Environmental Hazards Ch. 03

"Before I ran the tests, the State Crime Lab---" I started.

"IT'S A YES-OR-NO QUESTION, COMMANDER! ANSWER IT!" shouted the lawyer.

"Objection!" shouted Jenna. "Objection as to form!"

"Sustained." said Watts. "Either ask very specific questions, or I'll let Commander Troy answer in an open-ended way."

"Did you personally receive an explicit threat to yourself or your family if you ran those tests, Commander?"

"Not personally and explicitly." I said.

"So you were under no duress when asked to run the tests?"

"I was not asked to run them, I volunteered---"

"JUST ANSWER THE QUESTION!"

"Objection!" yelled Jenna.

"SUSTAINED!" yelled Watts. "Stop the tricks, or I will hold you in contempt, Counselor!"

The defense lawyer stared at the judge, then said "No more question, Your Honor."

"Redirect." said Watts.

"Commander Troy," said Jenna, "are you aware of threats made against State Crime Lab techs if they ran these samples?'

"Objection!" yelled the defense lawyer. "Calls for speculation!"

"Overruled." said Watts. "You may answer the question, Commander."

"Yes, I am aware of threats made against the State Crime Lab techs."

"Were you asked to run the tests, Commander?"

"No, I volunteered to do so when I learned of the threats against the technicians."

"No more questions, Your Honor."

"Defense?" said Watts.

"Just one question, Commander Troy." said the defense lawyer. "Why did you volunteer if there were threats? You have a family, don't you?"

My eyes bore right through the lawyer. "I volunteered because I'm certified and able to run the tests, and while facing threats and danger is not a part of the lab techs' job description, it *IS* a part of mine... and I chose to bear the danger myself rather than let other less-trained persons have to face it."

All through this, Paul Brandon sat at the table, that annoying-as-hell perma-grin on his fat face. But when I said that, his grin seemed to become even wider, as if he thought he was going to get away with his crimes...

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

"Okay," said Paulina Patterson three hours later in my office, with Cindy also present. "Judge Watts bound Brandon over for trial. Ankle monitored and under full house arrest, and in the custody of his attorney and the City Police. I would not have given him bail at all, as Brandon is a huge flight risk."

"That should be okay." I said. "If Brandon runs, he's likely going to be assassinated himself. His options are to take any deal offered by the U.S. and State Attorneys and rat out his superiors, or to take the fall and enjoy Supermax for possibly the rest of his life."

"Think you can pin the murder on him?" Cindy asked. "We've got circumstantial evidence, but it's not really solid enough, is it?"

"No, it's not." said Paulina. "Based upon what we have so far, that is. But I'll volunteer to bring a hat for the Iron Crowbar to pull rabbits out of." I briefly smiled, then noticed that Cindy was introspective... in fact, I could feel as much as see that she was deep in a reverie.

When she came out, she stood and said "Commander, I would like permission to try something to get that proof." She explained what she wanted to do.

"Paulina?" I asked.

"You have to be careful, Captain Ross." Paulina said. "It's either fully on the record, with readings of rights and all that; or completely off the record and never happened... funny, I never thought I'd hear myself advising you of that... the Iron Crowbar's extracurricular tricks must be wearing off on me." I smiled a little wider that time.

"Brief me of your final decision," I told Cindy, "but you have my permission to try it."

Part 16 - Retaliatory Response

Lying prone in the grass of the hillside, he looked around. Below him, to his left, was the University Campus, the southside row of buildings on the Original Quad. Uphill, high above him and to his right (two o'clock position) was the Cabin that belonged to the Police Commander. He was facing north, and dead ahead of him, just under 300 feet, was the white-brick squarish structure called the Mountain Nest.

The back door opened and two dogs scurried out, going to a weed-infested area just down the hill from the house. Then a tall black-haired woman appeared. Then a three-year-old child darted out into the backyard. The man got settled into position and looked through his scope.

The woman was saying something to her child about going back inside, pointing at the door. The girl pointed to where the dogs had gone. The woman then sat down, looking around warily, but not spotting him in his hidden, camouflaged position. He concentrated on the picture in the scope.

The woman had the little girl sit down on the metal chair between her, the mother, and the house. But the girl would not stay seated. And as the dogs came back from doing their business, the girl stood up and said something to her mom, showing off something on her shirt.

The man did not care that she was a child; he was being paid to make the girl's father pay for defying the man's Bosses's threats and running those test samples in spite of their warnings.

He exhaled and held his breath as his finger went towards the trigger. The rifle on its tripod was steady. The crosshairs were solidly on the middle of the little girl's head...

To be continued.

Will Carole live or die?

And what is Cindy's plan to ensure Paul Brandon goes down for murder? (Fair warning: some of the clues may be in previous stories as well as this one...)