Sandstorm Ch. 04

"Well," I said, "I would like it if we could get a couple or three of them, make a huge example of them for future would-be rioters to think about. Tell Jerome and Teddy that if they identify any of the arsonists, see if they're 'professional' rioters, brought in from the outside, paid by George Schwartz, that kind of stuff. Busting their chops would be really, really nice. Okay, Captain Croyle, what was the evaluation of the riot control?"

"I thought everyone did well." said Teresa. "Lt. Carswell of 2nd Precinct did a really nice job of keeping splinter groups from breaking off, and keeping the march contained to where it went. I did get some feedback from him, Precinct Captain Thompson and Sergeant DeLong that they felt like the target was the Cub Club all along. No other buildings or businesses were put into real danger, they pretty much went straight to the Cub Club, set it on fire, and dispersed."

Teresa continued: "PCpt. Thompson even suggested to me privately that the whole thing very suspiciously benefits T-Square, whose good clubs were not threatened, and now he gets the insurance money on the Cub Club, which was old and business was lagging, and he gets to rebuild it completely."

"Yeah, I would not be surprised if that were true." I said. "So, any areas we need to improve upon?"

"We need to keep practicing, especially our coordination." said Teresa. "I was going to ask you if I could borrow Myron every so often, and have him use the drone and coordinate with me on a mock riot drill. Or maybe an operation to capture Slender Man at Point Hollow."

"And if Slender Man destroys our drones, it will be you explaining their loss to the Council." I replied. "But for mock riots and drills, yes: ask Myron to work with you. Okay, Lieutenant slots. Any candidates? Ideas?"

"I am... disappointed at best... that there has been little interest amongst the Vice Detectives." said Cindy. "Geiger said he'd apply but that he did not expect to get the job; yes, he exuded his lack of confidence verbally. Purvis applied, also, but is he ready for it? He himself isn't sure."

"What about from outside?" I asked.

"My sister Molly suggested Lt. Paul Price from her Police Force." Cindy said. "She's singing his praises, telling me how great he would be..."

"But..." I said.

"When we were children," Cindy said, "I knew Molly was bullshitting me about something when she would sing how great it was. It usually wasn't... for me, anyway. It would be like Carole telling Jim how great stringbeans are, and that he should eat hers as well as his own."

I laughed at that one. "Good analogy. And I agree: Molly has been trying to butter my noodle about Price, also. Unfortunately for him, I've had chances to evaluate him, and I think he's just fine... right where he is now."

"So, the search continues." said Cindy...

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

Monday, June 12th. The sun had set over a City beset by tension and discord. Groups of persons had formed vigils at the spot where Jasmine Nix had died. Most remained small and respectful, but occasionally, as the size of the crowds grew, voices of anger could be heard. The City Police gave the crowds respectful distance, but if they attempted to move as a group, they were met and even surrounded by well-armed and -armored Police that were not brooking any shit.

At the Windham City Plaza Hotel, a meeting was about to take place in one of the conference rooms at the end of the hallway. A large number of black men in suits and ties were in the hallway; there were no floors above this wing so there were no stairs. Men were also in the parking lot and around the door that led into the building from that parking lot.

It had the feel and appearance of a Cold War Soviet-American State Summit. Reporters were kept well away by the Security, and they couldn't get anyone to to tell them what was going on.

The Cadillac Escalade that drove into the parking lot was bulletproof and had extra security features. It was escorted by Police and Security vehicles and pulled up to the door. After security in the other cars fanned out, T-Square climbed out of the vehicle and was escorted inside by a ring of security.

He entered the conference room to see that Big Ice was there, waiting at the table in the middle of the room. Everyone in the room was tense and wary as T-Square and T-Mac came up to the table to join Big Ice and his main lieutenant. Big Ice was a big man, but it was obvious he was wearing armor under his suit... as was T-Square.

They did not shake hands before sitting down, and the tension did not subside once they were seated. It was not clear who would speak first; it was T-Square that did so.

"So," he said, "why did your boy cap Jasmine?"

"I have no idea, brother." said Big Ice. "I'm as shocked about it as you are. I had nothing to do with it. Either he acted alone, or was paid off by someone else."

"Who would pay him off?" asked T-Square.

"Cops. Crackers." said Big Ice. "Or traitors." T-Square was staring at his adversary through his sunglasses.

"Yeah, we got a traitor... somewhere." said T-Square. "And the attack on my suite at my hotel? Who was behind that... brother?"

"Same white supremacists that killed Jasmine, is my guess." said Big Ice.

"How did they get to your boy, and get him to do it?" asked T-Square. "Are all of your people that... disloyal?"

The question angered Big Ice's men, and the tension rose in the room even more. T-Square was staring down Big Ice, who just looked back at him.

"My men are good and loyal." said Big Ice. "Maybe you have a Lone Wolf somewhere, too. All I know is, someone had to have gotten to him... maybe crackers, or maybe someone who I thought was a friend really is not."

"Or maybe someone eliminates people who trusted him, thinking he'll get the whole musical empire for himself, and he'll be the dominant black musical force in the country." replied T-Square. "So... brother... what are we going to do about this?"

"All I know is that I was not behind Jasmine's murder or whatever happened at your place." said Big Ice. "I personally think the Crackers set the whole thing up, shot Jasmine, made it look like Jackson did it, trying to start a war between you and me while they gin up excuses to kill more of our people. I can't prove it, but that's what I think. As to what we do, you and I? We can get past it, work together and go to war with the Police, or we can go our separate ways and do our own things. I know what I'm going to do, either way."

T-Square contemplated what was being said, and what was being implied. "All right, brother, you do what you gotta do. I've got my own things to do." He stood up and began walking out of the room, his entourage of guards beginning to surround him. The walking mass moved to the exit, then people got in their cars and pulled out.

Part 23 - Breaking Point

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded reporterette at 7:00am, Tuesday, June 13th, from in front of the Federal Building. "Channel Two News has learned that there has been a devastating leak of high-level classified information!"

Bettina started: "A group calling themselves the 'The Guardians of Justice' have leaked documents of the BigAgraFoods Corporation's creating unkillable weeds to choke the growth of food source crops. The documents also show that this was done as part of a plan to control and limit food supplies by the U.S. Government should it become necessary. Repeated calls to BigAgraFoods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Pentagon have not been returned."

Bettina continued: "There is a firestorm in Congress over these leaked documents, and our State's U.S. Senator Richard Nunn, considered a TEA Party Conservative by critics, has called for an investigation of BigAgraFoods and several U.S. Government agencies named in the leaked documents. KXTC's calls to U.S. Senator Samuel Russell were not answered, while our local Congressman, Gary A. Condor, said an investigation was needed to determine if these documents are real."

Bettina went on: "These allegations and leaks follow rumors swirling around a Federal facility northwest of the City, just north of our State Line, where a building was destroyed by an explosion last week. The Guardians of Justice allege that these food-killing weeds and other projects were being researched there in secret, and are calling for the FBI to investigate. The FBI has so far had no comment on the recent explosions nor the allegations...."

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

"Soooo," said Chief Moynahan, "the FBI came and got all of those Romanian thugs and took them into Federal custody, and they took our evidence, as well. Including the dirt samples."

We were in his office, with Cindy in attendance as well.

"Please tell me," I said, "that someone had the insight to keep a portion of the dirt for ourselves?"

"If they did, I don't know about it." said the Chief. "Not that I would want to, anyway, but I don't think they did."

"Damn." I said, feeling gloom.

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

I was still in a gloomy (and a bit angry) mood that evening at sunset, still sitting in my office. No lights were on, and the only light was from streetlamps and the parking lot lights. I occasionally looked outside, but the Slender Man did not appear. Nor did any positive thoughts.

Jack Muscone had said he had nothing to do with the FBI coming in and taking our prisoners and samples, that it was something higher up that was going on. He might just as well have said 'Let it go, before they kill you, too.'."

I heard the door open to my darkened office. Cindy came in, and to my surprise brought a hot chair around to sit beside me.

"I have to see your face for this." she said. She peered into my eyes and said "Did you have Callie walk into being kidnapped by that bastard Mr. C.? Did you have anything to do with that, at all?"

I was shocked. "No!" I gasped, then said more forcefully. "Hell, no, of course not! After what you went through with Jenna, I would never do that to you! And I wouldn't bait traps with other people, especially family and close friends like that! You know that!"

Cindy was still peering at me, and I could feel her mentally trying to reach into my mind. I asserted my own force of will into her mind.

"Look." I said, holding up my right hand in the Boy Scout sign. "Scout's Honor. Give me a Bible and I'll swear on it. Pinky swear." I continued, making the 'pinky swear' sign. "Or on whatever you consider holy. What will it take to make you believe me?"

Cindy's eyes finally relented. She exhaled, then said "Sorry, but I had to ask. You are that tricky, sometimes." She got up and brought the hot chair around to the front of the desk again.

"You really thought I'd do that to you?" I asked.

"I don't know." Cindy said. "I don't know what to think, anymore. I believe you when you say you had nothing to do with it. But Callie just says she was ambushed and drugged unconscious, and I know she's more careful than that. And it was... well, it was just pretty damn convenient for her to fall into that, especially after the first time they tried."

"Look." I said. "I can understand you thinking that, and I understand you asking me, even though I'm not sure how I feel about you actually believing I'd do that to you of all people. But no, I had nothing to do with that one. I was going to go into that facility and wax William Clyde Yarborough's sorry ass anyway. I didn't need for any traps to be sprung to make that happen."

Cindy nodded. "I'm sorry. I should never have doubted you. I'm...." She hung her head, and I got up and came around to her. I made her stand up and I gave her a hug, and let her begin crying it out. The tensions within her had been far more than about me and my various sneaky traps, I knew.

"It's hard, I know." I whispered. "I've lived with it from the day I began dating Laura. And you had to go through that with Jenna..."

Cindy tried to compose herself. "I'm sorry, I just... I don't know. I don't know why this one has been too much."

"Where's Callie now?" I asked.

"At home." Cindy said. "Making pizza for us."

"Well then," I said, "you go home and have dinner with her, and tell her how you feel about her... which is really what's going on in here right now."

Cindy smiled and nodded through her tears. "Okay. Oh... and I love you, too, Don." she said, giving me a hard hug that lasted a good long moment.

"I love you, too." I said. "All right, let's go home..."

As I drove home, I thought about it. I could understand how Cindy felt, why she'd doubted me. And I hoped she realized that I would never, ever, do something like that to her. And that was one reason I didn't have the desire to join the CIA when they came asking.

Yes, the CIA and it's best people... yeah, they'd do something like that. They'd 'retire' their Deputy Director for Science and Technology by sending her on a suicide mission... and she'd willingly walk into it, leaving a family behind at home. And they'd put a loved one's life on the line to achieve their goals to smoke out the worst mole they ever had in Federal Government, Mr. C... and their operative would walk into it, leaving her loved one(s) behind.

No, I sent neither Laura nor Callie on any missions, and I had to make damn sure they got back out alive. The Company, they piss me off sometimes. And I am not the one for their games.

And now... they're playing those games with a big threat to our food supply. But the 'Guardians of Justice' were helping to expose them, I thought with a secret smile in my deepest soul...

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

When I came into the Mountain Nest, it was quiet. I was just in time to help Laura put Carole and Jim to bed. Carole read me a story, and when I say she read it, I mean that exactly... this girl was reading first-grade-level books before her fourth birthday.

I petted Bowser then went to Jim's room. I was going to talk to him or read him a book, but he was already asleep. Buddy was in his basket, and happily accepted skritchins for a few moment. He definitely seemed happier these days...

Going back downstairs, I saw that Laura had turned on the television to Fox News Midtown, having made her and myself some good drinks. Meredith Peller and her guests were discussing the Governor and his Press-created troubles.

"I'm starting to get worried about the Governor." Laura said as we snuggled into each other on the sofa, as much as my back would allow. "He's not pushing back well, at all. His own staff is leaking like a sieve."

"Stopping leaks is impossible." I said. "Ask Chief Griswold. Hell, ask me. But to your point, he should hire you as his Chief of Staff, to stop the leaks if nothing else."

"I'd get arrested now if I stopped the leaks my normal way." Laura quipped. "And besides------"

"Whoa, what's this?" I asked, pointing at the television... with a huge vibe going off inside my head.

"We are now going to go to Tim Sioban with KSB in the City." said Meredith Peller. "Tim, what's going on?"

"Meredith!" said Tim Sioban, "we've just gotten word that rapper 'Big Ice' has informed the City Police that he is leaving the jurisdiction and is flying to Los Angeles tonight. His entourage of Cadillac Escalades is coming up the road to the Airport now." The camera showed a line of black SUVs coming up the road. As they got near Sioban's position, and an intersection there, the cars slowed down.

"Oh shit!" I gasped almost before I realized it. "Look out!"

I was always scanning crowds, so I saw things on the edges of the sight picture. A car was coming up and blocking the convoy, just as two men were running up to Big Ice's vehicle. I'd recognized one of them as Jasmine Nix's young assistant 'Stevie'. I didn't know the other man, but he opened fire on Big Ice's vehicle with an M-4.

"Oh my God!" yelled Tim Sioban into his microphone and people began screaming and running away. The camera caught the damage done to the supposedly bulletproof glass of the passenger/shotgun side of the car; it was shattered. Then 'Stevie' pointed his .45 caliber semi-auto pistol into the car and shot 'Big Ice' at point blank range...

The gunmen began running away. As Big Ice's Security tore after them, bystanders seemed to 'accidentally' get in their way, impeding their progress. It looked like chaos, but to my trained, experienced eye it was organized chaos. Stevie and the other man would get away from the security men, and there was not a City Police Officer to be found for the next ten minutes.

We watched the scene unfold. Tim Sioban was getting the scoop of his career as he reported. The camera got close enough for me to see Big Ice in his car, blood all over the side of his head. He would be confirmed dead a few moments later.

"Oh my God." whispered Laura as we watched the scene unfold in front of us.

"That was retaliation by Jasmine Nix's people." I said. "They're going to war. It's going to be a storm... a sandstorm..."

My Police cellphone rang...

Finis.