Edge of Battle

by Dale Brown

  “Wilco,” Falcone responded.

  “Ari, better get on the horn and tell Jefferson what’s been going on,” Jason said.

  “I’m already on the line with him, J,” Ariadna said. “He doesn’t sound too pissed. He’s calling the Justice Department and Homeland Security now.”

  “Swell,” Jason muttered.

  “TALON One, Rampart One, do you want me to release Cass and the others?” Ben Gray radioed.

  “Negative,” Jason responded.

  “But we’ve got them in the dog-pens…”

  “Let them cool their heels in your holding cells for a few more minutes,” Jason said as he headed out to the landing pad. “I’ll meet you over there in a few.”

  “Whatever you say, sir.”

  The two helicopters’ rotors were winding down and all of the passengers were standing on the landing pad mats when Jason stepped over to them. FBI Director Kelsey DeLaine went over to greet him. “Hiya, Jason,” she said cheerfully, giving him a firm, friendly handshake and a hug. She was dressed for action with a black nylon FBI jacket over a black T-shirt and bulletproof vest, black boots, BDU pants, an FBI ball cap, and a Beretta pistol in a holster. Jason saw a lot of energy in her step and in her smile and was pleased that Washington hadn’t erased her genuine love for her profession. “Nice to see you again.” She looked around. “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Were you expecting someone else?”

  “Some folks from the U.S. Attorney’s office in San Diego, maybe someone from Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” Kelsey said. She noticed him looking questioningly at her. “They haven’t arrived yet?”

  “They’re here.”

  “They didn’t tell you we were coming? The security guy on the radio said we needed clearance to land first.”

  “They didn’t mention you were coming. They didn’t mention they were coming.” He turned to look at the people coming off the second helicopter. “Who are they?”

  “Investigators from Customs and Border Protection and some Spanish interpreters,” Kelsey said. “We’re participating in the preliminary investigation on Frank’s incident last night.” Kelsey was the cocommander of Task Force TALON when it was first organized less than a year earlier, and she was very familiar with its personnel, weapons, and tactics. “This visit should have been cleared last night or early this morning through the Justice Department. You received no word of our arrival?”

  “I heard you were on your way to the West Coast to look into the incident here, but we received no requests for clearances and had no idea who was coming, or when.”

  “Well, it was pretty short notice—there must’ve been some snafu in communications along the line,” Kelsey said, now sounding a little perplexed. “An assistant from the U.S. Attorney’s Office assured me that all of the notifications had been made, through the White House as well as directly with the CO here; we didn’t want to run into one of your monster blimps or get shot down by a ray gun or something. I should’ve checked myself.” She looked at Jason carefully. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, Jason, but I still recognize that ‘cat with the canary in its mouth’ look of yours. What happened?”

  “Follow me.”

  Kelsey muttered something that Jason couldn’t quite catch in the subsiding whine of the helicopters’ turbine engines. She scanned the little base as she followed him toward the detention area.

  “Jason, I’m not going to like whatever you’ve got to show me, am I?” Kelsey asked.

  “Probably not.”

  “Uh, Miss Director…?” one of Kelsey’s bodyguards stammered. “Those persons in the small prisoner cells over there…is that who I think it is…?”

  “Jee…sus,” Kelsey exclaimed when she saw Annette Cass kneeling on the plywood floor in the middle of one of the dog-pen detention cells, her hands secured behind her with plastic handcuffs. “Jason, what in hell is going on here? Do you know who that is?”

  “Do you?”

  “Of course I do! That’s Annette Cass, the U.S. Attorney for the southern district of California! What is she doing in that…that cage? Get her out of there immediately!”

  Jason motioned to Gray, who unlocked the door to the chain-link cell and bent to help Cass up, but she pushed his hand away. “She and the others entered my base without permission and took away our weapons at gunpoint,” Jason said.

  “Jason, are you crazy? Did they show ID?” Kelsey didn’t wait for a response, but hurried over to the detention cells, retrieving her ID and badge, showing it to Gray and his security guards, and then looping it atop her bulletproof vest so anyone could see it. “Open these cells immediately!” Gray looked over at Richter. “Don’t look at him, Captain! I gave you a direct order—open those cells!”

  “I want him arrested!” Cass shouted as soon as she joined the others. “I want Richter and all of his personnel arrested right now, I want my people released, and I want this base shut down immediately! I am going to put you away for twenty years for unlawful detention, false imprisonment, and abuse of power, Richter! Director DeLaine, you saw what he did to us!” She pointed at one of the other cells. “He even locked up an official from the Mexican consulate! This is going to create an international incident! This is a complete violation of international law and treaties…”

  “Annette, calm down…” Kelsey tried.

  “‘Calm down’? This Army officer attacked and nearly killed three federal agents with one of his robots, then handcuffed us and locked us in those pens! He’s out of control, and I’m ordering you to arrest him!”

  Kelsey’s mouth hardened into a line. “That’s enough, Annette,” she said testily. “You can’t order me to arrest anyone, let alone an Army officer on an Army installation, and you know it. I didn’t observe any laws being broken…”

  “He put me and my agents in those cells for no reason…!”

  “The commander of an Army installation is allowed to put anyone on his base in his brig for any reason he deems necessary”—she looked over at Jason suspiciously, then added—“as long as it was absolutely necessary. He’ll have to answer for his actions to his superior officer, which right now happens to be the President of the United States.” She looked over at the detention cells. “And you say that’s someone from the Mexican consulate? What’s he doing here? You never said anything about bringing someone from the consulate!”

  “He heard that Mexican citizens were being detained out here, and he demanded to see them,” Cass said. “I agreed to allow him to accompany me.”

  “You never told me this,” Kelsey said. “And what happened to getting us all clearances to come here? My two helicopters didn’t have clearance to land!”

  “Is that what Richter said? I wouldn’t believe a word he says!”

  “Annette, I didn’t ask the major for confirmation—I asked my office in San Diego to verify our clearances from Homeland Security and the Army, the people who should have received your request to visit the base,” Kelsey said. “They said the request was just received this morning and hadn’t been processed because it was incomplete. I only landed here because I contacted the Attorney General directly myself when I learned we didn’t have proper clearance. What’s going on here?”

  “Homeland Security delayed my clearance and told me to resubmit my application to visit this base,” Cass argued. “I found that unacceptable. Any delay in getting here would’ve compromised evidence in our investigation and given Major Richter here time to coach or coerce witnesses…”

  “‘Coerce witnesses?’” Jason retorted. “I’m not coercing anyone…”

  “Now order Richter to release the consulate official and my men before there’s hell to pay, Director DeLaine,” Cass insisted, “or the next call I make will be to the Attorney General himself.”

  Jason could see Kelsey’s jaw tighten. “Miss Cass, that’s the second time you’ve ordered me to do something,” Kelsey said, pulling out her cell phone. “I don’t know how you do things
in your district, but in the FBI we have procedures, and I’m not going to violate them just because you order it.” Into her phone, she said, “John, this is Kelsey. I’m here at Rampart One…yes, the Army migrant reconnaissance base, in California…you’ve already received a call from the AG and from Homeland Security? I see. What’s the word?” She listened for a few moments, then said, “Understood. Later.”

  “Well?”

  “Major Richter, release all of Miss Cass’s personnel immediately…” Kelsey said stonily.

  “About time!” Cass remarked.

  “…and then escort her and her entourage off the base,” Kelsey added, impaling Cass with an angry glare. “Turns out Miss Cass did not receive proper clearance to enter the base unannounced, although the Army should have done more to verify her identity and official business and reasonably accommodate her requests. Turns out the holdup was your demand to bring someone from the Mexican consulate with you. That request was forwarded to the State Department, and…”

  “Miss Director, a Mexican citizen was killed last night by one of Richter’s robots—the same one, I believe, operated by the officer, that attacked my marshals,” Cass said. “Someone from the consulate deserves to be present during this investigation…”

  “The incident happened on U.S. soil, Annette,” Kelsey said. “The Mexican government does have a right to get involved—after our investigation has concluded, or at least after our investigation has begun. Whoever does the investigation has the duty to keep the Mexican government informed to the fullest extent of the law.”

  “I wasn’t notified that my office was going to head the investigation, so I…”

  “I’m not positive, Annette, but I don’t think this is your jurisdiction.”

  “Not my jurisdiction? That’s crazy! I’m the U.S. Attorney for southern California! If it’s not me, who’s going to do it?”

  “The Department of Homeland Security,” Kelsey said. “If they need any forensic help from the FBI or warrant authority from the U.S. Attorneys’ Office, they’ll ask; otherwise they handle it themselves.”

  “But what if there are criminal charges…?”

  “Those will be referred to your office if the suspects are not subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Kelsey said. “Otherwise the Army handles it.” She looked at Cass carefully, then added, “The State Department says it received no request from the Mexican consulate or embassy for any consulate officials or staffers to accompany you to this base, Miss Cass.”

  “I have the authority to bring along anyone I choose, including members of any foreign consulate in my district,” Cass argued, “and consular officers have the right to make requests to travel as observers and go anywhere they like in the United States, especially on official business involving their citizens.”

  “I think the State Department and Attorney General may disagree with you, Miss Cass—that’s not my department,” Kelsey said. “But your conduct during this entire escapade of yours is starting to look more and more suspicious. A no-notice arrival with armed U.S. marshals and a Mexican consular official in tow? What were you trying to do, Miss Cass—shut down an entire Army base before anyone could stop you?”

  “This is not an Army base, DeLaine—this is an illegal Army prison,” Cass retorted, going over to help Lombard as he crawled painfully out of his cage, “locking up innocent civilians without due process and terrorizing people on both sides of the border with birds-of-prey airships and armored robots!”

  “This base belongs to the Army National Guard and the Department of Homeland Security…”

  “…and it’s in my federal district, and it has civilians in federal custody, which brings it under my jurisdiction,” Cass interjected just as angrily. “All federal law enforcement matters in the southern district of California come under my review, and capturing and detaining suspected illegal immigrants is a law enforcement issue. And if there are Mexican nationals being detained here, consular officials have every right to meet with and speak to their fellow citizens, ascertain their medical, physical, legal, and political status, and ensure that all of their rights as Mexican citizens and American detainees are being preserved.”

  Kelsey fell silent—it was difficult, if not impossible, to argue with her reasoning. It was obvious that Cass thought she had gained at least an ideological advantage here, even though she was the one leaving. “We’re not done here, Major Richter,” she said. The two marshals, their arms and shoulders heavily bandaged, were escorted to waiting military ambulances while Cass’s dark blue government Suburbans were brought for her. “You can’t trample on the Constitution in my district like you did in San Francisco and Washington and get away with it. I’m going to see to it that you and your jack-booted storm troopers are removed from here, pronto.”

  “Sheesh, who peed in her cornflakes this morning?” Jason remarked as Cass and the other federal officials departed down the dusty access road.

  “Jason, this thing is just getting started, and already we’ve got Americans battling each other,” Kelsey said. “A little more restraint might be in order here.”

  “I hear you, Kelsey,” Jason said, “but I’ve got my orders too, and they come right from the White House. The argument over who has jurisdiction is way above my pay grade. I was ordered to build reconnaissance and operations firebases, keep the border region under surveillance, and detain anyone illegally crossing the border, in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I’m not saying people like Cass are right or wrong, or what we’re doing is right or wrong—but I’ve got a job to do and superior officers to report to, and they do not include U.S. Attorney Annette Cass, the U.S. Marshals Service, or anyone from the Mexican consulate.”

  “Well, we’re all on the same side here—you might consider thinking twice before siccing your robots on fellow Americans, especially federal agents.”

  “I know no one will believe me, Kel,” Jason said earnestly, “but I thought you were all Consortium, I swear to God. She came here unannounced with guys in bulletproof vests and submachine guns, and minutes later two helicopters swoop in. I thought we were goners.” Kelsey could tell that Richter was being absolutely serious—she never questioned his feelings. She wasn’t quite sure, but she thought she saw a little unexpected paleness in his face, and he swallowed nervously. “I never realized how vulnerable we are out here, Kel. They walked onto this base with guns and badges and no one even radioed us to tell us they were here. Maybe I panicked a little. Even when I saw their IDs, I felt…defensive, like I didn’t do enough to watch my own back. I guess I got…”

  “Scared? Hey, Jason, you have no idea how many times I was scared, working on the Task Force TALON, working in the FBI. You lose tactical control, even for a moment, and all you want to do is react, do something, until you get it back.” She felt a sudden wave of concern wash over her consciousness, and without thinking she took his hand—and found it cold and clammy. “It’s okay, Jason,” she said gently. “It’s over.”

  “TALON wasn’t made to guard a base or stay in one place—we’re hunters, not rent-a-cops,” Jason said bitterly. “As long as TALON is here, we’re sitting ducks for the Consortium. TALON was successful against the Consortium because we were aggressive and offensive—we took the fight to them. Here, they don’t have to hunt us—they know exactly where we are, and they can take all the time they want planning an attack.”

  Richter’s hands were subconsciously clenched into fists, and his voice was shaking with anger. “This will not happen again, Kelsey—I swear it,” Jason went on adamantly. “I don’t care who it is—federal agents, illegals, or terrorists—I will not allow this task force to work with its hands tied behind its back, anywhere, but especially on American soil.”

  “Ease up, Major,” Kelsey said, her voice firm. “This is not a personal crusade, and Task Force TALON is not alone out here. You’re part of a team—start working like it.”

  “That’s what I’m doing here, Miss Dir
ector…”

  “By having Falcone inside a CID unit grab two U.S. marshals and use them to club down another federal agent?” She didn’t like Jason suddenly turning sarcastically formal on her, but he had it coming—he was still acting like Task Force TALON was his own private personal boys’ club. She pointed to the ruined TEMPER units, surrounded now by National Guard soldiers starting to repair the damage. “What are you going to have your CIDs tear down next, Jason—the Border Patrol regional headquarters, after you get shut down? The federal courthouse, after they arrest Falcone for assaulting a federal officer? Are you going to take on the entire Justice Department because you want to run this assignment your way?”

  She stopped and put her hands on her hips; Richter stopped but only half-turned toward her. “You haven’t changed much since we began the task force, Richter—you haven’t learned a thing. You’re little more than a spoiled laboratory nerd out here playing army with your fancy high-tech toys. It’s getting tiresome. Sure, you had some victories—but that’s only when you worked with others like the FBI and the rest of the U.S. military. But now the stakes are higher—there are lives at stake here, not just terrorists but peaceful, unarmed, regular people. Maybe this job isn’t for you.”

  “Bull, Kelsey. This is my job. TALON can do anything we’re assigned…”

  “Sure it can—but maybe you can’t lead it,” Kelsey said. “Maybe you ought to turn this assignment over to someone else and go back to your lab where you belong. In fact, I think I might recommend that to the AG. After this morning’s incident, I think he’ll do it to avoid a mutiny in his own department—at the very least, he’ll have to do it to avoid an international incident and official government protest. Until the White House decides what to do with you, Major, I suggest you adopt an extremely low profile—for the sake of this operation as well as your own career.”

  “Kelsey, I may just be a nerd engineer with no field experience,” Jason said, “but I was chosen to lead this task force, and my task force was deployed to this location, so I’m going to do the job I was assigned the best way I know how. The President or Ray Jefferson can shit-can me any time they feel like it, for whatever reason—or for no reason. Until then, I’m going to operate my men and equipment my way, following whatever guidance or directives I’m given. I’m going to…”