The Runners: Chapter 20
Chapter 20
Two days have gone by since David had passed off the surveillance tape to Dr. Bertrand. He went into the office very early this morning in order to prepare a final report about the incidence as per Woodson’s request. The wounds on his forehead, where he got stitched up have now begun to bother him. Even the slightest movement of facial muscles gave him funny and uncomfortable sensations. To add to his annoyance, he had a throbbing headache that kept his hands near his forehead, which inadvertently came in touch with the wounds, causing more pain.
“It is not going to be the most productive day…” David said to himself as he walked into his office. On the other side, beyond the clutters on the top of his desk, he found his chair and plopped himself down into it. He reclined his small leather chair, leaned back then put both his feet on top of the desk, putting his right foot over the left. Then, after interlocking his hands between the fingers and resting his head in it, he reclined further back. He took in deep breaths and stared into the lights on the ceiling as if to meditate.
His office was about a size of a regular bedroom. There were no views to speak of as there weren’t any windows. It was a simple enclosed space with a desk that was attached to a side wall. There was a chair and some form of book shelves. A plaque displaying his qualification as an UNBI global investigator was proudly hanging on the wall behind his desk. It wasn’t a fancy office. But, as an UNBI global investigator, it was one of the perks that he had received when he was assigned to Chicago. Rookies and even some experienced investigators, who were on the direct payroll of the Chicago Office, would get a small cubicle in the open space. So, from that perspective, David was pleased and felt somewhat special with the privilege of having a private space. It was one of the perks that many others in the office envied as well.
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‘Knock’. ‘Knock’.
“David, are you in?” Robin Kumar, a local investigator, came and knocked on David’s office in a hurried fashion. The combination of headaches and the drowsiness from the pain medication has transformed the sound of the knocking to loud thunders as they entered David’s ears. Then, they exploded between his ears and bounced around with the lingering ‘boom’ sound. To relieve the pressure in his head, he massaged the temples using the palms of his hands. His eyes cringed all the while.
“Please…, Come in!” Startled and annoyed at the same time, David answered slowly.
“Good morning, David!” Walking into the room, Robin greeted cheerfully. Closing the door behind her, she proceeded to a guest chair that was set in front of David’s desk. As she sat down, she took out a handheld device that was tucked in under her arm and placed it on top of the desk.
“Good morning, Robin! It’s early. What did you want to see me about?” Leaning forward, David looked into Robin’s eyes, occasionally looking down at the device that Robin had brought with her.
“You look mighty comfortable. How are the wounds?” With unmistakable sarcasm, Robin attempted to see how David was handling the ordeal.
“Getting better…, not exactly what I thought I had signed up for. I may rethink my career—” as he tried to smile, there was too much tension in his wounds and it made him terribly uncomfortable.
“Ouch!” David blurted out as the wound stretched.
“Well, let’s say that the next time won’t be too foreign to you!” Robin smiled as she seemed to be enjoying watching the hot shot young investigator suffering. It wasn’t a picture that she would ever get to see of David.
Robin was a second year member of the intelligence unit within the Chicago Office. So, it was a surprise for David when he received a call from Robin, late last night, asking him to meet her early in the morning. She had joined the department two years ago with a law degree from Berkeley. It wasn’t quite the line of work she wanted to get into. She wanted to join the UNCLU in Paris as she dreamed of protecting the people’s liberties under the ever more increasing global control of the UN and for other personal reasons. But, her father, who was a distinguished and well regarded member of the UNBI agents, had encouraged her to take the post when an offer came from the Chicago Intelligence office.
“It is easier and you will find different ways of serving the citizens, their rights, and liberties from within the agency…,” her father used to say and persuaded her repeatedly. Finally, seeing the validity in her father’s argument, Robin took up on the offer from the Chicago Office. Since then, she had helped crack a number of non-violent white color crimes and was even awarded an ‘Intelligence Exemplary Award’ from the department. Then, she was assigned to the Lahey case by her superior. She had been in several meetings where she had official interactions with David in the past. Since then, she was somewhat drawn to David’s passion for justice, ethical stance and goofy sense of humor.
“Sorry to call on you so early, David, but I thought that you may be interested in some information that I have on the people in the SUV and the silver sedan that was trailing you, the other day.” Robin said with urgency, but softly lest anyone else would hear her.
“By all means, I am very fine with your call. Matter of fact, I am stoked that you already have something this quick.” David was half way sitting up straight as soon as he heard the reason for her visit.
“My supervisor and Det. Woodson wanted to see the information as soon as I got them. But, I thought that you might want to see them first.” Looking concerned, Robin stared into David’s eyes as she waited for his response.
“Any, reason for me to see it first?” David asked.
“I think that you might find it interesting.” Robin responded without hesitation.
“OK. Let me have it!” said David, not sure of what Robin had found out. However, seeing Robin’s posture, David felt that a preview may be warranted.
Upon activating the device, Robin opened a file. Then, positioning the device so that David can see right side up, she moved next to David behind the desk. David leaned closer into the device and Robin started to go over what she had found. The display showed images of two men who were in the SUV.
“These two individuals have been on the police radar in the past. They were charged with assault with deadly force in a bar fight several months ago. In other incidences, they had been brought to the courts for number of extortion cases for threatening corporate executives for money after performing several undocumented projects for them. Our initial investigation traced them to an extremely secretive organization, we think, is, involved in illegal substance trafficking. We don’t quite know how this organization gets their supplies and puts them into circulation.”
“So they are drug dealers?” David asked nonchalantly.
“The driver’s name is Hector Williams and the name of the person, who took a shot at you, is Derek Ragusa. They appeared to have been working as muscles for the organization. Their violent past isn’t an accident.”
“So, why were they walking around in the streets?” David gave a puzzling look.
“Well, the UN’s local prosecutors would bring up charges. But, in every case, there wasn’t anyone, victim, witness, or otherwise who would come forth to testify against them. Each time, they walked scot-free and no charges ever stuck to them.”
“I see. The organization that you were referring to, who are they?”
“The name of the organization is ‘Brotherhood of Anarchists’ or ‘BOA’, which is based in Oak Brook. They were one of the remnants of the Organizations of Anarchists that had violently refuted the unification of the world by the UN—”
“I thought most of the OOAs were rendered incapacitated, disbanded and no longer influential in anything anymore?” David murmured out a rhetorical question.
“Instead of fighting for freedom, they are fighting for greed?” David interrupted Robin, disgusted at what he had just heard about transitioning from a principled struggle to committing crimes, primarily, driven by profit.
“You are right. Most groups were completely disbanded and became good old, respectful UN citizens. But, this group is different…”
“How so?” He kept his eyes on Robin’s electronic device, but his ears were perked up to catch every word of Robin.
“They gave up their violent ways. Instead, they utilized legal methods. They had taken the UN to the Global Supreme Court in an attempt to nullify the UN’s rule over them. They had challenged the definition of UN’s charter and sovereignty as they were written. The argument lasted for over a year, but ultimately, the court ruled unfavorably to them.”
“So, what did they do?”
“Since the Court’s ruling was the final law of the world, they gave up trying to establish a self governing state. Nonetheless, they were determined to keep the control of their own organization intact…” Robin took a breather before continuing.
“In order to fund their operations, the BOA found ways to obtain and distribute illicit substances that were long banned, but more interestingly, became extinct. We don’t know how they get it and what their distribution network looks like.”
“Hmm…, the BOA, the OOA, political anarchists to drug dealers…,” David murmured.
“You said that the substances were extinct? Did I hear you right?” David scratched his head.
“That’s right. We simply do not understand how and where they obtain the substance.” Robin also gave a puzzling look as she repeated herself.
Then, Robin, inching closer to David, began speaking very quietly lest anyone else in the room would hear her.
“Now, get this. The disbandment of OOAs was the primary objective of Det. Woodson in his past assignment as UNSC intelligence officer. It was none other than Det. Woodson, who brought that threat under control. But, for some reason, he could not get to the Oak Brook organization.”
“Meaning?” eager to get to the point, David urged Robin.
“Woodson was removed from his post as the Director, UN Global Intelligence for Global Stability Office few years after the OOAs came to annihilation. With the exception of the—”
“Oak Brook Organization, the present BOA…” David interrupted.
“Correct! It was while in the middle of the litigation that Det. Woodson lost his post of the Directorship with the Global Intelligence Office and was assigned to the chief detective post in the Chicago Office.” Robin said ever more quietly.
“Are you implying that there are some connections with Det. Woodson and the BOA?” mirroring Robin, David lowered his voice a notch, too.
“At this time, I’m not sure. But, Det. Woodson did have some animosities towards the UN when they let him go from his directorship post. He was one of the most decorated officers in the history of the UN Intelligence Department.”
“I know. His cases were studied in my class when I was in the academy. So, I am familiar with his contributions to the OOAs downfall.” David conferred.
“Do we know of any association of Det. Woodson with the BOA now, or in the past?” Looking directly into Robin’s eyes now, David found himself almost whispering.
“I haven’t looked into it that far. I just thought that I mention it to you.” Looking back into David’s eyes, trying to anticipate as to what David would ask her next, she whispered back. There was a long pause as they both contemplated what to say next.
“Let’s come back to that topic later. What do you know about the silver vehicle?” Equally curious about the identity of the man in the silver vehicle, David changed the topic.
“I thought you would never ask. At this time, we do not know the identity of the man inside the vehicle. I’ve captured the surveillance films from I-90 while the two way car chase was going on. We could not identify the man inside the vehicle. He was well camouflaged. But, the vehicle was,” now, getting her lips to near David’s earlobes, she whispered, “registered with the Chicago Office.”
“What?” David shouted turning his head wildly in Robin’s direction, almost kissing her lips. Briefly, there was an awkward moment as both agents hesitated for a second.
“What are you saying?” David said first, realizing that he had inadvertently screamed, David reassessed the situation and went back to whispering mode.
“Are you saying that someone in the inside was involved?” David forgot about the throbbing headache. He forgot about the stitches, holding the skin of his forehead together, as it split open when David put enough pressure. He brought both hands and started to rub his face wildly. A chill went down his back as he shook his head. He put both his elbows on the desk and rested his head in his hands. He stayed in that position for a short moment not only for the purpose of nursing the pain, but also to think of what to ask next.
Then, he sat back up in his chair and launched more questions at Robin, still whispering.
“How did you determine that the vehicle belonged to the Chicago Office?”
“All Chicago Office issued vehicles have an integrated GPS-RFID chip or IGR embedded under the hood. Only the intelligence office knows about its location. When a high speed chase occurs like the one that you were involved in, the police surveillance network initiates a read on the official vehicles. Unexpectedly, we got two reads, yours and the unauthorized one trailing you. We got the positive reads as you picked up speed on I-90.”
“Where is the vehicle now?”
“Good question, David. It was last tracked to Milwaukee. Then, it disappeared off of the surveillance system. The intelligence department is currently trying to locate it.”
“Do we know which department it belongs to?” David followed, urging Robin.
After taking a long pause, Robin quickly surveyed David’s office lest there were any bugging devices of some sort. Then, getting ever so close to David, she whispered,
“It belongs to homicide, Det. Woodson’s department…, this is why I thought I come to you first and let you know what I had found out.” At this time, Robin displayed extreme caution because she wasn’t sure whether or not what she had told David would remain between them. After all, Robin did not know David well enough other than the specifics that were in his resume and the brief interactions that she had with David in the past. But, she decided to trust her instincts and divulge that critical piece of information to him. She looked at David and searched for his reaction.
Very calmly, David rose from the chair. He could not believe what he had just heard. Is there any connection with the BOA, the murders and Woodson? David’s mind ran wild with many crazy scenarios. He could not control his imagination from going in every which way. He took series of deep breaths in an attempt to control his rapid heartbeats. Then, he looked at Robin, piercing into her eyes.
“Who else knows about this stuff?” David cautiously approached her.
“No one else. Like I said, I wanted to tell you first because you almost got yourself killed…” taking a short, controlled breather, she continued, “I wouldn’t think that you would have an inside department vehicle chasing you. The birdie was shot down by the driver of the silver vehicle in order to protect the SUV. He didn’t want you to catch up with the SUV, I believe.”
“I had that thought. The guy never took direct shots at me. All along, he wanted to shoot down the birdie so that I would lose the SUV. Once he accomplishes that, things could just go away quietly as if it was a coincidental robbery that I had happened to have walked in on.” David deduced.
“That would make sense,” Robin chimed in.
“Any forensics report on the weapon fired on the birdie? Just wondering if they are tied to the department, too?” Looking at the evidential photos of the birdie on the ground where it was shot down, David wanted to see if there could be more inside connections.
“Unfortunately, no, could not locate any bullet fragments. It seemed as if whatever hit the birdie, was incinerated leaving no trace at all.” Robin commented weakly.
“Would the department have such weaponry that would have similar effect?”
“As far as I know, there isn’t anything of that sort. But, I am not the weapons expert and wasn’t sure whether to probe it further or not—”
“You didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention. Understandable!” David interrupted Robin and finished the sentence for her. It hit both of them, at this juncture, that they could not trust anyone in the Chicago Office. David could not be sure if he could trust Robin to the full extent, either. The man in the silver vehicle did not shoot directly at David at this time. But, things could change and in the next encounter, if any, could be significantly different. Further, they did not have a good understanding of the extent at which the criminal organization would go to conceal their deeds. It could be very dangerous going forward.
“I will try to look into the similar weaponry thru UNBI Office. It may be better that you do not poke around any further on the weapons matter.” David wanted to shield Robin from any dangers and also keep what they knew secret from others.
“Got it!” Robin concurred, somewhat relieved.
“Now, who expects this report?” Looking in the direction of Robin, David anxiously waited for her answer.
“The report will be presented to Det. Woodson along with my superior officer later this afternoon. I would expect that Det. Woodson would ask you to join the briefing?”
“I haven’t gotten the instructions. But, then it is quite early.” David checked his wrist watch and it was displaying, 6:00 AM.
“You said that no one knew anything about what you found out today, right?”
“Correct!”
“Is it possible to buy some time before you provide your report?”
“Are you asking me to hold back the report?”
“Yes!” David answered sternly.
“Not possible. The records will show that I have already compiled an initial report. It would seem suspicious.”
Then, Robin thought for a second and continued her thoughts “but, I could withdraw certain information.”
“Like what?” David asked.
“I haven’t thought through it yet as to what not to disclose.” Robin answered pressing her temples with her index fingers as if to be nursing an acute headache.
“Now, what do we do about Det. Woodson and his potential connections to the men in the SUV?” with her voice shaking, Robin wanted to get some thoughts on how to proceed with this complicated matter.
“I need more history on him in order to determine any course of action. Right now, it could be anyone and he may not even be involved.”
David didn’t want Robin to get into any dangerous situations by sending her off to investigate this further. Besides, David was drawn to her from the previous run-ins with her. She was confident and sure of herself. She has never backed down from her beliefs or her intelligence. He respected her professionalism in her young career. Further, she came across as an attractive woman to him. As a result, he was genuinely concerned for her safety and at the same time, he needed to put everything in perspective, Woodson, the SUV, the silver vehicle and now, Robin.
“I don’t know what we are dealing with here at this time, but please be careful!” said Robin to David with a certain shiver in her voice that could only be synthesized by someone who had genuine care for a loved one. This moved David and he somehow knew that Robin was sincere. Perhaps, she could be even someone he could trust when needed.
“You, too…,” replied David.
With that, Robin packed her things and tucked in the electronic device in her arm and left the room in the same fashion that she had entered, tall and confident.
“See you later!” They both said simultaneously as the door closed behind Robin.
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David sat back in his chair. His mind was racing with the car chase, the birdie, the SUV, the silver vehicle and the man in that vehicle. The only person who knew that he was going to the Chicago Security Technology was Det. Woodson. He didn’t share that information with Robin, partially because he didn’t want Robin to go off and undertake her own investigation into Woodson. It might put her in harm’s way. He wanted to avoid such situation. It was his own task, he thought, to look into Woodson and uncover any possible involvement or knowledge that he might have as to what’s been happening.
With both men in the SUV dead, David had no one to interrogate or any place to turn to, to mine for information. The silver vehicle went missing in Milwaukee and “where was the driver of that vehicle?” He determined that the BOA men robbing the CST HQ just before his arrival was not a coincidence. It was an explicit attempt to keep David away from the security recordings of Lahey’s apartment complex. The revelation of the former Chicago Office vehicle strengthened his suspicion.
“Was this an inside job, the murder of Lahey, distribution of drugs and what else?” David quietly said to himself and was determined to find out what exactly was going on.
David went out of the office and hit the vending machine by the cafeteria. He purchased a cup of instant dark coffee for UN $3.00. He didn’t have the energy and the frame of mind to brew coffee at home before coming into work this morning. He took a sip and felt an instant relief from the stress that has built up from the injuries and more from the new revelations from Robin.
Walking back to his office, passing a long hall and then the open space on his floor, where many busy bodies moved about, David pondered as to what he would find out and how he would go about moving forward with his investigation on the Lahey case. He grinned and he thought of an interesting first report that he would prepare for his new boss at the UNBI HQ when a call from Det. Woodson came in.