Tip of the Spear Pt. 03

Tip Of The Spear, Pt. 03

A Sheriff Ryan Caldwell story

I would like to thank QuantumMechanic1957 for giving this a beta read, as well as those who have offered comments and constructive criticism on my previous stories.

And now, the disclaimers:

For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper... In addition:

1. Characters in this story may participate in one or more of the following: Smoking, consumption of adult (meaning, alcoholic) beverages, utterance of profanities.
2. All sexual activity is between consenting adults 18 years of age or older.
3. Statements or views uttered by the fictional characters in this story do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the author.

Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama...

...

End of "Tip Of The Spear, Pt. 02"

"Any response from Texas yet?" the woman asked.

"I just received a ping from the device embedded in Higgins," Allison said. "The other device is still active, and there's been no verification of anything yet."

"We need verification," the other woman said.

"You forget the time difference," Allison said. "Watch the obituaries and monitor the local reports."

"Do we have anyone close by?" the woman asked.

"The closest person is on assignment in Cancun," Allison said. "She won't be available for another two weeks."

"This isn't good," the other woman said.

"It is what it is," Allison barked. "All we can do right now is monitor the situation."

"Very well. Let me know if there's any change in the situation."

"Don't worry. I will," Allison said, ending the communication. She felt like throwing the laptop across the room. If Veronica had any idea how law enforcement worked in the States, she wouldn't keep pestering me, she thought. She looked down at the thing between her legs, trying to please her.

"I need to piss. Open your mouth, thing," she commanded. The male creature dutifully obeyed. She laughed as she let loose with a stream of urine. Those stupid rednecks had no idea what they were up against. And by the time they figured it all out, it would be too late. She threw her head back and laughed maniacally.

...

And now, Tip of the Spear Pt. 03

3:45 pm, Friday, September 24, 2021:

Ryan saw Deputy Sanders as he walked down the hall to the interrogation room. Sanders looked at him and nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Hey, Sheriff," Sanders said, touching the brim of his Stetson.

"Hey, Sanders," Ryan said, motioning for him to enter the observation room. Sanders followed and the two of them looked at Jeremy Rodgers, now sitting behind a small table, his hands cuffed and secured to the table.

"Nice job on the arrest," Ryan said. "I watched the body cam footage. Good work with Mrs. Anderson, by the way."

"Thanks, Sheriff," Sanders said. "I've known that sweet old lady my whole life. Didn't want her any more scared than she already was." They looked at Rodgers and saw him squirming in the hard chair. "Hard to believe that boy killed Commissioner Higgins. Look at him. He's shaking like a leaf in there."

"Takes all kinds, Deputy," Ryan said.

"Reckon so. Still, if you ask me, I'd say his bread's not quite done, if you know what I mean," Sanders said. Ryan nodded his head.

"You may be right," Ryan said. "Not our call to make, though."

"I suppose not," Sanders said. "If anyone can figure this out, Detective Hale can." Ryan agreed with Sanders' assessment. The former NYPD detective had earned the trust and admiration of everyone in the department since coming to Hard Rock.

"I hear they got his van and all of his stuff out of her house," Ryan said.

"Yeah, Ron and the boys are going through it all now," Sanders said. Just then, the door to the interrogation room opened and a large black man in a dark suit entered the room. Ryan had tried to get Ray to adopt something more "western," but Ray wouldn't hear of it.

As they watched, Ray sat down, started the recording and opened his folder, putting pictures of Higgins and the crime scene on the table. Jeremy recoiled at the sight of Higgins' body impaled by a spear. Ray looked at Jeremy for a few moments before speaking.

"I understand you've been read your Miranda rights. Do you understand those rights as they've been explained to you, Mr. Rodgers?" he asked.

"Yes," Jeremy said.

"Before we begin, would you like to consult with an attorney or have one present during questioning?" Ray asked. Jeremy shook his head.

"I don't need no attorney," Jeremy said. Ray looked at Jeremy, examining his face for any signs of emotion or regret.

"You might want to reconsider," the detective said. "I understand the District Attorney will push for the death penalty. For you, for Mrs. Higgins and... for your sister," he added, pausing for effect. Jeremy looked up at Ray, his eyes wide, but only for a moment. Then he broke down, sobbing.

"Noooooo," he moaned. "You want to kill my sister?"

"I don't want to kill anyone, Mr. Rodgers," Ray said calmly. "But justice has to be served. The three of you took Commissioner Higgins' life. And in this state, that often means the death penalty."

"No! Not my Ginger! Please! I'm begging you. Kill me if you have to. Don't kill her. I'll confess to whatever you want. Just don't kill my sister," Jeremy moaned, hot tears falling down his face.

Ray sat back and watched Jeremy's response before glancing at the observation window where he knew Ryan was watching. Then he turned his attention back to Jeremy. He knew he could easily wring a confession out of Jeremy, but he also knew how easy it was for a case like this to go sideways in court.

"I tell you what, Mr. Rodgers," Ray finally said. "I'm going to go make a couple phone calls. You just sit here and think about things for a bit." He paused the recording, gathered his folder and walked out of the room. He entered the observation room and spoke to Ryan.

"Something's not quite right with that young man," he said. "I'm especially worried about his willingness to confess to anything to protect his sister. That could taint everything else he says in court. I'm going to call Callender and see if he'll take Jeremy on since he's representing the other two. If he won't, then I'll have to call a public defender. I also want someone to evaluate Mr. Rodgers. Make sure he's competent enough to stand trial."

"You think there's a chance he may not be competent?" Ryan asked.

"Personally, no," Ray said. "I just want to make sure we've crossed all the t's and dotted all the i's. Last thing I want is to see a prosecution go bad because of some minor technicality." He turned to Deputy Sanders. "Would you mind keeping an eye on Rodgers for a bit, Deputy?" he asked.

"Not at all, Detective," Sanders said.

"Thank you," Ray said. "I'll be back in a bit." He turned and left the room. Ryan and Sanders looked at Jeremy, who was now sobbing with his head on the table.

"You saw how he reacted when Detective Hale mentioned his sister?" Sanders asked.

"Yeah, I did," Ryan said.

"You think... he had something going on with his own sister?" Sanders asked. Ryan looked at Sanders and nodded his head slightly.

"I think that's a very real possibility," Ryan said. Sanders shook his head.

"That's just sick," he said.

"There's all kinds of crimes, deputy. Some are worse than others," Ryan said, patting him on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on him now, y'hear?"

"Will do, Sheriff," Sanders said as Ryan left the room.

...

Ryan walked into the garage where Ron and his team were going through the contents of Jeremy's van. He looked around and saw all kinds of electronic equipment. He found Ron looking at a box of documents.

"What have you found so far?" Ryan asked.

"All kinds of stuff, Sheriff," Ron said. "Van is currently registered to Jeremy. Address on the registration is Clovis, California. There was a fold-down bed in the back of the van, and this was packed away underneath it. Cameras, computers, lights, audio recorders, you name it. Expensive stuff. The kind used by professionals. Found a box full of DVDs. You can guess what's on 'em."

"Porn?" Ryan asked.

"Oh, yeah," Ron said. "Seems the Rodgers liked to record themselves. A lot. The bedding in there is loaded with DNA. I get the feeling they didn't wash it very often. If nothing else, you have an open-and-shut case for incest."

"No weapons?" Ryan asked. Ron shook his head.

"No, none," Ron said. "We're still going through everything. Could take some time, though. I'm sending these up to Ray," he added, patting the box of documents.

"Okay, keep me in the loop," Ryan said.

"Will do, Sheriff," Ron said. Ryan nodded his head and headed out for a quick smoke before going back to his office. On his way, he ran into Ray.

"Join me for a quick smoke?" Ryan asked.

"Sure," Ray said. When they got to the smoking area, Ryan offered Ray a cigarette and lit them.

"Talked to Callender," Ray said. "He agreed to represent Jeremy."

"Good," Ryan said. "What else?"

"I spoke with the County Health and Human Services Commission," Ray said. "They agreed to have someone speak with Rodgers and provide an initial assessment."

"You honestly don't think he's incompetent, do you?" Ryan asked.

"Personally, no," Ray said. "It's just the way he reacted when I mentioned his sister... Look, I know these assessments are usually ordered by the judge. I just want to head that off if possible."

"Good thinking," Ryan said. "I spoke with Ron. They're going through Jeremy's van now. He's got a box of documents coming your way. You should know they found a lot of high-end camera gear and computers under a bed in that van. Also found a number of DVDs." Ray closed his eyes as he exhaled.

"Do I need to ask what's on them?" he asked.

"No, I think you've probably already guessed what's on them," Ryan said. "Probably should review them anyway, just in case there's something we've missed. The van is registered to Jeremy at an address in Clovis, California. I'm wondering if we need to check it out. Maybe get a bit of background so we know what we're dealing with."

"By 'we,' I presume you mean, me?" Ray asked.

"Well, you ARE the lead detective on the case," Ryan said. Ray laughed at that.

"What the hell. I've always wanted to see California," Ray said.

"I'll have Sgt. Bledsoe make the arrangements for Monday or Tuesday," Ryan said. "I'd like you to be there for Commissioner Higgins' memorial tomorrow." Ray nodded his head. "So, when is the counselor going to see Rodgers?"

"Earliest they can get anyone over is Wednesday," Ray said.

"You should be back from California by then. Unless, you plan to stay there," Ryan said with a smile.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Ray said. "I like it here with you too much."

...

Half a world away, Allison Gatsby opened up her secure video messaging application and saw the blurred face of the blonde woman at the other end of the connection. She shook her head and laughed before speaking. She already knew the woman's real name and knew she was in Cancun.

"What can I do for you, AG?" the blonde asked.

"How long before you can wrap things up there?" Allison asked.

"At the earliest, maybe 10 days. Why?"

"I need you to go to Hard Rock, Texas," Allison said.

"Hard Rock? What happened? Did your little experiment go south on you?" the blonde asked.

"Something like that," Allison said.

"And you need me to clean things up for you? Again?"

"I need you to do a recon. I need to know what's going on," Allison said.

"A recon? What happened?"

"Let's just say things didn't work out as well as I had hoped," Allison said. "Higgins and her contractors have been arrested. For murder." The blonde woman sighed heavily and shook her head.

"What do you know about this place?" the blonde asked. Allison shrugged her shoulders.

"Not much. It's just a tiny dot on the map. Nothing important. Why do you ask?"

"So, you don't know anything about the place? You just made assumptions. You know what they say about assumptions and fuck-ups, don't you?"

"I've heard what you've said about them, yes," Allison said. "You sound like you know more about the place than I do."

"Yes, I do," the blonde said. "Specifically, I know who the sheriff is."

"Oh?" Allison asked. "Who?" Allison watched as the blonde did something on her computer. A few seconds later, she saw a picture on her screen of a large man with a full beard, a jagged scar and a patch covering his left eye. He looked... scary. The image made Allison wet between her legs.

"Before you start frigging yourself," the blonde began. "His name is Ryan Caldwell. He's been the sheriff there for about a year. After his first wife left him for Jacob Knight, he became a mercenary. Did that for about 10 years before settling down in Hard Rock."

"Knight? The oil tycoon?" Allison asked.

"Former oil tycoon," the blonde said. "He assumed room temperature while taking a crap in the courthouse. Rumor has it Caldwell led a raid against a compound the company owned in southeastern New Mexico."

"Really?" Allison asked, her excitement growing. Finally, a man worthy of her, she thought. "Any survivors?"

"No. Word is they had his daughter and grandson," the blonde said.

"Then why wasn't he arrested?" Allison asked.

"Officially, the FBI determined the raid was conducted by a drug cartel from south of the border," the blonde said. "Caldwell was made sheriff of Hard Rock shortly afterward."

"Is he married?" Allison asked. Another picture popped up, this time of another blonde woman.

"Yes," the blonde said. "Her name is Beverly. She's a local girl. Most people refer to her as the 'egg lady.' She keeps chickens and sells the eggs they produce."

"I... see," Allison said, the wheels in her head turning. "She seems a bit... traditional. Unenlightened. Wouldn't you say?"

"Don't even think of it," the blonde said. "From what I hear, Ryan and Beverly are extremely devoted to one another. If anything were to happen to her, he would tear heaven and earth apart to rescue her. And trust me, you don't want to see that happen."

"Oh?" Allison asked.

"From what I heard, he cut Elmer Jenkins' head off and tossed it in a burning fireplace. It wasn't a pretty sight," the blonde said.

"Elmer Jenkins?" Allison asked, her stomach churning just a bit at what the blonde woman told her.

"The former Chairman of the Board of Directors for Knight Petroleum."

"Damn. Why is it you know so much about this man?" Allison asked after a few awkward moments.

"I've seen him in action before," the blonde said. "It's not something I want to experience again. Personally, I think I'd rather try to skin a live wolverine," she added in a perfectly flat, toneless voice that gave AG a shiver. "I kept a loose tab on him, just in case he went back into business. So, tell me, did you send the termination messages?"

"I did," Allison said. "I only got one response back. From Higgins."

"Nothing from the contractor?"

"No, not yet," Allison said.

"I see," the blonde said. "It's a good thing Mona isn't around to see this. You know what she would have done, don't you?"

"Yes, I do," Allison said, grateful that she had enough foresight to have her implant removed before leaving the States. "But that's irrelevant now. I need eyes in Hard Rock, right now."

"Ten days is the earliest I can get there," the blonde said. "In the meantime, monitor the situation as best you can. Don't do anything until you hear back from me. And hope they don't manage to link you to the Higgins woman. Understand?"

"Yes," Allison said. "I've got it under control."

"I doubt that," the blonde woman said. "Otherwise you wouldn't have contacted me. I'll be in touch. Goodbye." The connection ended and Allison thought about what the other woman said. She was right. If Mona or anyone on the original leadership team had still been alive, chances are she would have been terminated for this.

But they were all dead now. For all intents and purposes, Allison was the one in charge, despite what the arrogant blonde woman intimated. She resolved to wait the ten days, but not much more. She turned her attention to the picture of Ryan Caldwell and slid a finger in her pussy, fantasizing what it would be like to get fucked by someone like him -- a REAL man, someone not afraid to do what needs to be done.

...

11:30 am, Saturday, September 25, 2021

The football stadium at the edge of town was filled to capacity as the locals came out to pay their respects to Bertram Higgins. Every seat in the large stadium was occupied and hundreds of fold-out chairs occupied nearly half of the area inside the stadium to accommodate the overflow.

Ryan and Beverly made their way to the group of chairs on the raised platform at one end of the football field. Ryan wore his dress uniform, his polished stars gleaming on his collars and his shoulders. Beverly wore a tasteful black dress. Even dressed like this, Ryan thought she was the most beautiful woman in the whole stadium.

The other county officials joined them on the platform. Two very large photos of Bertram were positioned in front of the platform. They stood for the national anthem, performed by the high school band, then stood for the Marine Corps hymn, in recognition of Bertram's military service.

They sat and listened to one speech after another, as politicians told personal stories and paid homage to Bertram's service to the community. Ryan had his turn at the podium and spoke highly about Bertram, praising him as a man who supported law and order. He ended his speech with a promise to see justice done. That promise elicited a standing ovation from the entire crowd. He sat down to see Beverly gleaming with pride.

The memorial, which lasted for nearly two hours, was broadcast live by the local television stations. Trudy Higgins, still in her one-person cell, was forced to watch it on the monitor attached to the wall. A female guard eyed Trudy with disgust as one speaker after another heaped praise on Bertram. A tear fell down Trudy's cheek as she thought about her late husband.

They married young and were so much in love. When Bertram went into the service, she promised to wait for him, no matter what. She kept her promise and was so proud of her husband when he returned after spending four years in the Marines.

They were so happy in those early years and made love as often as possible. Bertram worked hard to build upon the already-successful family business before going into politics. Their son was born a year after they married and went on to become a star player on the high school football team. Both Trudy and Bertram were so proud when he was chosen for the Air Force Academy.

She never cheated on Bertram in those years, and she never thought her husband would ever cheat on her. She knew his work sometimes required him to stay late, and she also knew he sometimes had to take trips out of town.

She accompanied him on as many of those trips as she could, and tolerated the late nights and phone calls that never seemed to stop. It was all just part of being a county commissioner, she told herself. It was even harder when he ran for re-election. The calls and meetings seemed to be never-ending.

But she realized that his work was important. After all, he was the one who managed to entice businesses to set up shop in Hard Rock. Because of him, more people would be able to get good, full-time jobs with benefits.