Case of the Black Badge Ch. 04

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, Case of the Black Widow series, Teresa's Christmas Story.

The Case of the Black Badge, Ch. 1-4

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 24 - Who Let The Dogs Out

Paulina Patterson and I walked into Police Headquarters together shortly before 6:00am. After sleeping together with her in my arms all night, she gave me an excellent blowjob and swallowed my entire load before we showered together. I had to give her a pair of Laura's panties in exchange for her pair in my desk... which would soon be transferred to a ziplock bag and kept as a very precious souvenir of our first interracial coupling.

We walked into MCD together to get coffee. Only Tanya Perlman was in the room, and her eyes lit up with sparkling pleasure as she saw us and grinned. I saw her mouth "Oh wow!" at me as Paulina poured her coffee, and I couldn't help smiling back. When Paulina headed across the hall to her office, I sat down next to Tanya.

"You nailed her, didn't you?" Tanya whispered excitedly. "You finally tapped that hot piece of black ass! C'mon, you did, didn't you?"

"Now Tanya, you know I don't kiss and tell." I said.

"Bullshit." Tanya said, as happy as I'd seen her since Pete died. "Nice going! Captain Malone would have a heart attack if he knew."

"He doesn't. And she helped me break in the new office last night." I said, which was kissing and telling, and it made Tanya's eyes sparkle and her cheeks get even rosier.

"Aw, I was gonna do that." Tanya said, pretending to pout, but unable to hide her cute grin.

"So how are you doing? How's the pregnancy coming along?"

"Not bad." Tanya said. "Not too much morning sickness."

"Good." I said, just as Cindy Ross walked into the room. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she studied us.

"Okay, what's up?" Cindy said. "It's great seeing you look this way again, Tanya, but what's up?"

Tanya circled the fingers of her left hand and began sliding her right index finger in and out of the space, the gesture of fucking. "This guy and Paulina." Tanya said. "Last night." I blushed and took another sip of my coffee, knowing that word of my sexual conquest of the lovely black ADA would be all over the Station within hours.

"I'm delighted to see our Lieutenant is committed to racial diversity." Cindy said in a totally deadpan voice as she sat down at her desk to begin perusing the online police news services, trying to hide a grin.

---

Of course 7:00am meant another day with Bettina!

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" said the lovely reporterette on TV, looking a bit happier and more vigorous than in the previous couple of weeks. "Channel Two News has learned that the two suspended Town & County Police Officers were denied bail by a Federal judge after being arrested on Federal charges. For more on this, let's go to Priya Ajmani at the National desk. Priya!"

"Thank you, Bettina!" said the lovely Indian woman, drawing Cindy's total attention. "Channel Two News has learned that a Federal judge denied a request by the Town & County Court to return suspended officers Brody and Gunn to this County, stating that they can be transported for any hearings and trials, but must remain in Federal custody at all times."

"I need to call Muscone." I said to Cindy as we listened. "There's something not right about this being reported like this."

"In another developing national news story," Priya continued, "the Director of the CIA is expected to testify in a closed-door hearing before Congress today on CIA research projects, including the alleged use of dogs in experiments. Channel Two News has been following the story of huge student protests at Northwestern University after a report was leaked that the CIA was going to move a project that used brutal experiments on helpless dogs to the Northwestern campus. The CIA has denied the reports of the move to Northwestern, but will neither confirm nor deny that they do not use innocent puppies in their research projects. This is Priya Ajmani for Channel Two News at the National desk."

Now I understood why Laura had been summoned to Washington, and I felt bad for her. She would never allow such treatment of dogs in any projects she oversaw, and now someone had leaked that other elements of the CIA might be conducting those brutal experiments. I felt like there was some hidden purpose and intention in letting that story leak, also...

Part 25 - Who Let The Dogs In

Laura returned to the "Mountain Nest" Tuesday night, and mother and baby daughter were very happy to see each other.

"It was rough." said Laura of her trip to Washington. "There was the dog experiment issue. I used more curse words in one day than I have in the last ten years in chewing their asses over that, and I pissed some of them off. Also, I spoke to the DDI himself; they won't let me retire for at least another year, and they won't let me quit because I know too much. But they're scaling back my responsibilities, and hopefully I'll be out of the loop before too long."

"Good." I said. "I don't know if Carole or I will be happier to have you at home full time, but happy we will be."

"As will I. By the way," Laura said, "this thing about Sergeant Carroll and the Black Badge gang has the attention of people in Washington. I had several FBI people trying to talk to me about it. I don't know why they're so interested, but it is starting to look like the 'BFD' you claimed it to be..."

---

That Tuesday evening, I got a call from Jack Muscone in the City. "Your County made a second attempt to get these guys back." Jack said. "They tried to go to an appellate judge to overturn our Federal judge's ruling. It was turned back and our judge is angry about it. I remember you saying that when they start trying stuff to really watch out for these guys, so I've heightened security here. In addition, my boss has authorized me to expense lodging for you and Ross for a couple of days if you want to come over."

"We'll be right there." I said, knowing something was up. I called the Chief and then called Cindy, and within an hour she and I were driving to the City.

Once there, we went into Jack Muscone's office. "Gunn hasn't said a word, and he likely won't. We brought him into the interrogation room and the only words out of his mouth was 'Where's my lawyer?' then he starts saying we're violating his rights by denying him his lawyer."

"Yeah, cry me a river." I said. "What about Brody?"

"Oh, he's an interesting one." Muscone said. "He has not had a lawyer visit him, nor has he asked for once since Gunn's beagle dropped Brody the other day. He still won't say anything, but I think he's thinking about it."

---

Early the next morning, Wednesday, an FBI Agent brought a tray of food towards Brody's cell. She was young, slender, lithe, with curly black hair. Her suit was gray with an open, big-collared electric blue blouse. The suit hid the fact that her body was well-toned and that she was practiced in the martial arts.

"Breakfast, Brody!" the woman said, putting the tray in the slot of the door. There was a plate of eggs and bacon and a bottled vegetable juice drink. "Enjoy- uff! she gasped as she was slammed into the wall next to the cell. Sandra Speer and Eduardo Escobar were trying to put cuffs on her as Jack Muscone grabbed the tray of food.

"Not yet, Brody." said Muscone. "This might be poisoned." He turned away and two technicians immediately bagged the food for testing.

Suddenly, the woman broke free from the two FBI Agents. Her martial arts skilled came into display as she chopped Speer hard over the kidney, knocking the redheaded agent down. The woman then slammed a punch into Escobar's chest, stunning him and knocking him to the ground. She made a move to attack the technicians and get to the food, but was too late: Cindy Ross jumped in her way.

It was not even a contest: I just watched as Cindy parried three blows, then delivered a smashing blow to the woman's face. Cindy then exercised a maneuver that had the woman face-down on the ground in the blink of an eye, her arm twisted behind her back. A second blink of the eye had the woman's hands cuffed behind her back.

"Damn, Ross!" said Muscone as his Agents picked themselves up, groaning in pain. "I've never seen anything like that! I should hire you instead of the Iron Crowbar, here."

"You could do worse, but I'm not giving her up." I said. "Good work, Ross." The woman was glaring at Cindy as Jack ordered several other agents who had come in to take the woman into the Interrogation room. The technicians left to test the food.

---


"Here you go, Brody." I said, bringing some McDonald's breakfast to him. "That stuff that woman brought would likely have killed you."

"Oh it's you." said Brody. "How do I know this stuff won't kill me just as dead?"

"You want me to sample it before you eat it?" I said.

"Sure, taste the coffee." Brody said. I did so, and he then took a drink himself.

"Brody," I said, "you need to wise up. That was an attempt to kill you. If you don't cooperate soon, the next attempt might succeed. I can't stay over here in the City forever."

"Yeah... well how do I know that whole fucking thing wasn't staged, huh? I wouldn't put it past you and these Feds to try to trick me like that."

"That's a point, Brody, a genuine point." I said. "Of course, if it was a trick, then nothing you say would be admissible, and we don't want that. The FBI isn't into these local hick tricks, either. But if you want to believe it's a trick, then go ahead. But think about it, Brody... I'm not going to be here more than 24 hours longer... that's all the time you have left."

---

"I want my lawyer." the woman said as Speer and Muscone sat opposite her in the interrogation room. Her hands were still handcuffed behind her, and she had been relieved of her badge, gun and cellphone. She had been thoroughly searched with detectors; she did not have a black badge on her person. "I will say nothing without my lawyer present, and I refuse to answer any of your questions at any time." Cindy and I were watching through the one-way mirror.

"I don't think you understand." said Muscone. "This one may not reach the court system; I'm thinking of calling Homeland Security and giving you to them. You'll just disappear, and they will get the truth out of you."

"Go ahead, 'disappear' me, then." the woman said, using the word as a verb. "But you better do it fast... oh, too late already." The woman smirked, her face showing utter contempt for Jack Muscone.

Lindy Linares had knocked on the door, and made the hand signal for the agents to come out to talk to her. Two FBI agents went inside to stay with the woman.

"Gunn's lawyer showed up at the front desk." Lindy told Jack and Sandra in the hallway. "He said he is representing her-" Lindy pointed to the woman in the interrogation room- "and demands to be brought up to her immediately."

Jack nodded and came into the one-way-mirror room where Cindy and I (and Eduardo) were. "What do you think? Gunn's lawyer is claiming to be her lawyer."

"No surprise at all." I said. "He's working for the organization that owns Brody and Gunn, and when Brody told him to shove off, the organization took action against him with her. What's the story on her, by the way?"

"She's an FBI agent, and we have no idea how or why she turned. After Quantico she was in Birmingham for a year, then came here to the City. Works mostly on drug cases. She grew up in the Plains States after her father retired from the Army."

"Hmmm, Birmingham, then drug cases." I said. "Check and see what she did in college, if she was some kind of activist. I'm wondering if she entered Quantico with the intention of being a mole for someone. Well, unless you really do want to 'disappear' her, you better get the legal beagle up here before he starts calling the Press to come over..."

---

Late that afternoon, Jack got the report from the technicians. "The drink had been replaced with water, and there was a shitload of cyanide in it. One swallow would've killed Brody instantly. Also, the food had both a poison-" Jack named the poison, which had a long, unpronounceable name- "and it also had finely ground glass."

"Ouch!" I said, then explained to the group. "Hugh Hewitt told me that while he was in Iraq, sometimes Iraqi children would offer soldiers cups of tea to drink. The tea had ground glass in it that would rip the soldiers' stomachs and intestines up, and they had some deaths from internal bleeding. Looks like that's what they wanted here: if Brody had eaten any of that food, the glass would make cuts in his stomach, and the poison would go into the cuts and into the bloodstream... killing Brody quickly. Damn, these guys are playing for keeps!"

"And this is the second time that Iraqi terrorist techniques are showing up." said Cindy. "Carroll and Blondie's bodies were ripped apart by methods Hugh said were used in Iraq."

"True." I said. "Sounds like military combat veterans are involved. Good observation, Cindy."

"Shall I go tell Mr. Brody what he narrowly missed?" Muscone asked. "Thanks to you, by the way, Don... you told us to watch for someone trying to bring in food that wasn't the normal routine here."

"Sure, let him know." I replied. "Tell him in as gory detail as you possibly can what would've happened to him."

---

That evening, Jack's team took Cindy and me to The City Tavern. It was a bit nicer than the Cop Bar in our County, but was comfortable and relaxing, and it had decent food.

"This is our version of your Cop Bar." said Jack. He'd brought his girlfriend Elizabeth, a woman about his age with black curly hair. Her legs weren't as hot as Laura's or Cindy's, though. Martin Nash had also come over from the County at our request, and was sitting with his girlfriend Sandra. Lindy Linares sat next to me, and I'd squeezed her thigh under the table a couple of times. I noticed Cindy Ross and our young waitress making a lot of eye contact, as well.

"So, Don, we heard that Malone is running for Sheriff over there." said Sandra Speer. "Are you going to run against him?"

"Oh hell no." I said. "Why in the world would I want to take the paper-pusher job when I'm having more fun actually working on cases?"

"So who's going to run against him?" Jack asked. "I think I can say in present company that if he becomes Sheriff, it's going to get ugly in that County."

"You guys worry too much." I said simply.

"That means that Don has a plan," said Cindy, who then let her eyes bore into me as she said in a very emphatic voice "which of course he is not sharing with us."

"Well, I've gotta lay the groundwork first, Cindy." I said.

"Well, I hope Malone wins." said Jack. As we stared at him, he said "If he does, I'm going to hire all three of you into the FBI here."

"It's State Senator Nathan Allen I'd really like to see defeated." said Cindy, and I knew why: he'd run her soul-sister Teresa Croyle out of the County. "If half of what my sister Molly says about him is true, then he is the worst criminal since the Nazis. But nobody will run against him, and I have no idea why."

"Yeah, his name keeps coming up in our investigations, too." said Jack. "Look guys, I'm going to tell you some stuff, here, but you need to keep it under your hats. Nathan Allen is extremely well connected, far more than a State Senator should be. We would've thought he'd run for a higher office, or for US Congress, but he seems to be content where he is, and we think we know why. Any guesses, Crowbar?"

"Yes, but the world is not ready for that." I said, meaning that I did not want to speak in front of everyone about it.

"Well, let me tell you, Cindy and Martin what is going to happen in your County." said Jack. "On Election Day, several precincts will be ordered by some Court to stay open late. Whatever amount Nathan Allen is behind will be erased as the polls stay open for as long as they need them to. As soon as they have enough for Allen to win, the polls will be closed. That is the kind of clout that is behind State Senator Nathan Allen."

"What can we do about that?" Cindy asked.

"Not a damn thing, unless we can get the Media to investigate and report on it." I said. "And I suspect they're part of the subterfuge. However... the parties involved may have exposed themselves with that Nathaniel Jones case. Now I know who to watch, and they probably know I'm watching."

"Well, I for one think we should talk about much more pleasant things." said Jack's girlfriend Liz. There was a general chorus of agreement.

--

As we talked, I very quietly told Cindy to secretly dial my number. When the phone rang, I took it as if I was talking to someone, then told everyone I needed to check in with my Headquarters for a moment. I asked Cindy to come with me.

"I wanted to tell you what I'm guessing about Allen without the others, particularly Martin, hearing it." I said when we were alone at the other end of the restaurant.

"Okay." said Cindy. "Shoot."

"Nathan Allen is where he is because of Jonas Oldeeds. It's all about the Reverend Jonas Oldeeds." I said, naming the late tele-evangelist who had died in front of me. "Allen was on his payroll. Oldeeds was into human trafficking, and Allen was paying Oldeeds some considerable money to have underage girls delivered to him, Allen, for sex. Allen would use a girl then have the black rapper 'T-Square' deliver the girl to one of his pimps for prostitution, and Allen would get kickbacks."

Cindy looked at me in shock, and a great amount of disgust, as I continued: "Also, Allen was supposed to pave the way for Oldeeds to bring drugs into the County and northwest part of the State... but there they both failed. Oldeeds came to the County to seal the deal, but Allen hadn't laid the groundwork with Malone, who we now understand controls access to the County. Malone and Oldeeds did meet, but then Oldeeds got shot dead so everything fell apart. Allen still has drug connections, though, and of course he's still raping underage girls as payment for doing political favors."

"Jesus Christ, Don," said Cindy, "you know all this and haven't said a word?" She was staring icily at me.

"I don't know any of this, and I sure as hell can't prove a word of it, at least not yet." I said. "And everything I just said comes from stuff you also know. We know Oldeeds trafficked in underage girls, and we know from what Molly said that Nathan Allen likes underage girls. I just worked it backwards from there. Then we gets tidbits from punks we interrogate, and so on and so forth. Don't be upset, Cindy. I'm telling you now."

"Okay, okay." Cindy said. "it just shocks me when you come out with this shit like this." At that point I noticed her observing our waitress. Cindy excused herself and went to the bathroom and I returned to our table. I noticed later that Cindy didn't immediately rejoin us, but took the opportunity to talk to the waitress alone.

"So," said Martin Nash a bit later as the FBI agents talked about the rogue agent in their office, "what's next for us?"