Who Watches The Watchers Ch. 02

"How can we stop them?" Teresa said, her voice shaky. "What... what can we do?"

"What we're going to do." I replied. I then looked up at the western sky and said "Listen." Teresa listened, and heard the faint low-pitch throb of noise.

"Choppers." she said...

Part 8 - The Rescue

10:30pm, Monday, February 22nd. The State Patrol's elite Combat Strike Team, clad in black, wearing armor, and utilizing night vision and infrared vision devices, poured into the abandoned facility near City International Airport. Rushing along the nearly pitch-black hallways, they arrived at the far end of the facility.

Four men in a small breakroom were watching TV when they were suddenly overwhelmed by the masked, black-clad invaders. They were swiftly driven to the floor and injected with tranquilizers.

Other elements of the Combat Strike Team drove further down the hallway to an intersection of hallways. They rushed the one room that had any light, pouncing hard on the three men around the metal table. The men were rendered unconscious and taken away.

On the metal table was a naked black man with an IV in one arm. He had long since lost control of his bladder and his bowels, and was lying in his own filth.

"It's Pitts!" said FBI Special Agent Julius Jefferson into his earbuds-controlled radio as he took the IV out of the unconscious man's arm. "He's alive, but in bad shape."

"Let's get him out of here." said the Combat Strike Team leader... most very Special Agent Melina Troy Allgood. Someone brought in a plastic-lined stretcher and four people put Pitts on it, then covered him with a blanket. Melina sounded the retreat of four whistle blasts.

As they reached the doors and went outside, two large helicopters were landing. One was University Hospital's life flight helicopter. Pitts was rushed to it and put aboard, and began being examined by the attending physician... Dr. Leonard R. Cordell, Town & County EMS Chief and longtime war zone trauma doctor. The helicopter took off. It's pilot was me, Your Iron Crowbar, and my co-pilot for this mission was Your Iron Wolf, Teresa Croyle.

"Unidentified aircraft, identify yourself." came the call from the tower of City International Airport.

I gave the call letters of the helicopter, then said "We are life-flighting a Federal Agent to University Hospital. Request clearance to fly beneath the aircraft threshold."

"Roger, Life Flight." said the tower. "Fly south to the Federal Building then southwest and follow University Highway west."

"Roger. Life Flight out." I said. Then I said to Teresa. "No way in hell I'm flying over the Federal Building with their anti-aircraft guns on the roof. We're going southwest then west-southwest."

"Roger that." Teresa said. She looked back and saw Dr. Cordell and Paramedic Kevin Randolph working on Pitts. They had catheterized him and had two IVs going into his arms.

Meanwhile, the captured Agents were being put on the second large helicopter. Melina came up and said "That's all of them that we could find."

"Okay. Good work in there." said the CIA Officer in charge of this mission... Dr. Laura W. Fredricson. "We're taking them to Station 'Whiskey' (W)."

"Make it hurt." Melina said. "What they did to Pitts was brutal."

As Laura got onto the aircraft, Melina heard her sister say to the captured Agents: "Welcome to Hell, gentlemen." And she knew that Hell might be preferable to what Laura was about to do to them...

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

"Why isn't Laura on this chopper, helping with Pitts?" Teresa asked me as we cleared City airspace proper.

"Two reasons." I said. "She's going to be having philosophical discussions with the captured Federal Agents that were torturing Pitts. And second, she and I never fly together unless we absolutely have to... especially when there's danger like this flight."

"I could have flown this chopper." Teresa said. "You could be flying one of the Cobras. But why did Laura forbid you to be on the Combat Strike Team?"

"Uh, let's discuss that later, shall we?" I said. I was not just flying the medical chopper because I could; after all, Teresa was an excellent pilot and could've handled it.

However... after setting up the pot lights in the field, the helicopters came in from the west and landed in a circle outside the lights, along with an escort of Cobra gunships. When Laura popped out of the second helicopter, she told me that I was forbidden to go into the facility, and she told me why: because it was the same facility where I'd been subjected to Dr. Casey B. Walker's insidious torture! (Author's note: 'Dream Weaver'.)

Laura didn't want me having any flashbacks that might endanger the mission, and I had no problem with never seeing the inside of that place again. So I got to fly something.

And I was flying the Life Flight mission for another reason. The regular helicopter pilot had agreed to fly the bird as far as that field near that small airport, but had not wanted to fly into nor out of the City once he was told of the danger to us. You know that Teresa and I had no problem volunteering to do that, but I didn't blame him a bit. Indeed, I was able to make use of it: after they landed I had the regular pilot drive my SBI SUV back to University Hospital with a State Patrol escort.

And the Cobras? No way could Town & County Police Chief Sean Moynahan be stopped from piloting one of them. The other, which was mine, was being flown by a State Trooper, Sergeant Winthrop, who normally flew the State Patrol's weather and surveillance helicopter, but had military gunship experience. He had a Rudistan-'ish' joviality about him when we met on the field, and when I told him I wanted my aircraft back in one piece, he assured me that he'd make that happen, and I knew he would.

We cleared the City suburbs and flew west with the University Highway off my port window. As we came up to where Highway 141 turned north and went towards the Millwakee Camp location, I heard a chilling message on the radio: "Two bogeys, six o'clock, coming up fast from the ground. Solid black, not running any lights."

"They're right behind us." Teresa said. "They came up underneath our fighter escort."

"Enemy aircraft, this is the State Patrol. You are in violation of State Law and flight rules." I heard on the radio. "You are ordered to turn back. How copy?"

"They're still coming." Teresa said. "Can you dive?"

"No." I said. "This ain't a Cobra. And we can't do anything 'exciting' with Pitts and the medical people in the back."

We listened in as 'shit got real' behind us: "Enemy aircraft, this is the State Patrol. You have been deemed hostile and we will shoot you down if you do not stand down. Do you wish to engage?" Suddenly, the rockets red glare of tracer fire came out from under my aircraft and flew past us!

"I guess he does wish to engage." I said to Teresa as a second burst of tracer fire went past us, this time at a slight angle.

And then we saw an orange flash in our side windows. "One bogey down, but the other is on my tail."

"I've got him." said the voice of Chief Moynahan. A second later another orange flash lit the skies behind us. "Second bogey down. Let's get that man to the Hospital, Mister Crowbarrrr."

"Roger that, Chief, and thanks for the help." I replied. I drove the Life Flight chopper as fast as I could towards home...

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

The lighted blue letters spelling 'UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL' were a welcome sight as I guided the helicopter to its roof and touched down. Medical personnel rushed out and took Kevin Pitts inside, with Dr. Cordell following and barking orders. I shut down the helicopter.

Teresa said "Well, I can add incoming tracer fire to the things I've seen that I never hope to see again."

"Roger that." I said. "And Teresa... you did well today. On everything. I couldn't have done a thing without you. Sure you don't want a crowbar?"

"What color?" Teresa asked, meaning it humorously.

"Red." I said seriously, holding out my red crowbar. Teresa fully understood what what I was offering her: the chance to become the Second Iron Crowbar.

"What, you going somewhere?" Teresa asked as she peered at me. "SBI Director or something?"

"Maybe." I said.

"No you're not." Teresa said. "This too shall pass, sir. You're where you belong, and you are who you're supposed to be. So thank you, sir, for your trust in me... but I'm sure."

She's in the zone, I thought to myself as she got out of the chopper. I followed her inside a moment later...

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

Several cellphones began ringing or chiming in the conference room. Lindsey Black, Karl Coleman, David Rovers and Peter Page received messages while Dr. Robin Isley received a phone call. Her eyes showed her shock as she listened, then said "Keep me informed." and hung up.

"Mr. Lange, would you please excuse us for a few moments?" Isley said, without a shred of courtesy in her voice. "In fact, take your stuff. We're going to need this room for the rest of the night." Lange wordlessly closed and disconnected his laptop, then gathered the few file folders around him, got up and left.

Once he was out of the room, Dr. Isley looked at the others. Lindsey Black said "Our facility near the Airport was raided. They really hit us hard. They captured all out guys there, and they recovered Pitts. One helicopter took all our people and flew north. It's out of State now. The other was University Hospital's Life Flight helicopter."

Karl Coleman said "The chopper with our guys turned west and began flying low. We lost radar contact near Lake Watchacoochie in the W.M.A. up there."

Isley nodded her head. "Laura Fredricson. She's got them. And she'll break them. That's bad. Very, very bad."

David Rovers said "We anticipated the possibility of the Iron Faggot getting Pitts away from us, but we thought he'd make his move once we found Pitts and were taking him to the Hospital."

"Why didn't they take him to City U. Hospital?" Lindsey Black asked. "It's much closer."

"But it's not under the Iron Crowbar's control." Robin Isley said. "He can have Pitts protected inside hoops of steel over there. Here? He couldn't do a damn thing here."

"And how did they find Pitts?" Karl Coleman asked harshly, looking squarely at David Rovers. "The Iron Crowbar doesn't know where our facilities are? Or does he?"

Robin Isley said "It wasn't Troy, not Don Troy anyway. It was the aforementioned Laura Fredricson. You people have no idea how powerful she is, even after having retired. Even my boss fears her. But what I want to know, people...is who is the fucking idiot that took Pitts to the same fucking place where Casey B. Walker tortured Don Troy?"

David Rovers said "They thought that location would be discounted, precisely because it had been used before and was known."

Isley looked Rovers squarely in the eye and said "Bob Rovers is as clumsy as he is stupid. And I hope and expect that you will tell him I said that, and tell him exactly verbatim. Okay, obviously I don't need your BAU team now. Pack your shit and get out. Go back to Washington." The BAU team got out while the getting was good.

After they were gone, Isley said to Lindsay and Karl: "Two 'black' choppers that were assigned the mission to shoot down the University Hospital Life Flight helicopter were themselves shot down west of The City. Here's what I want you to do..."

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

1:30am, Tuesday, February 23d. FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone and Special Agent Julius Jefferson came into the waiting room at University Hospital, along with TCPD Deputy Chief Tanya Muscone. Waiting there already were me, Teresa, TCPD Chief Moynahan, and Nextdoor County Police Chief Molly Evans.

"Our kids are at The Cabin with your kids." Tanya said when she saw me, knowing I'd ask.

"Good." I said. "They'll be safer there."

I saw that Muscone noticed the hostile looks that the Chief and Molly gave him. He did not say anything, but sat apart from them. Tanya parked her wheelchair next to him, and Teresa made a point to go over and sit near her and speak to her.

"How's Kevin?" Julius Jefferson asked.

"Still alive." I said. "Dr. Morgan came in, and they took Pitts into surgery. He was physically abused as well as drugged up. He had a skull fracture as well as an edema, which means swelling around his brain. He also had several cracked ribs and soft tissue damage. And bleeding from his rectum and lower intestine, suggesting objects were forcibly inserted into his derrière."

"Why all that?" Jack Muscone asked. "If I recall, they didn't do nearly that much to you physically."

I replied "But they had me for several days, and they had to take their time to extract certain information out of me. With Pitts, I think they felt the need to accelerate the process, so they augmented the psychosis drugs with physical abuse to break him more quickly... and for the fun of it, of course."

Teresa had lowered her eyes at that... she remembered what had been done to Cindy before we rescued her. (Author's note: 'Causing A Commotion'.)

I continued: "They needed to get what they could from Pitts as soon as they could, by dawn this morning if I don't miss my guess. And then they were going to kill him."

Muscone said "I got word that the Feds had an idea of where he was, and they were going to rescue him. When I heard about you rescuing him, I thought it was them doing it. What happened there?"

I said "The Swamp Frogs were feeding us shit, and what you heard was probably their 'fake news' disinformation. My thesis is that they intended to kill Pitts, move his body to near a City Police rendition facility, and then (air quotes) 'rescue' him, but too late. All I'll say now is that the people we found at the facility with Pitts are now undergoing... 'questioning' themselves."

"So you were going to tell me what this is about, once Molly got here." said Chief Moynahan. "And now she's here." I looked over at Muscone.

"I'll go make some phone calls." said Muscone. "Julius, let's go discuss our end of all this." The Federal Agents left the room. I checked for bugs... in front of Tanya, who noticed.

"Do you want me to stay or go?" Tanya asked, her eyes and her voice showing she was 'not perky'.

"You can stay." I said. "Of course." I added. Teresa reassuringly patted Tanya on the shoulder.

"Okay," I began, "Wes Masters went to Britt Maxwell after finding a corrupt drug operation within the City Police Narcotics Bureau. They were taking drugs that had been captured in drug busts and re-selling the stuff back to the drug distributors. The pushers in turn would sell it to their lower level guys, and then the dirty cops would come in and bust the low level guys, and they'd do it all over again. Lather, rinse, repeat."

Your Iron Crowbar (YIC): "The dirty cops were raking in the cash, pure profit. The higher level drug perps were making their profits they would have anyway, between what they bought the drugs for and what they sold them for. It was the low end guys, usually poor blacks on the streets, that were getting crushed. But I digress."

YIC: "The Narcotics Bureau Chief, Ken Z. Adams, was a major player in the ring, if not the leader. Then First Deputy Commissioner Liz Chennault got involved, and was taking a cut while protecting the ring from being sniffed out. And then the Federal Swamp Frogs found out, particularly Dr. Robin Isley and Director of National Intelligence Brendan Chapel. He is one greedy son of a bitch, and he had his Swamp Frogs force their way into it. They did do some things to help out, like supply fresh drugs into the cycle, but they were basically taking a huge chunk of the dirty CPD cops's money."

YIC: "So Masters found out, possibly by being tipped off by disgruntled CPD cops that were finding their profits curtailed. He started looking into it, saw the Federal Swamp Frogs, and realized it was too big for him and City I.A. So he went to Britt Maxwell. They began a joint operation to expose it."

YIC: "I'm not sure exactly how it went next, and I hope Pitts lives to tell us. But good guys like Dwight Stevens and Kevin Pitts found out, and started their own operation to expose the ring and the Swamp Frogs's involvement in it. Problem was, they saw the SBI guys embedded, the SBI guys saw them, each thought the other might be part of the problem... until Pitts figured it out and talked to SBI Agent Johnson, and warned the SBI off."

YIC: "And here's where I use some imagination, and we'll see if future data bears me out: I think the dirty CPD top brass always had the idea, if not the plan, of framing Wes Masters if things started coming to light. They'd always hated the job he was doing to clean up the CPD and bring integrity and credibility back to it, and saw it as a 'Plan B' to get rid of him while protecting their own hides."

Molly and Chief Moynahan's faces looked dark and angry at that. The threat to their colleague Masters was 'not unlike' how I would (and do) react to threats against my Angels.

I went on: "At the Federal level, I think the Swamp Frogs's first goal would've been to use the SBI Agents's presences against them, which is why Pitts warned Johnson off; he knew the danger. The Swamp Frogs's second plan was to put it on Pitts and maybe Stevens, and their final option was to bring down the corrupt CPD brass."

"Oh, geeezzz." groaned Chief Moynahan. "We've got to warn Coldiron!" I got in front of him and looked at him funny.

"Ye of so little faith, Chief." I said. "I've already talked to him, and so has Britt Maxwell."

"Goood."said the Chief with great relief in his voice. I then had to burst his bubble.

"But Chief, he's still in great danger." I said. "This thing is about to blow up in their faces, and they'll try to pre-empt us. They're going to hit Coldiron with this, and the SBI and Sharon Marshall, too. They'll have their deeply corrupt Media allies chanting Coldiron's guilt. It's a trap we can't stop them from springing, and one we may just have to walk into to in order to get out of it."

"Coldiron is good," said Molly Evans, "but even he's not the Iron Crowbar. How are we... or should I say you going to get him out of this?"

"I can't." I said grimly. "There is only one way out, and that is that Kevin Pitts has to live and recover... and be able to tell us the truth. If he dies... it gets ugly. So my only way of helping Coldiron is to keep Kevin Pitts from being murdered by the Swamp Frogs..."

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

2:30am, Tuesday, February 23d. FBI Special Agent Lindsey Black and ATF Special Agent Karl Coleman entered University Hospital and went to the Nurses Station just inside the lobby. "Federal Agents." Lindsey Black said, displaying her badge. "We're here for Kevin Pitts. Where is he?"

"Just a moment." the nurse said. She picked up the phone and said into the P.A. system of the Hospital: "Code Blue. Code Blue. Lobby Nurses Station."

"What are you doing?" Karl Coleman said angrily. The nurse didn't answer him. She and the other nurses at the station went into the room behind the counter, and closed and locked the door.

"What the hell is going... onnnn?" Lindsey Black said, the final word tapering off as she saw the TCPD Officers pouring into the hallway from offices, connecting hallways, and from the lobby. All of them were wearing armor and all of them had guns drawn and pointing at the floor. Leading her Officers was the TCPD Commander of Operations, Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle.

"Where's Pitts?" Lindsey Black fearlessly asked.

"In our custody." Teresa replied. "And you are trespassing, and I say that as a Hospital Board Member representing the Hospital Administrator. I order you to leave, or you will be arrested... or shot dead."