by Doug Houser
Top said, “How about calling it Crime Fighters?”
Peeps said, “That’s good, but it’s also what all the elements of our organization do. We need a name that will set it apart. It won’t really be a division or separate company because everyone assigned to its missions will be on temporary duty. And I’m pretty sure that no two missions will have the same manpower or organizational requirements. How about calling it Special Projects?”
KC replied, “Top, what do you think about that?”
Top thought a few moments and then said, “Peeps makes some good points. I imagine most of the men will want to be assigned to these missions, whatever we call them, but I suppose it should sound prestigious or macho or elite, somehow.”
KC replied, “Well, we could go back to our military heritage and call it Special Operations. Special Ops has a catchy ring to it, even if it’s not original. What do you guys think?”
Peeps laughed and said, “I think that’s what you wanted to call it all along and you just let us blabber until the time was right to suggest that name. Nevertheless, I totally agree. It sounds great.”
Top added with a laugh, “I agree with everything Peeps just said.”
“Ok, so this new organization, that doesn’t exist and probably never will, is to be known as Special Ops.”
Chapter 19
“Okay, Special Ops it is.” KC scrawled the name under the few notes he had written down, then asked, “Did we miss anything manpower wise?”
Peeps replied, “We didn’t talk about leadership for those out of town missions. It’s just like the recon patrols we used to run. There has to be a good leader on each mission. We need to begin identifying who, among the guys, would meet that requirement.”
“You’re absolutely right. Let’s all three of us start observation and evaluation with that in mind.” KC continued, “All right, beyond identifying potential mission leaders, let me throw out suggestions for prioritizing the other aspects of this. First, get the recruiting wheels in motion. Start that first thing tomorrow morning. Second, as soon as you’ve got a good handle on that process, we need to set a meeting with the three of us and Nellie to begin working on schedules. You guys let everyone know that you can be disturbed when calls come in regarding recruiting. Top, you’ve got the recruiting lead, Peeps, you’re the scheduling lead. Questions or suggestions?”
Top and Peeps shook their heads no, so KC launched into the next subject, logistics. “Regarding logistics, I want to bring up all of the things I think we will need and assign a responsibility for each one. I want to fully utilize the contacts you guys have, but once a source for something has been identified, I can deal with some of the legwork and details. I haven’t thought about how these needs should be prioritized, but when we finish discussing them, I’m sure we’ll have some ideas. So, in no particular order, here we go. Vests. Top, I previously gave you the job of getting the training vests Nellie wants. I’ll take care of that and at the same time get lightweight body armor for Special Ops. The way I envision this, we’ll be the ones initiating any action requiring vests, so we’ll most likely only do that at night. Therefore, these vests will be black. I’ll have the manufacturer put “SO” on the back of them so that it can only be seen through night vision goggles. I’ll get those, too. I’ll also get a few pair of night vision binoculars.”
KC made a few notes and polished off his Diet Coke.
“All right, let’s deal with pistols. Before we talk about manufacturers and models, there are a couple of standards and rules I want to establish. Let me explain my ideas and then we can have a discussion, if we need to. First, no one will carry his or her own weapon. I’ll get into the reasons for this in a minute. Second, if a weapon is ever used, we won’t attempt to police up any casings and the weapon will be left at the scene. Third, all weapons we use will be bought new, with no background checks, using cash. Fourth, everyone will carry the same make and model weapon. The first priority is the men’s safety. The second priority is to do everything possible to not fire a weapon. Any time that ammunition is handled, for any reason, gloves will be worn. All spare ammunition will be carried in pre-loaded magazines that were loaded with gloves on. Any time a weapon is to be carried, gloves are to be worn and the weapon is to be thoroughly wiped down before it is holstered. From that point until the mission is complete, the gloves are to remain on.”
KC paused and looked at his two partners. “Ok, I think by now you know why no personal weapons will be allowed, but let me tell you what I think about it. A personal weapon could have been purchased used and therefore have a history. By that I mean it could have been used in the commission of a crime where it was fired and a round recovered. The rifling would then be on one or more databases. So, if one of our people ever used that weapon, it would be potentially traceable whether or not we left it at the scene. Another thing is that I want everything, especially magazines and silencers, to be interchangeable. And finally, I want everyone to be carrying the same ammunition. Any of that concern you guys?”
Top was first to speak. “You know, there are some pretty good pistol grip twelve gauge shot guns available. They’re great for close quarters work and there’s no rifling that can be traced.”
“Excellent points, Top. Here’s my thinking. If we don’t care who knows what we’re doing, we can take down a building or an office or a house anytime we want, like Langer just did, overseas. But the way I see it, these operations are very likely going to be, by necessity, covert in nature. We’ll have to do things the way we used to. We’ll have to be unseen and unheard. That’s why I suggested silenced pistols. I know there’s some trade off in close-quarter efficiency but if we use forty-fives, there’s really no loss in stopping power.”
Peeps said, “I agree that if we’ve got to be quiet about it, shotguns are out. KC, are you sure we have to be quiet?”
“We will if we’re operating in urban settings. I’m making the assumption that most of our opportunities won’t present themselves in isolated farmhouses. So, while I’m not one hundred percent sure, I think we should plan for stealthy operations.”
Ol’ Top smiled with a wry grin and said, “Ok, now I suppose you want to use something besides the 1911 Colt we all used to carry.”
“Top, you know me well. Here’s the criterion I used in analyzing the capabilities of various pistols. The list is short. I think our standard pistol should be small, light, extremely dependable, safe, accurate, ready to go off the shelf and readily available. I’ve done a lot of reading and also gone to the indoor range and fired all the weapons that meet those requirements. For me, two stand out from the crowd of forty-fives. Top, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that the 1911 is one of them. The other is the Glock model 39.”
Top said, “No argument from me. Those two are the best.”
Peeps added, “Yep, no doubt about it.”
KC then said, “Since we’re agreed on the two best and since the silencers are going to cost around eight hundred each, I’d like to go with the best value and that’s the Glock. Unless one of you knows where to get a great deal on some 1911’s.”
“Not me.”
“Me either.”
“Guys, we’ve got a little time on this, but not too much. The barrels have to go to the silencer manufacturer for custom fitting. Top, after you kick off the hiring blitz and we get the scheduling process started, search around and see who’s got some of these to sell on a “no questions asked” basis. Probably someone who follows the gun shows around would be my guess. Anyway, see what you can come up with. I’m thinking around five hundred dollars each, but maybe we can get a discount if we buy fifteen or twenty. Find out where they are and I’ll go get them.”
“Will do. I’ve got a few ideas.”
“When they ask, tell them they’re for your gun club.”
KC looked at his list and said, “The guys will need black ski m
asks, shirts, sweaters, trousers, socks and shoes. We’ll figure out whom the top candidates are and then have them get that stuff on their own and we’ll reimburse them. No logos or markings of any kind. Everything must be totally black. Next, since our guys aren’t ever going to be where certain incidents occur and we aren’t going to take weapons on a plane, even in baggage, we’ll need for them to drive or take a train, or some combination of the two. I can’t see making them take a bus. They’ll need to rent ordinary cars with in-state license plates, when they get to where ever they will operate. That means false ID, including driver’s licenses, credit cards and insurance cards. Who do we know who can get us all this stuff?”
Ol’ Top asked, “How many guys are we talking about?”
“I don’t think we’ll ever need more than four or five cars.”
“There’s a guy in the accounting office, downstairs, who can take care of this.”
“Good. Get that project started when you have some free time. I think that’s all we’ll need for now. However, I’ve saved the best for last. Guys, I think that on some operations we stand a chance to make some money. I don’t want to waste any time going over it now, but we’ll discuss the opportunities as each operation comes up. Top, get with our computer guy and have him bring us his best laptop, with the best wireless communication capability that’s available. Tell him we’ll need it to be able to access the web from anywhere, securely. We don’t want it to be Wi-Fi dependent. I’ll meet with our attorney and accountant to work out the rest of the money details. Don’t mention this to any of the guys. I’m afraid a lot of these operations will be freebies, like with Maggie. But I think that sometimes there will be money to be made. When there is, the three of us and the members of the team that’s involved should get bonuses. Ok, is everyone clear on what needs to be done and the priorities?”
Both Peeps and Ol’ Top nodded in the affirmative.
“All right. Let’s get this started.”
Jacoby Townsend, the senior partner of the law firm that occupied space on the third floor of KC’s building, prepared all the lease agreements for KC and his tenants, wrote all of the contracts that KC’s companies used with clients, and managed the incorporation of KC’s companies plus the partnership agreements for Peeps, Top and KC. Jacoby was young for his position, but had founded the firm with three of his law school mates and had nurtured it to growth and success. He sat behind his mahogany desk wearing a sport-shirt with his tie loosened, listening to KC speak.
“First, let me tell you how we got started with what we’re about to undertake.” KC then told Jacoby the entire Maggie Warner story. When he was done, Jacoby said, “Wow, that’s quite a successful outcome. It must be gratifying when you can help someone like Maggie.”
“Yes, very much so. With that successful mission as background, here’s what I’ve been thinking. Murphy was nobody, with no money. Consequently, we helped Maggie without being compensated. That’s not a bad thing, but we can’t afford to do that every time. And to really help more people, we’ll be exposed to the travel expenses that will be required to do it, thus we’re going to need funding. So, my thought is that there could be instances where we get involved helping someone and it turns out that the bad guy or guys have some money. One obvious situation that comes to mind is if we get involved with drug dealers in some way. We might be able to relieve them of some of their ill-gotten gains in the process of whatever we’re doing. I’m not suggesting that we launder money to avoid taxes. I want to be able to legitimize the money as income. Say, make it appear to come from someone overseas to whom we provide security services. We could then use it to fund activities, buy supplies and pay salaries and bonuses. Any profits would be taxed normally, and any salaries or bonuses would be subject to all payroll tax deductions. In other words, all I want to do is legitimize the source of the funds so I can use them as ordinary income. Is that something that you can help with?”
“Yes, I think so. There’s nothing illegal about sending money overseas and back as long as it’s not done for tax evasion. If the money is in the form of cash, it’s a little more difficult, but definitely doable. Transfers from banks or brokerage accounts can simply be sent over the net. For those types of transactions, you might want to get a laptop with secure wireless capabilities.”
KC chuckled and responded, “Sometimes I think I’m almost smart. I just ordered one.”
Jacoby laughed and said, “Then you already knew this could be done before you came to see me.”
“Oh, yeah, I knew it could be done. I just didn’t know if you would do it.”
“Yes, I’ll do it, but it will take some billable time to get it all set up properly. I can’t do too many freebies, either.”
KC said, “How about this? You run a tab and bill me the first time we make some money. Your bill gets paid first.”
Jacoby leaned back in his chair and laughed out loud. “KC, you cheap bastard, you could write me a check for a retainer that would cover the whole thing, right now. But that’s okay. I know you have some upfront, out-of-pocket expenses with this. I’ll do my part to help out with that.”
“Do you know what my biggest upfront cost is?”
“Hmmm, not offhand.”
“Hiring and training field agents.”
“Oh, yeah. Ouch. How many are you adding?”
“I’m hoping to add fifteen guys within the next thirty days.”
“Wow, that’s quite an undertaking. You ever consider non-Marines?”
“We’ve got one right now who’s about sixty days into his ninety-day evaluation period. Ironically, the guy who’s under the most pressure to get people hired is the one most strongly against this guy making it. If we had a broader “labor pool”, so to speak, it would make Ol’ Top’s job of hiring new people a lot easier, yet he’s the most chauvinistic of all of us regarding the Marine Corps.”
“Even more so than you?”
“Hard to believe, huh?”
At the same time that KC was leaving Jacoby’s law offices, Nellie was conducting a training class that consisted of eight students. This particular class was introductory in nature and today Sarge was focusing on some simple, basic defensive techniques. She was standing on the combat mat, near a corner, with the students sitting along two edges of the perimeter. Nellie said, “Ok, here’s a hypothetical situation, one that you should try very hard never to get yourself into. Nevertheless, even if you’re vigilant and careful, it can happen. Say someone is able to approach you from behind and attempts to choke you. You’ve got to effectively execute an escape move before you pass out. Let me give you a demonstration of a simple technique. Johnson, come on up here. Stand behind me. Ok, now apply a rear naked chokehold.”
Johnson stepped close behind Sarge and using his left arm, seized her neck and throat in a chokehold. So far, so good. But then, totally unanticipated by everyone, Johnson reached around with his right hand and firmly grabbed hold of Nellie’s right breast. Because she was facing the students, they all had a clear view of what was happening. There was a quiet gasp that emanated from the shocked audience. However, Sarge appeared totally nonplused and executed a defensive, non-aggressive escape. Now there was an audible sigh of relief from the trainees as the tension of the situation passed.
Sarge continued, “Ok, did everyone see what I did?” Eight heads nodded in unison. She said, “All right, quickly pair up and let’s go through the escape move. You guys that are applying the chokehold, don’t squeeze down just yet. Once we’ve learned the technique, we’ll execute it against a full-on chokehold. Ok, go ahead.”
Nellie then moved among the groups, evaluating and correcting as needed. She issued instructions such as “Not so tight, yet” and “Don’t forget, you aren’t expecting this, so don’t clamp your chin down. Let him get the chokehold set.”
After everyone had successfully executed the escape, she instructed th
e class to go through it again, but for the chokers to apply more pressure. They worked on this for about ten minutes and then she stopped them. “Ok, everyone sit down except Redding and Anderson. Redding, you apply the choke on Anderson. Squeeze as hard as you can. If I say stop, let up immediately. All right, go ahead.”
Nellie then supervised each person’s escape efforts, individually and in turn, while the rest of the group watched. About forty-five minutes later, she was satisfied that everyone had mastered the simple escape technique. Sarge said, “Ok, get a drink and be back in five.”
When everyone had returned to the mat and was seated, Sarge began, “Now I’m going to show you what to do if someone comes at you with a knife and you’re either unarmed or don’t want to reveal that you’re armed. This will require a little more practice than the escape move we just learned. We won’t master it today, but we’ll get started so you will know what to work on. Johnson, come on up here.”
Nellie gave him a black rubber practice knife. She then said, addressing the class, “Here’s the scenario. You’ve tried to talk this guy down without the desired effect. He’s now pulled a knife and begins moving toward you in an aggressive manner. There’s no doubt in your mind that his intent is to stab or cut you. Ok, Johnson, come at me with the knife.”
Johnson moved slowly forward with his arm extended about three-quarter length, wielding the knife in a menacing pose. He moved the knife back and forth about eight inches side to side as he advanced. When he was about five feet from Sarge, she wheeled in a motion so fast that no one really saw it clearly, including Johnson, and kicked him dead center in the chest. The sound that was made as his sternum shattered was horrific. The other student’s jaws dropped open as Johnson crumbled to the mat, the practice knife having flown out of his hand landing about fifteen feet away. Nellie moved forward a couple of feet and stood over Johnson. In what most of those present would later describe as somewhat of a growl, she said, “You’ve got lousy manners, motherfucker!”