Case of the Black Badge Ch. 04

"Well, I'm hoping Brody breaks before we have to go home tomorrow." I said. "If he doesn't, then we will likely never solve the Carroll/Blondie murders."

---

The rest of my evening was very pleasant. Lindy Linares accompanied me to my hotel room and little time was wasted in making out, getting naked, and having some really hot, sweaty sex. Then we got in the bathtub, where I put on a condom and then deeply fucked Lindy's tight, sweet ass, to her great enjoyment. It was hot and intense anal sex, and it required some cleanup, which is why we did it in the bathtub in the first place. After that we got into bed, where I lustily pumped Lindy's pussy and came deep inside her before falling peacefully asleep as we spooned.

The next morning, I heard Cindy Ross letting someone out of her room. It was our waitress from the night before; she and Cindy had hooked up and had a hot night together. As a result, Cindy was much refreshed and happier.

"You must've slept well." I said to Cindy as we met for breakfast.

"I definitely had a good night, as you did." she replied.

"Good. And congratulations, that girl was hot." I said.

"She's a college student at City College." Cindy replied. "She's studying physical therapy. I might hire her after she graduates."

---

"Nothing new on our rogue agent." Jack Muscone said when we got to his office. "We're going to charge her with attempted murder and a host of other charges, maybe even treason if we can get the U.S. Attorney to go for it. But there's nothing in her records, no unusual money flow, nothing."

"There is one line you can look for." said Cindy. "Her knowledge of the martial arts was far greater than one would expect of an FBI agent, no offense intended. She was obviously exceptionally well trained, and that either came from years of study at martial arts schools, or she was trained as an agent by someone, foreign or domestic, who includes such training in their routine."

"That's a good point." said Muscone. "Don, I think she got one on you there."

"Yep. She's a damn good Detective." I said. "And to reclaim my honor, here's something else to look for: her father had been in the Army, you said? Check up on him, thoroughly. He might've been an agent and she was following in his footsteps. That would explain her being able to have years of martial arts training."

"Damn, you two are good." Jack said. "I really am going to break the law and force you into working for the FBI."

"And here's yet more." I said. "Cindy, where else have you seen a slender, lithe person that had ideas of being an assassin?"

"Oh! the motorcyclist!" Cindy said, remembering.

"Oh yeah..." said Jack. "Myron sent some photos to try to get the plate numbers, but we had no luck. Think it's this same woman?"

"You can see if she was accounted for at that same time." I said. "But it's certainly a possibility."

Part 26 - The First Break

"He wants to talk." Lindy Linares said. It was nearly noon, and I was about to tell Cindy to get ready to leave for home. Martin Nash wanted to stay in the City with Sandra over the weekend, and I'd approved that request.

I hurried to the Interrogation rooms, to find that Muscone and the U.S. Attorney were already there and talking to Brody.

"Okay, guys," Brody said. "I'm ready to talk. But you've got to give me something. Without immunity, I'm dead no matter what jail you send me to."

"We understand that." said the U.S. Attorney. "What I'm prepared to offer you is immunity -and- witness protection, in exchange for your statements here on both the County and the Federal situations, and your testimony in Court when we ask for it."

"Let me get Don in here." said Jack. He waved for me to come in the room, which I did.

---

"Where do you want me to begin?" Brody asked.

"The Black Badges." I replied. "You're a 'Trusted Associate', Gunn is 'Inner Circle'. What's that all about? Tell us what you know about the Black Badge gang."

"Basically, there's a group of us. I don't know who the others are, except for Gunn of course." said Brody. "We're told to meet at some location, which always changes, and we wear black clothing and black masks. I have no idea who the others are. The leaders of the group are called 'Masters' and 'Grandmasters', and the very top guy is called the 'Bodymaster'. I'm not even supposed to know about him; I just overheard that once, and kept my damn mouth shut about it."

He continued: "I've heard the 'Inner Circle' are guys who have gone the extra mile and done things, and are really trusted. Sort of like 'made men' in the Mafia. They may know who each other is in their Circle, and who the leaders are. Gunn might know, but I'm betting he hasn't said two words to you since you arrested him."



"Don't worry about him." I said. "So is this a drug-related group, or a white-supremacy group?"

Brody looked very uncomfortable, even scared, but finally got it together. "I'll say this: it's all white people. Now I've never been a racist, never really cared about it, I'm good with the black officers as much as the white ones. We're all 'blue', eh? Now Gunn... he's a piece of work, a real nutjob about race; he may be in the Klan or something. He would talk to me about militia groups and race wars while we were on patrols. I just told him I was too old to get into that kind of stuff."

"And drugs?" I asked, prodding him along.

"I don't have anything to do with drugs, nor distribution." Brody said. "But the organization makes money in drugs."

"Tell us exactly what you do, what you were doing with or for this Black Badge gang." I said. "Extortion? Using the police to help move drugs along?"

"Not quite, but you're close to the mark, Lieutenant." Brody said. "We would go on visits to certain places at certain times. We'd been told we'd be receiving some packages. We'd be given wrapped-up boxes, not too big but fairly heavy for their size. I figured they might be packed with money, but it wasn't my job to ask. We'd then take the packages to different locations, usually in the Warehouse District, and leave them where we were told to. It was all on our routine patrol, and we were told to never make a log entry or inform the Duty Desk."

"Tell us the whole story, Brody." I said. "I'm believing that you gave some instructions when you picked up the packages, that you talked to the people you were doing business with. Who were those people, and what were you saying to them?"

"Yeah, you do know." said Brody, as much to himself as to me. "Gunn would do the talking if we were talking to white guys, and I talked to them if they were black. We'd ask about shipments of drugs, how much had passed through, when the next shipment was. Most often, I'd be told the answers were written in notes inside the packages, but sometimes they'd tell me something like 'Next Tuesday at the normal location'."

"And they were the Beanstalk Gang?"

"That, I don't know. Never saw any identifying marks. They were gangbangers, but covered up any tats or insignia."

"How did you get paid?" I asked.

"Usually once a month, we'd pick up boxes and either a box or an envelope would have our first names on it. We kept the one with our name; the money was inside. Usually a couple thousand a month, sometimes more if things had gone well the last month."

"Who was your contact within the Police Department?" I asked.

"Gunn was mine." Brody said. "He gave me instructions. I don't know who he was talking to, but my guess was that he didn't know. He'd get instructions on a burner phone, probably from a burner phone."

"Okay, Carroll and the guy we call 'Blondie'." I said. "You were at the scene of the crime sometime the night before. Did you kill them?
"

"No." said Brody. "I did not kill anyone, ever. We were called on the burner phone and told to go there, that some people would show up and we were there to divert any other police that came. It was really dark that night, and no one else showed up. A couple of cars came along, black Buick sedans, and some of our guys were there, wearing black masks. They showed their black badges, as we did. I think Gunn knew who they were, they might have all been Inner Circle.

"Anyway, they had two bodies all wrapped up, one in the trunk of each car. They took the bodies inside. I never even went inside, just stayed on guard outside. The bodies were left inside, and the next thing I heard was the official radio calls the next morning when the bodies were found."

"You have no idea where, how or why they were killed?"

"Where, no. How... well, I read the police report and autopsy of what they did to them. Why, not really sure, but I'm betting they betrayed the group in some way... and I'll get the same treatment if they ever get ahold of me."

"Did you know Sergeant Carroll when he was here?" I asked.

"Yeah, I knew him." said Brody. "I had no idea he was doing things like what we were doing until the night he was killed. At the time he was on the Force, I had been recruited but was told to lie low and be dormant. 'Dormant' was the word they used. Once every three months or so, Gunn and I'd find envelopes in our car as we were about to go on patrol. It was usually two or three hundred dollars. We began to be more involved about five months ago, about the time the Black Widow butchered that Dawdle punk."

"When and how were you recruited?" I asked.

For brevity, I will condense Brody's statement: Three years before, and before I arrived in the County, Brody and Gunn were approached by a man in a business suit, who told them he knew they'd had some trouble within the police department. He said he'd pay them, and well, for doing certain small things, nothing that would get them in any trouble even if they got found out. Gunn was all for it, and Brody went along. They wore masks as instructed to the meeting, and were told the details and that they could stay or go without harm, but if they stayed, they were bound to the Black Badge.

They went through an initiation, which was taking a blood oath and some incantations, but nothing really weird. They also had a couple of training sessions, again with everyone wearing masks. Brody thought Gunn was already in the group, as he was very comfortable and enthusiastic about it already, and was made Brody's contact and leader within the group. Of course, Gunn being in the 'Inner Circle' well ahead of Brody was another sign. No, they'd never seen that man in the business suit before or since.

"Who gave the orders to go after my nephew and his wife?" I asked, unable to hold back any longer.

"I swear to God, I didn't know he was your family or I'd never have touched him." Brody said. "You got me back fair and square on that, and no hard feelings from me on it. The truth is that I don't know, but it was kind of weird. Gunn actually said he'd never gotten an instruction like that before. He didn't like it, either- not because it was your family, and I don't think he knew it was, either- but because it was really overt. And sure enough, we got cold-busted on it."

"What about Captain Malone?" I asked. "You clammed up after he came into Interrogation-2 back at HQ. Obviously you know something about him to have done that. Is he your boss? What's his hold on you?"

"I never had any contact with him except normal stuff, seeing him in the hall, getting assignments to help the Vice Squad. He never once said a thing to me that was out of the norm. But when he came in that room and just sat down with us, I knew in my soul what the deal was, that he was there to make sure I stayed silent. There's nothing I can give you that would hold up in Court about him, but it was pretty much the unspoken word that Malone was the bad ass man."

Brody had nothing else of consequence to tell us, and the rest of the interview consisted of Jack Muscone asking questions about the national level case. Brody had no knowledge of anything outside the County, had not been out of the County on Badge business, had not known anything about Carroll outside the County, and didn't even know the Black Badge extended outside the County... if it did at all.

Part 27 - Assessment

"Thoughts?" Jack Muscone asked. We were seated at a conference table in a glass-enclosed room near Muscone's office. "Everyone else gets their shot before the Iron Crowbar tells us what's really going on."

"You're starting to sound like my Chief." I warned Muscone. He didn't bat an eyelash as he gestured towards Sandra Speer.

"My only thought was that we didn't seem to get a lot from Brody, considering we're giving him immunity and witness protection." Sandra said.

"Oh, we got a treasure trove out of him." I said, unable to hold back. "And I suspect Jack can use this to work on Gunn, right Jack?"

"That's how it works." Muscone said. "We use the lower-level guys to try to get to the upper-level guys. We'll try to use what we have to pry something more out of Gunn. Okay, anyone else?"

"Just that we're still not really sure if this is drug-related or race-related." said Martin Nash. "And Brody couldn't tell us if the organization was local or part of a bigger outfit."

No one else spoke, so Muscone handed the floor to me.

"A couple of questions first." I said. "Jack, they're using metal scanners for anyone coming in the building. Can we make sure Gunn's lawyer goes through the most sensitive setting of that? Check everywhere, including his belt, to make sure HE doesn't have a Black Badge."

"Will do." said Jack. "So, your thoughts on Brody?"

"I think he gave us everything he knows." I said. "But it's clear that this Black Badge gang is extremely careful so that they can't be betrayed by one man. And that went double for Malone; he's virtually untouchable. Also, Brody may not realize it, or maybe he does, but it's pretty clear that he and Gunn were made expendable. They didn't have masks but the perps did when they brought the bodies to the warehouse. So they were known. And then they were sent on the mission to assault Todd and Jeanine, and whoever sent them on that did so knowing Brody and Gunn were being thrown to the lions."

"Now that you mention that," said Cindy, "I thought it was interesting that Brody and Gunn knew the assault assignment was 'weird', to use his term. Makes me wonder if the assignment was not given by their normal leaders, but someone else."

"Very good thought." I said. "And Brody and Gunn were burned in the process of that assignment. Either someone thought it was really important to piss me off by attacking my family, or..." I went into a reverie.

"Here we go again." said Cindy.

"No, nothing like that." I said, sensitive to Cindy's sensitivity. "It just struck me that someone lashed out at me and burned these guys because they didn't think it through. In other words, they did something stupid out of desperation. So now I'm asking who might've gotten desperate. Certainly not Malone, he's still cool as a cucumber, right on plan with his run for Sheriff..."

After a moment, I continued. "Anyway, a few more points: this recruiter is obviously not from the local area, but brought in to recruit. They don't see him again after that first contact. That suggests that the overall organization is larger than just the local County group. The initiation is an oath and simple incantations, nothing elaborate, so Brody said. Sounds like something put together hastily, apparently by guys with too much time on their hands, giving them toy badges, giving them titles like 'Trusted Associate' and 'Inner Circle' to gain their loyalty... and it works! But all-in-all, it's just one faction of a drug ring, I suspect."

"That sounds good." said Jack Muscone. "Well, I know you and Cindy need to get back home, Don. Martin is staying with us and we'll take care of him for you. So say your goodbyes now, and then Don and Cindy come into my office for just one more thing before you go."

After handshakes and hugs and goodbyes, Cindy and I went into Jack's office, where Jack said "I didn't know if Martin knew anything, and I haven't told anyone but Lindy this. I know you know about Henry Wargrave, Cindy."

"Yes." said Cindy.

"Well, I just wanted to report on what I've found. Unless Don already knows and wants to tell you." Jack said, trying to be humorous.

"You're getting me in trouble with my partner here." I said flatly. "I don't know anything, but I can guess."

"And that guess is?" Jack said.

"That you found what I found: that Wargrave and Oldeeds did some gun-running, but Wargrave soon backed away from that." I said. "Wargrave probably found out about the human trafficking Oldeeds did, and Wargrave wanted absolutely no part of that. So he broke off further deals with Oldeeds, including not participating when Oldeeds started to add drug-running to his repertoire."

"That's strange." Cindy said. "I'd have figured a man like Wargrave would have no problems at all smuggling humans."

"From what I've gathered," I said, "Wargrave is still connected with at least one CIA cell, maybe more. He'll run guns for them to arm some little rebel faction in a South American jungle, maybe some money laundering, maybe even a few drug shipments here and there... but neither he nor the Agency, at least most of the Company, wants any part of human trafficking, especially the sex slave trade."

"That's about the size of it." Jack said. "I've also found that Wargrave and Oldeeds might have been competitors instead of allies over the Warner DynaCorp situation. We're trying to find other areas where they butted heads, but it's slow going. Wargrave is well insulated, and as you said he still works with the CIA on stuff overseas. Hell, I don't really want to even know about that stuff."

"I hear you." I said. "I don't think he has any involvement with this present business, though. I hope it stays that way..."

--

We were driving silently on the highway towards home when Cindy asked "You still don't trust Martin with all this stuff?"

"I trust him, but it's good policy to just keep things to a minimum." I said. "I tell you everything so that if they take me out, you and the Team will be able to continue going after them. Besides... I'm surprised you haven't figured Martin out, yet."

Cindy peered at me for a moment, then looked out the window and mused, "That was a lot of fun, working with Jack and the FBI guys. I never thought about doing anything but working with the local Police, but I could see myself working with them a lot more... don't get me wrong, I'd still rather be working with you and the MCD guys..."

"I know what you mean." I said. "I like working with them, too. Of course, not all FBI agents are as competent, nor as agreeable to work with locals like us. And of course," I added, grinning, "you don't always get to take down a perp like you did that bitch in there."

"Yeah, that was fun... I wish we could get Teresa back." Cindy said.

"Well, you might get your wish, and fairly soon." I said.

"Uh oh, something else you know that I don't?" she said. I think she was teasing me, at least I hoped so.

"Only that Teresa was sent away for career protection... she did beat that punk up... and also for her physical safety. Until the threat is neutralized..."

"Senator Allen? I'll go kill him right now if you'll bring Teresa back." Cindy promised.

"Now now," I said. "just have patience about that."

Then Cindy peered at me, and whether or not she meant to, she hit me with the bombshell clear out of the blue: "What you said about Oldeeds has me thinking: you know who killed him, don't you?"

I made sure to meet Cindy's eyes as I said "Yes, I do. Or I'm pretty sure I do. And no, I'm not going to tell you nor anyone else until it's the right time to do so... and that time may never come." I turned my eyes back to the road.