The Mid-West Team
FBI Evidence Response Campaign Background

The mid-west team was created on 26 September 2000 to take some work off the hands of the west and east coast teams. All the agents who took possession of the new facilities at Wichita, Kanasa on this date were new to the grey case files. Since that time the line-up of the group has changed markedly. This is documented below. On 17 July 2001, a second mid-west team was created to mop up the first team's out-of-control back cases.

Team History

Original Line-Up: The team formed on 26 September 2000 was headed up by Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne; under him were Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Special Agent Elijah Stone, Special Agent Nathan Harlow and Special Agent Jane Munroe. This team existed for a little less than 24 hours before the first change.

Line-Up Two: Alex Drake is briefly seconded to the team on the evening of 26 September 2000. The line-up now consists of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne; Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Special Agent Elijah Stone, Special Agent Nathan Harlow, Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Alex Drake.

Line-Up Three: Alex Drake is reassigned on 28 September 2000. The team returns to its original configuration: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Special Agent Elijah Stone, Special Agent Nathan Harlow and Special Agent Jane Munroe. Despite the occassional solo adventure and chronic illness, this line-up endures for almost three weeks before the next change.

Line-Up Four: On 18 October 2000, Nathan Harlow is brutally murder by the Joker. On 19 October, Elise Steiger arrives to replace Nathan (even though Harlow is still hanging around as a ghost). The mid-west team now consists of: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Special Agent Elijah Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Elise Steiger. It should be noted that by this time Joshua Blackthorne's serious stomach, gastric and anal maladies begin to remove him from active duty. Although listed as an active agent, he is more often than not incapacitated and it is Artemis Black leading the team.

Line-Up Five: On 7 November 2000, Elijah Stone is formerly seconded to work in Alcohol, Firearms and Tobacco in Hawaii. He had been on sick leave since 16 October and his presence wasn't immediately missed. The official line-up of the mid-west team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Elise Steiger.

Line-Up Six: After suffering a tendon injury in Winterset, Jane Munroe is placed on sick-leave for three weeks. Wendell Wells is drafted into the team to take her place. As on 16 November 2000, the mid-west team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Special Agent Jane Munroe (inactive), Special Agent Elise Steiger and Special Agent Wendell Wells.

Line-Up Seven: Now things get complicated. On 29 November 2000, the increasingly insane and lycanthropic Wendell Wells inadvertantly causes a rockslide that kills Elise Steiger. The following day he almost kills Artemis Black, and is quickly kicked off the team. Later on 30 November, Benedict Oaxaca arrives to replace the deceased Elise. The reduced team consists of Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca and Special Agent Jane Munroe (officially inactive). This line-up doesn't last long.

Line-Up Eight: On 2 December 2000, Jane invites the ghost of Nathan Harlow into the vacant body of local cahuna, Lehoaoha. Nathan is returned to life. He takes on the identity of Michael Hunt and officially joins the team on 3 December 2000. The same day, one of the thirty different Elijah Stones (see case 0016-GCF) joins the team. As it is impossible to tell if this is the original Elijah Stone, the team name him Quentin Stone. The mid-west team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (inactive) and Special Agent Michael Hunt.

Line-Up Nine: On 4 December 2000, Jane Munroe and Michael Hunt are involved in a plane crash that takes them off active duty. The following day, Dominic Rocaan joins the team to temporarily replace Jane. He accompanies the active members to Caspar. The mid-west team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (inactive) and Special Agent Michael Hunt (inactive).

Line-Up Ten: On 9 December 2000, Joshua Blackthorne's continued ill health causes him to lose his position as assistant special agent in charge. This is also the day that Alex Drake is reassigned to the team. The line-up from this date is: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Joshua Blackthorne (inactive), Senior Special Agent Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (inactive), Special Agent Michael Hunt (inactive) and Special Agent Alex Drake.

Line-Up Eleven: On 12 December 2000, Joshua Blackthorne is charged with breaking in new evidence response agents Bradley Ecks, Philip McKraken and Jack Burchill. He is joined by the newly fit Jane Munroe. Josh is petrified by a his estranged lover (case DL1034) and removed from active duty. Ecks, McKraken and Burchill are assigned to the East Coast Team. By this time, agents Black, Rocaan, Stone, Oaxaca and Drake are completely tied up in red tape in Caspar; this divides the mid-west team: five agents in Caspar; Munroe and Hunt in Wichita. The team is now as follows: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (acting Leading Agent), Special Agent Michael Hunt and Special Agent Alex Drake.

Line-Up Twelve: Following the murder of the West Coast Team, Jane and Hunt fly to Los Angeles to investigate. On 13 December 2000, Eisenstein reassigns Burchill, McKraken and Ecks to Jane's team (although McKraken is late and doesn't arrive until the 14th). The team is now as follows: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (acting Leading Agent), Special Agent Michael Hunt, Special Agent Alex Drake, Special Agent Bradley Ecks, Special Agent Philip McKraken and Special Agent Jack Burchill. Special Agent Todd O'Connell is present at this time, but he is not an official part of the group.

Line-Up Thirteen: On 14 December, Michael Hunt is again killed by the Joker. He is restored to life with a jade talisman that recreates him as Harlow Plus (also known as Fit Harlow). Fit Harlow rejoins Jane's team. The team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (acting Leading Agent), Special Agent "Fit" Nathan Harlow, Special Agent Alex Drake, Special Agent Bradley Ecks, Special Agent Philip McKraken and Special Agent Jack Burchill.

Line-Up Fourteen: Everything that can go wrong with Fit Harlow does. On 16 December 2000, Agents Ecks and O'Connell resort to time travel. The final result is that Nathan is dead and staying dead. On the same day the agents are joined in L.A. by Mathew Wainwright. The team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Quentin Stone, Special Agent Jane Munroe (acting Leading Agent), Special Agent Alex Drake, Special Agent Bradley Ecks, Special Agent Philip McKraken, Special Agent Jack Burchill and Special Agent Mathew St. John Wainwright.

Line-Up Fifteen: The 19 December 2000 sees the great evidence response reshuffle. Dominic Rocaan is promoted to Assistant Special Agent in Charge and placed in charge of the new West Coast team. Bradley Ecks is promoted to Senior Special Agent and becomes his number two. Agents Todd O'Connell, Bruce Campbell-Robson, Philip McKraken, Jack Burchill and Mathew St. John Wainwright are also assigned to the new West Coast team, although the latter two are grievously injured. Meanwhile Eisentein reassigns Quentin Stone to an unknown mission. The new, streamlined, mid-west team is: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Alex Drake.

Line-Up Sixteen: On 26 December 2000, Chuck Johnson is assigned to augment the mid-west team. The team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Artemis Black, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Senior Special Agent Charles "Chuck" Johnson, Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Alex Drake. This line-up endures for a surprising length of time.

Line-Up Seventeen: On 5 February 2001, and while possessed by a white necromancer, Alex Drake engulfed in a fireball and burned to death. The following day, Artemis is promoted to Assistant Deputy Director, Evidence Response. He leaves the team to take a desk job in Quanitco. Benedict is promoted to lead the team. The new mid-west team is now: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Benedict Oaxaca, Senior Special Agent Charles 'Chuck' Johnson and Special Agent Jane Munroe. However, the team is given several weeks off as modifications are made to the Wichita HQ.

Line-Up Eighteen: Alex Drake inexplicably returns to life (and the mid-west HQ) on 2 April 2000. The team does not report this resurrection to Artemis's office for several days. Drake accompanies the agents on their next case in an unofficial capacity. During this case, the agents restore Joshua Blackthorne to the flesh. On 8 April 2000, the agents report Josh and Alex's return to Artemis. He reinstates them both into the team. The line-up from this date is: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joshua Blackthorne, Senior Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca, Senior Special Agent Charles 'Chuck' Johnson (vacation), Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Alex Drake. Note that it is from the beginning of April that Chuck stops turning up for work. Although he remains on the evidence response payroll, he doesn't actually appear again.

Line-Up Nineteen: Joshua Blackthorne's health only lasts a few short weeks. On 3 May 2001, Benedict is informed that Joshua has been forced to retire from active duty due to a perforated colon. Ben is reinstated as the leading agent. After much hospital rest, Joshua will eventually become a special adviser to evidence response. The new team is Assistant Special Agent in Charge Benedict Oaxaca, Senior Special Agent Charles 'Chuck' Johnson (vacation), Special Agent Jane Munroe and Special Agent Alex Drake. It is worth noting that between 12-24 May, Benedict Oaxaca is sent to liaise with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, leaving Jane as Leading Agent. During the period the mid-west team is effectively just her and Alex Drake.

Line-Up Twenty: On 26 May 2001, Alex Drake is blown up for a second time and on this occassion he stays dead. Benedict tortures the man responsible for Drake's death and is reprimanded for his actions. He demoted and replaced by Jane as head of the team. Alex is replaced by Clint Stone - one of the thirty potential Elijah Stones from Kahoolawe. When the mid-west team finally reforms on 5 June 2001 it consists of: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jane Munroe, Senior Special Agent Charles 'Chuck' Johnson (vacation), Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca and Special Agent Clint Stone. However, Jane's authority is continually undermined by Artemis Black who has returned to Wichita for a spot of field work.

Line-Up Twenty-One: 10 June 2001 sees a drastic shift in the fortunes of evidence response. After the murder of Benedict Oaxaca at the hands of Vitrano and Lavin, Jane uses the wish given to her by Archangel Raphael. She restores to life every grey case agent who died for the cause in the past year. All evidence response teams are in a state of flux for a week as the twenty resurrected agents are briefed and reintegrated into the world. On 17 June 2001, two different mid-west teams are unveiled. The first team is based at the Wichita HQ and consists of: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dominic Rocaan, Senior Special Agent Bradley Ecks, Special Agent Nathan Harlow (Classic Harlow), Special Agent Jack Burchill, Special Agent Mathew St. John Wainwright (inactive), Special Agent Todd O'Connell and Special Agent Bruce Campbell-Robson. The second team is based out of the local FBI office in central Wichita. It consists of: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ugly Joe McPike, Special Agent Jane Munroe, Special Agent Benedict Oaxaca and Special Agent Clint Stone. Chuck Johnson is removed from the mid-west roster, although he is still being paid and still on vacation.

Line-Up Twenty-Two: On 20 June 2001, Jane Munroe released Samael from his eternal prison. She then went on vacation, and Sebastian Malkin was drafted into the team to replace her. A shoot-out then hospitalises most of the second mid-west team. On 22 June 2001, Benedict Oaxaca disappears. Unbeknown to his colleagues he has defected to the Catholic Church; Artemis believes him dead. On 5 July 2001, Artemis Black extends Jane's holiday by two months to force her to acquire some perspective. The team recovenes on 7 August 2001 with Elise Steiger returning to replace Ben. The line-up of the second mid-west team from this time on is: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ugly Joe McPike, Special Agent Jane Munroe (special leave), Special Agent Clint Stone, Special Agent Elise Steiger and Special Agent Sebastian Malkin. Dominic Rocaan's first team is unchanged.

Line-Up Twenty-Three: Clint Stone inadvertantly shoots himself in the head on 12 August 2001. He explodes in a ball of flame revealing he was one of the fake Elijah Stones. Following some downtime to recover from wounds, agent Oliver Smith replaces Clint on 27 August. The line-up of the second mid-west team is as follows: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ugly Joe McPike, Special Agent Jane Munroe (special leave), Special Agent Elise Steiger, Special Agent Sebastian Malkin and Special Agent Oliver Smith. Dominic Rocaan's first team is unchanged.

Line-Up Twenty-Four: On 8 September 2001, Jane Munroe is returned to active duty two weeks ahead of schedule. On 11 September the work of the mid-west teams (and indeed all the evidence response teams) is put on hold to manage the current terrorist crisis. Alex Drake returns from Europe to rejoin the second mid-west team, swapping his cushy apartment in the south of France with Oliver Smith. Sebastian Malkin also leaves the team (he was, after all, only standing in for Jane). By the time the teams get back to a semblance of normality on 29 September 2001 the line-up of the second mid-west team is as follows: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ugly Joe McPike, Special Agent Jane Munroe, Special Agent Alex Drake and Special Agent Elise Steiger. The first mid-west team is unchanged.

Line-Up Twenty-Five: On 22 October 2001 the second mid-west team gains an additional member in the shape of Special Agent James McCollins. From this date the line-up of the second mid-west team is as follows: Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ugly Joe McPike, Special Agent Jane Munroe, Special Agent Alex Drake, Special Agent Elise Steiger and Special Agent James McCollins. The first mid-west team is unchanged.

Resources

The headquarters of the mid-west team is based on waste ground near to the main freight railway line into Wichita, Kansas. Originally the HQ was little more than a large fortified warehouse. The building was effectively a large open-plan office with a desk for each agent. There was also a kitchen, shower, and two dormitories for male and female agents. Two porta-cabins are located inside the warehouse. One acts as the office for the agent in charge (currently Benedict Oaxaca) and the other is the team's interrogation and cell area. One of the cells was been reinforced to hold a werewolf. Adjacent to the warehouse was a small carpark. The team has access to two modified FBI sedans and two 4-by-4 vehicles. It is in this car-park that Nathan Harlow's sports car can still be found.

Since the mid-west team's budget was swollen by $10,000,000 (case BV004) they have struggled to find new ways to spend the money. The HQ was outfitted with the latest mod-cons including the world's most spectacular coffee machine. However, this was not enough and work began on excavating the area directly beneath the warehouse.

From 2 April 2000 Wichita HQ has changed. From the outside it still ressembles a cow shed in the middle of nowhere, but inside is a different story. The ground floor space is largely the same, although with a number of security features copied from the west coast team's headquarters. However, the base now has two lower levels - a car park and the Blackcave.

The underground carpark is on the first sub-basement. It is accessed by a ramp that descends from inside the 'cow shed' level. It is along this corridor to the car park that new cells for inmates have been constructed. The car park itself is extremely roomy, with sufficent clearance for a high-sided vehicle.

The Blackcave can be reached by either the firepoles concealed behind a book case in the office of the Assistant Special Agent in Charge, the chute behind a large picture of Artemis Black, a flight of stairs concealed behind a filing cabinet or a freight elevator hidden in the wall of the car park. Once in the lowest level, the agents enjoy all the mod-cons of the west coast team, but none of the natural light.

Three powerful supercomputers dominate the room, with a terminal right at the centre of them designed for Chuck, although mostly used by Harlow and Ecks. The number of Krays was increased to five on 30 August 2001. The 'special' cells are located on this level, one of which has been reinforced to hold supernatural creatures. Also on this level is the impregnable vault, a fully-functioning medical bay (with an MRI scanner), a fully-equipped gym and a firing range. There is a comfortable seating area which includes Lilith's couch as well as the infamour Wall of Weird. Machines on the walls dispense such unholy items as the Artemis Black Fitness Chocolate and the Artemis Black Wonder Tonic.

The second mid-west team (created on 17 June 2001) is based one top floor of the FBI building in down-town Wichita. This is a complete climb-down from the grandeur of the Blackcave. The team is sequestered away in a small suite of offices. There is a reception area, interview room, office for the Assistant Special Agent in Charge and an office for the other agents on the team.

Supernatural Resources

In common with all the headquarters of the evidence response team, the Wichita HQ has a supernatural element and history to it. Many hundreds of slaves (negro and Chinese) were killed during the laying of the railroad during the nineteenth century. Mid-west headquarters sits on a mass grave. This was not a problem until the excavation of the Blackcave disturbed the remains, and Alex Drake inadvertantly conjured up an animated skeleton on 15 April 2001. On 3 May 2001, a ghostly redneck slavedriver manifested and attacked Benedict Oaxaca. This spurred the agents into finding and taming their supernatural resources. At the moment the spirits are placated, but they are under the impression that Benedict is the voodoo loa, Papa Legba - a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to continue.

The second mid-west team enjoys no supernatural resources. However, they have recently acquired a stuffed grizzley bear.

See Also:

• Section on the special agents
• West Coast Evidence Response team.
• Evidence Locker
• Field Agent Equipment
• The Wall of Weird