Trilogy: The Darkest Night

The chronological order of my stories is as follows:

Todd & Melina series, Interludes 1-5, Sperm Wars series, Russian Roulette series, Case of the Murdered Lovers series, Case of the Murdered Chessplayer series, The Swap series, Interludes 6-10, The Murdered Football Player Series, Case of the Black Widow series, Teresa's Christmas Story, Case of the Black Badge series, A Case of Revenge series.

The Trilogy.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, extreme language, and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial or racist language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

*****

Part 1 - Heroism and Sacrifice

"Officer down! Officer down! Two wounded, need EMTs to the scene, stat!"

I heard the call on the radio even as I was looking ahead of me, held down by Micah Rudistan and Martin Nash's full weight, unable to help. Cindy Ross was lying on the floor of the gymnasium, unconscious and badly wounded, her body covering that of a SWAT team member that had been shot in the leg. She had rushed forward to cover and save him and had been hit herself multiple times. Automatic weapons fire was coming from the balcony on the far side of the gym, and my SWAT team's fire was not adequate in stopping the perps from continuing to shoot at the exposed officers.

Time seemed to slow down and everything was in slow motion. I saw four persons dressed in all black, heavily armored with black motorcycle helmets and face shields run past us into the arena and begin firing at the perps. They had military Squad Automatic Weapons, 'SAWs', and began pouring a huge amount of fire into the perps' positions.

A rifle clattered to the floor of the gym on the far side, followed by a perp that had been hit multiple times by our four friends. As they continued firing, I ordered Rudistan to get off of me, but I saw Hugh Hewitt and one of his SWAT team rush out and pull Cindy and the other wounded officer back into the safety of the hallway where we were. I then noticed that all firing had stopped as someone gave a 'cease fire' order. The remaining perps had vanished. The four people in the helmets with the heavy firepower seemed to blend into the chaos of officers, then they were simply not there anymore.

Finally able to get up, I ordered that a perimeter be established to find the perps. EMTs were treating the wounded SWAT team man, while a doctor and other EMTs were cutting off Cindy's body armor and uniform shirt. Three bullets had penetrated the armor and penetrated her chest.

"Sucking chest wound." said the doctor as he put a piece of sterilized plastic on one wound to arrest the damage. After the immediate work, the EMTs got Cindy onto a stretcher and to an ambulance, which rushed her to University Hospital.

"Hewitt, report." I said as officers began sorting out the chaos and beginning to process the crime scene.

"The perp on the other side is dead." Hewitt said. "We've taken up his weapon. Two wounded on our side. Ross looked badly hurt. I think our SWAT guy is going to be okay, though."

I looked at my watch. It was nearly midnight, the night of July 5th about to turn into the morning of July 6th.

"Who were those four guys in the heavy armor and motorcycle helmets?" I asked. "They saved our asses, but where did you guys get SAWs and that kind of armor?"

Hugh and the other SWAT team members looked at each other for a moment, then looked around as if to find the four. Then Hugh said "Lieutenant, I don't know who they were. They weren't my guys."

I just gaped at them in disbelief...

--

The anonymous tip had come in at 3:00pm that afternoon from a Confidential Informant to one of the Vice Squad uniformed Sergeants. It had said that my nephew Ned was going to be selling drugs at the Olivet site's gymnasium.

While he had been alive, Tim Olivet had built a basketball/volleyball gymnasium on the edge of his property. It could be accessed from outside the fences and also from the plant side. He'd built it for charity: underprivileged children and various boys and girls clubs were invited to use the facility for sports activities, and it was very popular with the Townspeople.

The seating to the gym was accessed by a balcony that went around to the top of the wooden seats that could be pushed in. In that, the gym was like any high school gymnasium. There was a front lobby hallway where two doors accessed the gym floor, and from there one accessed the balcony that lead to the seats' top rows. There was a rear hallway, again with two doors accessing the gym, which went to locker rooms, but there was no balcony access from the backside. There were seats at the end of the gym, rarely used, with narrow paths for players to use to get to the playing floor from the doors.

After getting the tip, I had my departments scramble to confirm it. In the early evening hours, it was independently confirmed that Ned would be at the gymnasium. Finally, we had the bastard! I thought to myself.

'Operation Ned' was put into effect. The full eight-man SWAT team readied their best weapons and heaviest armor for the assault. Police in plain clothes were sent to observe the gymnasium. Many other officers were also prepared, wearing armor, police helmets and armed with M-4 rifles.

The word was that Ned was going to set up tables on the gym floor, and customers would come in through one front lobby door, buy drugs, then exit the other door. My plan was to come in from behind, through the locker rooms and hallway, and take Ned and any of his cohorts down.

Chief Griswold had injured his ankle while watching the July 4th triathlon that Cindy and Teresa had won in amazing fashion, so he was restricted to Headquarters for this mission. Before we left for the Olivet site just after dark, he addressed the assemblage, telling us to be careful, watch out for each other, and let our good training guide us. Then I gave the order to go, and led my troops into battle.

--

We were on essential radio silence as we approached the Olivet site. The main gate was on the west side, we used the southeast gate that was the 'back' of the property. Once inside, we left our cars near the entrance. A perimeter was set up around the property's fence as well as to the outside of the gymnasium, everyone hidden to avoid detection. The strike team moved in on the gymnasium.

Once there, it was a waiting game. I could see through the doorway that a couple of plastic long picnic tables had been set up. There were two men in the gym, talking quietly, which gave us no chance to go into the playing area and look around, nor to take positions under the seats.

We waited. Finally, at about 11:30pm, a radio message came into my earpiece: cars were pulling up to the front doors. The spotters then said that people were coming into the gym. And a moment later, I saw several people walk in, some with guns drawn. They looked around, then looked back towards the door. And then Ned walked in.

I tried to stop my heart from racing. There he was. We had him.

In my excitement, I failed to notice that neither Ned nor his team were really setting up anything. Ned was looking around warily, as was his team. It was as if he was waiting for someone. He looked at his watch several times as the minutes droned on.

Standing back from the doors so as not to be heard, I very quietly said into my radio "Cut off the front doors." It was the signal for the hidden front door team to get in place to prevent Ned and his cohorts from escaping. Just as my SWAT team had been informed, those officers had been given 'shoot-to-kill' orders regarding Ned, though we'd try to leave his associates alive if possible.

I hand-signaled my team to get ready and they lined up at the entrance doors. The narrow 'chute' was not ideal, but with speed and surprise we should have the advantage.

Just as I was about to give the order, I heard Ned say "Hell, they're not here. Are they even coming? Let's go, guys." Seeing as they were turning to leave, I yelled "GO!" My team rushed forward, led by the SWAT team. Then everything turned to hell in a handbasket.

It was an ambush.

As the SWAT team came out into the open, several heavily armed men suddenly sprang up from the balcony and along the upper seats on each side. They began shooting semi-automatic rifles at my people, and I had a brief second to see that they had some serious military firepower.

"AMBUSH!" I yelled as loud as I could, holding my radio mike open for all to hear. "PULL BACK! BACK! BACK! BACK!" The SWAT team began retreating even as they were firing back at their ambushers. I saw that Ned had rushed headlong for the front doors as the firefight started, but I could not shoot at him because the SWAT team was trying to pull back through the doors.

Then one of SWAT team man went down. I saw the spray out of the back of his leg: a bullet had gone clean through his thigh. As I rushed forward to help him, I felt myself being shoved to the ground. Hugh Hewitt and Cindy went forward past me, I'm not sure which one pushed me down.

Then Cindy went forward, kneeling between the down man and the fire, shooting at the men on the balcony. Our fire was coming from the doors, but wasn't enough as the ambushers trained their weapons onto Cindy and began firing. She seemed to be holding out, but then collapsed as she was hit, and I could see that she had intentionally fallen onto the SWAT officer to cover him as she fell, still trying to save her fellow officer(s) to the last.

Again I tried to rush forward, but that was a dream: I was being tackled again, and this time Rudistan put his full considerable weight on top of me and Martin Nash was helping. They fully intended that I was not going to die in the line of duty tonight; as our four unknown helpers suddenly rushed passed me and saved the day, my aching heart wondered if Cindy had just made the supreme sacrifice...

Part 2 - Chaos and Darkness

At about 12:30am, I arrived at University Hospital and went to the waiting room on the floor where the Trauma Center was. Cindy had been rushed into surgery. I found Chief Griswold already there; he'd rushed to the hospital as soon as the words 'Officer Down' had hit the airwaves.

Captain Leslie Charles was also there: it was his son that had been hit in the leg.

"Charles is going to be okay." Griswold told me. "Bullet went clean through the leg, but no major blood vessels hit, nor was the bone. It's going to hurt a lot for a while, though."

"And Cindy?" I asked, barely able to speak the words.

"Don't know yet. They rushed her in fast, and I didn't like the looks on their faces." the Chief replied.

I took out my cell phone and called Molly in Midtown, telling her what had happened, and asking her to pick up Teresa and get up here as fast as they could. Other people began trickling in, first Martin Nash, then Laura, then almost all of the rest of the MCD team as well as Julie Newton and Timothy Geiger of Vice.

I talked with the Chief about the raid, telling his what had happened, what had gone wrong. I mentioned the four black-clad gunmen that had come in and saved us, and said that nobody knew who they were. Laura said she had no knowledge of any Federal agents ready to help us, and I believed her. As we talked, Senior Patrolmen Rudistan and Morton came up to us, long looks on their faces.

"Sir," said Rudistan, being the bravest and not letting bad news get worse with age, "the bastard got away." He then reported that Ned and his henchmen had come out of the gym with guns blazing, and while none of our guys had been hit, the covering fire had enabled Ned to get in one of the cars and get away. Two henchmen had died when police returned fire, but the other cars also got away, covering for Ned. Some police cars gave chase, but Ned's car was gone and one of the Sergeants had called off the chase as the bad guys were firing at the cop cars while driving through Town, creating considerable risk to the populace. I could understand that.

"Ned has to be somewhere," I said, "he could not have gotten far." I knew APBs were out on the car and police were crawling all over Town and the County like fire ants from a disturbed mound. Moments later, a call came in to Rudistan's police radio that Ned's car had been found, abandoned, just south of the Courthouse Square. But despite an intense

and motivated manhunt, my bastard nephew was not to be found this night.

"What do you think, Crowbar?" the Chief asked, prodding me to start talking and let things flow so that I could put the puzzle pieces together. But I was too worried about Cindy.

"I can't think right now, Chief." I said, looking towards the doors of the Trauma Center. "It's going to take some time to process all of this one."

"I understand." the Chief said, patting me on the knee. "Just relax. All we can do is wait, now."

We waited. Every time the intercom came on, calling a doctor or for something to come to Trauma Center, we all jumped out of our skins, and we prayed that no doctor would come walking slowly out of there towards us...

--

At 1:30, I got a call from Hugh Hewitt, asking me to come down to the Armory at Headquarters. I headed over.

I found Hugh and four SWAT team members in the armory, looking at the disassembled pieces of the ambusher's rifle they'd recovered from the scene. After telling them that their buddy Charles was out of danger, I listened to the report as Hewitt talked.

"Sir, this recoil spring here is much stronger than an ordinary M-4." Hewitt said. And if you look at the chamber and barrel, you can see it's built stronger than the ordinary military rifle. Also, look at these bullets... these pointed tips. These bullets are packed with powder that would damage an ordinary rifle."

"So what does this mean?" I asked.

Hugh said "Sir, when I was in Special Ops, this shit was classified. Only a few people even had these kind of rifles and bullets. They're meant to penetrate body armor. The bullets are 'cop-killer' bullets, and illegal for ordinary citizens or even police officers to have. Of course we'll bag these as evidence so we don't get busted. But the bottom line, Lieutenant, is that whoever ambushed us had access to some extremely powerful and limited special hardware."

"Sir, let me show you this." said the SWAT team member who was the brother of the young man known as 'The Leader'. It was Cindy's armored vest. "She took eight hits to the vest. Five of them didn't penetrate but three did. She also had on a thigh plate, and at the sharp angle two bullets bounced off like bouncing off water, and also didn't pierce her vest. But seeing what kind of bullets these were, she was lucky that only three got through. She should be dead, and so should several of us that took hits. They meant to kill us, Lieutenant. That much is for sure."

I just nodded. The first puzzle pieces were falling into place in my mind. As I drove back to the hospital I finally allowed my mind to roam... and I began to see clearly the 'what' and the 'how' and the 'why' of everything that had happened in that gymnasium...

--

When I got back to the Hospital, the Chief met me in the hallway. "Not the best time and place to discuss this, but I suspect it fits in with what's going on." Griswold said, his own considerable abilities to put puzzle pieces together being exposed. "Internal Affairs reported yesterday afternoon on the Crime Lab break-in. Technician Cho did use her exit code to set the alarm, as she should have. However, someone came in and defeated the system. They did not punch in a code but defeated it electronically. So that's why there were no alarms."

"Yes sir, that bespeaks high level stuff, just like when that guy was caught in our Evidence rooms." I said, "And yes, it does fit into this. I think I've got a handle on what's going on- oh, hello Molly."

Molly and Teresa had arrived. As they hugged me and then lots of other people, I shook hands with the third person that walked in: Detective Sergeant Wes "Coldiron" Masters of the Midtown Police Force.

"What brings you here, Sergeant?" I asked.

"I drove Detectives Evans and Croyle up here." Masters replied. "No way I was going to let either of them drive." I thanked Masters for that; this was a man that took care of his people, something to take note of.

People were chatting, Molly with me and Chief Griswold, the MCD detectives already starting to make notes for their reports. To my surprise, Captain Charles and Sgt. Masters were engaged in conversation and seemed to really be hitting it off.

Teresa sat by herself, her eyes downcast, but that did not last long. Laura sat down next to her and talked with her. Teresa did not demand to be left alone, but allowed herself to be talked to, and soon Laura was giving her a well-needed hug and comforting her like no one else in the room could.

At 3:00am, Tanya Perlman arrived, having led the processing of the crime scene. She had managed to recover one of the perps' unfired cartridges, and she showed it to all of us, saying that it was a cop-killer bullet. "They meant to kill people, Lieutenant." she said. "People wearing armor. I don't think this was a drug set-up. They meant to kill us, and probably you were the primary target, Lieutenant."

"I agree about the ambush, but I'm not sure that I nor anyone else was a specific target. I think they just wanted to shoot at police officers." I said. Even as I sat there and tried not to think, more puzzle pieces were edging into my consciousness from the edges, demanding to be put in their proper place.

I looked over at Laura. My wife was beginning to understand as she looked at the cop-killer bullet. "Excuse me for a moment." she said, getting up to leave. When she did not return for some minutes, I went looking for her.

The waiting room was in the corner of the hospital, where the left-side "L" shape was (the overall hospital was like a letter "I"). The Trauma Center was straight ahead, and I went to the side, down the leg of the building towards the front, the Town. The first hospital room down that hall was empty and the door was cracked open. I looked inside to see my wife standing in the darkness, looking out the window. As I came in and approached, I could see tears streaming down her face.

"This is not my Agency." she whispered as I came up behind her and put my arms around her. "This is not the Company that I've loved and worked for for all of these years." she said, almost sobbing.

"I know, sweetheart, I know." I said. "It's not your fault. I know who's behind it."

"And it was you they were after tonight, wasn't it?" Laura said, her voice barely above a whisper. "And Cindy jumped ahead of you. Martin told me that they had to tackle you to keep you from going out there..."

"Yes, you're right, they held me back." I said, letting myself acknowledge that my team did everything to keep me safe, all of them knowing that I would have gone out there first and taken those bullets that Cindy did if they had not restrained me... and if I could, I'd trade places with Cindy right now.

"I am going to kill those bastards." Laura said. "I don't care anymore; they've crossed the line."

"How about you let me take care of this one, honey." I said, knowing what I was going to do.

"You can't." Laura said. "It's over your head. If you kill any of them, we both will be killed in retaliation. This isn't about the law, this is an internecine CIA war."