Consequences Ch. 03

"The term 'going along' is not strong enough." I said. "More like 'actively participating in'. And you're right, Teresa. This is what the Media and the Left do. They gin something up and start laying the groundwork. The Media likes to give things catchy slogans... they really pushed 'Juneteenth' as a holiday that it has never been before, and now they're calling the people we arrested the 'Juneteenth 22'."

"What's their plan here?" Cindy asked.

"It's hard for me to sit here and say what form it will take," I replied, "but I think we'll see it soon enough. It'll look spontaneous, and the Media will just act like they're reporting on breaking developments. But they were at the Square last night to get footage in advance, and except for the one van at the 'Jasmine' club they didn't deploy anywhere, and... by sheer coincidence, I am sure... nothing else happened on that suddenly important holiday..."

"Okay," I said as I snapped out of my reverie, "Teresa, put out the word to loddy-doddy-everybody: no Officers are to go out or be out alone while on duty. Every Officer has a partner; be with that partner at all times. Or be in larger groups. Tell the Force to watch out for each other. And don't be alone off-duty or after-hours either, if they can help it. Tell them to watch their backs at all times. And I'll say it just to hear myself say it in front of all of you: armor up. Every Officer is to wear armor at all times when on duty or even off duty if in public."

"Why does this have to happen when the weather's getting hot?" mumbled Cindy.

"I just control the things I can control." I said flatly, not really amused at Cindy's comment. "Tell the Force to stay as safe as possible out there..."

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

9:00am, Monday, June 22d. District Attorney Miriam Walters came into the Atrium of City Hall, where a podium with a few microphones waited.

"Where is everyone?" she whispered to Savannah Fineman, who was attending her along with her (Miriam's) assistant. Savannah shook her head and shrugged. They were looking at a nearly empty room. Only three 'cub' reporters were there, waiting for her called-for Press conference.

Walters stepped up to the podium and asked "Where is everyone? I did say nine o'clock, didn't I?" The cub reporters nodded, but either didn't know or were choosing not to tell why no one else was there.

"Okay, I'll begin, then." said Miriam, seeing that KXTC and KFXU cameras were there, recording. "Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, I acted to 'reassign' ADA Paulina Patterson for poor performance in the Courtroom. In retaliation, Ms. Patterson played the race card, and filed a specious and unwarranted racial discrimination complaint against me."

Walters: "I have filed a counter-complain to Ms. Patterson's false accusations. Furthermore, I am suspending Paulina Patterson as an Assistant District Attorney without pay, effective immediately, for filing her complaint with the I.G. rather than the proper channels of the Human Resources Department. I'll be taking no questions at this time."

With that, she walked away from the podium and out of the Atrium, going back to her office.

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

"She didn't even notify me." Paulina said to me on the phone a few minutes later. "I found out when I got to my office and was locked out. She changed the locks to my office! I can't even get my pictures of Tasha from inside there."

"I have a master key." I said. "And if that doesn't work, the Sheriff will authorize the door to be busted down, if you want."

"Thanks, but that's not the most important thing." Paulina said. "She's going scorched earth now. Any hope for a resolution is probably gone."

"As a wise Klingon told me, 'let not your heart be troubled'." I replied. "Things are in motion. By the way, the Sheriff told me that only three 'cub' reporters showed up at Walters's presser. Any idea why so few?"

"No idea." said Paulina. "Maybe I can get a job as a reporter, and find out."

"Don't you dare." I said. "Don't even joke about becoming a reporter."

Paulina laughed. "What, you stopping me from my lifetime dream of being the next Nancy Grace?... Don... you there?"

Yes, I was still there, but I couldn't stop laughing so hard that tears were coming out of my eyes...

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

9:50am. Cindy came into my office, poured herself some coffee, and sat down in the hot chair nearest the door, the one she normally sat in. "I'd say Walters has gone 'all in'." she said, utilizing the prodigious power of understatement. I nodded vigorously in agreement.

"All the rest of it aside," Cindy said, "I don't understand how she thinks she's going to be re-elected D.A. after this."

"She's got over two years to put it past her." I said. "The Sheriff and D.A. positions are elected every four years, while just about everyone else is two years, including the Solicitor post."

"Why'd y'all do that?" Cindy asked, referring to the Charter Commission. "Savannah's contribution to the literature?"

"As a matter of fact, she did advocate it." I replied. "But it made some sense. We were concerned that it would be a lot harder to hire good Deputy Sheriffs, as well as the effects on the various Chief positions if there was turnover in the elected Sheriff position every two years. And we thought that made sense for the D.A. position hiring ADAs, as well... especially as we were allowing people to run for D.A. along Party lines instead of non-partisan races like the Judicial positions are."

Cindy nodded, then asked: "Why didn't you do that for the Mayor position?"

"We talked about it." I said. "Dr. Williams and Edna Carter were for it. And I wasn't against it at the time. But Edward Steele privately convinced me to not support it. He said that a good Mayor would be able to be re-elected in two years, but to have to wait four years to get rid of a bad one could be disastrous."

*CHIME!*

It was Cindy's personal iPhone. "Whoa!" she exclaimed as she read the text. "It's from a burner phone that I happen to know is Priya Ajmani. She says KXTC just gave a one-minute warning, and they're going to break into 'Point Taken'."

As I expertly used the remote to turn on the television monitor, my phone buzzed. It was my assistant Helena, telling me that Commander Croyle needed to see me. I had her tell Teresa to come on in.

As Teresa sat down in the hot chair nearest the wall and sofa, her normal place, she said "I think we now know why there was nobody at the D.A.'s news conference."

The 'BREAKING NEWS' warning filled the screen, then Bettina was shown, sitting at the KXTC News Desk. "This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News! We interrupt this broadcast to bring you an important developing story!"

Bettina: "Black civil rights leader Jacquez Wilson has demanded that the Town & County Police release the 'Juneteenth 22', the twenty-two persons arrested during peaceful demonstrations last Friday, which was the Juneteenth anniversary, an important anniversary date for the Black Community. Let's go to trusted political reporter Lester Holder, who is with Mr. Wilson right now. Lester!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said Lester Holder as he appeared on screen. A hanging sheet was behind him, white with the words 'Black Voices Raised' in black, blocking the view of whatever was behind it. "I'm here with Jacquez Wilson, who has an important message for the Black Community, as well as white Police Officers!"

Next to Penis Holder was Jacquez Wilson, in a clean white t-shirt and black denim jeans. Holder said "The floor is yours, Mr. Wilson."

The camera did not zoom in on Wilson, and I deduced it wasn't hand-held, but likely set up on a tripod. The very muscular, mean-looking black man looked into the camera with eyes showing violent anger and hatred as he said "The time has come for all black brothers and sisters to rise up against the oppression of the filthy Pigs! We will no longer tolerate the brutality of white Police against peaceful People of Color who have raised their voices in a cry for liberation!"

Wilson: "I call upon all black brothers and sisters to resist Police brutality! I call upon all blacks to disobey any Police orders, to tell the filthy Pigs to go to hell! Don't cooperate at traffic stops, don't show the filthy white Pigs your IDs, don't help the Pigs in any way!"

"What about the 'Juneteenth 22'?" asked Penis Holder, unable to hide a grin as he served up that little morsel of batting practice.

Wilson: "I demand that the 22 good, peaceful people that were arrested Friday be released from their unlawful imprisonment immediately! Until all of them are released and the charges dropped, NO filthy cop in this County is safe! We will shoot any cops we see trying to arrest any black persons! We will take your wives and rape them in front of you! Release our people now! Or else!"

Lester Holder just looked at the camera and said "Back to you, Bettina."

Bettina came back on the air and said "We apologize for the strong language used in that broadcast. That was black civil rights advocate and leader Jacquez Wilson, demanding that the 'Juneteenth 22' be released, or else the TCPD will face consequences..."

Part 15 - COTU (Center of the Universe)

Teresa had ordered the Precincts to recall all Officers out on patrols to their respective Headquarters, and every Officer was to be shown that video. The TCPD was now on highest alert.

FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone and Assistant Special Agent In Charge Karina White joined us in the Main Conference Room, as did Captain Damien Thompson. A few minutes after they arrived, Sheriff Griswold arrived, being escorted by a contingent of Deputy Sheriffs. All of us (including the FBI Agents) were wearing armor. The Sheriff's red face was my first clue that something was 'not right' in the Klingon Empire.

"I called that bastard Burt West." growled Griswold. "I asked him why he allowed that terrorist and drug pusher Wilson to be on the air unfettered like that. You know what he said? He told me to go to hell. Literally."

I'd later find out that that was not all West had said. He'd very explicitly told the Sheriff "Why don't you go shove a crowbar up your ass, you son of a bitch!"

"Can we charge them with anything?" Tanya Muscone asked.

"We're gonna try." I said. "Needless to say, we've filed formal complaints with the FCC and the FBI. But we're also filing a criminal complaint for reckless endangerment, conspiracy to incite to riot, and aiding and abetting domestic terror. We're also attempting to charge Lester Holder personally for conspiracy to commit domestic terror. We've gone to the Court of Rodney K. Watts, bypassing Harry R. Nance."

"Who'd you get to do it?" asked Jack Muscone. "Paulina's suspended, and Walters and Fineman won't do the right thing."

"Hell," said Teresa Croyle, "Savannah would've run straight to Nance, so he'd refuse the case and Savannah's ass would be covered."

"Exactly." I said. "Which is why I pressed the complaint myself. It's rare, but as a Principal for the County and an Officer of the Court, I'm entitled to do it. And Judge Watts accepted the case."

"They'll just say they're protected by the First Amendment, won't they?" asked Cindy Ross.

"They'll try." I said. "But just as one does not have the Free Speech right to yell 'Fire!' in a crowded theater, we're going to argue that the First Amendment does NOT protect KXTC from aiding and abetting terrorist threats to murder Police Officers."

"It's being picked up by the National Media." said Captain Damien Thompson. "And the Press Room is already filling up."

"Get your steak seasoning ready." quipped Teresa. "They're going to want that red meat."

Jack Muscone said "I'm here partially to work with you in a coordinated response to the domestic terror threat Jacquez Wilson represents. But I also came to tell you that I've learned that US DOJ Civil Rights Division Officer Ava Hinds flew into the City last night, but did not show up at the Federal Building. And she was not alone: the Bob Rovers BAU Team flew in with her. Bob Rovers, David Rovers, Peter Page, Andrew Parsons."

"What about Martin Nash and Lindsey Black?" I asked.

"Not them." said Karina White, unwittingly revealing that she was the one gathering that info on the Swamp Frogs's Agents. "At least not that we've heard about yet."

"One thing's for damn surrrrrre." drawled Chief Moynahan. "We are not releasing those 22 thugs."

"Speaking of them," said Teresa, "they're in the most protected part of County Jail, where we kept Peter Blassingame when he was our guest there. It will literally take a Combat Brigade of Infantry or Marines to get them out of there, and the Officers and Deputies at the Jail are ready and willing to demonstrate the futility of trying."

"The last thing we neeeeed," drawled the Chief, "is unwarranted bloodshed. Having said that, the threat to our Officers and their families is such that I'm delegating the authority to allow lethal force to be used to you, Commander Troy, and you, Commander Croyle. And you can delegate it on down, but for now to no lower than Lieutenant level."

"Thank you, sir." I said, grateful to hear that. Teresa nodded vigorously in agreement.

"So is this it?" asked Cindy. "Are we the Center of the Universe again?"

"Looks like it." I said, suppressing a chuckle that would've been most very inappropriate...

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

3:00pm, Monday, June 22nd. Teresa came to my office with a report.

"One Patrol cruiser on the Southside came under gunfire." Teresa said. "Intel pinpointed it to a couple of warehouses in the Southwestern Ghetto, so we sent a heavily armored contingent in. They found some expended brass by one building, .45 ACP caliber. Didn't find any persons, but as they were leaving, gunfire struck one of the Patrol cruisers in the left rear door panel. Everyone went back, and again found nothing."

Iron Wolf: "There was also a call of a domestic violence dispute in the Southwestern Ghetto neighborhood where one of those dogs was shot a few years ago." (Author's note: 'Going Rogue', Ch. 01.) She named the street, then said "We sent three Patrol cruisers in rather than the normal two, and everyone was fully armored."

Iron Wolf: "When they got there, someone started shooting at our vehicles from the end of the street, where some trees around the creek there provided concealment. Our guys pulled back, and called for a drone and backup. The drone was fired at from the woods. One of the Patrol cruisers sustained damage to the engine, and the drone got some shotgun fragments but was able to fly out of there and was recovered safely."

"Anything north of MLK Jr. Avenue?" I asked.

Teresa replied: "Two incidents of rocks being thrown at Police cruisers on Jefferson Avenue. One hit the shotgun-door window, and the other hit the lightbar on top of the vehicle. Minor damage to both vehicles. Nothing else anywhere else, though. And part of that may be because I've pulled back the routine Patrols. I don't want our Officers nor our vehicles being like those little ducks at the carnival stand being shot at."

I said "I agree. And that domestic dispute call really worries me. It's like those abduction calls that led to the McCombs incident... they call in a crime, we respond, our Officers get shot at. Or worse, hit."

After a pause, I said "What's your recommendation for our deployment going forward?"

Teresa said "I hate like hell to do it, but for right now, we have to pull back and limit our exposure, especially after sunset. Myron Milton tells me that he's fitted a couple of our drones with longer-range cameras, so they can fly higher and see more. And if we get a call in, we can put a drone up to see if someone is lying in wait. But it's an imperfect solution, at best. And this crap could go on for weeks, or months."

I picked up my landline phone and called Captain Damien Thompson. "Captain," I said after he answered, "I have you on speaker with Commander Croyle here. I wanted to ask you about the Media. Are they massing? And has the National Media outlets sent people here?"

"Yes to both questions, Commander." said Thompson. "Over 30 reporters have come into the Press Room in the last two hours, including from KSB, KCAP, and reporters from the City that are representing the national networks: ABC, CBS, NBC, and so on."

"Okay, thanks." I said, and disconnected. "Believe it or not, that's a good thing." As Teresa gave me a 'Buddy' look in confusion, I dialed another number. "Hello, Mary." I said to Lt. Mary Milton. "I'm on speaker with Commander Croyle, here. Have you Intel guys been tracking KXTC vehicles?"

"Yes sir, and Lester Holder in particular." replied Mary. "KXTC redeployed all their vans to a parking lot near the Southpoint Mall on Depot Street. It's got secure fencing, and we think KXTC either owns or rents it. As to Lester Holder, he has traveled by his POV to the Block House twice, and took a camera inside, but he left with it half an hour ago and is currently at KXTC's offices."

"Okay, thanks." I said, and disconnected. To Teresa, I said "KXTC is deploying to the southside in case we close off the streets from the north, which would prevent them from getting down there."

Teresa nodded, then said "So why is it a good thing to have all the Media here?"

"Critical mass." I said. "The great Rush Limbaugh called the Media the 'Drive-By' Media, and by that he meant that the Media inundates us with stories for a few days, then they move along to their next agenda item, leaving destruction in their wake."

I continued: "So if they're all here now, it means they expect something to happen now, or soon. They're not going to camp out here for weeks on end with nothing going on. Ergo, and in reply to what you said a minute ago, we're not going to have to pull back and not patrol for weeks on end... something is going to happen soon..."

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

5:15pm, Monday, June 22d. Detective Sergeant Julia Rodriguez, Detective Joan Laurer, Corporal Inga Gunddottar, and Sr. Patrolman Penny Scott (of Intel) came out of Town Fitness Centers after their workout in the women-only side. They were all wearing armor, as required.. even Julia had on an armored vest over her civilian clothes.

"I'm glad they have that smaller room, where we can lock the door and take off our armor." said Joan Laurer. "Workouts would be tough, otherwise."

"That was Commander Ross's idea." said Julia. "I'm glad the owner is one of us Sisters in Blue. Our membership discounts help, too."

"I'm just glad we haven't been restricted to working out at Police Headquarters." said Penny Scott. "If we were there, all the men would be ogling us. Don't get me wrong, I love men... but not while working out." All the women laughed.

"Okay, we'll see you at the Cop Bar." said Julia. "I want to hear Inga's perspective on how Jerome is taking that incident with his father."

"I was going to ask you the same thing." said Inga. "He won't talk to me about it."

"Okay, guys," said Julia Rodriguez. "Stay together. I'll see you at the Cop Bar." She watched as Penny and Joan got into Penny's Police cruiser, and Inga got into her POV, then Julia got into her vehicle.

Penny and Joan left the parking lot first, turning right (east). As Inga approached the entrance to the road, an old brown Impala suddenly drove up, blocking her way. Two men in masks poured out of the right side doors!

Inga did not have time to react as the men rushed up to her vehicle. One of them hit the driver side window with a (black) crowbar, the shattered glass showering Inga. The perps unlocked and opened the car and pulled Inga out. She tried to resist, but one of the perps smashed his fist into her jaw, stunning her. She was dragged to the brown car and thrown in, and the perps followed.