Who Watches The Watchers Ch. 04

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Part 18 - Angels In Action

When a.40 S&W caliber semi-auto pistol is fired, it is not the relatively quiet *plink* of.22LR rounds. And when one is fired indoors, the noise is absolutely deafening.

In that surreality of not being able to hear anything, I saw the back of Tommy Ridley's head explode, and 'stuff' spraying all over the Federal Agents near him. The second shot got him just below the neck. Ridley fell backwards onto the legs of other Agents near him, then rolled off onto the floor.

I did not need to look the other way to know that Chief Deputy Cindy Ross had fired the fatal shots. She had the Power of the Vibe, and 'saw' even before I did what Ridley was about to do... and had her gun out and firing before he could get a shot off.

"You fucking bitch!" yelled Lindsey Black, going for her own gun and trying to tear off the zip-tie.

*WHACK!*

The red crowbar came down across her wrists, and her weapon clattered to the floor. I grabbed her and literally threw her over my shoulder to Teresa, who executed an outstanding takedown, twisting Black's arm behind her back.

"Don't even think about it!" I yelled at the Federal Agents, some of whom had instinctively gone for their guns. I was brandishing my crowbar above my head. Deputies came over, one cuffing Lindsey Black's arms behind her, others covering the Agents... and the guys on my side, too, to be fair.

"Grab that weapon." I said to Teresa "Bag it. We'll see if the ballistics match the bullets fired into Walker's car." Teresa took the evidence bag I handed her, that I'd had in my pocket, carefully shook the cartridges out of the revolver and into the bag, then put the gun in the bag and made the proper notations.

"He's dead." said Karl Coleman loudly, having rushed to aid Ridley. "God damn you to hell, you fucking dyke!" he yelled at Cindy. Fortunately for him, Deputies restrained me from doing the right thing and cleaving Coleman's head in two with a mighty crowbar swing...

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

3:00pm, Tuesday, March 2nd. With so many Federal and State Agents involved in the case, who could be brought in to investigate the mess, that would provide a reasonable amount of impartiality as well as get the job done? The Federal Protective Service (FPS) protects all Federal properties, as does the U.S. Marshal's Service and the Department of Homeland Security.

Federal Judge Herbert had Special Agent In Charge Ashton Cardigan step out of his comfort zone to lead the cobbled-together team, which included Supervisory Special Agent Miles Winters of Homeland Security, Supervisory Special Agent Nate Grimes of the FBI Office of Professional Review, and Federal Marshals Tommy Dugan and Kurt Powell.

The revolver that Ridley tried to use to shoot Matty Graves was sent to the State Crime Lab in Westphalia. Within an hour we learned that it was the revolver that had shot CPD Lieutenant Walker in the head.

"How did he get that in here?" Judge Herbert asked Winters and me after we learned the news.

I replied "The Federal Building allows armed Law Enforcement Officers inside when proper identification and credentials are exhibited. There were a ton of LEOs and Federal Agents here for this hearing, so we all were allowed in without having to go through the detectors. Apparently Ridley had the extra revolver strapped to his ankle and walked in with it."

Winters said "And he allowed his main service weapon to be zip-tied when he came into the Courtroom, but no one checked to see if he had a second firearm."

I said "It'll be a pain in the ass, Your Honor, but I'd recommend that armed Agents and LEOs be 'wanded' when they first come in."

"I'll consider that." said the Judge. Alas, the precaution would never be implemented.

In the confusion after the initial shooting, First Deputy Commissioner Liz Chennault had managed to sneak out of the Courtroom and the Federal Building. Bureau Chief Ken Z. Adams had also tried, and had failed. He was taken into custody.

I also told Judge Herbert about the 'Morrison Plumbing & Electric' van, and how we'd seen that logo before. Yep, I had to generate paperwork in the form of a sworn affidavit for the Judge, with the TCPD case number included.

Lindsey Black had been let go after her weapon had been put in an evidence bag. For that matter, all of our weapons had had to be yielded and put in evidence bags, and we'd get them back when we left the building. I did get to keep my crowbar; no one but Teresa and Cindy had the guts to try to take it from me, and they were on my side.

Cindy would be restricted from carrying her firearm in the Federal Building until the investigation was completed. That would take a week, but it would be ruled a 'good shoot' as well as good shooting. Before we left, Miles Winters turned Cindy's weapon over to Teresa, who would give it back to Cindy after we got back home that evening.

At 4:30pm, Judge Herbert issued his formal ruling: the charges against Wes Masters were dismissed with prejudice.. He said that City D.A. Ann Tish and Inspector Britt Maxwell could go for indictments... of Liz Chennault and Ken Z. Adams. Britt filed the charges immediately. Tish refused to; in fact, she said out loud she still wanted to charge Wes Masters with something, if she could find something to paste him with.

As we were about to leave, J.J. Perry and Matty Graves came up to me and Teresa. I'd seen them man-hugging as they shook hands. "So you knew who he was, sir?" Ice Cube asked me.

"Oh, yeahhhh." I said. "Why do you think he got released from our County Jail three times in the last eight years? You didn't think that was your doing, did ya?" That got a good laugh out of both of them.

"We're going to go to dinner with Inspector Maxwell and her people." said Matty Graves. "Y'all want to join us?"

"I can't speak for Commander Croyle," I said, "but I have to get back home."

"I've got family in Town, so I'll have to take a raincheck." Teresa said.

"And Matty, be careful out there." I said. "It's right after an undercover operative is outed that the revenge assassination attempts will happen. Have eyes in the back of your head."

"I'm going to talk to him about what I learned after being outed." said Ice Cube Perry. "It'll be all good..."

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

6:30pm, Tuesday, March 2nd. First Deputy Commissioner Liz Chennault sat on the sofa of her very high-end townhouse west of the City Center, one of the best areas in The City. She was in her full dress uniform. And she was holding her powerful handgun under her head, the muzzle pressed into her chin.

"Don't do it." she heard a voice say. She looked up to see TCPD Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle standing in front of her.

"You." she said, somewhat surprised and somewhat derisively. "I thought it would be the Iron Crowbar that came after me."

Teresa said "I wanted the chance to talk to you first. Woman to woman. You don't have to do this. D.A. Tish isn't going to indict you. Take your chances with Inspector Maxwell."

"Harumph." Chennault said. Then she peered at Teresa and said "I heard you and your husband work with the Japanese a lot. So you know the meaning of 'honor'. Right now, the only way I get my honor back is to die with dignity, and by my own hand------"

*clink*

The noise caused Chennault to look to her right.

*Whoosh!*

I'd come up behind Chennault, grabbed her gun hand, and wrested her arm away from her head.

*BLAM!*

The gun fired into the sofa. I wrestled the gun out of her hand before she could try to fire again. But that had been too close, and a reproach to my attempt to disarm her that way.

"Why won't you just let me die?" Chennault said as I came around to face her.

"I would." I said. "But I want you to consider something first. You owe the rogue, dirty Federal Agents, that I call 'Swamp Frogs', nothing. Nothing at all. Turn on them. Help me put their dirty asses in jail... or under the jail. I can protect you. I can get you out of here, and somewhere you can live the rest of your life."

Chennault said "They know you call them 'Swamp Frogs'. We in the CPD brass call them 'Swamp Frogs', and a lot of other local and State LEOs call them that. They hate it, and they hate you for calling them that."

I said "So help me rip them a new one."

Chennault said "I... as much as I'd like to, as much as I should... no, I'd be dead if I did. Remember Betty Morelli? Do you think that was a suicide?" (Author's note: 'Believer', Ch. 04.) "Well, 'suicide like Epstein' would be my reward if I threw them under the bus. I'd rather have that gun back, and commit seppuku with it. You could act as my second."

"I'm afraid not." I said. Just then City Police Detectives Tony Long and E.J. Jefferson came in.

"The Feds are on their way here." said Long.

"Who do you think you'll be safer with?" I asked. "The Feds? Or the CPD? Stripped of your Police powers, of course."

"I'll take my chances with the CPD." Chennault said. As she got up to go with Long and Jefferson, she said "You may have saved Masters... this time. But we want him out, and he's going to be out, one way or another."

"Don't worry about him. And consider my offer." I said as she was escorted out by the two CPD Detectives...

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

As we were driving back home, I said "Your Aunt Clarissa is still up here in Town?"

"Yes." said Teresa. "She said she didn't want to burden us, but she was in no rush to go home. She also said she has something to talk to me about, but was not going to speak of it until this case was over."

I said "My mom is still in Town, too. We're glad to have her here, and she's free to stay in the MIL apartment at the Mountain Nest since it's hers, but I'm curious as to why she's hanging around. Something to do with your aunt, maybe?"

"I dunno." said Teresa. "Since that aircraft incident and them arriving here instead of Louisiana, things have been a bit... unusual..."

Part 19 - The Director's Chair

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, March 3d, from the rooftop of the building at Riverside and College, with the Federal Building across Courthouse Square as her backdrop. "Town & County Chief Deputy Sheriff Cindy Ross shoots and kills a Federal Agent!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "During a hearing at the Federal Courthouse in The City, Chief Deputy Ross shot and killed a Federal Agent in the Courtroom of Federal Judge David Herbert in The City. Deputy Sheriffs are allowed weapons in the Courtroom, while Federal Agents acting as witnesses usually are not. The investigation of the incident is ongoing."

Bettina: "The hearing being held was to determine if City Police Internal Affairs Captain Wes Masters would answer for the allegations that he led a drug ring within the City Police Narcotics Bureau, and used his Internal Affairs position to protect and cover for the ring. In a ruling that experts call 'shocking', Federal Judge David Herbert dismissed the charges against Masters with prejudice."

"As part of that hearing, SBI Agent Matty Graves testified." Bettina said as a photo of Matty Graves was shown, and left up, as Bettina continued: "Graves was a deep undercover SBI Agent for nearly a decade. Sources tell Channel Two News that TCPD Commander Donald Troy knew Graves's identity and mission for years. Neither the SBI-OER's Office nor Commander Troy responded to KXTC's multiple requests for comment."

Bettina: "And while Chief Deputy Ross is being investigated for the shooting of a Federal Agent, the Town & County Council approved her request to have a road paved and water and gas lines put in to her newly-acquired property just over the ridgeline from Promontory Point. The request had been held up last week, but was approved at last night's Council meeting after a routine study of the proposal."

Bettina: "And now let's go to political reporter Carl Lemay in Midtown, with more on the Legislature and the stalled Budget negotiations. Carl!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said Lemay, who was standing on the helipad of the State Capitol Office Building in Midtown, with the gold-domed Capitol Building and the sunrise behind him. "Channel Two News has learned that the State House Ways & Means Committee and the State Senate Budget Committee have not met at all this week, not with each other nor individually. With the March 31st deadline fast approaching, sources tell Channel Two News that only the bipartisan 'Foodie Caucus' of State Senate leaders Moe Molinari and Jimmy Cerone and a few others are even in discussions regarding the Budget."

Lemay: "One possible reason for the inaction is the issue of the SBI and its leadership. With the SBI-OER's involvement in the Wes Masters case, attention has been shifted to the SBI and what its mission should be. Our 1st District State Senator Katherine Woodburn, who owns the parent company of KXTC, is leading the way for major structural SBI reform, and she is not pleased with Governor Marshall's reticence to name a new SBI Director."

Lemay: "Also, Senator Woodburn is calling for the formation of a State 'Disinformation Governance Board' under a reorganized SBI, to combat false information spread by subversives. Indeed, the Budget may hinge on the SBI issue as the Legislative session moves forward into its final month of the year..."

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

"Now they're being dishonest about Cindy." said Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle as she, Sheriff Antonio Griswold, Your Iron Crowbar, Chief Sean Moynahan, Deputy Chief Tanya P. Muscone, and Chief Deputy Sheriff Cindy Ross drank coffee and watched the broadcast in the Chief's Conference Room.

"How was that dishonest?" Cindy herself asked. "Bettina didn't lie."

Tanya spoke up: "Bettina did everything she could to make it sound like you murdered an unarmed man. She gave no context to the shooting, that the Federal Agent you shot was armed and was attempting to murder the key witness in the case, and she made it sound like you're being investigated hard, when in reality you've been cleared and it's just a matter of writing and publishing the final report."

I said "That's the American Mainstream Media for you. No, Bettina didn't outright lie... this time, though she has in the past... but she reported it in a fundamentally dishonest way to make viewers think one certain way when the full truth is a different thing entirely. I agree, Tanya. Bettina made that sound like Cindy murdered an unarmed man."

Teresa said "Why are they attacking Cindy so vigorously? They usually find a way to go after Don, and leave the rest of us alone."

"It's always all about Don." Cindy quipped. A red crowbar was waved in her general direction. A green crowbar was waved in my direction in retaliatory response.

"What is that 'Disinformation Governance Board' about?" Chief Moynahan asked.

Sheriff Griswold replied: "It's the State equivalent to what the Democrats at the Federal level are doing. They claim to be going after 'disinformation'... and to the Democrats, 'disinformation' is anything not in jackbooted lockstep with their Totalitarian views. They define Conservative speech as 'disinformation', if not 'racism' and 'hate speech'."

Teresa said "Yes sir, it's just yet another attempt to suppress Free Speech by Conservatives. The Left can't stand it when their authoritarian attempts to subjugate the American People are exposed."

Cindy said "You're beginning to sound like the Iron Crowbar."

"And that's a bad thing... how?" replied the Iron Crowbar. A green crowbar was again waved in my general direction.

Tanya said "Sheriff, do you know if the SBI is the real reason for the Budget holdup, or is that just their latest excuse?"

"Har!" barked the Sheriff. "I'm not sure. Val Jared and his wife are traveling and doing sightseeing things, so I haven't talked to him lately. I'm a little surprised, though... I didn't think Katherine Woodburn had that much clout. Crowbar, what do you think?... Crowbar?"

Everyone looked at me and saw that I was staring well above the television monitor. When I finally came out of it and looked around, they were looking at me. "What is it, Crowbar?" the Sheriff asked as he peered at me.

"I... I just realized something. Two things, in fact." I said. "First, yes, why did Bettina go after Cindy so hard... only to announce that the Council accepted and passed the proposal to pave the road to her property? And second, the Budget. They're not even meeting about it! What da fuck is up wit' dat? And my point is that it is not about the SBI. Something's up..."

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

"Hello and welcome to Fox University Sunrise!" said Catrina Pierce at 8:00am, from the KFXU studios. "I'm Catrina Pierce, and with me today is Meredith Peller. Priya Ajmani is on her way to Midtown. More on that in a moment. Good morning, Meredith."

"Good morning, Catrina." said Meredith, and a bit woodenly. "Good morning, everyone. Here's what's in the news. Town & County Chief Sheriff's Deputy Cindy Ross shot and killed a Federal Agent in the Courtroom of Federal Judge David Herbert in The City. The Agent had a concealed firearm on his ankle, and pulled it out to shoot a key witness who was on the stand."

Catrina: "The witness, SBI Agent Matty Graves, was testifying on behalf of City Police Internal Affairs Captain Wes Masters. As a result of the hearing and Graves's testimony, the charges against Captain Masters were dismissed with prejudice by the Federal Judge. And sources tell Fox Eight News that Chief Deputy Ross is expected to be cleared in the shooting of the rogue Federal Agent."

Meredith: "The U.S. Government indicted Masters for allegedly organizing, leading, and covering up for a massive drug-running operation within the City Police Department. Despite the Federal Grand Jury returning the indictment, Federal Judge Herbert dismissed the charges."

Catrina: "SBI-OER Inspector Britt Maxwell did bring charges against City Police First Deputy Commissioner Liz Chennault and Narcotics Bureau Chief Ken Z. Adams for running the drug ring, and also for attempting to frame Captain Masters for their alleged crimes."

Meredith: "Captain Masters was suspended without pay and his Police powers stripped when he was indicted, but as of this broadcast he has not been restored to duty by the CPD, and they have given no indication of when they will restore him."

Catrina: "And in other news, State Senator Katherine Woodburn is demanding that a 'Disinformation Governance Board' be instituted in order for the SBI to be funded by this year's Budget. She has also demanded that Governor Sharon Marshall quickly name an SBI Director to succeed James 'Curly' Goodwin, who is now the Town & County Inspector General."

Meredith: "The Disinformation Governance Board is meant to monitor for and counter against false information that is put out on social media outlets. A similar Board has been at the Federal level by the Department of Homeland Security. State Senator Katherine Woodburn of our 1st District, who made the suggestion, says that the Disinformation Board would counter false rhetoric by subversive groups, particularly those that oppose the settled science of Climate Change."