Jason 'Torias' Cross

''“He is a man out of time, more suited to a past incarnation of this organization. He is an asset to any age, certainly, but his conviction will get him killed, no doubt whilst in the process of saving a life. We need soldiers who can put their feelings aside for the greater good, not paladins who are willing to die for their ideals.”'' - Richard Sonnac

''“Who the fuck said anything about dying? I’m principled, but I’m not stupid.”'' - Jason Cross

Jason Xenophon Cross is an American contractor for Knight Errant Security Consultants, one of many front companies for the secret organization known as the Templars. A former police officer and SWAT team element leader, Cross was thrust headfirst into the so-called “secret world” after his involvement with the West End Outbreak, a small-scale Filth incursion in St. Paul, Minnesota, during the summer of 2011. He is known within various intelligence communities by the code name “Torias”.

= Early History & Education = Jason Xenophon Cross was born on December 5th, 1978 in Worcester, MA to parents Helen (née Christopoulos) and Marcus Xavier Cross. Cross was raised in the nearby town of Oxford and attended Oxford High School, graduating in 1997. As Marcus Cross was a judge at Worcester Superior Court, Cross’ early life brought him into contact with many facets of the legal and criminal justice systems, especially when he entered those systems himself as a juvenile offender. At age 15, Cross was apprehended for breaking and entering after attempting to obtain entry to a friend’s house on a dare. On arrest, Cross made a full confession, stating that he broke into the residence both to “shut those guys [his friends at the time] up” and “to see how such break-ins were performed.” Despite his father’s insistence that no leniency be shown, the court ordered that Cross be sentenced to six months probation and released to the custody of his parents, given that this was his first offense and that he had no intention of performing such acts again.

During his high school period, Cross became a competent marksman and gunsmith while working at the Singletary Rod & Gun Club in Oxford. Cross received the position as a favor to his father, but soon proved his worth as a gunsmith. He was allowed limited access to the club’s shooting range after his probation had ended, and became a full member of the club upon his 18th birthday.

Cross attended the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and graduated in 2001 with a double major in Political Science and Sociology (with a focus on Criminal Justice). Cross’ original intent was to prepare to enter law, and took the LSAT examination soon after graduating. However, at the suggestion of his father, Cross decided to take some time off and travel, eventually ending up in Saint Paul, MN. Visiting some college friends there, Cross was charmed by the city and decided to stay for a while to save up some money and consider his next moves. To support himself, he took a position at the South St. Paul Rod & Gun Club, in a similar capacity to his job at the Singletary Club.

During his time abroad, Cross felt that he would not be able to make any substantial impact upon the world as a lawyer. Working at the Rod & Gun Club, he came to know many members of the law enforcement community and made friends with several officers. One, Lieutenant Andrew Hagerstrom, felt that Cross would make an excellent addition to the St. Paul police force. While he was not initially interested, Lieutenant Hagerstrom made a compelling case. After discussing the matter with his parents, Cross enrolled in the Professional Peace Officer Education program at the University of St. Thomas, testing out of the program in November of 2002. Cross entered the St. Paul Police Department officially on January 3rd, 2003. = Time with St.P.P.D. =

Patrol Officer
Cross’ initial assignment was to a patrol unit in Central Division, partnered with Officer James Malloy, a patrol veteran of eight years. His probationary period passed uneventfully, and Cross proved an exemplary junior officer. He remained a patrol officer in Central Division with Officer Malloy for three years, and their beat in the West End area proved at times challenging and enjoyable. Officer Cross began building a reputation as personable and friendly, though perhaps overly stern at times, and found that the community grew on him as he spent more time there. In his second year, his partner was promoted to Sergeant and was assigned as the community relations officer for their patrol area. This gave Cross valuable experience in public relations, although his tendency away from “sugar coating” information caused problems for Malloy more often than not.

Induction to S.W.A.T.
In 2007, several positions opened in the St.P.P.D.’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit. Sgt. Malloy felt that Officer Cross would make an excellent fit for the squad, and with his recommendation, Cross applied for and was granted one of the open positions. He was quickly sent to Los Angeles, CA to take part in the LAPD’s six week SWAT training course with officers from across the country, graduating the program with high marks in all categories. Upon his return, Cross was assigned to SWAT Element 4 under Sgt. Richard Banks and joined the group for routine training.

He was afforded little time to get acclimated to the team, as their assistance was needed for a high-risk warrant execution at the home of a suspected narcotics supplier. Element 4’s presence proved to be invaluable, as the supplier and his associates attacked the arresting officers with a number of assault weapons, giving no sign of surrender. The SWAT team was able to bring its superior equipment and training to bear, swiftly ending the engagement with the apprehension of twelve suspects (five injured) and the recovery of a large quantity of uncut heroin, street value US$200,000. The bust brought distinction to Narcotics Division and to the attached SWAT element, and Cross was officially inducted into Element 4.

Cross continued to serve as a patrol officer in the West End when he was not on active duty with Element 4. Over the next three years, Cross participated in 50 SWAT actions, including anti-sniper details for visiting dignitaries and political conventions, extraction of barricaded suspects, and further high-risk warrant executions. Cross distinguished himself on several occasions, receiving commendations for conspicuous bravery and gallantry in the line of duty. In 2010, Sgt. Banks was promoted to Lieutenant and placed in charge of SWAT assets. This resulted in a number of SWAT elements undergoing reconfigurations, and Officer Cross found himself promoted to element leader of Element 4.

S.W.A.T. Element Leader
In December of 2010, Element 4 responded to a robbery alarm at the People’s Bank of Commerce on Kellogg Blvd. A group of six suspects held the bank with 20 hostages, and negotiations were failing. With Element 4 deployed to the rear of the building, the GO order was given, and a forced entry was effected with Officer Cross on point. The suspects had posted a guard at the rear, and upon the team’s entry, Cross knocked the suspect flat with a beanbag round from his shotgun. The suspect returned fire as he fell using so-called “dragon’s breath” shells, pyrotechnic rounds primarily used for intimidation and area suppression. The wild shot struck Cross’ right knee, melting through the outer kevlar of Cross’ body armor and heating the armor plating underneath enough to cause severe damage. As a result, he was unable to participate in the rest of the assault but refused to withdraw, posting up at the rear entrance while the rest of Element 4 advanced. The assault lasted 53 seconds, and all six suspects were apprehended with minimal injuries to the hostages. For his actions, Officer Cross was awarded a commendation for conspicuous bravery in the line of duty.

The damage to Cross’ knee was severe, but a full recovery was expected within a few months. During that time, Cross was removed from active field duty, and a request for a temporary transfer to the armory at police headquarters on 11th St. West during this convalescence was approved. He spent his time in the “gun cage” honing his gunsmithing skills, and spent a large amount of time on the department firing range. As a result, his accuracy with a wide variety of weapons improved significantly, and upon his return to field duty in April of 2011, Cross was considering applying for training time to improve his sniper qualifications.

= The West End Outbreak = “I don’t know if the feds knew about the raid, or how long they knew, but they showed up awfully quick when it all went to hell.” - Jason Cross, on the arrival of federal agents during the West End Outbreak.

Background
In June of 2011, St. Paul Narcotics detectives began planning a raid on a methamphetamine lab hidden in the abandoned Schmidt Brewery facilities on West 7th St. The old brewery had been in operation at various points from its founding as Christopher Stallman’s Cave Brewery in 1855 to its final closing in 2004. The subject of several failed renewal projects, the brewery complex was eventually completely abandoned, falling into disrepair and becoming a popular site for illicit deals. This eventually culminated in the establishment of the meth lab sometime in 2009, elevating the site’s prominence in local drug trade. Detectives further suspected that the lab was the source of a new narcotic known as devil dust, a hybrid of methamphetamine and phencyclidine known for causing extended periods of rage and emotional instability.

The Operation
On June 18th, 2011, Narcotics detectives, led by Captain of Detectives Andrew Hagerstrom (having since been promoted since advising Cross in joining the St.P.P.D.), served search and arrest warrants with the assistance of four SWAT elements, including Element 4. The initial entry into the facility proceeded without problems, and the Narcotics task force met little resistance. Once the exterior of the complex was cleared, the SWAT elements proceeded to the main building. As part of the breach-and-clear mission, Element 4 proceeded to its assigned area: the basement of the building.

Cross led the element in a meticulous search of the lower level, finding several rooms equipped for “cooking” methamphetamine, as well as large supplies of methylamine required for the manufacture of same. Additionally, Element 4 found vials of an unidentified black, viscous liquid. Upon reporting the find, Captain Hagerstrom suspected that it was the key ingredient in manufacturing Devil Dust, and instructed Element 4 to continue clearing the basement with extreme caution while a Narcotics team arrived to secure the substance.

In one of the larger chambers, Element 4 encountered a group of four suspects hunched over what appeared to be a human corpse. In his report of the incident, Officer Cross stated:

''“I identified myself and ordered the suspects to stand. The one closest to us stood and turned; the suspect had a large quantity of some black material on his face and clothing. I repeated the order to stand, and the suspect leapt towards us. I opened fire, aiming for and striking the subject’s left knee, which caused him to fall to the ground. The other suspects leapt up at this and rushed us en masse, at which point the rest of the element opened fire. While most of the shots were good, they didn’t seem to have much effect on the suspects, and they closed quickly. Two of them grabbed Officer Henry [another member of Element 4] and immediately began attempting to rip his armor off. Officer Henry struck the suspects with the butt of his shotgun, staggering them, and followed up with two rounds. One round struck a suspect in the head, crushing the skull and sending a stream of what I thought was blood onto the floor. The remaining suspects continued to attack us, clawing at our armor and weapons, and were not disabled until taking several rounds apiece at point blank range. Once the suspects were pacified, we discovered that their blood had turned very dark, almost black, and resembled the black substance we had found earlier.”''

Other elements of the task force encountered similar groups throughout the complex in addition to the suspects responsible for the maintenance and operation of the labs. As the operation continued, further labs were found. However, one of the finished product warehouses had been booby-trapped to explode: as SWAT Element 2 discovered and cleared the space, a radio signal from the element leader caused the explosives previously set there to detonate, killing the team and sending out a massive cloud of Devil Dust into the air. This particular batch of the drug was found to be especially potent: the cloud spread over the West End and was inhaled by many individuals in the area, causing them to overdose and become Infected almost immediately.

The Outbreak
As the newly Infected began spreading through the West End and attacking any individuals they came across, both the FBI and CDC became involved with containing the damage and subduing the “rioters”. St.P.P.D. assets were conscripted to assist with the containment, and all remaining SWAT elements, including reserve units, were activated and sent to relieve those that participated in the initial raid. Those SWAT elements already on the scene were ordered to pull back for retrieval.

Upon hearing the order, Officer Cross immediately countermanded it and led his element deeper into the West End to assist with containment and suppression efforts. Linking up with federal agents (who introduced themselves as Special Agents Stevens and Coulson), Cross and his team learned that the current objective was to identify and subdue any individual under the effects of devil dust, and to detain any individuals who did not appear to be under the drug’s effects for quarantine and treatment by the CDC. The initial operation area was a five-block radius around the Brewery; while this seems small in hindsight, thanks to the timely arrival of federal resources, the outbreak was completely contained to this area.

At Agents Stevens’ and Coulson’s direction, SWAT Element 4 conducted sweep-and-clear actions on homes and businesses that were compromised by Infected within an operation area bounded by Randolph Avenue, South Drake Street, West Tuscarora Avenue, and Bay Street. The action lasted until 7AM on June 19th. By that time, the bulk of the outbreak had been suppressed, and FBI/CDC teams were dealing with the remaining holdouts. Officer Cross and his team members were thanked by the special agents in charge and sent home. They were instructed to not speak of the previous night’s events to anyone until they had been properly debriefed.

The debriefing never happened. The members of Element 4 were immediately relieved of field duty, with Officer Cross suspended pending a Board of Review for disobeying the order to stand down and exposing his fellow officers to undue danger.

= Recruitment =

Discommendation & the Gun Cage
At his Review Board hearing, Officer Cross defended his actions, stating that his team was needed in the field to “clean up the mess we’d made”. While his comments during the hearing were considered out of line, the board determined that Officer Cross was acting in the best interests of both the St.P.P.D. and the City of St. Paul. This resulted in a formal reprimand for disobeying orders, but also a commendation for conspicuous gallantry in the line of duty. As a result of the reprimand, Officer Cross was relieved of field duty indefinitely and again assigned to the armory at police headquarters.

Initially, Cross accepted the duty in stride, considering it the price of disobeying orders. By month six, however, he had grown somewhat disillusioned with the post. Cross found that he had plenty of spare time to practice on the firing line, in addition to testing duties required by the gun cage, and his marksmanship improved rapidly.

In early 2012, Cross started having trouble sleeping. Cross was unable to determine what exactly caused this random insomnia apart from the vague sense of swallowing a bug of some variety. Unable to get any sleep, he would head over to the firing range to get in some practice (this was not considered out of the ordinary, as many officers would make use of the facility at odd hours as their duty schedules allowed). As these practice sessions progressed, Cross found that his marksmanship was being augmented, and that his rounds seemed to be having strange effects on the targets: a pistol round would ignite in flight, a burst of assault rifle fire would seem to refresh him, or a shotgun blast would send the target flying to the back of the range. Cross assumed that either his marksmanship had improved to levels he didn't think possible or someone was messing with his ammunition. Cross remained diligent in his training on the range and took careful notes of any strange weapon behavior for future investigation.

Introduction to Knight Errant
On February 2nd, 2012, Cross received a letter from one Richard Sonnac, president and CEO of Knight Errant Security Consultants, a private security firm based out of London. Mr. Sonnac began his letter by saying how he had heard about Cross through news reports of the West End Outbreak, and went on to praise his “dedication to restoring order to a disordered city.” Sonnac described his organization as a “socially responsible” company interested in providing active security and associated consultation services to various organizations, mostly focusing on small municipalities, non-profit organizations, and other public sector entities. Sonnac ended the letter with an offer of employment: a man of Cross’ abilities and experience could no doubt find gainful employment at any one of a number of private security firms, but Knight Errant was willing to extend very lucrative terms, in addition to chance to give something back, “to work for the betterment of mankind” in Sonnac’s words. A card included with the letter included contact information, should Cross be interested. While it seemed a bit syrupy towards the end, the offered terms seemed extremely favorable. Cross filed the offer away, deciding to research the company further before attempting any sort of reply.

As he learned more about the PRC, Cross learned that much of what Sonnac had described was true: the outfit was well-known in security circles for being extremely efficient and easy to work with, but the numerous testimonials from “satisfied clients” sounded more like PR than actual results. Digging deeper, Cross learned that Knight Errant operatives were found in a number of urban hotspots, and that one of his acquaintances from SWAT training had worked with them personally. She thought they were extremely well-trained for what she thought were supposed to be rent-a-cops, and figured they were ex-SAS or GSG9 ops, and mentioned further that the group she had worked with were British or German to a man. In any case, she confirmed what the PR claimed: KE knew what thFrom this and other reports, Cross decided that, should the opportunity come up, he might apply for a position.

Surveillance Target
Over the next few days, Cross realized he was the subject of an intensive surveillance operation. He noticed the first surveillance team on his day off; Cross observed a dark grey SUV following him on various errands around the city. While he was unable to determine why he would be placed under surveillance, Cross decided to both have a bit of fun at his tail’s expense. Needing lunch, he went to local eatery the Blue Door Pub for his favorite sandwich (the Cowboy, a cheddar and bacon-stuffed hamburger topped with onion rings and barbeque sauce). While eating, he pointed out the SUV to his server and ordered two burgers and an order of cheese curds to be delivered to its occupants. The food was delivered, and the server returned with a note: “Thanks for lunch”, signed with an unusual triangular emblem. Cross made eye-contact with the driver, who nodded before driving off.

The surveillance continued off and on for two months, and Cross noted three different teams keeping eyes on him. Two weeks in, Cross further noted that the surveillance teams stopped trying to be subtle about their job, as everyone seemed fully aware that Cross was aware of them. This unusual familiarity culminated in Team 1 buying Cross lunch at the Nook, another St. Paul hamburger joint: as Cross was seated at his table, a bacon cheeseburger, order of cheese curds, and pint of root beer was placed before him, “courtesy of the feds at the bar”. When Cross looked up, the team had already resumed their post in the SUV.

The Templars
It came more quickly than he realized. On April 5th, Cross was notified that we was being let go from the St.P.P.D. When asked for an explanation, Cross was told that “it came from the top brass, that’s all I can say”. That was all anybody he asked said. Cross noted that the whole business seemed very conspiratorial, especially with everyone avoiding him like the plague.

At home, Cross called the number on the Knight Errant card and was greeted by a pleasant, female voice. After introducing himself, the woman informed Cross that his call was expected and would he be so kind as to go to the Air Canada ticketing booth at Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, where he would find tickets to London by way of Toronto. She also suggested leaving his apartment by the fire escape so as to avoid the federal agents at his door. Cross decided to not ask questions when he heard pounding on his door soon after, and drove to the airport with all speed. He was escorted to a private plane by security personnel, bypassing much of the airport’s security, and soon found himself on his way to London.

Cross was given an extensive set of briefing materials to read on the way, learning the true nature of the organization he was considering joining. Knight Errant was one of countless front organizations for the Templars, “a faction of individuals who see themselves as the first and last line of defense against the evils that lurk in the dark corners of the world.” While Sonnac’s written introduction seemed a bit melodramatic, he had been thoughtful enough to include several operation reports that illustrated how the Templars did business, and Cross studied the dossiers with interest. The last of these was on the West End Outbreak, and Cross was surprised to learn that Agent Coulson was a Templar, while Agent Stevens was a member of the Templars’ chief rivals, the Illuminati. The materials provided on the “secret world” were as confusing as they were extensive, and Cross couldn’t help but notice that he was being briefed for immediate assignment.

= Physical Particulars & Personality = Height - 6’ 2” Weight - 235 lbs. Hair - Dark brown Eyes - Grey Skin - Dark Intermediate (olive tone, usually tanned) Complexion - Swarthy Hair style - Clean-shaven head, goatee Wardrobe - Functional; favors well-fitting t-shirts and tank-tops, jeans, and leather jackets when traveling, combat armor when on active duty; augmented sunglasses at all hours of the day (see equipment notes)

Personality Profile: Cross is professional and courteous while on the job. When in the thick of battle or off-duty time, he is irreverent, light-hearted, and flippant. While he can be serious when required, Cross prefers not to be if at all possible.

= Equipment =

Weapons
Cross is trained in the use of a wide variety of firearms. His primary loadout when on duty consists of a highly-customized Benelli M4 shotgun sporting an 18.5 inch barrel, side-mounted cartridge holder, and collapsible butt-stock. While he is familiar with many pistols and assault weapons, Cross prefers the use of the shotgun whenever possible. He maintains a G36 assault rifle and Sig Sauer P226 semi-automatic pistol for those times when such weapons are needed.

While he has extensive training in many forms of hand-to-hand combat, Cross keeps a mass weapon of some variety at hand at all times. Having seen the effectiveness of such weapons during the West End Outbreak, Cross is always sure to have a sledgehammer or fire axe available in case things need to get “intimate”.

Armor/Optics
When on active duty, Cross wears modular body armor modeled after the PVPB II body armor system, which includes several streamlined ammo modules as well as advanced kevlar and titanium armor plating. Due to the nature of advanced materials available to the Templars, the armor is both lighter and more maneuverable than the equivalent armor available to SWAT teams. When not on duty, Cross prefers a black leather jacket with a stylized version of the Templar cross. The jacket is also capable of keeping him protected, as it also benefits from the same kevlar and titanium inserts, though not to the same extent as the actual armor.

Cross wears a pair of sunglasses at all times. While he states that they "keep the visions from his eyes", the sunglasses are actually a pair of SG-6 Tactical Glasses, sometimes referred to as “Smart Goggles”. A product of Templar front company Ares Macrotechnology, the Tactical Glasses provide a detailed heads-up display with rangefinding, image capture, and target acquisition features in addition to including enhanced night vision and limited thermographic vision.

Cellphones
Cross currently maintains a Samsung Galaxy S3 smartphone under protest; while he appreciates its data-gathering abilities, he is not a fan of smartphones in general. When not forced to use the smartphone, Cross prefers a Casio G’zOne Brigade for his phone and texting needs; he prefers its simplicity to the Galaxy’s “ridiculousness”. It also helps that he once used the Brigade to beat a rakshasa to death and then call in a possible demon escape from the Crucible.