Point Hollow Ch. 01

Other Media outlets promised to give KSTD footage and help them out in any way, but I did not care about that. Priya was over the top, and she and her station would pay for it by being denied the access her competitors were getting. And needless to say, Bettina Wurtzburg and KXTC were getting the exclusive interviews and background information.

"So," said Cindy as we watched Priya's newscast, "do you think this so-called search party is being ginned up by KSTD?"

"Or by someone else." I said. "But it's definitely being ginned up. And I have no problem with it... they can cross the State Line and search. We can't, not officially anyway."

"That's just such dirty pool." said Cindy. "And after what you did to save her life. Damn, not a shred of gratitude."

"Well, that's understandable." I said. "Priya has to show she's not 'beholden' to me for saving her... and she does that by going the other way and actually attacking me. I also suspect she's being guided, directed, and ordered by Katherine Woodburn and others to do what she's doing."

"Katherine Woodburn is bound by her agreement with the Feds to not have operational involvement with Media companies anymore." Cindy said. "Is there something we can do along those lines?"

"Geez, Cindy." I said. "We've got six missing people out there, the aftermath of the Elizabeth Women's Group to clean up, Thomas P. Cook's corruption coming to light, promotions within the TCPD, the Consultant of Crime out there poised like a rattlesnake to strike at us, and you want to start a fight with the most crooked and most ambitious politician in the State?" Cindy looked hard at me until I grinned at her.

"So what do we do?" Cindy asked, after the requisite waiving of the blue crowbar at me.

"We wait." I said. "And pray."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

The KSTD news footage showed students looking for the missing people. They were going through woods near the road that led north, as if the bodies had been dumped near the road. It was just for show and I strongly suspected it would be of no value.

And sure enough, it was the FBI that found something. I got a call about 2:00pm that a small cabin had been found hidden in the woods, nearly four miles north of the State line, well camouflaged. Two of the women had been found: Annemarie Reynolds and Sherry Kim. They were being life-flighted to University Hospital.

"There's still no sign of the others." Jack Muscone told me at the Hospital. There was some blood and vomit on the floor at the foot of the beds, and it doesn't type to either of the women. We'll run more tests, including DNA markers, and see if it's any of the others."

Dr. Morgan and Dr. Laura Fredricson came out to give us the report. It was not good.

"Both women were severely dehydrated." said Dr. Morgan. "Twenty-four more hours and they'd have been dead."

"In addition," said my wife, "both women were repeatedly raped over the course of several days. Sherry Kim had particularly damaging injuries to her vagina and anus... I think she might have been a virgin, and the violent penetrations caused severe abrasions. They really worked her over. Annemarie's injuries are not nearly as bad as Sherry's."

"I take it we won't be talking to them for a while." I said.

"We couldn't even sedate them because they're so dehydrated; the drugs would be too strong." said Dr. Morgan. "We've got them on IVs right now. Once they get to a safe level, we'll mildly sedate them while we put more saline solution and nutrients into their bodies. Then we'll slowly bring them out, and Dr. Fredricson will be here for that... I suspect her tremendous psychiatric skills will be needed."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

7:30pm. I was at the Mountain Nest with the kids and dogs while Laura was at the Hospital. Cindy and Teresa came in, having phoned me that they were outside. Carole was happy to see them; Bowser was a bit more skeptical. Buddy went right over to Teresa.

"Buddy looks so healthy now." Teresa said. "Thank you for keeping him, Don."

"I love having him as much as I love having Bowser." I said.

"Bowser is a good dog." said Carole, as if on cue.

"What about Buddy, Carole?" Teresa asked.

"Bud-dy is a good dog, too." Carole said. We were all proud of her.

It was a bit early, but I announced bedtime, and had help getting the kids ready. Once Cindy got Carole to go to sleep, and once the dogs were settled into their baskets, we adults headed back downstairs.

"Any word on the other missing students?" I asked.

"No, sir." said Teresa. "The FBI brought in human scent dogs and cadaver dogs to the place they found the women. So far, they've found nothing. There's trail leading by there, big enough for a motorcycle or four-wheeler to use, so the FBI thinks that's how people got in and out of there."

"What do you think this is, Don?" asked Cindy.

"I don't know." I said. "Probably the drug perps that set up the meth lab. But there are some things that are bothering me... strangenesses..." Cindy and Teresa looked at each other, then back to me.

"For example," I said as they were about to ask, "I still don't know who was supposed to pick them up. I don't think they were going to hike back in, as they had those coolers of samples to lug in, and they really didn't have backpacking equipment to transport their gear. But no one seems to know just what the plan was to go get them, and who was to do it. I followed up with phone calls to Professor Mickelson and the other biology students. None of them would admit to knowing anything. Ben Ellman apparently left for a conference yesterday in Tennessee."

"And what's more," I said, "I am pretty sure they expected to come back Sunday. The ice was slowly melting in those coolers, and if they took it out fresh on Friday, I'd expect it to be melted by Sunday... probably by Saturday night."

"Who were the two people that contacted Dr. Mickelson about the people going missing?" asked Teresa.

"One of them was Estes, who was one of those that drove them out." I said. "And that bothers me... he could've gone to check on them if he was worried; he has keys to the vans. The other person was one of Sherry Kim's Asian girlfriends."

"What did those activist searchers say when they were told two were found nowhere near where they were looking?" Cindy asked, and I noticed the disdain in her voice.

"I don't know." I said. "KXTC mysteriously got a tip about the two women, and KSTD was left in the dust on it."

"For all your efforts, Don," said Cindy, "it's not working. KXTC gave KSTD their footage of the life-flight taking off. By the way, Scott Peterson, our Public Relations Officer, may be talking with KSTD behind your back. Don't ask me how I know that."

"I don't need to." I said. Acolytes of 'The Vision' were everywhere, including the offices of KXTC and KSTD. And they would tell their beloved great leader's daughter if they found out about this treasonous communication.

"So, ladies... 'teachable moment'." I said. "What would you do about Peterson if you were me?"

"Get the evidence of their communication, and then fire him." Cindy said. Teresa was looking at me with more of a gleam in her eye.

"I would say that," Teresa said, "but I have a feeling you have another idea."

"And you don't need a crowbar for that good feeling, or thinking." I said. "Yes... when we know we have someone like that in our midst... I will see if I can use him to my advantage." The women nodded, understanding my tactical idea.

"And one more thing." I said. "We were pretty much going to put Peterson in the 3d Precinct Captain slot. But that would... waste this opportunity, so sorry for him..."

Part 8 - Treachery

Thursday, April 28th. As I talked with Cindy and Teresa, other events were transpiring in the City.

"Why should I trust you, Fat Boy?" said the criminal, a tall, lean black man, lean to the point of near emaciation.

"Look, you give me those Spics in the 8th Street Gang, and my guys will let you have exclusive access to the territory." said SBI Agent Leonard 'Sergeant' Sharples. "But you better show some respect, and call me 'Sergeant'. That would promote trust... and a spirit of cooperation."

The other smirked, then laughed shortly. "You outta yo mind, Fat Boy. Like I said... it ain't about you trustin' me... it's about me trustin' you."

"Tell ya what." said Sharples, his drawling voice sardonic. "I got your boy 'Skinnydip' in the van over there. I'll hand him over to you as a token of our new friendship. With the cash to make the buy from the 8th Street Boys. Then you step out of the way, leave the drugs, we come in and catch them with both."

"Bring Skinnydip out here." said the man. Sharples pointed back at the van, where two rough looking men brought another young black man out of the van and pushed him over towards Sharples and his counterpart.

"All right, Fat Boy." said the man, taking the briefcase of cash from Skinnydip, knowing it'd be marked and maybe tagged with a tracking device. "I was told not to trust you. It better go down smooth, our I'll put a price on your fat head."

"Yeah, yeah, cut the theatrics." said Sharples, hypocritically. "Go on up there now. Our team is watching over you."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"All of a sudden..." said the leader of the 8th Street Gang, a Latino man wearing a white wife-beater t-shirt and smelling of stale beer as he smoked his cigar, "... you have the money to buy my drugs, so you can distribute them to your niggers in the Railyards. Now why am I have a lot of trouble believing that... a laaaahhht of trouble..."

"Listen, man," said the emaciated black man, "you wanna do business, or not? I just scored this loot and my people want their hits. And then I'll have more money to buy more from you."

"I know how the business works, 'Chubby'." said the Latino man. "Okay, Pedro, let's give the man his coke."

'Chubby' the emaciated man did the routine checks of the quality of the drugs. Real cocaine, not washing detergent.

As the men were about to go their separate ways, suddenly eight cars hurtled into the alley. Well-armed and -armored men rushed in, the letters "SBI" on the backs of their jackets. Many wore masks to conceal their identities as NTF agents. They screamed for the 8th Street gangsters to get on the ground.

"I got a couple more for you." said Sharples, coming up to them. "Couple of Darkies. Tried to run." The emaciated 'Chubby' and his partner 'Skinnydip' were roughly led up, both in handcuffs behind their backs.

"Good job, Sergeant." said the group leader as he came up. It was Dick Ferrell.

Just then four City Police cars came rushing in, their red and blue lights flashing. The leader got out of his car.

"What the fuck is going on here?" he demanded to know.

"SBI." said Ferrell. "This is a drug bust."

"Not in the City, you shithead!" yelled the City Lieutenant. "This is our jurisdiction and the SBI is to stay the hell out. Boys, disarm and arrest the SBI agents!"

Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by another two large groups of SWAT-like SBI Agents, ready for combat and ready to kill him and his fellow City Officers. Ferrell came up to him.

"Listen, you little local shit eater." Ferrell said. "The SBI has jurisdiction over every inch of this State. WE tell YOU what to do, not the other way around. You obey MY orders, or you go to jail for disobeying the orders of an SBI Agent. We are sovereign over you, and if think otherwise, you're going to find out the hard way... as will the rest of this State. And when Jack Lewis is Governor... then the City Police won't exist after we dig up your asses for corruption. Oh... and just to make a point."

Ferrell turned and went up to one of the arrested 8th Street Gang members. "Take his cuffs off." Ferrell said. "Everyone take a good look at this guy. He's a mole, an undercover City cop worming his way into your gang. You know him by the name 'Domingo', but his real name is Vasco Rodriguez of the City Police. Take a good look at him!"

The gang looked at Rodriguez with hatred. Ferrell said "Get out of here, Rodriguez. Go back home with your tail between your legs with your other worthless locals."

"You'll pay for this." said Rodriguez. Suddenly Ferrell drew his weapon and put it to Rodriguez's head.

"What did you say, you fucking piece of shit?" Ferrell snarled. "I should blow your fucking head off right now." Ferrell then lowered his weapon. "But I think I'll let the 8th Street Boys do it, when they make bail. They can look up your home address, know where your pretty, fertile wife and daughter are, and they'll do the right things. They'll make sure your wife and daughter are... properly satisfied." The SBI Agents laughed, laughs full of menace.

The gangsters were hauled into vans and driven down to Westphalia for processing. The two black men stared at Sharples, unappeasable hatred in their eyes. He just looked back at them and smirked...

To be continued.