Iscariot Ch. 01

"Because Lester Holder is black!" Moran shouted. "Blacks cannot use 'hate speech', because they are black! That law applies only to Whites; only Whites will be accused of using hate speech. And I am just looking for the chance to arrest you for it, Iron Cracker!"

I don't think she realized why I was grinning, nor did anyone else. My true reason for it was because Moran had given herself away: she knew all about Lester Holder, who he was, and what he was doing!

"You have a nice day, Ms. Moran." I said. "In the meantime, you are trespassing, and my Officers will escort you out---"

"No, we'll do it." said Owen Lange. "Federal on Federal, dontcha know."

"I like this guy." I said to Teresa. Lange chuckled, then he and Special Agent Jefferson made it clear to Jocelyn Moran that she was going to leave, one way or another...

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

"Let's get started." said Mayor Allgood as everyone took their seats.

"Wait." said Kelly Carnes. "Where is Ms. Moran, the USDOJ Civil Rights monitor?"

"She is not permitted to be here." said Mayor Allgood. "This is an Executive Session, and I have not invited her to be a part of it... unless she exhibits a lawfully-obtained Court-ordered warrant. And even the FISA Courts aren't going to touch this one."

"I move that Jocelyn Moran be permitted to attend this Executive Session, and any future Executive Sessions of this Council." said Malinda Adams.

"I second." said Reginald B.F. Lewis, who had otherwise been subdued the entire evening.

"There is a motion on the floor." said the Mayor. "Is discussion necessary, or shall we proceed to the vote?" They proceeded to the vote, and it was 5-5. "The Council being equally divided, the Mayor votes 'nay', and the motion fails. Okay, the issue is the Police promotions and medals, particularly the application for a posthumous Medal of Valor for Police Lieutenant Ivar Irwin, who lost his life in successfully rescuing Todd Burke. Is there a motion on the floor?"

"I move..." said Edward R. Steele and Reginald B.F. Lewis simultaneously.

"Mr. Steele is recognized." said the Mayor with the slightest bit of emphasis. Kelly Carnes and Malinda Adams stared at the Mayor with utter hatred in their eyes.

"I move that the Board of Inquiry investigation be dispensed with, and that we directly consider this Medal of Valor application." said Edward R. Steele.

"I second the motion." said Dagmar Schoen.

"Wait a minute!" gasped Susan Weston.

"You are not recognized." said the Mayor.

"POINT OF ORDER, THEN!" screamed Weston. "For God's sake, I'm on the verge of joining the lawsuit against you, Mayor Allgood. You really are acting like a Goddamned dictator---"

"Point of order as to language." said J.P. Goldman, his voice sounding very weary.

"The point of order as to language is recognized." said Daniel Allgood, his voice very formal and icy. "Councilwoman Weston will state her point of order without using abusive language." He was trying to be nice...

"The point is that it is normal custom for a medal at the level of the Medal of Valor be referred to a Board of Inquiry for review. The motion that was made flies in the face of that, and I believe should not be recognized."

"Councilman Steele," said Daniel, "would you explain your reasons for the motion you have made?"

"Yes, Mr. Mayor." said Steele. "There has already been a Board of Inquiry about the incident itself, and the Board made their findings. Another Board would be redundant and a waste of time and money."

"Point of order to that." said Susan Weston. "This Council has twice put off discussion of that Board of Inquiry's findings, and has not accepted nor rejected them. Additionally, that Board of Inquiry did not examine the actions of Lieutenant Irwin with regard to a Medal of Valor application. I believe a new Board of Inquiry is not only merited, but is necessary."

"I accept the point that the Council has not discussed nor acted upon the previous Board of Inquiry's findings." said the Mayor. "Let us do that now, within the context of Mr. Steele's seconded motion."

"Point of order." said Susan Weston. "I object to that, because we need to act upon the Board of Inquiry point before considering the Councilman's motion. You're hamstringing us, and I believe we are outside of the Rules of Order in proceeding in this direction.

"It's a fair point." said Allgood. "Mr. Steele, do you withdraw your motion?"

"Point of order, Mr. Mayor." said Dagmar Schoen, generating some chuckles in the room. "I seconded the motion, and I do not withdraw it."

"I move we lay it on the table." said John Colby, in a rare instance of going against his colleague and mistress, Dagmar Schoen. John Colby was also weary of the crap.

"I second." said Sheila Sorrells, and very quickly. The vote was 8-1, with Schoen voting against, and Steele voting 'present', essentially abstaining...

Part 6 - Under Protest

"This is Amber Harris, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the athletic blonde reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, June 26th, from what appeared to be the rooftop position with City Hall in the background, previously used by Bettina. "Another Town & County Council meeting dissolves into acrimony over the tactics of suppression exercised by Mayor Daniel Allgood!"

"Bettina Wurtzburg is on assignment." explained Amber. "Here's the news you have a right to know: A representative of the U.S. Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division was in attendance at the public Council meeting, but was denied access to the Executive Session by Police Commander Donald Troy. And inside the closed-off private Council Chamber, white nationalist Mayor Daniel Allgood treated the members of the Council as his servants instead of the elected representative of the People that they are supposed to be. Let's go to trusted reporter Lester Holder for more. Lester!"

"That's right, Amber!" said Holder, standing on the portico of City Hall. "I have with me Councilwoman Malinda Adams, who was at the Executive Session of the Council. Ms. Adams, what is it like in there? What is Mayor Daniel Allgood like in there?"

"Lester, Daniel Allgood has becomes nothing short of another Hitler." said Malinda Adams. "He threatens anyone who even speaks without his personal permission, especially black Council Member Reginald B.F. Lewis. If we don't say 'Seig Heil!', he silences us with threats. And his handling of the Council meeting was a joke. He keeps telling us we're out of order, but he's out of control!"

After concluding the interview with Malinda, Holder said to the camera "Amber, I can't help but think that if Eldrick X. Weaver had not been cheated out of his rightful win by the disenfranchisement of black voters, we would not be having these problems on the Council."

Amber: "Lester, what about the U.S. DOJ representative? What's happening there?"

Penis Holder: "Amber, there has been no comment from the U.S. DOJ's Civil Rights Division about last night's incident, where the racist Police Commander Donald Troy denied a DOJ Agent from attending the Executive Session. This is not surprising, as Donald Troy does illegitimate Mayor Allgood's lightwork for him, that is when Troy is not breeding illegitimate halfbreed children."

"That's certainly true!" Amber said happily. "Thank you, Lester! Are you going to confront Commander Troy at the Charter Commission meeting tonight?"

Penis Holder grinned and said "That racist will have a lot of questions to answer about the Culture of Police Brutality he's instilled in the TCPD, for sure."

"Great!" exclaimed Amber. A second later, she said into the camera: "Yes, tonight is the Charter Commission hearing for the Police structure, and it is scheduled to be at the Civic Center Theater to provide enough seating for what is expected to be a large crowd."

Amber finished: "And we are happy to report that KXTC is in talks with a potential buyer for the Town & County Examiner. This group, which is named 'The Guardians Group', is a small video and online news company that could keep the old newspaper viable through online services..."

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

"Where's Bettina?" asked Tanya Perlman as we drank coffee in the Chief's Conference Room. I'd been 'invited' back by the Chief, and it was an invitation I could not refuse.

"She has a way of dodging Lester Holder's really bad stuff." Teresa Croyle said. "She lets Amber do it, which one day will come back to haunt Amber while Bettina avoids the exposure."

"True." I said.

"She may be meeting with that USDOJ woman." growled Griswold. "And not for an interview, at least not yet."

"What do you mean, Sheriff?" asked Cindy Ross. "They trying to set something up?"

"So I read the riddle." said the Sheriff. "What do you think, Crowbar?"

"On most days, I would kiss ass and agree with you wholeheartedly, Sheriff." I said, making everyone laugh out loud. "But today, she may be doing KXTC business... like a meeting working on the sale of the Examiner."

"Oh." said Teresa. Then she had an insight, and said: "The 'Guardians' Group, eh? Something you'd like to tell us, Commander?"

"No." I said simply, a bit too simply. "I am sorry to say that I never was one of the Guardians of Justice."

"Hell, son," said Sheriff Griswold, "you were the reason for their existence, part of it, anyway." Teresa and Tanya nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Just sayin', is all." I said.

"KXTC is selling the Examiner." said Cindy. "So why are they pushing it on their newscasts like they are?"

"To try to bring in buyers," I said, "so they can get the best price possible through a bidding war. But the fish in the Sheriff's backyard are biting better than any bids for the paper."

Tanya said "That DOJ woman is going to be at the Charter Commission meeting tonight. And so will Jack and probably Julius Jefferson, as well."

"That reminds me." I said. "I know all of you are going to be there, but Tanya, ask the MCD and Vice Detectives and their leadership to be there if they don't have something else to do, like a public function."

"Wilco." said Tanya. "Are you expecting trouble, sir?"

"Quite the opposite." I said. "I expect a relatively peaceful, productive meeting tonight..."

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

"I can't believe this." said Keith Madden as they drove up to the Civic Center. "Third day in a row."

"Yeah, I don't know what Amber's problem is." said the cameraman, Keith's regular one again.

After the altercation with the other cameraman the day before, Madden had gone back to KXTC's offices and complained bitterly. So had the cameraman. And Amber Harris had taken the cameraman's side against Madden.

"He's right," Amber had said, "you should have been staging the demonstrators."

"What, is this a news organization or a high school stage play?" Madden had retorted.

"It's about what we put in front of the viewers!" Amber had said angrily. "It's about telling them and showing them exactly what to think!"

Madden had walked away. Today, Amber had told him to go cover the homeless protesters again. He had said "No. And you're not my boss. You don't give me assignments."

"We'll see about that." Amber had said.

She'd gone to Bettina's office, and after ten minutes Bettina had come out and said "Keith, go cover the homeless protesters like Amber told you to."

"She's not my boss." Madden had said. He did not care what would happen; being fired was preferable to having to take orders from the corrupt Amber Harris.

"I'm your boss," said Bettina, "and I'm telling you to do what Amber told you. Have you got a problem with that?"

"Yes I do." Madden had replied. "But I guess it won't matter after she goes to prison, will it?" He walked away before Bettina could say anything else.

Now in live time, Madden saw that the so-called 'homeless' protesters were just sitting on the curb, waiting for them to get there. "Obviously some coordinating going on" he said "Hold up a minute, let me get this." He took the small hand-cam and filmed the protesters sitting on the curb.

As the car came up, the protesters got up and held their signs up. Madden interviewed them, asking "Are you being paid to protest here today?" and "Are you just here for the Media attention?" The protesters looked at him angrily.

After it was over, Madden said "Circle around and come back up Riverside Drive." The cameraman did so, and Madden again filmed the protesters... as they were dispersing. "Looks like they're done for the day, now that the Media coverage is over." The cameraman agreed...

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

"Jesus answered them, "Did I Myself not choose you, the twelve, and yet one of you is a devil?" Now He meant Judas the son of Simon Iscariot, for he, one of the twelve, was going to betray Him."

--- John 6:70-71

"You're sure working hard on that McGinty stuff." Teddy Parker said to Timothy Geiger as they sat across from each other at their desks.

"Well, that is what Lieutenant Davis asked us to do." said Geiger, not looking away from his monitor as he typed furiously upon his keyboard (as if he was writing a story for the Literotica website, but I digress).

"Hey," said Theo Washington, "you find that stuff, and you can make a lot of money selling it, and quit the Police Force."

"Do you really think I'm dirty like that?" Geiger responded, letting some of his anger and frustration show.

"I don't know, are you?" Joanne Warner said cattily. Geiger didn't respond; he'd been subjected to shots like that since he'd been moved to MCD. Nothing new; par for the course.

"No, we don't think you're dirty, Geiger." said Julia.

"No, we don't." said Parker. "But I sure as hell wish you would make a lot of money and then quit, so that I'd be rid of you." The room got really quiet after that.

A few moment later, Geiger got up, locking his computer like he was supposed to, then headed out the back hallway door. He went to the restroom, then came back out and went down the hallway... the other way, towards the gym.

Going through the gym, he went out the back side door, the one used to get to the bleachers where promotions and medals were awarded. He got out the burner phone he'd bought with cash at the Wal-Mart the day before, and dialed a number.

"Hey Jerry, it's me." he said. "Let's meet. I'm in."

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

(Author's note: Remember, this is based on true events.)

"What the hell is this?" Amber Harris exploded as she came up to Keith Madden's desk in the open area; he did not even have the flimsy walls of a cubicle.

"It's my piece on the homeless protesters." said Madden.

"No shit." said Amber. "What the fuck is this about them just sitting there waiting for the Press to arrive, and this being a sham protest?"

"That's what it is." said Madden. "You've sent me out there three days covering the same old crap from them. So this time I just wrote up what's really going on with them."

"That's not why you're covering them." said Amber. "These people have something to say."

"And they've been saying it, day after day after day... as long as you send someone to cover them." Madden fired back.

"Uggghhh! For God's sake..." Amber muttered, furious with anger and beet red in the face. She walked away, making a beeline for Bettina's office...

Part 7 - Police Business

On the stage of the Civic Center Theater, several tables were set up on the right side of the stage as one faces it from the audience, and at an angle to partially face the audience and partially face the podium set up on the other side. We the Charter Commission came in and took our places at the tables.

Mayor Allgood, Sheriff Griswold, Chief Moynahan, Deputy Chief Ross, Captain of Operations Croyle, Captain of Internal Affairs Orosco, Captain of Public Relations Thompson, MCD Lieutenant Davis, Vice Lieutenant Milton, and IT Lieutenant Milton sat on the center section's front row of seats. To their right sat Captain of Detectives Perlman in her wheelchair. Town & County Council Members Colby, Schoen, McGhillie, and Goldman sat in the second row. Council Members Lewis, Carnes and Adams were present, but sat a part from the others, further back on the right side. Councilman Steele was on stage with me, as a Commission Member, of course.

FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone, Supervisory Agents Allgood and Nash, and Special Agents Jefferson, Jenkins, and Linares were in the front row of the right side section. The Press was in the front few rows of the left side. Bettina Wurtzburg and Burt West were there, as were Catrina Pierce, Priya Ajmani, Tim Sioban and Cynthia Freeman, and a strong contingent of 'cub' reporters.

When the doors were opened to allow the Public in, the theater began filling up very quickly. There were a few young people in red shirts, but the vast majority of them were dressed more nicely. And there were a few rough looking young people with green PCGW shirts on.

At 7:30pm, I gaveled the hearing into session, then stood up with a microphone in my hand. "Thank you all for coming." I said as everyone quietened down. "I have a few announcements before we begin. First of all, we're going to have whoever is speaking come up to the podium on the stage with us, so that you're at the same level with us. But if you have trouble with the steps, we can have a microphone brought to you on the floor."

"Second" I continued, "we intend to let everyone who wants to speak have at least one minute to address us. It might be a long night, and I warned the other Commission Members to bring pillows..." There was laughter at that, then I went on: "... but we do intend to hear you. Unlike Council meetings, which have a lot more to do, we're here for one reason for this one night, and that is to hear your voices and your ideas."

Some of the audience burst into applause at that, which I got the distinct impression was sarcastic in nature. Heedless, I went on: "I do want to say that this hearing is to get ideas and input, and is not meant as an airing of grievances. Now of the Charter Commission members, I'm probably the one with the most experience concerning the Police Department..." More laughter. "... so I will be engaging you in conversation and responding to your comments. The other Commission members might also ask questions and discuss points of interest with you."

I finished up: "In order to hear your ideas and issues, I have invited the Police Leadership to this hearing, and while I don't expect them to engage you, one or more of them might pass along some information to us as needed." I introduced the front row of Officers, then said "Sheriff Griswold has forgotten more about the Town & County Police than I could hope to know, and the Commission will be relying on his wisdom and sage advice." There was a smattering of applause for Sheriff Griswold, mostly from the front row.

"And with that, let's begin." I said. I then began outlining our draft proposals for the Police structure, which had no major changes except that it cleaned up some 'remnants' of the old by doing away with all the old Detective ranks except one gold bar with three black squares with the rank of Senior Detective, all new Detective ranks being Sergeant or below.

"I am expecting some discussion about precincts." I said, to some laughter which became applause. "I'm going to go ahead and give you some of the case against more Precincts than we already have, and we'll discuss and debate as you come up."

I started: "As an example: Gwinnett County, Georgia, was once the fastest growing county in America, and is currently the second-most populous county in Georgia. It has just under one million people. They have six precincts, which serve about 154,000 people per precinct. Our Town & County is not even the third most populous county in our State, and we have around 100,000 people total, even when the University is in session, and we have two precincts already, and some want a third. That's just not an efficient use of your tax dollars, folks."