The Tombstone Gambit

• Primary
  Acquire a suspected EXO object from a civilian source, Roger Blackwood.
• Secondary
  Ascertain the source of the intelligence leak that allowed Blackwood to identify and contact ICHOR.
• Tertiary
  Assess Agent West's field performance in consideration of his pending promotion.

ICHOR Command received a direct, encrypted communication from an entity identifying as Roger "The Undertaker" Blackwood (male, late 60s), a known figure in the Tombstone, Arizona criminal underworld. Blackwood proposed the voluntary surrender of an object with confirmed paranormal properties. His terms were:

1. We were to arrive at a designated location with a signed, pre-approved legal immunity waiver.
2. We were to "play his game" to earn the object.

Given the high potential of acquiring a new EXO, Command approved the mission.

Agent West and I arrived at the designated neutral location, the "Salty Dog Saloon". Blackwood was not present. A table had been reserved in the name "Blackwood"; on it lay a single flash drive with a note: "Watch me."

As we secured the drive, two individuals entered the saloon. I identified one as SRO Agent Ryland, whom I had encountered during a [REDACTED] operation. They approached our table, stating they were there to meet Blackwood and demanded the drive. Citing the public setting, I refused. After a tense standoff, Ryland's team disengaged, but established surveillance outside.

In our vehicle, Agent West analyzed the drive's contents: a single video file. The footage was from a body camera, showing Blackwood's perspective as he single-handedly neutralized a rival crew. The effect was undeniable: enemy fire consistently went wide, striking inches from Blackwood. His own marksmanship was efficient, but not superhuman. A notable anomaly occurred: upon each confirmed kill, the video feed experienced a half-second burst of white noise and visual static. The footage ended with Blackwood placing an envelope on a body. We understood this was the next step.

Agent West managed to locate the warehouse from the video. The scene was as depicted. In the specified envelope was a note: "Rooftop, Grand Tombstone Hotel. I'll be waiting. Lose your tail first."

As we secured the note, Agent Ryland's team arrived. They demanded the envelope, citing jurisdictional authority. I refused. Fire was exchanged. The engagement was cut short by the unexpected arrival of local law enforcement, forcing both our teams to scatter. We spent the next two hours executing counter-surveillance maneuvers to successfully break contact with the SRO pursuit team. Agent West demonstrated exceptional resourcefulness in planning our evasion route.

We proceeded to the hotel rooftop. Blackwood was waiting. After a brief conversation, he reached into his breast pocket and produced what looked like a simple playing card. He called the object the "Ace of Spades" and noted it was quite useful in a firefight, as we had likely gathered from his video. He slid it across the table. Following protocol, I retrieved it with gloved hands and immediately placed it in a Non-Verified EXO Containment Case (NVECC). We provided him with the signed waiver.

We then engaged him regarding the secondary objective. Blackwood provided limited clarification before vanishing using a second EXO. Concurrently, he used what appeared to be a third EXO to neutralize Agent West, who attempted to apprehend him. The incident warrants further analysis; a full transcript of my bodycam recording is provided in Appendix 2 for this purpose.

Item: One (1) playing card, the "Ace of Spades".

Observations upon transfer:

• The card appears vintage but is in perfect condition.
• It has an unnatural weight, noticeably heavier than cardstock should be.
• The black ink of the spade insignia is unusually deep and does not reflect light normally.

Item: One (1) playing card, the "Jack of Clubs", depicting Agent West.

Observations upon transfer:

• The card's physical properties are analogous to the Ace of Spades (ref. Appendix 3).
• Agent West is depicted wearing his operational attire.
• Upon close inspection, microscopic movement can be observed in the image: the depiction of Agent West periodically blinks and the mouth moves occasionally, as if in silent speech.