Red Horizon

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “You can make light of this if you like but these folders contain filings on behalf of your victims who are suing the city for twenty million dollars. Dominic Quale and Leo McKinley have a damn good chance of winning.”

  “No they don’t.” Nick took a USB flash-drive out of his pocket. “Can I borrow your laptop, Grace?”

  Grace set her laptop in front of Nick with it open and running. Nick plugged in the USB drive. Nick narrated it, noting the meth-heads body language shaking with every movement. “You can also see the tall perp blasting away over the heads of innocent hostages forced to lie on the pier in front of the restaurant waiting to die. The shorter one holding the phone gets word he doesn’t like on the phone from the negotiator. When the woman and kids were released she had been beaten and her arm was broken. The kids were manhandled and in shock with bruises and wrenched limbs. I know because I made sure to get a copy of the hospital report on the Mom and kids along with a drug screen on the two perps.”

  “Where did you get this video?” Dorsett’s mouth went to instant torque.

  “My associate filmed the entire incident. If need be, I have three eyewitnesses, two of whom hold FBI and US Marshal credentials. I explained all this to the police interrogators along with the fact I haven’t made any of it public because I figured a trained poodle could get a conviction on two meth-heads threatening the lives of a multitude of innocent people with illegal weapons. My bad. They seemed satisfied when I wanted to hand over all credit to the Monterey Police Department. Didn’t they explain all this to you?”

  “They tried, Nick,” Tim said. “Grace and I were in on the meeting.”

  “Dorsett here cut them off before they could get two words of explanation out,” Grace added, causing Dorsett to spin angrily toward them. Grace gave her the wave off. “Don’t bother, kid. You screwed up. I don’t know what your angle is, but Nick’s video stomps the hell out of it. Those two clucks will be going away for a long time. They ought to get the death penalty for what they did.”

  “Why… because they’re black men?”

  Grace slid in next to Emily with her face a few inches away from Dorsett’s, so close in fact, something else crept across the DA’s features: fear. “Listen to me closely, Nick’s best friend and partner is black. He was probably one of the witnesses. What kind of crap are you pulling anyway? Are you auditioning for a leader role in the local ‘BLM’ mob or something?”

  “That’s not funny!” Dorsett stood away from the table.

  Nick stood too. “Yeah… it is funny. What do you have in mind? As you saw in the video, you have proof to get those two making plea deals for anything up to the death penalty without a court trial. It’s a win. You can take my copy of it. I have others in case you have something else planned behind all this.”

  “You maimed two men for life.”

  “They’ll have to seek sexual gratification with the other hand in prison. Boo hoo. US Marshals Reinhold and Stanwick can tell you my skills encompass the ability to have blown both of their heads off, thereby saving the State of California millions.”

  “That’s obscene!” Dorsett shifted her outrage to Tim and Grace, who were failing miserably to stifle amusement.

  Nick walked over to her. “Listen closely. You’ve made an error in judgement. I’m wondering if you are even aware of the incident’s facts. Did you simply see the two guys were black and think I shot them because of their color?”

  “I…I… that doesn’t matter. You shot without-”

  “It does matter, nitwit! The guy’s wife and kids are black, Em. Maybe you didn’t care enough about them to read in fully on the case. You have the opportunity now to reverse whatever damage you’ve done shooting your mouth off without facts. Take the video to those dolts’ public defender or ambulance chasing asshole that’s representing them. It ain’t likely you’ll have to get through more than a few minutes. If they still have questions, let them know about the witnesses. If they’re smart, they’ll take any deal you offer. You’ll save court expense, and the real victims’ lives won’t go through a lengthy court trial. I don’t know what you’ve been thinking, but until you actually research all the facts within the prism of this video, shut the hell up. Can we go now?”

  Dorsett gripped the table with both hands for a moment before using her right hand to wave them out. Nick let Grace and Tim lead the way. They accompanied him to pick up his personal things. That done, the three exited the police station.

  “Can I hitch a ride home with you?”

  “Of course,” Grace replied. “Can you fill us in on the Carone operation?”

  “I can’t. It’s another joint mission with John Harding’s group. Even we don’t know all the parameters of it yet. What do you think all that Dorsett stuff was all about? She talked like those guys’ defense attorney.”

  “We weren’t sure what she had in mind after the meeting we were present at with the police,” Tim said. “Thank God you had the video. Is Carone dead?”

  “No. He’s in our custody.”

  “Meaning he’s locked in a room somewhere awaiting death?”

  “Possibly not, Annoying Grace. I’ll let you know how it works out in the end. I’m trying to figure out what Dorsett could possibly gain by trying to railroad me with a bogus complaint. Did you hear any of the regular cops mention anything about me?”

  “They wondered why you were being held and questioned at all. They saw your action as a win. You’ll need to keep an eye on Dorsett,” Grace replied. “Do you have enemies inside the Monterey DA’s office?”

  “I don’t think so. Someone moved on the case real fast for the defense. Suing the city for twenty million seems like a ploy to get those two released. You know how fast the politicos start apologizing when anything happens to any minority, no matter what crime they commit. If the city settled, instead of prosecute for millions to keep the whole thing out of the headlines, I wonder if there’s a connection to Dorsett getting a piece of the action.”

  “Plausible,” Tim agreed. “I think Grace and I better meet with the police chief with your video. We may have to insist on you getting credit, but only as a mention about a US Marshal sniper called in to assess and handle the hostage crisis alongside the police. That way Dorsett can’t sandbag the video and allow the wrong outcome to surface.”

  “Thanks, Tim. That sounds good. Those two meth-heads had every intention of killing everyone they could. It makes me think I should have capped them both. It seems relying on a strong police response to insane accusations by the perps is a thing of the past.”

  “You had no way of knowing the DA’s office would fold at the first hint of a ridiculous lawsuit,” Grace said. “Tim’s right. We’ll get to the police chief and pin him down. Send me the video file.”

  “I copied it to your desktop when I plugged in my USB drive. It’s labeled ‘Hostage File’.”

  Grace checked her laptop as Tim drove. “Great. How did the mess at the school get resolved? When Rachel called to let us know about the attempted kidnapping I couldn’t believe it. She said there was more to it but she couldn’t talk about it on an open line.”

  “Same as with the Carone connection,” Nick answered. “We’re trying to get in front of this Isis wave. Right now, we’re mostly playing catchup. We think this new operation will set back Isis operations on their heels. They want California badly as a base of operations. There’s no denying that now. Al-Qaeda is also attempting to get back in the game. Just like overseas in the sand, the rabid dogs are tearing at each other whenever they cross paths. I have a plan I’m going to run by John Harding and his crew.”

  Tim arrived outside Nick’s house. “We’ll call with news one way or another within the hour.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate the backup today. I admit they blindsided me with their line of questioning about two wounded perps caught dead to rights. I will definitely be watching DA Dorsett. I believe it’s time for me to find a bit more information about her life, finances, connecti
ons, and interests. If she somehow screws this hostage case up, she’ll be signing those two nitwits’ death warrants. I don’t plan on leaving two guys like that running around.”

  “Understood,” Grace said. “Say hi to Rachel and Jean. We’ll make a real visit soon.”

  “I will. Pay close attention to the suits’ mannerisms and expressions. Something’s fishy about this.”

  “Agreed. We’re living in some damn strange times when two guys can beat women, manhandle kids, hose down a public tourist spot with automatic weapons fire, and then sue the city because they got shot doing it.”

  “You outlined it beautifully, Grace. Talk to you in a while.” Nick watched them drive away with more questions than answers.

  Rachel met him at the door. “I thought you were only going to be gone for an hour or so to make a quick statement. Then Neil calls and tells me they’re holding you for extended questioning. Gus and Johnny went with me to the school for Jean and Sonny. They’re all upstairs with Tina and Cala. The way Gus explained it, there shouldn’t have been an interrogation.”

  Nick hugged Rachel, kissing her with a passion fired slightly by the black short-shorts and red halter-top. “Wow… you look very nice. Forget the other crap. Let’s go have a drink. Did you see any sign of my greeting party from this morning? The cops took my phone so I couldn’t call you to get an update or give one.”

  “No sign,” Rachel answered as Nick also greeted the very happy Deke. “We repeated an area check for suspicious cars. You must have a problem when the cops want to put you in the back room to be beaten with rubber hoses for stopping two killers.”

  Nick took her hand, tugging her toward the stairs with Deke pacing at their heels. “At first the way DA Dorsett whacked me around, I thought it was because I shot two guys of the wrong race. The more I think about it, the more I believe there was something else prompting Dorsett. I told Grace and Tim I’d look into Dorsett’s background. Without the video Cala filmed I’d still be in the box back at the Monterey station.”

  “Do you think it’s politically motivated? You don’t even know any of the Monterey politicos, do you?”

  “No. Before you and Jean came along, I lived like a recluse. Only Joe, Dan, Carol, Jerry, and a few others scattered around the area even knew I wrote books. Frank would have sent more killer teams than he did if I’d gone overboard on publicity. I admit to getting a kick out of doing the public events now at the bookstores.”

  After the hellos floated around in good natured banter, Nick sat down at their spacious balcony table. Johnny and Gus already had their satellite uplinked laptops open while they sipped. Cala and Tina sat next to their husbands. Nick sat down with his Bushmill’s Irish with Rachel on one side and Jean and Sonny on the other side.

  “Grace and Tim will be checking with the police chief and DA if they can, concerning the circus event Assistant DA Emily Dorsett put me through. We have the joint mission at Pilot Hill coming soon. I don’t want to be locked into a legal morass with the locals. Let’s find out what’s really behind DA Dorsett’s outrage.”

  “She’s black,” Gus stated after going through the preliminary social page Google hunt. “Are you sure it’s not just another race baiter ploy with the poverty pimp twins, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton arriving next to extort money from the city?”

  “What would Dorsett get out of it though,” Tina remarked. “Did you tell Dorsett your partner’s black and his wife’s black.”

  Nick’s mouth tightened. “Grace mentioned it. I don’t play the race card for anyone. I don’t do that ‘some of my best friends are black or fill in the blank race crap’ to prove how politically correct I am. All my friends are Americans. That’s as far as I go.”

  “Here we go,” Johnny said. “Check your screens. It seems before getting her law degree, Dorsett worked as an intern for Senator Diane Cameron. She worked her way into a spot as assistant campaign director, rumored to have handled shredding all documents and e-mails tying Cameron to the Chinese influence scandal years ago. Check out all the pictures with those bosom buddies together at social functions in DC.”

  Nick and Gus studied their screens with interest. “Good one, Johnny. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. I could tell Dorsett was using anything to build the lawsuits Quayle and McKinley filed nearly the minute they were taken into custody. Di’s out of office. Let’s have a little hack party. I want to find out if Dorsett and her mentor have been communicating by e-mail.”

  “Why does that Cameron woman care about messing with you, Dad?”

  “She’s a traitor, kid. We linked her to terrorists and forced her to resign. We also relieved her of all the ill-gotten gains she received for selling her country out. Di must have all her feelers in the wind trying to find any way she can exact revenge.”

  “What do you want to do, Muerto,” Johnny asked.

  “Discredit Dorsett with anything we can find linking her to Cameron, including payoffs. Di couldn’t have done all this in one day. She’s had Dorsett keeping an eye on me, awaiting an incident within her jurisdiction she could get me with. Let’s make sure her boss, District Attorney Daryl Atherton isn’t in Cameron’s pocket too.”

  “At what point do you make sure Cameron doesn’t put you in prison,” Rachel asked. “She’s already ignored your warnings.”

  Nick took a deep breath. “One thing at a time. First, we find out how much help Di is getting locally to haunt me. We’ll fix this episode now. Cameron’s lesson will have to wait until after Pilot Hill. We know where to find her when the time comes. Johnny’s been tracking her movements. She’s also on the FBI’s radar, thanks to Harding’s FBI friends Sam and Janie. I read them in on what we did behind the scenes to make her resign.”

  An hour later, while enjoying the view from the balcony watching the fog move in and sipping Bushmill’s with his friends, Nick was satisfied they had Dorsett’s number. Combining all the networked information the ‘Unholy Trio’ found concerning real estate deals, botched cases involving Cameron’s friends on two occasions in the Monterey area and payment from Cameron for no apparent service, Nick assembled the case with timeline. He couldn’t bother with formality but Nick understood he couldn’t make what he had public himself, due to the way Dorsett’s information had been gathered.

  “How does DA Atherton look, Gus?”

  “He’s clean of Cameron. She was hired on Cameron’s recommendation, but that would not be unusual. I have his office computer gateway open for anything you want to do. I can put Dorsett’s file on his Desktop.”

  “Nope. We can’t take a chance like that. I’ll call Paul on my secure line. I haven’t updated him on the Pilot Hill mission. He can officially approach the DA with the file, letting him know I work as a consultant with CIA, FBI, and Department of Justice. Atherton will be confused at first, but once he knows what’s going on, this may clear up fast.”

  “Good,” Rachel said. “Do it now. It’s not that late in DC.”

  Nick considered it. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”

  “I’m going down and make a veggie tray and dip.”

  “And order pizza?”

  “Yes, Daughter of Darkness,” Rachel agreed, walking out with Nick. “I’ll get a couple of big ones with everything but anchovies, right gang?”

  A chorus of affirmatives rang out. Nick’s phone beeped on his way out. It was Grace.

  “I couldn’t meet with DA Atherton, but Dorsett stonewalled the video. The police chief consented to see it and hear our explanation. He advised us unless we can convince Atherton of what’s going on, he already received notice the DA’s office wants you brought in for further questioning.”

  “Thanks, Grace. We have it covered.”

  “You’re going to nail Dorsett to the wall, huh Muerto?”

  “Absolutely.”

  * * *

  “Sorry to call you after regular working hours, Mr. Atherton.”

  “Who is this and how did you get my private number?”


  “This will be a little hard to explain. I am Paul Gilbrech, the Director of the CIA. This is not a prank. If you would like, call this number back. It is my direct line at Langley.”

  Atherton shot out of his seat at the dinner table, waving off his wife. “No Sir. That won’t be necessary. How can I help you?”

  “I sent you a folder just now concerning the incident at Fisherman’s Wharf. It contains a video record of what US Marshal McCarty witnessed along with his actions in the matter. The other file contains dealings between former disgraced Senator Diane Cameron and your Assistant DA Dorsett. No one in public knows this but Cameron resigned under pressure because of evidence found by Marshal McCarty tying her to terrorist organizations. I wager Dorsett didn’t show you the video Marshal McCarty put in her hands, did she?”

  Atherton’s features tensed. “No… she didn’t. I’m beginning to understand your point here. Is McCarty an asset of CIA?”

  “I can’t tell you specifics, but Marshal McCarty because of his combat experience and logistics training consults with CIA, FBI, and Department of Justice. He has thwarted numerous terrorist cells and attacks on the homeland. He was asked in to assess the hostage situation because of his skills as a sniper. The situation was handled incredibly well without civilian or police casualties. The reason we have the file connections between Dorsett and Cameron is because anyone dealing with Cameron gets added to the terrorist watch list we have on the former Senator. May I ask that you view the folder and call me back here?”

  “Of course, Sir. I will do so immediately.”

  “Thank you.” Gilbrech disconnected.

  * * *

  The knock on Atherton’s office door halted the conversation in progress with another Assistant DA, a retired Navy Commander with a grim featured persona spread over his ebony features. Assistant DA Dorsett waited at the door. Atherton motioned her in. Dorsett walked in with a smile that disappeared when confronted by the dour looks on her boss and co-worker’s faces.

  “Sit down, Emily,” Atherton said. When Dorsett was seated, Atherton continued. “I won’t make this long and drawn out. You’ve committed some grave errors which cannot be ignored. I told you to keep me updated on the hostage situation that happened at the Wharf.”