Every Last Mother's Child

by William J. Carty, Jr

  Chapter 2: Chief James’s Team

  Lord James had moved his operation to the EOC at Mounty headquarters. Although he could have worked out of the executive suit in headquarters, he had decided months ago this was where he needed to be when he was at Headquarters. Now his staff was setting up a small assessment room off the EOC that was being dubbed “Lady Wilson Recovery”, this was where his team would plan Lady Wilson’s rescue and where they would plan retribution. As he walked into the assessment room he bristled for a moment when he saw Kellogg, Almost everyone in law enforcement had wanted the notorious former closer’s head at one time or another. It had only been recently that he was being accepted by law enforcement. He had to admit though, that most cops, when they got right down to it would state that Kellogg did what they couldn’t do. Lord James had been on the court house steps when a former closer had been assassinated. The closer had just been exonerated for killing several clones. Kellogg was believed to have made the hit, and while James had sworn vengeance, he had also admitted that Kellogg had rendered justice. Even if that justice was in a nearly vigilante way!

  “Hello chief,” the closer said, “I have an update for you.”

  He nodded for the man to go ahead, “we have the crime scene secured. A couple of my people are working with your CSI people and have collected all the physical evidence they can. The site was searched by the Mounties, CID from the Marines, and CID from Thonians. We think we got the jurisdictions worked out. Since the event happened on an IRS facility the Marine MPs and their CID will be responsible for the crime scene investigation. Since the crime happened to a Trenan citizen and noble, the bulk of the investigation will be handled by the Mounties.”

  “I thought the Marshal and the Queen resolved that issue,” James responded.

  Kellogg chuckled, “You know how it is chief, everyone feels that they have to be part of the investigation and they have primacy. The Thonians were pissed, and so were the marines, but you know Georgia, Lady Wilson’s primary agent,” Kellogg asked, James nodded, “Well let’s just say she was so pissed that she dented a locker on the landing craft, and was cursing like a navy chief twice her age. One of the marines joked that she should have recorded her, so she could instruct her fellows how to curse better.”

  James chuckled himself. He did indeed know Georgia. He knew how tough she could be, and while he had never heard so much as a damn out of her, it didn’t surprise him that she was cursing mad.

  “Well to continue,” Kellogg said, “Hozenbur made a clean get a way. Most of the dead were company closers. All of them are the closers we were hunting. Hozenbur killed them to cover her tracks. We found her car and it’s on its way to the lab; but we think it will be a dead end.”

  “Yeah I figured that,” James commented. “What have they found out about the incident near the boarding school?”

  “It was a terrorist strike,” Kellogg replied, “By a group called the Knights of God. We are almost certain that they were hired by Hozenbur to cause mass confusion during the incident. It, combined with the mining of the road and the battery that took out the landing craft was designed to cause max confusion and turmoil among the evacuation command staff. It almost worked. But it still caused us to lose Hozenbur in all of the confusion.”

  “Did I read this right,” James was looking over some reports, “That this cadet from the academy went into this house near the academy and rescued a mother and her five children?”

  “Yes,” Kellogg replied, “Mitch was searching for one of the little kids. Mitch knew where he liked to go. A house a mile or so outside of the grounds near Evac pad 330. Seems and older couple lived there and a couple of the kids knew them and would sneak out to visit them. She had just about gotten to the house when the landing craft blew up. After the debris stopped falling Mitch saw that some of the debris had fallen on the house. She ran to the house and helped the couple and the lost kid safety.”

  “Mitch?” James asked. “Isn’t she the one who sang that song ‘a place for us’?”

  Kellogg nodded as a man of moderate height, with a stocky build entered the conference room.

  “Hello Kell,” the man greeted Kellogg, Then seeing James stood a little straighter, “The Witch’s made contact!”

  “What do you have,” Kellogg asked a little astounded.

  “Here,” He put a package on the table, “I haven’t had time to see what’s in it. I also didn’t want to disturb it too much either. She called me and let me know where to pick this up.”

  “Who are you,” Chief James asked.

  “I am Leonard, Clone Delta 1534 Alpha Gamma. Chief,” The bioman said, “When I got down from orbit with the contingent from Trojack, I made contact with Kellogg. I had worked with him years ago, and knew he was working as part of the evacuation team. I also knew a couple new cut outs the company was using on Trena. We thought it might make some sense for me to use them in the hopes of drawing Hozenbur out.

  “Before you asked, I have only spoken with her on the phone, never face to face.” the man said, “but she believes I am a pissed off closer who thinks the company is a good place etc. So yesterday she told me to be ready for a phone call, and to do whatever she asked. I said sure.

  “So she told me to go the lost and found at the bus station and pick up a package in my name. This is it. I brought it straight here.” Leonard finished.

  “Benton,” the chief spoke up, “Have you been listening?”

  “Yes sir,” the AI for the police department spoke up named after a character from an ancient story a hundred or so years pre empire. “I am getting ready to dispatch a Mounty team to the bus station to ask around.”

  “Make it happen,” the chief commanded though he knew that they might not find anything. “Get me a scan tech down here, and a CSU. I want this package scanned for prints, and forensics before we open it. I don’t want this case lost because we blew it.”

  “On their way,” the computer responded.

  A few minutes later the duty crime scene unit came in scanned the package. They then went on to scan Leonard for evidence. When they were done with the outside of the package they scanned the inside for forensic evidence, and then stood back a bit as their chief took a data cube out and put it in a nearby reader. A holographic display of Hozenbur’s face floated.

  “This is a message for Marshal Wilson,” Hozenbur’s image said, “but I guess we are not alone, and so to the assembled cops, investigators, etc. hello. To show you I have your halfwit wife Mr. Wilson here is a recording of it.

  “Okay halfwit!” Hozenbur’s voice could be heard as the holograph turned to show Lisa, “Smile for the camera. Now speak for your husband and the news media.”

  “Like what?” Lisa snapped then looked to the camera and said, “Michael come and get me away from this psychopath! Tell Abby I’m okay and let Jill know I’ll be back in time for the coronation day dance at the school! And Mylea if you let anything happen to my old man me and you will have that conversation! It may not be softly spoken!”

  The image changed to show Hozenbur as she began to speak.

  “I am Martha Hozenbur,” the closer spoke into the camera, “I am on my last containment and I am returning the clone Lisa CD 1984 OAP to the company. I will be making arrangements to get off world with the halfwit in my own sweet time; when I can do it safely. If you try to find me and rescue the halfwit, I will kill it. I don’t want anything. There is nothing I am willing to receive in return for its life. I only want to get the clone off world. I’ll be in touch!”

  The holograph went dark.

  “Well at least she made contact and we know Lady Wilson’s alive.” James remarked then asked, “Benton did you make a copy?”

  “Yes sir,” the AI spoke up, “I have also checked the cube and have logged it to the CSI AI what I have found which was nothing.”

  “Good enough,” James said, “Contact Lord Wilson, tell him I am on my way.”

  “Yes sir,” t
he AI responded.

  “Now Leonard,” James turned to the bioman, “You are going to be busted, and your face is going up on the crime net. Only your boss here will know the truth. Let us know if she makes contact with you again. I think you are the key to getting Lady Wilson back.”

  “I’ll make it happen,” Corithia the commander of the Thonian Military Police had walked into the assessment room. “Sorry Leonard. Nothing personal.”

  “I know,” the bioman answered.

  “Chief,” The Thonian MP continued, “You know the training center we set up a few months ago? Well we beefed up the security a bit with an imperial marine security detachment patrolling the area, the air ambulance is in place, and a marine Black Guard unit is playing the bad dudes. They are working very hard.”

  “Thank you commander,” the chief replied, for all practical purposes they were peers and equals. He commanded the largest police force on the planet, and she commanded the second largest one. “Tell the guys they should be easy on those youngsters in the marines. You don’t want to piss 'em off!”

  “Oh come on chief,” the commander said, “those lads, and they are all lads need to have their wee male egos taken down a notch. Besides they are giving my guys as good as they are getting.”

  “Benton,” the chief said, “ask Chief Able if she can spare an additional EMT unit, or if the hospital can site a MAT just for the children. It looks like the band aid unit is going to have a bit of work.”

  “Oh yeah,” Corithia replied. She liked James. She and her lifemate had spent many a quiet evening in his home with him and his lifemate. His professionalism had made working on Trena easier. It would have been a lot harder if he had put up any fight on the way her people did their job. He spoke for a few minutes with Kellogg and Corithia, and left for the Marshals residence.