Warn Me When It's Time Page 10

  “Who did she contact? And why?”

  “We’re still trying to figure that out. She told a guy who hasn’t left much of a footprint. He hasn’t been on our radar, but he is now.”

  “What’s happened to the officer?” Judy asked.

  “Furloughed with pay, pending investigation.”

  “That’s the police union process kicking in,” Don announced.

  “So now we’re officially on the task force?” Charlie asked.

  “You are, and I hope you’ll like this bit of news. I’ve gotten an okay to pay each of you a per diem as consultants. It’s not a lot, but at least it’ll take care of your expenses, and some of your time.”

  “That’s really appreciated,” Judy said.

  “It’s the least I can do,” James said, standing. “I’m out of here. It’s been a long day. I have people talking to Robbie and his lawyer in the morning, and there’s a task force meeting tomorrow at noon. I’ll see you all there.”

  Charlie, Don, and Judy spent fifteen minutes with Tamela, giving her assignments for the rest of the week, and for the first time she received a key to the door and the passcode for the alarm. She was delighted.

  They all departed the office together. Tamela exited the elevator at the lobby level, and the Mack partners continued to the P1 parking level. They said their good-byes and headed to their cars. Charlie was almost at the Corvette when she heard a shot, then a second one. She instinctively ducked behind a column.

  The sound of the shots ricocheted through the garage together until they were joined by a third noise. A scream. Judy’s scream. Charlie swiveled her head from side to side in search of the sound, then, giving up, grabbed her handgun from the glove box.

  She started out in a running crouch in the direction of Judy’s car, and within seconds Don was beside her.

  “That sounded like a .38.”

  “Judy,” Charlie hollered. “Judy!!”

  Don and Charlie bolted upright when they heard tires screeching near the exit ramp. “Get to Judy,” Don ordered and took off running. Charlie wasn’t exactly sure where Judy had parked, and there were still dozens of cars in the garage. She finally heard a whimpering sound and as she creeped past a van, she saw Judy cowering on the ground at her driver’s side tire. She was holding her bag tightly against her chest. Her eyes were closed. Charlie squatted in front of her, fearing the worst.

  “Have you been shot?”

  Judy’s eyes opened slowly. Her stare was filled with terror. She didn’t answer or move.

  “Have you been shot? Are you hurt?”

  Finally Judy blinked and her eyes shifted.

  “Oh Charlie. Oh Charlie.”

  Charlie yanked at Judy’s purse. First she resisted, then finally let go. Charlie checked Judy’s chest and arms and neck. She felt behind her back, and when she pulled her hand out, she was relieved not to see blood.

  “I think you’re okay.”

  “Somebody shot at me. I felt the bullet zip past my cheek. I dropped to the ground, and I think another one just missed my head. I think I hurt my knee,” Judy’s words poured out, mixed with tears, and Charlie held her friend in a tight embrace.

  “Mack, where are you?” Don’s concerned voice rang out.

  “I don’t want him to see me this way,” Judy said, wiping at her eyes.” I’m all right. Please help me up,” Judy said, grasping Charlie’s shoulders.

  “Okay, but let me look at your knee.”

  “Charlie, where are you?” Don shouted.

  “Over here, Don, near the column marked seven.”

  Judy was on her feet, shaking a bit but not crying when Don emerged from between cars. He looked at both of them and put his gun in the shoulder holster.

  “What happened?”

  “Somebody took a couple of shots at Judy.”

  “That somebody tore away in a green Jeep. I saw it turning the corner at Griswold, but it was too far away to see the license plate. The asshole did lose a wheel cap, though, when he drove over the curb,” Don said, waving the metal cover. He stopped talking to take a good look at Judy. “Are you all right, Novak? You didn’t get nicked, did you?”

  “Nope. I just skinned my knee when I dived to the cement.”

  “Good girl.”

  Charlie and Judy shared a look. He started picking up Judy’s things from the ground. Two bags, her scarf, and car keys.

  “Did you call the police, Mack? Or James?”

  “Not yet. Why don’t you do that. I’ll help Judy get her stuff in the car.”

  “Judy, which way were the bullets fired?”

  Judy pointed over her shoulder.

  “Shit. Novak, you could have been hit. I’ve had it with these assholes,” Don said. “They want a war, they got a war.” Don lumbered away cursing under his breath.

  Charlie sat Judy in the passenger seat. She had understated her injury. It was more than a little skin off the knee. It was a nasty abrasion.

  “I think you’re going to need antiseptic and a bandage.”

  “I have both of those in the back,” Judy said.

  “You do?”

  “I still have two teenagers at home, and I’m always prepared,” Judy said, sounding like her old self.

  “Judy, I feel awful about this,” Charlie said. “I thought with the leak discovered we’d no longer be a target. I guess I was wrong.”

  # # #

  Law enforcement arrived at the parking garage with noise and fury. Seven police cars, plus an ambulance, a forensics team, and three FBI units. Based on Judy’s details—and with Don’s assistance—they found two bullets. Shell casings were found not far from the elevator. The medical technicians examined Judy’s knees, but agreed her bandage job was as good as they could have done. They did say she might have some pain in her wrist where she caught her fall. DPD interviewed Charlie, Don, and Judy. FBI agents interviewed them again. When the late-arriving task force members showed up with the same questions, Don had had it.

  “I’m going home, Mack. It’s damn near nine o’clock.”

  “I know, Don. Judy, you should go home too. You want me to drive you?”

  “No. I’ll be fine. I know Mandy’s called twice.”

  “I’ll have a car escort Judy home,” James said from behind them. He’d been conversing with the various teams and generally keeping the work moving. He’d made eye contact with Charlie several times, and now they stood together and watched Don, Judy, and her escort exit the parking garage.

  “What the hell happened here, James?” Charlie asked. “I thought the leak was plugged.”

  “It is. But the Turks already knew about the Mack team. Maybe this is retaliation for Wyatt’s arrest.”

  “Why go after Judy? Is it possible this rogue communications officer saw her today during the Robbie interrogation?”

  James paused to think. “It’s possible. The officer was still around this morning for a few hours. Maybe she hadn’t left the precinct before Judy arrived. Damn, I’m horrified this happened.”

  “We are too, and now you’re going to have to pry Don away from this case. He’s worked up. I’ve never seen him move so fast as when he pursued that car up the ramp on foot. He pretends to give Judy a hard time, and the two of them irritate the hell out of each other, but he’d kill anyone who hurt her.”

  “He’d kill anybody who hurt you, too. I’ve seen that for myself,” James reminded Charlie.

  It wasn’t anything she’d ever forget. When her missing person case collided with the Bureau’s human trafficking investigation, the leader’s henchman had attacked Charlie. When Don caught up with the guy, he made the man pay for it.

  “Yeah. I think we all do as much as we can to protect each other.”

  “That’s why you’re a great team,” James said. “Come on. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  # # #

  Charlie was famished, but opted to join Mandy for Hamm’s late walk before heating up her dinner.

  “Another lo
ng day for you,” Mandy said as they walked Hamm down the driveway and out to their street.

  “And they won’t get much shorter. We officially joined the task force today. By the way, that information is no longer embargoed. They found the leak.”

  “Within the task force?”

  “On the Commander’s staff.”

  “Ouch. That must have felt like vindication.”

  “Yes and no. James believes the cop responsible for the leak might have seen Judy arrive for the kid’s interrogation, and that’s what made her a target today.”

  “How is she?”

  “In shock. She got bumped around. I told her to take the day off tomorrow, but she won’t. She doesn’t want to miss the task force meeting.”

  “Poor Judy. She’s always said she didn’t want to be involved in any of the violence that comes with being a PI.”

  “None of us had any idea we’d be dodging bullets on this case.”

  “You’re dealing with people who think they’re divinely empowered to keep the world the way they want it to be. These guys are crazy, honey,” Mandy said.

  “I know. Until we finish this case, keep up your guard around the house and at work.”

  “I will. And you, too. Maybe we should only walk Hamm when we can do it together.”

  Charlie nodded. “Sorry, buddy,” she said, rubbing Hamm’s whiskers. “For a while you’ll have to do most of your business in the backyard.”

  Chapter 13

  They’d already been at it for an hour and Don was starting to fidget. He sat across the FBI conference table from Charlie and Judy. Oakland Chief of Police John Rappon was reminding task force members of the funds spent to date on their efforts. Apparently his coffers, along with the FBI’s and DPD’s, were footing the bulk of the costs.

  Don rose to get more doughnuts and refill his coffee cup. Every person in the meeting watched his trek, and his move inspired a few others to line up behind him for the spread of pastries. Rappon paused for a minute to count the defectors, then continued.

  Charlie was used to long meetings—some with PI clients, and before that with the clients in her public relations business. But the bulk of her experience with managing meeting fatigue came from being the daughter of a single mom who was also a high school principal. She’d sat through hours of evening school assemblies, PTA meetings, and school board convenings. Charlie’s technique was to doodle, which to all but those sitting near her looked like note taking.

  Commander Coleman had begun the meeting, announcing the attack the night before against the Mack team in the garage of their office building. Those who hadn’t already heard gasped in outrage and anger. The questions that followed took up twenty minutes before Coleman could finally announce that Wayne County prosecutors had cut a deal with Robbie Barrett and his attorney.

  James took the lead in reporting the other new business. He described efforts underway to identify the Stormfront group operating in southeastern Michigan, the case being built around Frank Wyatt in the death of Hassan Pashia, and their strategy to use Robbie as an informer against the White Turks. Barrett would be released from custody tomorrow, and FBI agents would be his handlers. Gaining Robbie’s cooperation was a win for the task force, and Coleman graciously named the Mack team as pivotal to the effort. The announcement sparked a brief smattering of applause. Don raised his coffee in acknowledgment, with chocolate from his last doughnut clinging to his lip. Judy pointed to the corner of her mouth. Ignoring the napkin in front of him, Don dabbed his mouth with his hand.

  Not everyone thought the Stormfront organization merited its own investigation, believing the focus of the task force should remain on the credible threat of an attack on another place of worship.

  “Based on our threat assessment, Stormfront is a high priority. They’re a much more violent group, and much better funded and organized,” one of the FBI agents said. “They’re based in Norway, but they have chapters in dozens of countries and across the United States. The Turks are primarily a loosely-knit group of disgruntled weekend warriors. They should be easy to infiltrate.”

  “Plus, this Stormfront group is interested in Robbie,” Charlie said. “If he’s reinstated in the Turks, it will make him more appealing to the larger group, and that can only help the task force in the long run.”

  James put the issue to rest when he noted that the FBI could walk and chew gum at the same time, and agreed the Bureau would pay for the Stormfront elements of the investigation. The most spirited debate occurred around Robbie’s efficacy as an informer.

  “I’ve read his dossier and the statements he’s made,” Rappon said. “I don’t think the kid has enough stature within the group to be helpful.”

  Several members agreed and suggested reconsidering a deal with Wyatt.

  “Wyatt can’t be trusted,” Coleman said. “He’s already given us several false statements. He’d turn on us or run as soon as he saw the opportunity.”

  “And Barrett won’t?” Captain Kerner of the Dearborn police asked.

  James allowed everyone time to express their views, then made his own case for Robbie’s involvement. He surprised Judy by asking her to present her views.

  “Well,” Judy began tentatively, “on the question of whether Robbie would run, he might want to, but he doesn’t really have any place to go. He lives at home with his mother and brother. He doesn’t own a car, and he’s still on probation on a new job. He’s very smart, and really not a bad kid. He just wants to belong to something to build up his ego, and it’s easy for him to be a member of these groups that lurk on the internet. If he knew how, he’d probably just join a gang.”

  Judy looked down at Charlie’s doodling. She’d written go, Judy, go.

  “Anyway,” Judy continued. “It doesn’t take much to see that Robbie is broken up over his teacher’s death.”

  “Even though he wrote the teacher those death threats?” Kerner challenged.

  “Yes. It was a passive-aggressive reaction, in my opinion,” Judy responded. “He doesn’t really want to hurt anybody although he talks like he could. With enough exposure to these groups and the hate and violence they promote, he might be able to be a terrorist. Right now, he’s merely a nerdy boy who’s a whiz at computer technology and doesn’t know what to do to make his life better.”

  “In other words, we hope we can turn him around and make him part of our gang,” James said.

  They took a stretch break before reconvening into working teams. One would focus on the plans for thwarting another church or mosque attack; the other would map out a strategy to effectively re-embed Robbie within the Turks. Don would sit in on the tactical group, and Judy and James would discuss Robbie’s assignments. Coleman and Charlie would float between the two rooms.

  “I was so proud of you in there,” Charlie said to Judy.

  “Yeah, Novak, good job, and you didn’t even whine about being shot at.”

  “I got my tough-guy pointers from you, Don.”

  Don gave a thumbs-up, and moved toward the food table to grab another doughnut and an apple. He began a chat with John Rappon. Charlie pulled Judy aside.

  “How are you doing after last night?”

  “Okay, I guess. Still shaken up a bit. I have bruises on my legs, and my wrists are sore. I didn’t realize it last night, but I must have bumped my head on the car because I have a knot,” she said, touching the back of her head.

  # # #

  Charlie was flanked by Judy and Coleman as Captain Kerner, leading the discussion on embedding Robbie, went on and on about the obstacles. He spoke about Robbie’s youth and inexperience and, in contrast, what he considered the sophistication of the White Turks. He waxed on about his department’s efforts to infiltrate the hate groups in Dearborn. That’s why he thought an older, more seasoned man was needed for the job.

  Charlie had finished a salad and, while waiting for Kerner to run out of steam on the defense of his department, she began to doodle. She’d written stream-o
f-consciousness words and phrases and geometric shapes for several minutes when she felt Coleman nudge her. Charlie looked up to see Coleman smiling and pointing to Charlie’s note pad where she’d written the word mansplaining and circled it several times.

  “With all due respect,” Coleman said, speaking up. “You’re overstating the sophistication of the Turks. In our interrogations of Robbie and Frank Wyatt, they both admitted the mosque explosion was simply to have enough combustion to start a fire in the office. Clearly someone, and we believe it was Wyatt, didn’t have the demolition skills necessary for that job.”

  Kerner didn’t have much more to say after that, and the ideas started flowing.

  Robbie would be reintroduced to the Turks as having been arrested and released by the Feds after Frank tried to implicate him in the mosque bombing. The cover story would be that Robbie didn’t talk, the Feds had no proof of his involvement, and they let him walk. He would pretend the arrest had further hardened him against big government and recommitted him to the cause of the group. The Feds would let it leak that Wyatt had been shipped off to Guantanamo detention center.

  It seemed a good plan, and Judy would help James prepare the boy for the ruse. Robbie would have a team of four FBI handlers keeping an eye on him. His phone, email, and internet searches would be monitored in the unlikely event Robbie might go rogue.

  # # #

  In the other meeting, six members of the task force were building scenarios for the dramatic terror event Frank Wyatt had warned about.

  “You said he wasn’t truthful,” Rappon said to James. “Why do you trust that this information is credible?”

  “Because we’ve confirmed it through internet chatter, and we’re monitoring both Wyatt’s and Robbie’s phones. There’s something big afoot, and now that Wyatt is out of the picture, the Turks are looking for another explosives man.”

  “Maybe that provides an opening for us,” Don said. “Can you bring another guy inside the group? In addition to Robbie? Somebody who has experience with explosives?”