss me if I slipped quietly past the veil - and they aren’t even here.

 I hear a jingle from what I think is right in front of me; there’s a TV in the room. I hear the news come and go from time to time, when my brain decides to tune back into the world around it. I’m guessing it’s in the corner of the room, seeing as I’m in a hospital bed right now. I can at least guess that much. If I ever wake up, maybe I’ll get a nice window view. 

Who knows, though? My thoughts and musings about the ray of sunlight I’ll probably never get to see quickly fade away as I’m forced to listen to the the only thing that’s really present in the room. Well, it’s not like I can get up and change the channel anyway, and apparently, I’ve got all the time in the world to absorb whatever this is. Whether I’ll actually retain any of the passing news about politics, science, celebrity gossip and the like, that’s another thing. But this… it seems different to what I’ve heard before. I hear a man delivering a more serious, monotone preamble, but-...

“... as announced earlier, the entirety of the contents of these ‘Haemolife Files’ will now be played on this channel for the purpose of transparency towards the public…”     Haemolife.

My body would have jolted, if only it could. Who knows how long it had been since I heard that name? That name of which a single utterance was enough to snap me back into focus. Up ‘til that point, I could feel my grasp on awareness starting to drift... 

No.

I snatch my awareness back. I have to. For the first time in God knows how long, I had something to pay attention to. Something I had to try and listen to. The voice of an unfamiliar man talks about his discoveries in a crackly audio recording, and asks a question to someone else he’s apparently with. I don’t catch all of it, I know, and I wasn’t about to get my hopes up, but there was only one person I could think of at that moment.

    Gale. Gale. Gale.     Please.     Please, tell me someone remembered you.

“... why do this? Haemolife was more or less off the radar until that weapons shipment came in.”

“... think that was the point they factored Gale in… had the willpower to defy… didn’t have the same fear Iris did. They knew… they knew she’d blab eventually. Desperate times, maybe.”

...what?

No. There’s no way. There’s no fucking way. 

    Every part of me was looking out for that name -  a mention of her would have craved that phantom hunger my near-lifeless body felt right now. But, oh, did I hear so much more than my failing mind could have expected. She was dead. For the longest time, I thought she was dead. And now, as I’m hearing her voice, saying her name, talking about what she went through… I found my thoughts paralyzed again. It’s too much, this is far too much–

But, no! No! I can’t lose this moment! This might be the only chance I get to know that she’s alive, I can’t let my mind slip again now! My body doesn’t move, but I can practically feel my stomach turn as I try to regain my focus, try to recoil from the shock I heard from that name alone and listen, for God’s sake, listen to what she has to say.

“And the way Rosenfeld took ‘desperate measures’ was to initiate a terrorist attack before you could expose the truth?”

“No - not to take everyone else out. To destroy everyone in the know - myself included. Maybe something changed along the way, maybe they realised your CIA was onto them. Either way… it was the end for all of us.”

“Even the ones cross country… shit. They were prepared for this. Shit… I mean… you told me about your parents. I guess you didn’t leave anyone behind, at least.”

There’s silence for a moment. I wonder if I’m losing awareness again before I hear that familiar sigh through crackling audio. Finally, I heard her speak up again, her voice more shaken than it was before. I don’t know what led to me hearing this, what led to all this being exposed when it had been so long, but it was no less painful for me to listen to her, to be reminded of all that had happened to her, to us. I was starting to wonder if she even remembered who I was, when my answer came to me without me having to ask.

“… we did. Fuck. I did. We… couldn’t even say goodbye. We knew what was happening, and-... we pushed him away. We didn’t want to drag him into this, too.”

“Who?”

“… his name was Alex.“

Me? Me? She remembered, after all this time? I ask the brief silence that’s allowed between me registering my own name and her next sentence how this could even be possible. There’s no reply but the gentle static of the television as she continues speaking.

“He was there for us. If it wasn’t for him, we might not be Garis now.” ‘Garis’? What kind of name is that? Don’t tell me… no. Save that thought for another time.

“He showed us the best of times, and stuck with us in the worst of times. He knew… he knew about what we truly went through, we told him. And he helped us anyway. Loved us anyway. He…” ...what’s that silence for? “They, told me about how their dad used to isolate them socially, stick them to one place, and how they grew jealous of all the other kids who had parents who loved them, parents who took them places instead of keeping them cooped up in their rooms, parents that… didn’t have any agreement between each other to do what they wanted to their children. Together, we figured out ways to fight back against our abusers. I was able to defy the God in the Numbers because of them. Because of their... humanity, that nobody else showed us. Fuck… all that time, we thought we were saving them. But, now we’re together, we realise… they were saving us. If they became a target…”

I hear her sniffle. I feel as if I could cry, but my stupid, stupid body just won’t let me. It won’t let me get up, it won’t let me reach out, call to her, speak to her and tell her that I’m okay, that I’m happy that she’s okay! I wanted her to know, more than anything in the world, that I was thankful for her!

… tell me something,” I hear the other man say. “If there’s something you could say to them right now, if they’re alive, if they could listen... what would it be?” I didn’t want to stop listening to her voice now. If it were me, I know I’d refuse to answer and be out of there, and that’s precisely what I expected from her. We were the same, so I thought. And, hey, they never were the type to wear their heart on their sleeve. But that’s when I heard her again.

“… I’m sorry.”

I’m sorry I couldn’t explain to you what was happening, Alex. But… you saved my life. I wish I knew where you were, and I promise one day we’ll find a way to talk to each other again, someway, somehow, and I’ll tell you, once and for all…

Thank you.”

When I heard those words echoing in my mind, I thought I would break. Shatter like glass on this bed. That I would black out just from hearing her say that, and mean it. It was then that I realised something; for as comatose, unable to act or speak as I was, I was alive.

I’d finally stood up to my dad. It got me where I am now, but it was worth it. When I finally put that bastard in his place, when I made it damn clear that I wasn’t ever going to be a puppet again… I thought of her. I thought of all we’d been through, all she’d taught me. We were just kids, seeking shelter in each other’s misery, but we’d both saved each others’ lives through that. What goes around comes around, I guess.

I want to smile. I want to laugh. I want to scream, I want to cry. I can already feel my mind drifting, her final words echoing in my brain as I slip back into my lack of awareness, the only proof I’ll ever have that the person I once loved and leaned on was alive. Who knows if I’d ever find her again? One thing’s for sure, though, I thought to myself as I drifted through that dark space once more, time losing all meaning in the face of one single, burning objective, my determination already scorching like the sun in my eyes, still forced shut. For as long as it would take for me to get out of here, get back into the world, I carried just one thought; I will wake up from this void, this nightmare. I will live. I will thrive. I’ll be free from the chains that held me down for all those years he stole from me. I will work for myself, and maybe, just maybe… I’ll love again.

I’ll manifest the one thing my dad was right about; I was born for greatness.

And now there’s a world waiting for me that’s worth waking up to. A world with you in it.

Please, for the love of God, wait for me.

However long it takes.

[dis--parity]

Correspondence #4

Directory: PC-2742/External device (D:)/Audio/Reminder-1.mp3 Date of Recording: ████ of █████, 20██ Title: Secret Recording between Dr. Kerata Paterson & Capt. Liam Raynes

“Doc. I’ve made up my mind. It’s gotta be him, and it’s gotta be soon.” “... well then. You definitely didn’t take long coming to terms with that, did you?”

[ Liam pulls up a chair, allowing it to gracelessly scrape across the hardwood floor as he takes a seat. Kerata is quick to follow suit, sat in the plush amaranth silk of her own chair. ]

“Might I ask what spurred this on? You seemed rather hesitant, especially after that deal the major offered you as an out. You don’t have to–”

“The fuckin’ prick- if you saw the way he spoke about- no, treated Garis in and out of the interrogation room, you’d agree. This shit’s all business as usual to him. His method of questioning is not only ineffective, it’s just giving him an excuse to be an asshole.”

“You sound... vindictive, Liam. Don’t tell me this is just down to a personal vendetta. You’ve thought this out, haven’t you?”

[ Liam pauses - the chair still creaking as he adjusts his position, shifting simply from his weight alone. Someone needs to work on his posture - but why do that, he thinks, when it would sacrifice so much of his presence? ]

“Listen. He’s the one who started the Malmo bust in the first place. He’s the one who’s been writing half the files since we’ve been recovering documents from the compound, and the others in New York. MI5 sent over what they found in the Southampton site, and he’s managed all of it. If it gets out, if there’s a leak... all the eyes will be on him.”

“Are you certain? You’re walking out, and leaving a national security panic in your wake, and you’re certain that everybody is just going to turn a blind eye?”

“The families that the Kimuras are good with have got me there. Steve’s got my admission of confidentiality when I leave, and that’s good enough for him. He knows I’m an honest man - and the yakuza will tie up any loose ends, burn any paper trails that might lead back to me. All eyes on Brewer.”

[ Kerata shifts in her seat - a heavy sigh breezes through, the very exasperation in the breath picked up with perfect clarity by the recorder. ]

“Don’t gimme that, doc. You’ve got a hand in this too, remember? I’m sending that message you want me to. Brewer’s gonna chide me for getting too ‘personal’ during an interrogation, I can tell you that much already - but I’ll make it happen. But, again... no guarantees your boy will hear it, or do anything with it. I don’t really see the point, but... fuck, I’m doing this anyway, and I owe you a favour. I’ll give you that lead. Keep tabs on it.”

“And what about Garis? What about... after you’re done with the interrogations? They’re coming back with you, I know, but... it won’t be them, will it? That’s... that’s what worries me. Whoever they were, whoever they’ll become, they might not understand what they’re going through, what your CIA is putting them through.”

“Who said anything about the CIA? It’s not like there’s only one hypnotherapist in the whole world, Kerata.“

“Yakuza again?”

“Bingo. They’ll be safe - and the late Kimura-san’s debt to me will be repaid. Then... we start anew. This... Yeong-Hui Han. Who they were before. As for Garis... who knows what’ll happen to them? Could be erased completely. Could be a well-remembered chapter in the new person’s life, could be forgotten. We’ll just have to see.”

“Liam...”

“Doc.” [ Liam reaches over, and shakes the good doctor gently by the shoulder. ] “They’re safe with me. They will be for as long as they need to be, and I’ll let them know that. As for you... I suggest you give your search a little wait, too. At the very least until the heat dies down, or ‘til this ‘A’ of yours is a little more well-adjusted in life. Who knows what your little puppet show of their lives might do to ‘em?”

“... one more interrogation. Then, all of that. Everything falls into place... and perhaps I can sleep fine at night once again. You can promise me that... captain?”

“... I’m your guy, doctor. You’ll rest easy when you see the news a week from now.

Promise.”

[dis--parity]

Correspondence #5 (Epilogue)

To: Dr. Kerata Paterson From: Aiden Landsteiner Subject: An update.

You already know who’s writing you. I don’t need to say it, and I’m not going to.

It’s been a few months since they’ve left your care, so I thought I’d bring you a little more up to speed on where we’re at. You probably saw the news reports, and as far as we’re both concerned, they’re true. I don’t know and don’t wanna know where Brewer is right now, but as long as he took the fall and people believe it, that’s fine with me.

Hope you like the name change. Don’t ask me about the last name - it just felt right. Guess it’s that bit of pride that Brewer always berated me for still showing up, huh? Kimura’s girl definitely seems to take a liking to it. She’s doing okay - not too keen on the whole chess thing anymore, though. Good enough for me. I was always more of a backgammon guy myself. We play sometimes, and she’s still just as good as she was at chess. Calls it her own little defiance.

Anyway, you’re probably just here to hear about Garis. Well... dude in charge when I spoke to him said they’d probably recede back into their subconscious. Looks like that’s completely what happened - Yeong-Hui Han is back for good. I’ve been getting ‘em settled into adult life as best I can given the circumstances. I tried probing them as best I could - it doesn’t look like they retained any of Garis’ memories. Doesn’t bode well for why I helped you out when I did, but I’m putting that in your hands.

Turns out they’re a better talker than Garis ever was. They’re making some friends just regularly ordering food out for lunch, but they come back to cook dinner. They insist on doing it, weirdly, say it’s what mom would wanna be proud of when they see her again. It’s... well, it’s something. I don’t know if I have the heart to tell them the truth, at least not yet. They’re lined up to get a job as a chef at a local sushi bar; might do them some good to get some money that isn’t mine. I can only tide them over for so long, after all - that was the agreement.

As for me... I’ll find my own way if they ever leave the nest. I’m definitely not heading back to the States, though - not any time soon. There’s some heat on me there that’s never gonna die down. Then again... life’s pretty exciting in Shibuya. The yakuza have repaid their debts to me and all, but... maybe I can still do right by the late Kimura-sama. But, that’s my prerogative.

I hope this letter finds you well, and for what it’s worth; I wish you luck on your own investigation, whenever you decide to undertake it.

Feel free to keep this letter.

-L

...

[There’s one more little note on the back of the letter.]

P.S: ‘A’ has come to. Keep eyes on Malmo.

[dis--parity]

abscond.

Summary: Garis sits on the cusp of a new life - and hears the last echoes of it on the threshold. Trigger warnings: None Author’s notes: We’ve officially entered the mini-drabble phase of the Haemolife files! Let’s get this all wrapped up!

Breaking news!

A few hours ago, a torrent of files were leaked from a computer located in a CIA compound in Nevada. The files leaked contained sensitive and restricted-access information regarding the health and wellbeing proprietorship known as Haemolife, which abruptly ceased its operations two years ago. These documents reveal that the multi-level marketing company served as a front for a Neo-Christian cult, abducting common citizens and brainwashing them to induct them into cult life. A recount of the contents of these so-called ‘Haemolife Files’, as well as audio from interrogations of the sole survivor of the cult, will be played later tonight for the purpose of transparency. Listener descretion is greatly advised.

The agent believed to be responsible for the leak, lieutenant William Jacob Brewer of the Sakerhetspolisen, has been arrested and is awaiting trial for exposure of classified documents to the public. Agent Brewer and his superior, Major Steven Othen, refused to provide any comment.

“Sheesh.”, comes a groan from the speckled-skinned man, speaking over the faint crackling of the radio. “Wonder how all that happened, huh?”

His jest is met only with silence from Garis - though, there’s no real tension in the back of the Humvee that rolls along to a destination unknown. They only brush the mallen streak from their sight to meet his gaze more properly as he speaks up again.

“Hey,” said Liam. “We’re getting outta here. It’s done. You, you’re gonna be Mx. Low Profile from now on. Best case scenario, once we get to you Shinagawa, you’ll be head chef in a sushi restaurant. Besides... you said you wanted to go to Japan. Think of it like... a long holiday. At least ‘til I run outta leeway with the yakuza, or until the heat dies down.”

Still no reply to his enthusiasm, it seems. Glacial hues glance away from him for a second, towards the front of the vehicle - and straight back. A burning question leaps from their lips, their hand gripping the leather of the seat underneath them.

“... when we get to Japan, when we... meet these contacts of yours... what’s going to happen to me?” “What are y-” “We heard what Brewer said. About... deprogramming us. Undoing what Haemolife did. And, believe us, if we could escape from this shit, we could, but... would it be us? We were created by them... would this mean we’d be erased, too?”

Liam chokes on his own uncertainty - hesitating to answer directly. A finger raises to scratch a lightened patch of skin on his cheek, pursing his lips for a second before they’re loosened in a sigh.

“... I don’t know. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I can promise you this. Whatever happens to you, whoever you become, whoever... Yeong-Hui Han turns out to be. If they’re you, if they’re someone else, if you persist, if you don’t... I’ll take care of them the best I can. Help ‘em get back in the saddle and on their feet in the world. We’ll just have to see where it all takes us. Together.”

Together. Just... seeing where it takes them. That does nothing to ease Garis’ apprehension, it would seem, as their azure gaze casts itself back down to the floor. They give it a moment to mull in their mind - but are quickly interrupted by the Humvee coming to a stop, the engine cutting off and letting the back descend into silence, interrupted only by the opening of doors, and by the words of the one who had this all organised.

“We’re here.”

Garis steps out an open door, and onto a huge expanse - almost as big as they imagined the junkyard might be, if it was clear of all the trash. And, in the distance, a small passenger plane, sitting at the terminus of the runway. They had the whole walk to contemplate to themselves what oblivion would feel like - and they had to admit to themself that they were scared of experiencing everything, telling everything that was now known to the world, only to fade into the forgotten reaches of another’s mind.

But... they wouldn’t have gotten here if not for the man guiding them to that plane right now. And they wouldn’t have survived if not for the one person who was daring enough to love them. They’d lived a life of strife, of conflict and torture - perhaps whatever void this aspect of their psyche would be banished to would finally give them that bliss they so needed. To stop thinking. To separate the mind from the body and let it rest. Maybe... maybe someone else taking the wheel wouldn’t be so bad. Being alone with the imagination, unaware of the physical world, shut away in the darker reaches of another’s mind... maybe there was an appeal to that.

“Captain,” one of the men tending to the plane greeted. “We heard the news while we were waiting. Plane’s all fuelled up for a trip to the designated airfield. Kimura’s boys will handle you from there.” “I ain’t a captain any more,” Liam corrected. “But thanks. Just brings the two of us one step closer to leaving all this behind. Ain’t that right, Garis?”

“... yeah. That’s right. We’re... so close to the end now.”

Taking a few steps up to the passenger seating area, they find a bed already made up for them. Looks more comfortable than whatever slab they were sleeping on in the Nevada compound, anyway. They don’t even need to be told to make themself comfortable - they just hope it’ll be a smooth enough flight to Oshima. As the plane starts up, noise-cancelling headphones on to ensure their own peace, they give one final look over to Liam - and speak.

“... thank you.”

And Liam merely smirks - listening as the AM radio is shut off and switched to the air control channel, killing all signs of the life they were leaving behind. They life they covered up. Buried. Escaped.

“What for? I didn’t have nothin’ to do with this.”, is the final snark they hear, before drifting off into something resembling that unconscious bliss they’d soon find themself in...

[dis--parity]

Interview 03-IO/GW-██

TRANSCRIPT -- Interrogation session 03-IO/GW-██

Date: ████ of █████, 20██

Interrogator on site: Captain ████ Raynes

Transcription Correspondent: Agent ███████ Brewer

Begin recording at 1000 HRS.

S001, ‘Garis’,  awaits in the interrogation chamber, appearing fatigued, but stable.

Interrogator agent Raynes is cleared to attempt interrogation.

Interrogator Raynes enters the interrogation chamber. Door is locked.

Begin Questioning.

Garis: Guess we know the drill by now. So… what you got for us this time?

Raynes: Well, surprisingly… our team recovered quite a lot of paperwork. Your cult leader didn’t really seem to have the due diligence to burn it.

Garis: So… lots of stuff we didn’t know about, then? Like what?

Raynes: Cryptocurrency transactions, recruitment figures, personal expenses… the brand name doubled as a money-laundering front for some people your… leader, was associated with, it looks like. Other than that… he was a gambler. Day-trader, broker, conman… you name it.

Garis: Oh, there’s a fair few fucking names we’d use for that degenerate piece of filth. … hey, there’s one of them just now.

Raynes: I’m with you there. I already told about what we found in that pudding - looks like he used the same stuff on himself. Him and Rosenfeld. You think… maybe he wanted to believe his own lies?

Garis: More likely he was just a junkie. Both of them. Using people like us to bring in the dirty money, doing whatever they please and letting the others do the same, ‘cause as long as they make a profit-

Raynes: Hey, hey, hey. I get it. Chill. They were greedy bastards, secret’s out, but they’re dead now. Speak ill of ‘em all you want, but… I’m afraid there’s more. That pudding they gave you? For both you in the cult and the general populace, they put blood in it.

Garis: I-... blood? Like-... my blood?

Garis appears to become nauseous at the concept. They take out a lozenge that agent Raynes had previously provided them with and suck on it.

Raynes: Yeah. Possibly… those blood donations went into it. Mr. Whittock-... Judas, wanted to study the effects of the blood of the young on the aging process using a large sample. When he got something solid, he was gonna sell it to all kinds of people. Politicians, criminals, all kinds of people who were past their prime. Another profit incentive.

Garis: And a way to keep the old and corrupt in power. Fuck… that- you destroyed all that, right?

Raynes: I can’t confirm or deny that.

Note: It’s destroyed. I saw to it myself.

Garis: So… you’ve got all this from those documents. Why are we still here? Just for the hell of it?

Raynes: There’s still a few questions I need to ask you. One of them is about the, ah... possible terrorist motives of the cult. Given everything I’ve just told you, everything Judas looked like he was building up to… why the sudden change of heart? Why order a shipment of weapons so conspicuously?

Garis: We-... we can’t say for sure. Not from our perspective, but… there were-... we got messages from the God in the Numbers around the same time we all received what I later found out were weapons. It… it wasn’t Judas that was talking.

Raynes: So… the other one. Elijah?

Garis: We were... doped up, all of us. Same thing they always did to us, but we knew. I knew. Gale knew. And his voice-... the voice- Elijah, he was the one the God in the Numbers spoke from. We all got our guns, told they would… told it was the rapture. We didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I heard what people thought. That we’d go out and show these ‘relics’ to the world, redeem them in the eyes of God. But… we alone felt the cold steel of a nine millimeter in our hands.

Raynes: But… why do this? Haemolife was more or less off the radar until that weapons shipment came in.

Garis: … I think that was the point where they finally factored Gale in. Someone who could get past that barrier, someone who had the willpower to defy the God in the Numbers. Someone who didn’t have the same fear Iris did. They knew… they knew she’d blab eventually. Desperate times, maybe.

Raynes: And the way Rosenfeld took desperate measures was to initiate a terrorist attack before you could expose the truth?

Garis: No - not to take everyone else out. To destroy everyone in the know - myself included. Maybe something changed along the way, maybe they realised your CIA was onto them. Either way… it was the end for all of us.

Raynes: Even the ones cross country… shit. They were prepared for this. Shit… I mean… you told me about your parents. I guess you didn’t leave anyone behind, at least

S001 grimaces at these words. Their mood appears to be taking a turn for the worse.

Garis: … we did. Fuck. I did. We… couldn’t even say goodbye. We knew what was happening, and-... we pushed him away. We didn’t want to drag him into this, too.

Raynes: Who?

Garis sighs.

Garis: … his name was Alex. He was there for us. If it wasn’t for him, we might not be Garis now. He showed us the best of times, and stuck with us in the worst of times. He knew… he knew about what we truly went through, we told him. And he helped us anyway. Loved us anyway. He-....

Garis pauses for a brief moment. Their face looks almost guilty.

Garis: They, told me about how their dad used to isolate them socially, stick them to one place, and how they grew jealous of all the other kids who had parents who loved them, parents who took them places instead of keeping them cooped up in their rooms, parents that… didn’t have any agreement between each other to do what they wanted to their children. Together, we figured out ways to fight back against our respective abusers. I was able to defy the God in the Numbers because of them. Because of their... humanity, that nobody else showed us. Fuck… all that time, we thought we were saving them. But, now we’re together, we realise… they were saving us. If they became a target…

Raynes: … tell me something. If there’s something you could say to them right now, if they’re alive, if they could listen... what would it be?

Garis hesitates. Agent Brewer detects this conversation is becoming too personal in nature, but the interrogator is owed some leeway.

Garis: … I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain to you what was happening, Alex. But… you saved my life. I wish I knew where you were, and I promise one day we’ll find a way to talk to each other again, someway, somehow, and I’ll tell you, once and for all… thank you.

Note: Raynes has taken all the leeway he’s getting.

Agent Brewer enters the interrogation chamber.

Brewer: Raynes, what are you doing?! This isn’t helping us, we’ve gotten everything we need! Now let’s move on to the next stage already, and-

Raynes: William! Get back to your post, I told you I’d handle this.

Brewer: Oh, because you’ve handled everything so fucking well so far, haven’t you?

Garis: Hey, shut the fuck up, goatee!

Raynes: Yeah, shut the fuck up! Finish up that transcript and we’ll take it outside the interrogation chamber. We’ll move onto the wrap up once you’ve got that shit out your system.

Garis: The… ‘wrap up’? What is this? What have you got planned now, CIA?

Raynes: … I guess we’ll see for ourselves. Please, go back to your cell. Things are gonna work themselves out - starting right now.

[dis--parity]

Interrogation Supplement: ‘Garis’

Date of Admission: ████ of ███████ , 20██ Reporting officer(s): Capt. Liam Raynes, Lt. William Brewer Subject: Notice of admission, brief physica/psychological note regarding S001-IO/GW; more informally known as ‘Garis’

Birth name: Yeong-Hui Han Other names: Iris Overton, Gale Wickett Preferred name: ‘Garis‘ Sex: F Gender: Refused to specify. HT: 5′10″ WT: 118.2 lbs Build: Slim, somewhat emaciated. Showing signs of improvement since first taken into custody. Blood Type: O-

Mental State: Garis has shown many signs of improvement in their behaviour after having been released from Dr. Paterson’s care. They are still very temperamental, but seem to have a better idea of how to control their temper. Continue to advise caution around them; interrogations may be more effective if they are in a better mood. Maj. Othen refuses to accomodate this need; advise a gentler approach if they seem standoffish. Physical health: Still underweight and undernourished. Reports they have been cooking recently, under Dr. Paterson’s supervision. Food provided by the CIA barely manages to fulfil their dietary needs (the same goes for all of us, really). Skin is less pallid, tremors have reduced, and they are more willing to eat larger portions of food. Aversion to chocolate has not been worked around, or approached; they become violent and anxious in its presence. Advise Agent Brewer to cut chocolate out of his supply of snacks until this is over.

Purpose of Interrogation: In order to gather more information on the activities within the Haemolife cult, we must use this opportunity to interrogate the single survivor, Garis, on their experience. Their testimony, along with documents recovered from the Malmo site, will allow us to construct a full dossier of Haemolife’s cult activity. Agent Brewer has taken the liberty of compiling what limited intelligence we have based on the recovered documents; we just need Garis to fill in the blanks. Our current intelligence will guide these interrogations, and consist of;

How the cult recruited its members

How the cult isolated or integrated its members to or from society

How cult members were kept in check, and other activities within the cult

Whether cult members were intending a terrorist attack or were unaware of their motives

At the conclusion of these interviews, and when the dossier has been completed, Garis will be released from CIA custody.

Interrogations start in a week’s time from the date this notice is issued.

[dis--parity]

Correspondence #2

To: Capt. Liam Raynes From: Dr. Kerata Paterson Subject: What will become of them?

Captain,

It’s been three months since you referred S001-IO/GW (or whatever their codename is) to my care. In that time, they have opened up a considerable amount about their dependence on the cult as a grounding force. As a place to live. I anticipate that a full reintegration into society may be difficult after your CIA is done with them.

This is exactly the concern I raise to you, captain. I know how that the witness protection program they are bound by only lasts until the your interviews - or interrogations, whichever you prefer - have concluded. I know how your agency operates. Call me a sentimental old doctor, but I am loathe to imagine the idea that, once you and the Swedish police are finished with them, you will simply leave them to starve in the streets. They have nowhere to go, and nobody to provide for them. You already know that both of their parents are deceased. Their estate is null and void. The moment they set foot out of your facility, or out of my office, they are doomed.

I’m not contractually bound to keep them in my care. Not without charging them - for money they don’t have. All I ask is that you put these worries to rest, captain. Perhaps it would be nice to be proven wrong, at the very least.

Kind regards, Doctor Kerata Paterson, PsyD

To: Dr. Kerata Paterson From: Capt. Liam Raynes Subject: [no subject line]

Doc,

Much as it pains me to say it, your assumptions are right on the money. I even brought this up with the major and he told me the same thing - there’s nothing we can do about the WPP. Nothing he’s willing to do, anyway. I’m just as worried about your patient as you are.

You’ll have noticed I delivered this to you by hand, instead of through the mail service. I can’t let this letter be traced, but I have a plan. To be frank with you, doc, I’ve seen enough shit in this job - hell, in this op alone. You know you gotta break out your retirement plan when you start seeing your best friends fainting ‘cause they got too close to some cadaver with his head blown open like a corn kernel.

I see you’re making improvements with S001 - they told me you call them Garis sometimes. I think it suits ‘em. But the second I saw their eyes back when we found them, compared to now... I knew I needed to get out of this line of work.

I can’t officially reassure you that I have a certain contact in Shinagawa. Yakuza connection left over from when I still did gang infiltrations. Now, before you get the wrong idea - I’m not gonna turn them into no yakuza lackey - just calling in a favour with the Kimura family. Money, property, enough to tide us over until they get a job and can go their own way. It’ll only last a while, and they’ll return to the states after most likely, but they’ll have the legs Steve never would have thought for a second about giving them.

I’m done with this the second they’re not useful - then I’m out. Your patient’s in good hands, doc.

Burn this letter.

-Liam

[dis--parity]

SÄPO/CIA After-Action Report: HML-███-██-██-████

CIA/SÄPO Archives (Washington DC / Stockholm) CLASSIFIED: Subject to general declassification

Subject: After-Action Report of Operation Jinxed Winter; Mälmo Phase Date of Operation: ██/██/20██

Location: Reference; Map - Mälmo, Sweden. ██.██° N, ██.██° E

Reporting Officer(s): Capt. Liam Raynes, CIA, APO Washington DC. This combat report was compiled by Lt. William Brewer, SÄPO, APO Stockholm, as Capt. Raynes was unavailable.

On the ████ of ███████, 20██, SÄPO intelligence confirmed that a shipment of ███ 9mm semi-automatic firearms and ammunition to the Haemolife compound in Mälmo, Sweden. The number of firearms is confirmed to have matched the number of people in Sweden who have subscribed to a premium Haemolife membership; thus, terrorist motives were suspected, and similar purchases were confirmed to have been made and directed to compounds in Southampton, United Kingdom; Aarhus, Denmark; Albany, New York, United States; and Nuremberg, Germany. These reports will be compiled in the same dossier under Capt. Rayne’s supervision, and dispatched to the relevant authorities.

Haemolife and its affiliates have been deemed a threat to international security. The primary objective of this phase of Operation Jinxed Winter was to infiltrate the Mälmo compound, secure the firearm shipment and any other illicit materials, and capture the Haemolife leaders if they were present.

A joint CIA team (Sec. Com. Capt. Raynes) arrived at the compound at approx. 0930 hrs on foot, and rendezvoused with the SÄPO squad (Sec. Com. Lt. Brewer) on the roof of the Haemolife compound. Floor plans recovered by Lt. Brewer’s recon mission revealed an entry point on the roof would grant access to the main office of Rev. Whittock when breached. If he and Rev. Rosenfeld were present, they could be apprehended swiftly, and without resistance, completing the primary objective of the mission. While Sgt. R. Sweeney was delivering a SITREP to the squad, multiple and rapid gunshots were heard from within the compound. Capt. Raynes believed that the squad had been compromised, and detonated the breach charge early - coming close to injuring Cpl. Dugg in the process.

Breaching the compound, the gunfire continued, but no members of the team were fired upon. The breach location was confirmed to have been the office of Rev. Judas Whittock and Rev. Elijah Rosenfeld - and two bodies were discovered on either end of the desk, and the doors securely locked from the inside. The two bodies encountered when the team first breached were confirmed to be those of the targets - wielding 9mm firearms consistent with those reported to have been found in the shipment. After a brief assessment, Capt. Raynes deduced that the two men committed assisted suicide by gunshot; the entry wounds were found on the targets’ foreheads, and each man was still gripping his weapon at the time of death. Field medic C.Sgt. Bjorn was unable to preserve or resuscitate either of the VIPs, and they are now confirmed dead. All weapons, personal identification and immediate funds were seized by the CIA, and their bodies were disposed of according to SÄPO standards.

With the primary objective considered failed, the team moved through the compound to search for the shipment of weapons and secure it. Inside the office, Lt. Brewer discovered a concealed safe. 2Lt. Lindholm breached the reinforced door with thermite, and a mixed shipment of ██kilograms of cocaine, ███ grams of ecstasy, and ██ kilograms of methamphetamine worth approximately $█████.██ was recovered. Needles that were discovered inside the safe were consistent with those found to have been used in Haemolife’s brainwashing process - such materials were later discovered by Lt. Brewer’s squad in an adjacent room. It was concluded that the second floor of the Haemolife compound - reportedly inaccessible from the first floor by Capt. Rayne’s squad - was used for the bulk of operations such as production of brainwashing material, drugs storage and testing, and food production for consumption within the compound. These materials were collected by Lt. Brewer’s squad for analysis.

Meanwhile, Capt. Raynes and his squad moved to the lower floor to clear the area, as gunfire was identified as having come from the lower foyer - though by the time his team arrived at the door, it had ceased. A secure door was bypassed using a security keycard obtained from Rev. Whittock’s desk - and upon clearing the foyer, the cause of the gunfire was discovered. All ███ members in residence at the compound had subjected themselves to a similar fate to the cult leader, with all of them bearing a similar 9mm firearm and every one riddled with bullet holes in what appears to have been a mass suicide. At least two members of Capt. Raynes’ squad were reported to have become nauseous at the sight, as they were tasked with recovering the firearms; a task that required them to get closer to the bodies. Attempts to reach out to the team during this period were met with little response - Capt. Raynes was barely able to SITREP Lt. Brewer’s squad on their findings.

Clearing out the lower floor provided little else; the ground floor was the primary ‘storefront’ of the cult’s base of operation, with most living activities (fitness, dining, etc.) seemed to have been conducted there. The living quarters of each Haemolife member were located here as well - and L.Cpl Smehrik reported hearing strange noises from inside an empty clothing locker. 

Upon opening the locker, a single survivor was discovered sitting inside - a small girl with short, black hair and a mallen streak at the front of her head. She was brandishing a weapon, but upon being restrained by L.Cpl. Smehrik, it was discovered that the weapon was not loaded. Capt. Raynes ordered that the survivor be released from the pin and attempted to communicate with her - but she was found to be almost totally unresponsive, and Field Medic D. Wesley determined that she was in a state of shock. SÄPO agents recovered the survivor from the site for asylum.

The survivor’s mental state is awaiting assessment. A psychological profile will be compiled and added to the same dossier as this after-action report. The survivor, codenamed S001-IO/GW (or simply S001) is in the custody of the CIA. No civilians were in the AO, so no discreet debriefing is required. Capt. Raynes reports that when S001 is stable enough to speak, she will be interrogated for more detailed accounts on Haemolife’s workings, to be compiled in the dossier that this same report will be found in.

[dis--parity]

The Agents

Captain Liam Raynes is a CIA operative, formerly operating with a gang intervention unit - tasked with busting drug deals, mediating altercations between rival gang members, and preventing youths from being recruited into gangs by exposing the harsh reality of gang life.  His expertise in uncovering unusual occurrences related to gang activity translated well into taking down cults - and this same expertise and intuition tipped him off to Haemolife’s international presence, and even track its leader to a Malmo site. He maintains a disarming, level-headed and charismatic demeanour during his line of work - and this attitude allowed the sole survivor of the Haemolife cult to warm up to him considerably.

Lieutenant William Brewer is a SÄPO officer who specialises in investigating embezzlement, fraud, and illegal transit of weapons. It was during a routine arms tracking operation that he discovered the nature of the Haemolife cult - bringing the large shipment of arms to the compound to the attention of SÄPO - and to the CIA team deployed to Sweden at the time. While he is an expert in his role, seizing important assets such as ledgers and rosters from suspect sites, his strictly-business attitude and hot temper proved him to be an ill fit for interrogations - and while his intelligence sorting and dictation skills were adequate enough to assist in preparing a dossier, he never seemed to have much contact with the survivor outside of the interrogation room - or have any idea of what was going on outside of it either way.

Maybe that’s got something to do with why he’s not credited in the dossier...

[dis--parity]

Correspondence #3

To: Capt. Liam Raynes From: Dr. Kerata Paterson Subject: Need your help with something. (Again.)

Liam,

Further to the discussion we had before I handed Garis over to you a month or two ago - I also know you plan on leaking the interrogation audio to the media, rebel to the end that you are. I understand what you’re doing, of course. If you’re leaving this life behind after this case, might as well get back at Steve for being as much of an ass as he was until he cut you that deal, right?

Who knows – maybe that spiteful charm of yours will rub off on Kimura’s girl when you get to Japan with Garis.

And, as you’ve probably guessed by now, Garis is exactly who I’m concerned with in writing this. What a surprise.

I told you about ‘A’ when I handed them over. And, I admit, my curiosity is now getting the better of me. I think you anticipated this from me, really, but here’s the pitch; I don’t have the resources to locate ‘A’ for a follow-up interview; SAPO does.

I told you everything you needed to know when we met. I’m not repeating any of it here, since you’re so paranoid about your CIA auditing these communications. I know I’ve pulled a favour with you before, asking you to take Garis in when you’re done interrogating them - so don’t feel obligated to take me up on this one too; I’ve just grown to care about this case more than I expected to. Garis as a person, firstly, and the impact that their cult affiliation had on their friends - their lover, even.

With this more than ever, I need those answers, and Garis dropped the perfect lead into my lap. I’ll owe you a favour after this, at the very least. All I ask is you find a way to send a message.

Shred this letter, please.

-Kerata

---

To: Dr. Kerata Paterson From: Capt. Liam Raynes Subject: Re: ‘A’

Doc,

You’re lucky Brewer’s behind me on this too; wouldn’t have been easy getting access to secret government data without his help. But, I found your guy. Can’t say it’s good news, though.

The kid’s in Skane University Hospital in Malmo - same place he was born, incidentally. I don’t know what good your favour will do, though – the kid’s out cold. Comatose. Has been for the past year or so.

I wasn’t gonna do this to pull a favour for you - the world needs to know what went down with that company. That’s why I’m leaking the audio to the late-night station. The kind of shit preppers and people who listen out for numbers stations keep themselves up for.

Trust me, I know the kind of people who give a shit about this more than the general public.

Again, I don’t know what good it’s gonna do. But, there’s a couple strings I can still pull.

Tomorrow’s interrogation will focus on ‘A’. They’ve already given him a mention, it won’t be hard to make them talk. On the off chance he’s able to hear it, well... I guess you’ll see the results for yourself. Or maybe not.

I’ll keep tabs on the kid for you. You don’t owe me anything for the help you’ve already given me.

Forwarded a few personal details about ‘A’ attached to this letter. Hospital form, full name, blood relatives. Hide them. That’s all I’m gonna do other than monitor his hospital stay to aid this obsession you’ve got.

You know the drill. Burn this letter.

-Liam

[dis--parity]

03 - Expenditures

Date: ████ of █████, 20██

Correspondent: Captain ████ Raynes, Central Intelligence Agency

Subject: Overview of Expenses for Haemolife

RESTRICTED

Over the course of its operation, Haemolife reportedly amassed $122.6USD million in revenue, from a combination of the exorbitant prices of its products to the general public, its subtle presence in other nutritional retailers, and its cross-continental market niche. The apparent success of the Haemolife cult’s front prompted an investigation into where the funds for this operation were being directed; more importantly, to whom they were being directed - the two leaders, Reverends Whittock and Rosenfeld, never made any public appearances or were featured on any of the company’s promotional material. Furthermore, the pair used the aliases ‘Tyler Lockhart’ and ‘Tobias Hawthorne’ on legal documents pertaining to the company. Their true identities were only confirmed via DNA and fingerprint matching post-mortem - and it’s because of this that the CIA was able to deduce where much of the profit may have been directed to.

After having secured personal ledgers belonging to Rev. Whittock following the █████ site operation, it was found that most of the company’s income went to gambling, day trading, and to convert to cryptocurrency. The latter of these are confirmed to have been used for trades in the black market, where Rev. Whittock was involved in the trading of illicit substances such as LSD (for the cult’s use), as well as other class-A drugs like cocaine, presumably for his and Rev. Rosenfeld’s personal use. Curiously enough, an audit of Rev. Whittock’s personal bank account revealed that he was a regular customer of various fast food joints, in spite of the front of the cult. Due to his lack of direct involvement in the cult’s propaganda and promotional material for the front, this was never picked up on by the media, and Haemolife remained as credible as always. The CIA believed that these audits had been taken in error due to the personal account’s relatively mundane spending - but repeated transactions to a card reader now known to have belonged to a private clinic known to give fraudulent prescriptions for drugs that could be used recreationally revealed that initial analysis was correct after all.

An audit of the Haemolife business account revealed that hidden among the regular expenses for ingredients, rent, maintenance etc. were decoy transactions to accounts now confirmed to be affiliated with fronts for organised crime - the type of which varying from each operating region. After the money is moved around and washed through a number of fronts, it is then deposited as cash to Rev. Whittock himself, through another account registered in the aforementioned alias so that he could avoid detection. His affiliation with the cult was only found when a military-grade arms dealer registered an unusually large transaction, which pinged on an unrelated CIA watchlist related to gang activity. The order consisted of ███ 9mm handguns and an equal number of magazines, and enough ammunition to fill each magazine - the number of firearms matching the number of registered members of Haemolife in Sweden. A SÄPO agent, agent ███████ Brewer, was sent to track the shipment, posing undercover as an import/export worker, and confirmed that the destination for the firearms was the Haemolife compound in █████. SÄPO and CIA were alerted to the situation immediately, as it was believed that the cult was planning a large-scale assault. Hours after the confirmation from agent Brewer, similarly large purchases were made and confirmed to have gone to the sites elsewhere in Europe and the United States. Terrorist motives were assumed, which S001 has since confirmed. (Refer to interview 03-IO/GW-██.)

A joint SÄPO-CIA strike team was dispatched to the site immediately - consisting of agent Brewer for intelligence purposes. Myself, Cpt. Raynes, was appointed as squad leader. After-action report follows this document.

[dis--parity]

Correspondence #1

To: Director Steven Othen From: Captain Liam Raynes Subject: Staff Reconsideration Proposal

Steve,

I’m writing to you (informally, but since when did that matter to you) about the responsibilities you’ve delegated to me with this case. I’ve been hating every word I’ve written since day one and you KNOW that! I don’t expect you to know what I looked like on the other side of the glass when we were interrogating the girl but I’m sure Brewer will be happy to corroborate the fact I was fucking horrified.

You’re out of your fucking mind if you think I’m gonna willingly recall what I saw in that bloody compound, what we learned in the interrogation chamber. I know that you know I deserve better than to listen to whatever fucking torture that poor girl had to go through and be expected to be able to sleep at night when I remember what I saw when we found her.

You’re the one who made this happen, Steve. For the love of God, get me out of it.

-Liam

To: Captain Liam Raynes From: Director Steven Othen Subject: Re: Staff Reconsideration Proposal

Liam,

I really don’t know what else to tell you than the obvious; you’re the one most cut out for this job. The only one who stepped forward when we even asked for volunteers to document the Haemolife case. Even Brewer took a lot of talking to get to the point where he had to talk you down in the observation chamber (how he did that, I won’t ask. That’s between you and him.). You’re one of only three agents, SÄPO or CIA, who walked out of that compound without a uniform covered in your own vomit. You and William of all people have the willpower to see this through.

I’m sorry. I only know what happened in Malmö because of the report your partner wrote while you were in shock, and trust me - from what I saw in ‘Nam when I served, I know exactly what it’s like to go to bed every night dreaming of a floor riddled with blood and bodies. I’m willing to cut you a deal if this isn’t what you want to live with after all.

Write me again if you’re listening.

-Director Steven Othen, CIA