Witness for the Prosecution Ch. 02

"Thank you, Daddy." Carole said, impressing me with her manners. "I don't think Mommy was very happy about it, though."

I said "I think she has other things on her mind. Work-related things. So don't worry about it."

Carole said "Daddy, why did you trust Na-ga-ma-sa-sa-ma with the emerald, but not Mommy? Don't you trust Mommy?"

My eyes cut towards my daughter in a manner that she'd inherited, only to see a look of innocent inquiry on her little face. I said "I do trust your mother. But I didn't want her leaving the country to return the emerald." That, and the fact that the Swamp Frogs had a better chance to take the emerald from her than from Nagamasa, I thought to myself.

I continued: "Besides... having your mother take it home would be like her going to 'meetings'."

"And we wouldn't want that, would we?" Carole exclaimed, seemingly jovially. I just broke down laughing.

Just then, Bowser and Buddy ran up to us after inspecting their territories and doing their business. I told Carole to take the dogs inside, and she did. I sat and contemplated things as I watched the light of a train come out of the western horizon...

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

9:00am, Saturday, November 20th. I arrived at Police Headquarters and went straight to my office. Five minutes later, Detective Joan Laurer knocked on my open door, and I had her come in.

"Get some coffee if you want some, and have a seat" I said, indicating my nearly-full coffeemaker. I'd already poured myself a cup into my Airborne School mug. Joan poured herself a cup. "So you drew the short straw today?" I asked as she sat down in the near-side hot chair at my hand-gesture invitation.

"Oh, no sir. I volunteered to come in." Joan replied. "I really wanted to follow up on the arrests last night."

"Good, I like your initiative." I said. "So whaddya got?"

Joan: "We brought Roger Earnest and Dee Stubbs to County Jail. They're on keepaway status, suicide watch, and in full protective custody. The prison guards have been augmented with more Deputies, and Commander Croyle had the SWAT Team deploy to County Jail to be ready for anything."

Joan: "Dee didn't say much last night, only that if she and her brother Roger were returned to Federal custody, they'd be murdered within minutes, and I quote her saying 'not hours, but minutes'." She wants to talk to the D.A. about cutting a deal, but, and again I quote, 'not that blonde ADA that threw us under the bus', close quote. Roger wants a lawyer, but not the ones he had before."

I said "Has anyone contacted anybody yet?"

"No sir." Joan said.

"I'll call Paulina Patterson now." I said. I did so, and asked Paulina to call U.S. Attorney John Jones and coordinate with him. It was a most fortuitous call...

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

10:30am, Saturday, November 20th. I arrived at County Jail with Detective Laurer. We were both wearing full armor (double armor for me) and Joanne had her Police helmet. As soon as we parked, Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle, also in full armor, came up to us, and escorted us to the 1st Precinct Headquarters building.

Teresa said "Paulina Patterson got here at 9:20am. She'd called U.S. Attorney John Jones, who got here thirty minutes ago. He has a Federal Court Order that keeps Dee Stubbs and Roger Earnest in our custody, and instructs us to not obey any orders or warrants that tell us to turn them over to any Federal agents of any branch."

"Where is that Court Order? Hand it to me." I said. Teresa gave me the warrant, issued by Judge K.M. Landis of the Western District of the State, the District that directly covered the Town & County.

Teresa continued: "Paulina and John Jones have given Dee and Roger full immunity from any Federal crimes they have committed, and what amounts to witness protection within the State prison system; new identities and all that. They'll serve three years for the original burglary, then be given yet another set of IDs and placed in the State's Witness Protection program."

Teresa: "In exchange, they tell everything they know, especially about what the Feds did with and to them after taking them out of County Jail last time. Dee is already singing like a canary. She's smart, and I think she's figured it all out. She also knows Heywood J is dead; Paulina told her."

I nodded. "So what was the 'Red Alert' you sent me about?"

Teresa: "Federal Judge Ruth B. Taney issued a warrant to return Roger and Dee to Federal custody immediately, and to disregard any warrants or Court Orders that say otherwise. And U.S. Attorney Richard Baldwin is bringing armed and armored Federal Agents here to take them."

I asked: "Where the hell is he getting his armed troops from?"

Teresa replied: "You know how the U.S. Government has been buying arms for the Department of the Interior, and most recently hired 87,000 IRS Agents and bought enough military weaponry to arm them?" I nodded, and Teresa continued: "Some of them are the people Baldwin is bringing today, along with Federal Marshals. Hand-selected for their unlimited capacity for obedience to the Federal Government."

"Are we ready, Commander?" I said.

"Yes sir." Teresa said. "We've got a total of 200 LEOs, including State Patrol and SBI volunteers. Our people are manning the windows of the jail, as well as deploying behind the barricades we've installed over time. We have three layers of defense, and one ornery Police Chief flying your Cobra around. If it is a bloodbath Richard Baldwin wants, we are ready to give him one."

"Good." I said. "I need to get U.S. Attorney John Jones to make a couple of phone calls..."

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

11:00am, Saturday, November 20th. Five box trucks came up the road to County Jail. Armored Federal Agents began pouring out of them, armed with M-4s and wearing chemical masks. They were meant to look intimidating, and to instill fear in whoever they were opposing.

They were in the wrong County for that.

U.S. Attorney Richard Baldwin was wearing armor under his shirt, and a second layer under his suit jacket. He was surrounded by a dozen Federal Agents as he came towards the door. I was armored under and over my uniform shirt, as well. I had four guards with me, but two dozen now visible between me and the door. And you know that Your Iron Wolf was one of the four, and her face connoted that she had a very bad attitude at the moment...

Baldwin stopped in front of me, seeing as going any further would initiate shooting. He said loudly and imperiously "This is a Federal warrant issued by Federal Judge Ruth B. Taney, ordering you to return Roger Earnest and Dee Stubbs to our custody! Bring them to me immediately, or we will go in after them, and we will kill as many of you as we can in doing so. And if you don't stand down, or if any Federal Agent is harmed in any way, we'll bring in thousands more, and we will lay waste to you."

"Call 'em, then." I said with relative calm in my voice. "Because your warrant is invalid, and if you try to take them by force, we will kill every Federal Agent here, and the Governor will bring in the National Guard to wage war, full combat war, against your dirty, rogue Federal Agents. Oh... and no, we will not turn Stubbs and Earnest over to you, you little shit-eating, pansy-ass, dirty piece of shit."

Baldwin's face grew purple with rage. "This is a FEDERAL WARRANT, asshole!" he yelled as he waved the document issued by Judge Taney in my face.

"SO IS THIS, FAGGOT!" I yelled back as I waved Judge Landis's Order in his face. "And it overrides your worthless piece of paper!"

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

"Oh, what could this could be?" I yelled loudly. It was my Police cellphone. I answered it and put it on speaker.

"This is U.S. Attorney John Jones." said U.S. Attorney John Jones. His voice was also coming over the loudspeaker as well my phone's speaker. "The Federal Appeals Court has sided with Judge Landis! Judge Taney's warrant was issued illegally, and Judge Landis's Court Order is the only valid warrant in effect! It states that the Town & County has custody over Stubbs and Earnest!"

Jones: "All Federal Agents on the County Jail property are here illegally! All Federal Agents in the State have been ordered to stand down, as well... except the National Guard, that is on its way at the order of the Governor to enforce Judge Landis's Court Order, as well as his authority over Judge Taney!"

"Fuck you, Jones!" yelled Richard Baldwin. "This warrant to take them into our custody IS valid, and we WILL take them! We are not leaving without Stubbs and Earnest, if we have to kill every goddamned one of you White Nationalist Insurrectionists to get them!"

Never mind that John Jones was black, I thought to myself. Out loud I said "I don't know why you want them. The emerald is gone. Your Swamp Frog buddies will never get it now."

"Fuck you, Troy." Baldwin snarled. But it was the leader of the Feds (who had the insignia of a bird colonel on his combat uniform) that I noticed. He looked totally shocked at that news, and I realized he knew what I was talking about, and about the emerald.

I decided to be aggressive. I took up my Police radio from my belt and keyed it. By some infernal marvel of synchronization... well, of Lieutenant Myron Milton... it, too, was connected to the loudspeakers.

"Now hear this. Now hear this." I said, my voice blasting through the air as I spoke. "This is Commander Donald Troy. Lethal force is authorized! I say again, lethal force is authorized! Lock and load all weapons! Chamber rounds!"

The *klack-klack* of the actions of many weapons filled the air, including Teresa chambering a round in her service weapon, and aiming her pistol at the leader of the Agents that was standing behind Baldwin.

I continued on my radio and the loudspeakers: "At my signal, you are to shoot-to-kill every Federal Agent on this property, except U.S. Attorney John Jones! You are to open fire upon my signal!"

I took out my Beretta 96 Brigadier in.40 S&W, which was my service weapon, chambered a round, and aimed it right at Baldwin's face. I said into the radio: "The signal will be when I pull the trigger of my weapon and kill this dirty U.S. Attorney, who is here illegally, attempting to kidnap two of our inmates, and acting without a lawful warrant!" To Baldwin I said "You have ten seconds. Ten... nine... eight..."

"You would really kill Federal Agents?" the leader behind Baldwin said, his voice aghast and connoting shock turning to fear.

"Every goddamned last one of you." I replied. "Six... five... four..."

The leader took decisive action, which I had to appreciate. "STAND DOWN!" he yelled to his troops. "GET BACK ON THE TRUCKS! NOW! MOVE!"

"NOOO!" yelled Baldwin. "LOCK AND LOAD! KILL EVERY ONE OF THESE LOCAL BASTARDS--- UHK!"

Baldwin was grabbed by the leader and three other Marshals, and forcibly dragged back, literally kicking and screaming. "NO! OPEN FIRE! SHOOT THEM! SHOOT THEM!" But no one listened, nor obeyed. They began getting back on the trucks. Baldwin was dragged to the Federal SUV and forced into it. I lowered my service weapon, which considerably eased the tension in the area.

The leader looked back at me as they retreated. "You've won today," he yelled, "but the day is coming when the Federal Government will not tolerate Insurrectionists like you! And I look forward to the day I return and force you to submit to Federal authority!"

I began singing, to the tune of that most favorite of Schoolhouse Rock songs, the Preamble to the Constitution: " We the People, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility..."

Teresa began singing with me, and soon many others were serenading the Federal Agents: "... provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare a-and, secure the blessings of Liberty, to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution, fo-or the, United States of, A-mer-i-ca-a, United States of America..."

The trucks pulled out and drove away. I heard Chief Moynahan on the radio; he was monitoring their progress as they drove west towards the State Line. I nodded to Teresa, who got on her Police radio, that was also plugged into the speaker system. "Stand down! All units, stand down! Clear all weapons! Stay ready to repel invaders if they return!"

I took to the radio and said over the speakers "Outstanding job, everyone! We upheld the Constitution today, and saved lives! You make me proud to be part of the TCPD!"

"T-C-P-D!" roared my Officers in reply.

I said over the speakers and the radio: "And you State Agents also did an outstanding job today. Lunch in the cafeteria is on me!" That got another loud roar of approval.

As everyone stood down, and a rotation schedule for lunch was implemented, Teresa said quietly to me "I'm glad Louis Bailey isn't here, trying to take over."

"Oh, he's here." I said. "He's inside, leading the Deputies in what would've been the last line of defense if the Federal Thugs had broken through. I'll give him credit; he's willing to stand with us... and die with us, if need be."

Teresa said "I stand corrected. I'm glad he's still one of the Good Guys."

We went inside. U.S. Attorney John Jones and ADA Paulina Patterson came up to us. "I guess we're all in the soup now." Jones said. "When Derrick B. Harland hears about this..." He just shook his head.

I said "Derrick B. Harland is about to have his buns toasted in the hot seat of testifying before a Committee in Congress that is led by Congressman Gowron. He is not going to want to be explaining that illegal attempt to use Federal Government Guns to re-kidnap two people in our custody."

Jones asked "Were you really going to shoot Baldwin? And begin the bloodbath?"

"Hell yell, he would have!" exclaimed Paulina. "The Iron Crowbar don't play... and he doesn't bluff."

I said "I expected that leader of theirs to do what he did. When I told them the emerald was gone, he knew that getting Stubbs and Earnest wasn't worth it, anymore. Baldwin is just a nutjob; like Lindsey Black, he believes in the totality of Federal Government power. But the Colonel was more pragmatic, and practical."

"Wait." said Teresa. "That guy knew about the emerald?"

"Yep." I said, understanding the real meaning of Teresa's question. "Makes one wonder, huh?" Teresa had no verbal reply...

Part 11 - The Solution

2:00pm, Saturday, November 20th. I was in my office at Police Headquarters, doing my write-ups of the previous night's arrests as well as this morning's standoff against the dirty U.S. Attorney Baldwin and his merry band of Federal Agent stormtroopers. I had taken a call from Governor Sharon Marshall, congratulating me on standing up to the Federales, and promising her full support for me and the Town & County against them during any future issues. I thanked the Governor for her support, as well as providing the State Troopers, SBI Agents, and National Guard troops.

My office door was open, and Chief Deputy Cindy Ross just knocked on it and came on in. She was followed by FBI Special Agent Tim Jenkins. I made observations as I stood up and shook hands with Tim.

"Get some coffee if you want some. It's fresh." I said as I sat back down. Cindy poured cups for herself and Tim, then moved the far-side hot seat towards Tanya's dime. Tim moved the near-side chair closer to the center as well.

I said "So things went well in Southport? And I saw the Black Beauty in the gated parking lot. And how did it get into our parking lot? Never mind, of course Eddy the Bounty Hunter drove it up."

Cindy smiled and said "Not much gets past you. Yes, Eddy drove the Black Beauty back up early this morning. I stayed with Tim last night, and he gave me a ride up here."

I just looked at them, from one to the other. Cindy caught on, having the Vibe as well as seeing my look. She said "No, Benjamin is not getting a brother or sister. I'm back on the Pill. Otherwise, it wasn't for lack of trying on our part."

"Cool beans." I said. "And like she said, Tim, not much gets past me." Tim looked somewhere between shocked and awed by our very candid conversation. I said "So what happened with Heywood J?"

Tim said "He was made to look like he washed up on shore, and he did... after being thrown into the water barely upriver of where he was found."

Cindy said "The M.E. down there is just about as good as our Martha. There was no water in Heywood's lungs, so he wasn't thrown in the water while he was alive. There was also virtually no deterioration of the body nor his clothes from the water, which is pretty polluted down there. He'd been dead for some time, at least 72 hours."

Tim: "He showed signs of having been tortured: electric shocks and beatings to the body. But the cause of death was two.22 WMR jacketed-hollow-point shots to the back of the head. Classic Mob-style execution, or so it would appear. Problem is, the Mob's enforcers usually use.22 Long Rifle, don't waste money on jacketed hollow points, and often as not do not make double-taps."

"Staged." I said.

Cindy: "And poorly so. There were the photos of your family in his jacket pocket, which is the bait being used to try to get you to go down there personally. The photos, though, are at least a year old. Ross and Jim were in last year's team jerseys, and Carole's shirt has already been consigned to the hand-me-down box for Tasha and Betsy."

I said "That makes me feel a little bit better, though we really need to be super-diligent about our kids being watched, and that includes yours. But it also may have been an intentionally poor staging. They didn't care if we saw through it... hell, they probably wanted us to realize that it was staged, and who it was staged by."

"What, an 'in-your-face' move?" Tim asked.

I nodded. "That, or just a 'calling card', so to speak. In any case, it failed. I am always scared to death that one day Eddy the Bounty Hunter is going to get shot because he looks too much like me for his own good. But in this case, it worked well for us. The Swamp Frogs thought it was me in the Black Beauty with you, Cindy. But no, I was up here. And we busted them up."

"And I can't wait to hear about it." Cindy said. "Where's the celebration going to be?"

"Da Cabin." I replied in an excellent imitation of the Chicago Fans on Saturday Night Live. "You're both invited to dinner, and be sure to bring Betsy and Baby Ben. And Cindy, I'd appreciate it if you drive my Police SUV and let me drive the Black Beauty home."

"Sure, but why?" Cindy asked. "The Black Beauty is not as bulletproof as the SUV, and after you ripped that Swamp Frog Baldwin a new one today, you needs to be most vewy careful, most vewy careful, in-deeeed."

"Thank you for your concern, Elmer Fudd." I replied. "I will be vewy careful, indeed..."

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

I left for home at 4:00pm. The Bulldogs game was at halftime. If they won, they'd win the Division and play for the Conference Championship. Alas, they were behind.

I got into the Black Beauty and felt under the shotgun seat. I found what I expected: a manila envelope full of papers, photographs, and jump drives, which had been left for me by Eddy the Bounty Hunter. I smiled; this was what I had been waiting for for a long, long, time...

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

7:30pm, Saturday, November 20th. The gathering at The Cabin was a bit somber, as the University Bulldogs had lost, and Eastern State had won its game, making Eastern State the Division winner. They would play the winner of Western State's game vs. the Tigers for the Conference title.

My Wildcats were playing one of the Louisiana Directional Schools, which had Teresa a little bit interested. She was more interested in Auburn's game against the Texas Aggies (Texas A&M). Auburn had only one loss, to Georgia; and Alabama had only one loss, to Tennessee. If Auburn won, then the Alabama-Auburn game would be for the SEC West title and the right to play Georgia for the SEC Championship.