Who Watches The Watchers Ch. 01

I continued: "Pitts was coming in from an apartment in the southwest suburbs of the City, a pretty decent area from what I understand. His GPS showed that he got off the main highway and began navigating surface streets, at first towards the City Center, then veering towards the Railyards, and ultimately leading to Delray and Carroll Streets."

I went on, showing the data on the monitor screen: "He put an address into the Maps app that is not far from here... City Police Headquarters. From the Maps app, Siri told him to take that detour, citing a traffic accident ahead, then steered him onto every road that took him into the Railyards District, and ultimately to where the car was found."

Me: "The only further deviation is that Siri told him to take Donohue Street from Carroll Street... and those streets are separated by a fence at the end of Carroll Street, an alley between the streets that go alongside that building that shuts in Carroll Street, and another fence that prohibits turning into that alleyway from Donohue Street. Pitts could not have followed those instructions."

"So what does that mean?" asked Jack Muscone. "I've seen Siri get it wrong before, such as guiding us to exits that are HOV-lane only, or turning us onto one-way streets that go in the wrong direction."

I replied: "Except that there was no accident on that road at the time Pitts was traveling through. And after that, Siri was constantly guiding Pitts away from the destination he'd put in, and towards a location where he would be trapped and could be ambushed."

"Geez." said EAD Owen Lange. "Like the Terminator movies. The Machines have taken over."

"That really is exactly what I think happened here, sir." I said, seriously and solemnly. "I believe someone took over Pitts's Maps app, and led him into that ambush!"

No, it was not the proverbial 'you coulda heard a pin drop'. But a lot of looks connoting sheer disbelief were coming my way.

"That would require someone following him." said Dwight Stevens. "And Pitts is damn good about not letting himself be tailed."

"It could have been a drone flying directly over his car." Teresa said. "Those can be hard to spot even if you have line of sight to them."

"But there would still have to be a controlling car, or cars." Stevens said.

"Does the technology to do something like that even exist?" Karina White asked.

"Yes." said Ashton Cardigan. "The signals that the app uses to triangulate and get traffic information can be overpowered by another signal with fake data. But that would require a powerful transmitter pretty close to the cellphone."

"And then we're back to drones and cars following Pitts." said Stevens.

I said "There is another possibility. A tracking and transmitting device might've been attached to the car, and was removed when Pitts was captured. A vehicle could follow at a distance, reducing the risk of being seen. And a signal to disrupt the GPS so that it doesn't show Siri to be lying to us could be generated, as well."

"That's likely what happened." Ashton Cardigan said agreeably.

"And that's what's so scary about this." I added. "We trust Siri not to lie to us, and I'm sure Pitts went along with it until it was too late."

"So what now?" Karina White asked.

Ashton Cardigan said "We're getting every bit of data we can from cameras all across The City. Everything from street cams to building cams, and we're monitoring CPD communication. All under a Federal Court warrant, by the way, Commander." I nodded in acquiescence.

And then Teresa spoke up: "It would help a lot if we knew what Pitts was working on. That's probably the root cause of his abduction."

Dwight Stevens spoke up: "And to that point... we appreciate you guys coming over and helping us, and Commander Troy has gotten us a long way with his analysis. But we Feds, especially the DEA, will take it over from here."

"Are you kidding?" Teresa said, anger creeping into her voice. "You have the best Detective in the history of the State... hell, maybe the entire country... sitting right here, and you don't want his help?"

"No he doesn't." I said, only slightly witheringly. "Because he knows he'll have to tell us what Pitts's undercover mission was."

"No offense, but that's true." said Stevens. "We cannot reveal that to you. Even if Pitts is dead, the mission will be ongoing, and it involves others."

"I'm afraid that's true." said EAD Owen Lange. "But I'll authorize you to tell Commander Troy anything you need to, in order to help find Pitts."

"Thank you, sir." said Stevens as he got up. "But I still can't do it. Again, I appreciate your help, Commander, and yours Commander Croyle. But we'll take it from here."

"FOR GOD'S SAKE!" screamed Karina White, freezing everyone in place. "Pitts's life is on the line, here, Dwight! Now tell the Iron Crowbar everything you can so we can go find our missing Agent!"

I said, a lot more quietly, "Would it help if I tell you what he was working on, and you just fill in the gaps?"

"Here comes the awesome sauce!" I heard Teresa whisper as I let my eyes bore into Dwight Stevens's.

I leaned forward and said "Your investigation involves the Department of Internal Affairs of the City Police. You're either investigating them, or you don't want CPD IA to know what in the CPD you are investigating."

Dwight Stevens's eyes widened in utter shock. The EAD's eyes connoted shock, as well. Ashton Cardigan looked surprised. Jack Muscone's beady black eyes were less shocked... and Karina White could not quite hide a look of her sense of satisfaction.

"How?... How do you know that?" Stevens erupted. "Goddammit, how do you KNOW that?"

"How often do I have to demonstrate to you, Agent Stevens, that I'm not an Agency of the Weak-Minded? Was (air quotes) 'Marcie Harper' not enough?" I said. (Author's note: 'Schoolhouse Rock', Ch. 06-07.)

I did not let my eyes waver from him to anyone else as I said "The important thing is that I do know, so stop wasting my time and risking Agent Pitts's life."

"He's right, Dwight." said Jack Muscone, essentially covering for Karina. "We're wasting time. Sit down and tell him everything."

"I want him to sign an NDA first." Stevens said. "And Commander Croyle will have to leave the room."

"I'll show myself out." Teresa said matter-of-factly, getting up.

"I'll go with you." I said, also getting up.

"What NOW?" Stevens spat.

"Why do you always make it so fucking hard?" I yelled. "Getting information out of you is like pulling teeth! And I'll tell you 'what now': do you really think I'm going to sit there and let you insult the person in this world that I trust the most? Really? And you can forget about an NDA... whatever you do tell me, the first thing I'm going to do is turn around and tell Commander Croyle."

"Jesus Christ..." Stevens muttered. He then made a decision. He said "Fuck you and the horse you rode in on. I've got work to do." He turned and went for the door, then exited the room.

EAD Owen Lange broke the awk-wrrrd silence in the room. He said "Y'all have a seat, both of you." As Teresa and I sat back down, he said "Ashton, you can stay, or you can go. Your choice."

"I'll go check with my people and see if they have anything." Cardigan said. He got up and exited the room.

"As usual, Commander Troy, not much gets past you." EAD Lange said. "Jack, fill him in."

"Yes sir." said Muscone. He turned to us and started: "You guys remember that case of the L-sugars in the drugs?" (Author's note: 'Sugar and Spice', Ch. 01-02.)

"Yes." I said.

Teresa said "Not all that well. I was visiting my Louisiana relatives during that case."

Muscone said "I reference it because I remember Don mentioning that in Chicago some Police Officers were taking drugs that had been captured as evidence, and were re-selling those drugs. Well, the DEA got a tip from a C.I. that the same thing was going on in the City Police... and that Internal Affairs was a part of it."

"I see, said the blind man." I said. "And because Captain Wes 'Coldiron' Masters is in charge of CPD Internal Affairs, the edict went out to not tell the TCPD, NCPD, and MPD... where Coldiron's former teammates Sean Moynahan, Molly Evans, and Frank Soltis are now the Chiefs of Police of those Departments, respectively."

"Exactly." said Jack. "As to the case, the DEA set up some undercover operations. DEA Special Agent Tommy Ridley was brought in from St. Louis, and was working with CPD Officers on an alleged drug ring in The City that was actually a DEA creation. They were making busts where the perps tended to get away, leaving the drugs behind."

Jack: "Kevin Pitts was feeding Internal Affairs information about the case, saying he was watching Ridley, and asking if IA was watching their Officers. The hope was that the dirty IA guys would make a move to take the drugs and then sell them and pocket the profits, and the DEA would have a case to build."

"And before you say it," Jack continued, seeing my eyebrows go up skeptically, "it's all tightly controlled to this point, and we're not just letting the information get out. And that's to protect the reputations of the innocent... if they are innocent."

"Even so," I said, "that's playing with fire, and it could go wrong in a hurry."

"And it already has." said Owen Lange. "Pitts is missing."

"When did you start this operation?" I asked.

"The DEA started it last December." said Jack Muscone.

Teresa whispered to me "May I ask them a question, sir?"

"By all means." I said. None of the FBI Agents objected, and it would not have mattered if they did.

Teresa asked: "Why is a Federal Agency investigating City I.A.? Why isn't the SBI-OER doing it?"

"They may be." said Jack Muscone. "Just independently of us."

"You're not answering the question." I said, picking up on what Teresa was really asking, and not letting Muscone off the hook. "Why are the Feds investigating City I.A. at all? I'm not sure you have jurisdiction to do that?"

"Are we going to quibble over jurisdictional issues, when we have a missing man?" EAD Lange asked, trying hard to deflect from the 800-lb. elephant in the room.

"Oh, I'm going to do all I can to help you find Pitts." I said. "But the jurisdiction issue is very valid, here." I stood up, then said "And once we find Pitts, hopefully alive, we're going to have a talk about that, Mr. EAD..."

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

A few moments later, EAD Owen Lange led the way down the hall to a large office space where the DEA and FBI had set up a joint task force to search for Kevin Pitts. FBI SAC Ashton Cardigan and DEA SSA Dwight Stevens were talking to someone at one of the desks and I saw FBI Special Agent Tim Jenkins talking to DEA Special Agent Juan Alberto Morales, with whom Jenkins worked in Southport.

"Hello, Commander, and Commander Croyle." Morales said as he came up and shook my hand, then Teresa's hand. "I appreciate you both being here, and trying to help us find Kevin."

"I hope we'll be able to." I replied. "Any new information?"

"No." said Cardigan, overhearing us. "We've gotten glimpses of a black sedan following Pitts's car, the one that was found empty this morning. But they appeared to be very aware of where the cameras were, or else they were able to disable them, because after the time of the alert we have not been able to get them on any camera at all."

Dwight Stevens said "The City Police can't control the all the cameras, but their Internal Affairs can."

Teresa said "Are you suggesting they're behind it?"

Stevens replied "I'm suggesting we need to find out why the cameras didn't record precisely the information we need most right now."

I said "Okay, let's not jump to any conclusions." Then I raised my voice a bit (okay, a lot) and continued: "Everyone! We are obviously up against some bad people that are well-financed, have some high-grade technology, and have the brains to orchestrate and execute an operation like the one they did this morning. And right now they have a Federal Agent in their hands, and we need to find him before... before they kill him. Let's get him back alive!"

People had stopped to listen, and now turned back to their tasks with renewed energy. Morales and Jenkins sat down at stations and began making phone calls. I asked Cardigan to show me the videocamera stuff they had and didn't have, searching for a pattern that I could make use of...

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

1:45pm, Monday, February 22d. Teresa got a text and showed it to me. It was from SBI Agent Terence Johnson and said "Meet us at Sweet Baby Jane's Buffet Restaurant. Watch to see if you're followed."

I went to Jack Muscone's corner office, where he was sitting with EAD Owen Lange. I said "Teresa and I are going to go get some lunch, and call home to make sure Police Headquarters is still standing. Give us a call if anything comes up."

"Before you go..." Jack said, stopping me as I was about to retreat from the doorway, "Don, do you think Pitts is still alive?"

I stepped into the office, as did Teresa, and shut the door. I said "Y'all remember how I was captured and put through the ringer by Dr. Casey B. Walker?" (Author's note: 'Dream Weaver', particularly Ch. 03-04.)

Jack nodded, and I said "I think they're subjecting Pitts to that kind of 'enhanced interrogation', to find out what he knows. When they're done, they'll kill him. I hope we have 24 hours to find him alive. I do think he's somewhere here in The City... especially if rogue City Police cops are involved..."

Part 5 - Intrigue and Subterfuge

"That was a damn good question you asked them, about why the Feds are the ones investigating City IA." I said to Teresa as I drove my SBI SUV south towards Sweet Baby Jane's restaurant.

"I didn't even mean it as a jurisdictional issue." Teresa replied. "I just wanted to know why the Feds were bothering to spend the money and the time on it."

"And that in itself was an excellent thought." I said. "As to the jurisdiction, I think we're going to find out about that during this lunch. And speaking of that... are we being followed? Have you seen anyone?" I knew she'd been watching, as I had.

"No sir." said Teresa. "But they don't need to. Unlike the Black Beauty and our TCPD SUV's, this vehicle is a rolling radio signal machine. If they want to know where we're going, they'll know."

"That's true." I said, impressed with Teresa's logical reasoning. "So what do you think about all this?"

"I'm not thinking about it, sir." Teresa said with alacrity. "I'm here for only one reason... to protect you."

"And I'm grateful for it." I said gratefully. "But seriously, no thoughts at all?"

Teresa said "Just that Dwight Stevens needs to get his head out of his fourth point of contact, and let go of his jealousy of you. And I noticed that they didn't really rein him in, especially when he walked out on us. And speaking of that, how did you know it was about City I.A.? Tim said something in the car on the way here about Karina letting the cat out of the bag, but I didn't hear what she said."

I said "At Headquarters, Jack mentioned Pitts and Karina said he was undercover."

"Did you accidentally throw her under the bus?" Teresa asked. "Or throw Tim under the bus?"

I smiled. "No. I'm not an Agency of the Weak-Minded. Yes, that was Karina letting the cat out of the bag, but it was no accident... and Jack Muscone was part of the act. They both wanted me to know something was going on, and I suspect they put that together before they came to TCPD Headquarters, alerting me but creating plausible deniability for themselves... especially Jack."

"Wow." Teresa said. "Sounds like there be Swamp Frogs here."

"Give that Iron Wolf a crowbar." I said. "Yep, I suspect there is a lot more to this than they're letting on..."

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

2:15pm. We arrived at the country buffet restaurant. Waiting for us in a small back room that we had to ourselves were SBI Agents Terence Johnson and Carter Fischer... and SBI Inspector Brittany M. Maxwell and SBI-OER Lieutenant Norm Chow.

After exchanging greeting and handshakes... and both me and Teresa being hugged by Britt, we went through the buffet and brought back large quantities of delicious 'home cooking' food. I was sitting facing the doorway, and Teresa was sitting to my right. Britt sat across from me and Norm across from Teresa. Terence was at one table end, to my left; and Carter was to Teresa's right at the table's other end.

We sat this way, Teresa to the right, because she was right-handed and would move to her right if she had to quickly get up while drawing her weapon. Me, I'm ambidextrous, remember? So I can move as quickly to my left as to my right. And yes, we do think of things like that, and discuss them...

"Thanks for coming." Britt said. "We wanted to talk to you about this Federal Agent being abducted, and we needed to get you away from the Feds."

"Yes. Yes you did." I said agreeably. "How much do you guys know about any or all of that?"

Britt said "First, let them tell you what happened this morning." I nodded.

Terence Johnson said "We responded to the Agent-In-Distress call this morning. The City Police got there just ahead of us, and some of the other Federal Agents pulled up right on our tails. So we were there. We helped find the car, then the cellphone. After that, the Feds were trying to take over and shoo us out of there, but the City Police were having none of it. So Julius Jefferson of the FBI, whose cousin is E.J. Jefferson of the City PD, asked us to work with the City Police guys... and keep them out of the Feds's way for them."

Carter Fischer said "We played along, just kept back, helped where asked, and kept our eyes and ears open. As you know, Commander Troy, and maybe you know too, Commander Croyle, the City and the SBI have long been at odds, to the point that the CPD was once ordered to shoot SBI Agents on sight if they came into The City. You diffused that somewhat, Commander Troy, and the City PD people didn't mess with us this morning. In fact, they almost considered us their allies against the Feds."

Terence Johnson: "And in that vein, sir, ma'am, we observed that the Feds and City PD seemed to be at odds. The Feds worked hard to keep the City guys from doing any investigating or knowing anything, but E.J. Jefferson did not concede a jurisdictional inch, even with the train tracks on the other side of the fence. E.J. called for some uniformed City PD Officers to provide strength of numbers, and Julius Jefferson had the Feds back off, at least until the EAD arrived, which was just before you got there."

Britt Maxwell said "And now, the rest of the story. As you know, the SBI has long had an adversarial relationship with local law enforcement entities. Under some former Dictators... er, Directors, such as Jack Lewis, along with corrupt politicians seeking to use the SBI as their personal political enforcement tool... like Katherine Woodburn is now openly seeking to do... the SBI has been and still is so distrusted by local LEOs that they were unable to do the one job that people would expect the SBI to do... investigate corruption and criminal activity at the local LEO levels."

Britt: "So the SBI Inspector position, which I currently hold, was made independent of the rest of the SBI so that we could investigate local LEO corruption, as well as corruption and crimes of any State or local government employees. And the Office of Ethics and Review, the SBI-OER, was created as an (air quotes) 'internal affairs' for the SBI, as the FBI's OPR is to the FBI, but can also investigate malfeasance by State and local politicians as well as local Sheriff Departments and Police Departments. That's been generally accepted by most counties in the State, and if they suspect they have a corrupt Internal Affairs Department, they'll come to us. In other words, we watch the watchers."