APAGear - Volume 5, Number 3 - May 2003

Tightening the Rope: Gnashing Art of Blackmailing

Janne Kemppi

Khayr Ad-Din is destination of huge number of tourists every year. Many of them come from places where upstanding morale character must be impeccable, especially if one is particularly well-known citizen and pillar to society. some of these tourists engage in activities that would rise more than few eye brows in their homes. Few fall pray to Professionals looking for a quick Dinar.

After all, Professionals are normal people in sense that they have to eat and pay rent. Nothing is for free in Khaya An-Din so when the jobs are tight, Professionals have to go to job hunting. Some simply use more immoral methods than others.

Professional groups engage in blackmailing activities occasionally. Few groups try to create a compromising situation but usually the cheapest and simplest job is simply to follow some fool to trip himself or herself. Many professionals have background in surveillance and their skills could thus easily net compromising evidence that could be later used.

Typically professional group will approach blackmail victim in order to carry out extortion. Long-term blackmail operations demand pick-ups and victim might get desperate if situation goes bad. Thus most groups simply demand a single payment for evidence and disappear. Professional groups often demand high but not too high sums so victims rather pay off the nuisance than go to police or try something on their own. However, there are always exceptions in both blackmailing styles and victims willingness to pay...

An Easy Mark

A mouse like doctor arrives to Khaya An-Din as a tourist from Northern Lights. Released from somewhat morally tight atmosphere, he will soon have a good time, perhaps too good for Northern sensibilities. This is a prime mark to any group of professionals looking for an easy money. Checking tourist's background and following him home in North and making a demand, should be easy to a group whose members include intelligence professionals well used to bribery and blackmail. A simple one-off payment for discriminating pictures and Professionals disappear to the night. However, things are never as easy as they look at first...

1 Doctor has actually far more money than imagined. This could provide rich pickings if he could be assured to remain on leash longer than originally thought.

2 Doctor completely breaks down and explains it all to his family. This causes a ruckus and depending on his lawyers and PR people, could actually turn out sympathies towards him. However, the evil Southern blackmailing-scum probably will not get out that easily. Group is best trying to leave as soon as they can or perhaps try to turn battle of PR to their own advantage? Anyway, it is for certain that a lot more people know of their skills and some might actually become group's customers...

3 Doctor is actually not nearly as meek as thought. He decides to turn against blackmailing group. This could mean exposing, devilish plots or even outright violence. Now who is law going to believe, an upstanding doctor or a group of foreign hoodlums up to no good?

4 Doctor makes few phone calls to a criminal boss he has helped before to ask for help. Now any crime boss has far more resources (and ruthlessness than meek doctor ever has). Boss makes contact with the group and it soon becomes clear that he is greedy too. Perhaps group can cut a deal with boss or maybes try to make out with a all the cash instead...

5 Doctor breaks down completely and goes to police. Law takes a dim view on blackmailers and constant police surveillance aimed to expose group can be expected. That is, if they notice undercover police in time...

6 Good doctor is actually a spy for Southern Republic. Professionals have apparently skill and ability since they have managed to try to blackmail him. As a matter of fact, he could have a job offer (and further adventures) in mind...