“Going back to us making decisions and everyone following is just us owning the company again,” Sam nodded.
“Right,” Jacob said. “I’ll talk to Tres. Dad, you can call a meeting of the employees this afternoon. We’ll get their ideas and make our own plan.”
“It’s risky,” Aden said.
“Blane’s right. We’re losing the business as it stands,” Sam said. “If we don’t make our own plan—not what the state wants, not what we think someone else is going to do—we’ve already lost.”
On that grim note, Sam got up and left the restaurant. Jacob grabbed the check, nodded to Aden and Blane and left.
“You ready?” Blane asked.
“I don’t know if I can get out of this booth.”
Laughing, Blane got up and dragged Aden to his feet.
“Sandy gave you a tough workout?” Blane asked.
“Oh yeah,” Aden said.
Blane laughed.
~~~~~~~~
Thursday mid-day—11:59 a.m.
Sandy’s last client hugged her and left the shop. On her own cloud after last night’s adventure, she wandered to the back of the shop to get her lunch. She’d just pulled a yogurt container from her little refrigerator when she heard the bell to the door.
She peeked out of the back to see who it was.
Sergeant Aziz stood at her door. He cupped his hands and peered in to try to see her through the mirrored glass. She scowled and was about to go back when she saw a young man peer out from behind his back.
She’d always liked his little brother. Groaning to herself, she went to the door.
“What do you want?” Sandy asked.
“You have every right to be like that,” Sergeant Aziz said. “But . . . we need some help.”
Sandy caught a look of desperation on his face. She stepped back and let them in.
“It’s my lunch hour,” Sandy said.
“I know,” Sergeant Aziz pushed his brother forward. “We brought you a salad.”
When the boy got close to her, Sandy saw the bruising around the boy’s neck.
“What’s going on?” Sandy took the salad and guided them to the back.
“Tell her,” Sergeant Aziz said to his brother.
In a low tone, his brother told Sandy his whole story from going along the first time to trying to get out of it to sending Charlie the video. He didn’t look up until he was done.
“Why are you telling me all of this?” Sandy asked.
“Because I don’t know what to do,” Sergeant Aziz said. “I’ve been trying to protect him, but by saying nothing, I’ve left him . . . in the hands of these . . . monsters.”
“It sounds like he’s a little monster himself,” Sandy said.
“Yes ma’am,” the boy said.
“Why do you think I know what to do?” Sandy asked.
“Because you’re O’Malley’s Goddaughter and you know that Homeland Security guy, the big one, and the blonde guy,” Sergeant Aziz said. “Nothing would be happening if he and the blonde guy hadn’t gotten involved.”
“Why is that?” Sandy asked.
“Red Bear is a weirdo,” Sergeant Aziz said. “And I . . .”
He gestured to his brother.
“You’ll be suspended,” Sandy said.
“Better than,” Sergeant Aziz gestured to his brother’s neck. “And I don’t care anymore. He’s really in trouble. He tried to tell me, but I was too scared of losing everything to listen.”
“And now?”
“I’d rather lose everything than lose my brother,” Sergeant Aziz said. “He screwed up and this is bad, but he can’t get out of it. Not on his own, and I don’t know how to fix it.”
“Why should I help you?” Sandy asked. “Why should my friends help you?”
“They gonna kill me, Sandy,” the boy looked up at her. “I know I deserve it. I tried to stop, I really did, . . . ever since the first time. And I don’t . . . you know, I can’t . . .”
He gestured to his lap.
“I just take the videos,” he said. “I’m still . . . a monster.”
“Why not tell Detective Red Bear?” Sandy asked.
“I don’t trust him,” Sergeant Aziz said.
Sandy looked at Sergeant Aziz and then at his brother.
“Think of it this way, if I hadn’t been such an asshole, you wouldn’t be married to that Aden guy,” Sergeant Aziz said. “So you owe me a favor.”
“That’s just pathetic,” his brother looked at him and shook his head. Sandy scowled.
“Please,” Sergeant Aziz said.
“I’m only going to do this if you call your Mom,” Sandy said. “She deserves to know what’s going on, and to be here when it happens. I won’t do it otherwise.”
Sergeant Aziz looked at his brother and he nodded. Sandy raised her eyebrows and Sergeant Aziz called his mother. When he was done, she got her iPhone and placed the call.
“Raz?” Sandy asked.
“Hey Sandy,” Raz said. “Sami was just reminding me to make an appointment.”
“Yeah, it’s about that time,” Sandy said. “Um, something’s come up and I wondered if you and Colin could come over to the studio.”
“One of the boys contacted you like we talked about?” Raz asked.
“Uh huh,” Sandy said.
“Should we come guns blazing?” Raz asked.
“Hearts open,” Sandy reached out her hand and touched the boy’s shoulder.
“You’ll call O’Malley?” Raz asked.
“I will,” Sandy said.
“Give us a half hour,” Raz said.
“Come on,” Sandy said. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
“But . . .” the boy said.
“You want to change your life,” Sandy said. “The first thing to change is how you look. You want a different life right?”
The boy nodded.
“Come on,” Sandy said.
She guided the boy out into the salon. She helped him out of his cap and his gangster coat.
“Wow, when was the last time you showered?”
“Couple of days,” the boy said. “Maybe a week.”
“Go get cleaned up,” Sandy pointed to the shower. The boy slunk toward the bathroom. “I have some clothes here. Toss yours out and your brother will wash them.”
Sergeant Aziz took the clothing and went into the back. Sandy brought the boy a pair of Pete’s jeans and a long sleeved T-shirt. When the boy came out, he looked like a tiny boy in a grown man’s body. She knew that he was going to be the key to ending these brutal crimes. She only hoped he was up for the task.
Sandy smiled to encourage him and began cutting his hair.
Chapter Two Hundred and Thirty-Nine
Meeting of the minds
Thursday afternoon—3:35 p.m.
“Before we start,” FBI Special agent Angela Montiz gave a hard look at the Homeland Security Agents Colin Hargreaves and Arthur “Raz” Rasmussen. “I’m wondering why Homeland Security is involved in this situation at all. It’s way out of your jurisdiction and, although I can’t quite determine what team you’re on, you don’t appear to be on DHS’s High School Sex Crimes Team because there isn’t one.”
Raz smiled at Agent Angie and she sneered back. They were sitting around a small table in the office above Sandy’s hair salon. Colin sat between the Deputy District Attorney in charge of District Court and the commander in charge of Major Crimes for the Denver Police. Raz sat next to the Denver Police commander and Agent Angie.
“I know the charming smile of a snake when I see one, Agent Rasmussen,” Agent Angie said. “You’re going to have to come up with something a lot better than that.”
The men chuckled, and Raz looked down at his large hands.
“I teach martial arts to a boy who was sent a video clip of a girl being beaten and raped. I brought the video to the attention of the Denver Police,” Colin said. “We discovered that the assigned detective and his Sergeant didn’t appear
to be functioning in this case.”
“I spoke with the investigative supervisor,” said the commander in charge of Denver Police Department major crimes. “Because we weren’t certain what was going on, I requested DHS assistance. DHS has assisted with other cases, and we’ve found Agent Rasmussen and Agent Hargreaves to be helpful.”
“Our primary assignment is flexible enough that if we have time, we’re happy to assist where we can,” Raz said.
The door to the room opened and Seth O’Malley stepped inside.
“Sorry I’m late,” Seth said. “What did I miss?”
“I just found out why Homeland Security is involved in this, “Agent Angie said.
Seth put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Seth said.
“Were you going to tell me why I’m here and not someone from the large Denver FBI office?” Agent Angie asked.
“In our review of the case, we discovered that there is an FBI agent already assigned to this case,” Raz said.
“An FBI agent, a DPD investigative team, a slew of forensic professionals, plausible leads, solid forensics, and . . .” Seth shrugged and sat down next to Agent Angie.
“No action,” Raz said. “That’s what concerned us. Prior to our initiation into this case, the investigative team has done exactly nothing to pursue these cases.”
“Not nothing, Raz,” the Denver Police Commander said. “They’ve obstructed the investigation where they can.”
“All right,” Agent Angie said. “Why me?”
“You were assigned to a case with us last year,” Seth said. “We found you to be extraordinarily competent, smart, and efficient.”
“We have two problems, Agent Angie,” Raz said. “One is the brutality of these crimes. They are not date rapes or even violent attacks. These girls are drugged and brutally assaulted in every way. Their lives are assaulted through the sale or malicious distribution of the videotapes of their assault to every sick mind with a keyboard.”
“There’s money in the middle of all of this,” Seth said. “We’re concerned the money had perverted the course of the investigation both at the Denver Police and at the FBI.”
“Any proof?” Agent Angie asked.
“Only the lack of activity,” Colin said.
Agent Angie nodded.
“Today, a member of the investigative team stepped forward with his younger brother,” the commander in charge of Major Crimes said. “He admits to delaying the case because he knew his brother was involved. With the agents’ help, he and his brother have turned themselves into me, personally. The young man in question was the videographer for one of these crimes. He has turned in more than thirty video recordings of the group. He’s given written testimony as well as interacted with the District Attorney’s office.”
“Is he willing to testify?” Agent Angie asked.
“He appears to be,” the Commander in charge of Major Crimes said. “He states that this situation ‘just happened’ one night and then became a regular thing. He tried on a number of occasions to get out of this thing, but either he or his mother were threatened with violence. He saw them perpetrate violence against a mother as a reprisal for one of the boys leaving the group.”
“And the mother?” Agent Angie asked.
“She never came forward,” Colin said. “We found evidence that, around the dates of her assault, she went to one of the larger free clinics in town, but that’s all we have.”
“And this boy; the brother of your investigator,” Agent Angie said. “Do we believe him?”
“He makes no excuses for himself or his actions,” Raz said. “He seemed . . . in over his head. He lives with his single mother. His brother is the only male in his life. This thing was like a rolling stone he couldn’t stop. The boy has made serious suicide attempts on at least three occasions.”
“You liked him?” Agent Angie asked.
“I believed him,” Raz said. “He participated in something that goes way beyond the meaning of the word ‘wrong.’ But I believe this is a case of a kid getting in over his head and almost drowning. He also seems redeemable.”
“I believed him too,” the Deputy DA said. “And I like his brother. I think they’re credible witnesses.”
“So we know why one party of the investigative team slowed the investigation down, but not the other,” the Commander said. “We’ve allowed the Sergeant to stay in his role in the investigation to see if we can get to the bottom of what’s going on there. He will resign from duty as soon as the case is resolved.”
“I’m still not sure how I can help,” Agent Angie said. “Why don’t you gentlemen just work your case?”
“The bottom line, Angie, is that we believe that the young men are using the distribution channels that were created by other perpetrators,” Seth said. “We’re hoping, with a little luck, we’ll be able to finally put this distribution channel to rest.”
She scowled at Seth and then looked from face to face around the table. Her eyes leveled at Seth again.
“You realize I was pulled from that case,” Agent Angie said.
“Not by anything we did,” Seth said.
“That’s correct,” Agent Angie said. “I have a full case load of my own. I don’t want to get involved here and then . . .”
“I understand,” Seth said. “But if you were involved, what would you do first?”
She squinted at Seth and he smiled. Her eyes went up to the ceiling as if to implore God himself before leveling her eyes at Raz.
“Good looking man like you, I’d go to the free clinics, put the word out that you want information about any woman who has been assaulted,” Agent Angie said. “Whatever happens, you’re going to need a lot of credible witnesses because what usually happens in these cases is that the community closes ranks. What are a few raped and brutalized girls in comparison to the entire future of our star football players? Our basketball stars? Those girls were sluts and whores; our boys have athletic scholarships and you know, boys will be boys and crap like that. I don’t want to spend my free time on this case and find out that the City and County of Denver would rather cover over the ugly in favor of a few privileged boys.”
Raz nodded.
“And you, blondie,” Agent Angie nodded to Colin. “Isn’t your daddy a Senator?”
“He’s retired, but yes,” Colin said.
“I’d get my famous father to start making noise about this case,” Agent Angie said. “Give the case some public clout so that this scum can’t crawl into their holes.”
“Good idea,” Colin said. “My mother has been looking for a cause to champion.”
Agent Angie nodded.
“As for you,” Agent Angie pointed to the Deputy DA and the Denver Police Commander. “You need to find people in your departments who are willing to prosecute and investigate this case because when the media gets a hold of it, they are going to take the heat. Look for men, not just women.”
“Why not women?” the Deputy DA asked.
“Had someone in mind?” Agent Angie asked.
The Deputy DA nodded.
“If you have a woman lead, the case will be marginalized as a woman’s problem,” Agent Angie said. “It’s hard to believe that this is the world we live in, but it is. And, there are plenty of men who are disgusted by this type of crime—men who like women, men who were raised by single mothers and understand the pressure that your investigator’s brother lives with every day. These men exist and are chomping at the bit to do something to help protect women, but no one asks them; the women haters are loud.”
The Denver Police commander nodded.
“Anything else?” Seth asked.
“You need someone to put some money behind this,” Agent Angie looked at Seth. “Money gets attention and shifts the focus. Set up a reward for information. Make a show of hiring private investigators. Better you yet, you’re the famous Magic O’Malley, investigate this thing yoursel
f. You need to change the dialog about this case before it ever hits the media.”
The men nodded.
“Officially, I’m not involved,” Agent Angie said. “I’m going skiing for the weekend and then home to Arizona. But when it comes down . . .”
“We’ll put you front and center,” Raz said. “Because after all, this is out of Homeland Security’s jurisdiction.”
“I’m starting to like you,” Agent Angie said.
He smiled.
“One more thing,” Agent Angie said. “You need a PR person on this. I know it sounds crazy, but if you really want to prosecute, you’re going to have to manage the jury starting right now.”
“Any ideas who?” Colin asked.
“No, but I bet he does,” Agent Angie gestured to Seth.
He nodded.
“You know where to reach me,” Agent Angie gave each of them a hard look. She got up and left the room.
The men sat around the table for a moment looking at each other.
“I guess that’s it,” Seth said. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
The men nodded to Seth and left the room. Colin lingered to talk to Seth.
“How goes the movie making?” Colin asked.
“Good,” Seth nodded. “Done.”
“And Lizzie?” Colin asked.
“She and Schmidty are staying in California for now,” Seth said. “Ava and I are home for a while.”
Colin nodded.
“How is Connor?” Seth asked.
Colin gave him a broad smile.
“I’m thrilled for you,” Seth said.
Colin nodded.
“What would you do if it was your son?” Seth asked.
“I . . . only hope my sons would never get involved,” Colin said. “But if he was? I’d stand by him while he felt the consequences. That’s kind of my job as his parent.”
“I feel for the parents who are finding out that their sons are involved in this in any way,” Seth said.
“Heartbreaking,” Colin said.
Seth nodded and they left the room.
~~~~~~~~
Thursday afternoon—4:05 p.m.
Silt, Denver Cereal Volume 8 Page 20
