Justifiable Homicide

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  All accepted the offer of dinner and Peter told them a car would pick them up at seven in front on their hotel. After checking in with three rooms, Pect was a little upset that Joy wasn’t staying with him. However, he quit grumbling and as all were a little tired and needed to digest what they had heard earlier, decided it was best. Besides Pect wanted to see a few of his friends after dinner and as he had a lot of stories, he would be the center of attraction.

  Joy entering her room was quietly pleased to see the place was nicely done up with a blood red carpet and wall paper to match with long red and white stripes running ceiling to floor. A giant bed took up most of the space, but a very workable table and comfortable chairs sat next to a window that looked out on the busy street. She checked out the bathroom and found a large tub separate from the shower. She sniffed the air and found it free of the usual disinfectant and room spray that usually greets the guest. After she emptied her bag of toilet articles she wondered what she would wear tonight. Looking at her watch it was just after three pm and decided to take a hot bath and a nap before dinner. On the way in she noticed a boutique and after a nap she would venture down to see what she could find in the way of a simple but nice dress for the evening.

  Robin threw his bag down on the floor and plopped on the bed and was out like a light sending a wakeup call for six pm. Pect conversely hoped on the phone and made some calls to set up his meet for later that night. After that he dozed off dreaming of the time long ago with a young girl from India with whom he spent a month healing up from a gunshot wound received in Afghanistan.

  At close to seven Joy stood in the lobby looking very different than either Robin or Pect had seen before. She had on rather revealing spaghetti strapped black evening dress that swooped down revealing a nice cleavage. Her hair was hanging free with newly cut bangs just over her eyebrows. A touch of make up around the eyes and lips in a light orange matched her red hair. At the same boutique she found a warm wool shawl to protect her shoulders from the cold night. Pect and Robin stood looking at her with their mouths open and both were wondering where this came from: a soft looking beautiful lady as their dinner mate.

  Both Pect and Robin had on slacks and sport coats looking quite the part for a dinner in Washington. The driver entered the door and it was the same one as before who had picked them up at the airport. He whistled at Joy and asked if they were ready. Just then another man joined them and all except the driver were wondering who the hell this guy was. Brain Refuta introduced himself and all shook hands and Joy gave him a big smile when she found out he was one of the team’s members.

  In the car Brain gave them a synopsis of his part of the team and his escape to Belize when the DNA boys were hot on his trail for the murder of one in their agency who had gone bad. By the time they reached the restaurant, all were old friends as most do in the business as lonely as theirs.

  Peter and Toni were waiting for them when they entered the restaurant and led them to a conference room where they could talk without ears and enjoy the privacy. Peter sat at the head of the table and Toni, in a new dress of her own, looked every bit as nice as Joy. The first thing Peter told them was they would have a visitor shortly and after that the table was open for any and all discussion and questions. Peter then asked around what they might want for drinks and wine was the order of the table. Small talk was going around when two well dressed men walked in with authority. His face was recognized as the current Attorney General, Mark Rawlings. Joy noticed he was young and maybe early forties. He was definitely Ivy League with his east coast accent and closer to a Boston accent than anything else. Nice looking and when he spoke he looked you in the eye. By the time he finished talking Joy decided he could be a snake oil salesmen of the highest order, but he was friendly to say the least.

  Mark, after a toast of wine said, “I’m pleased to meet you and it was only at the last moment I decided to come here and deliver this report personally. Peter has been briefed, but I would like to hear what you folks might say about what I’m about to tell you of a bad situation that is brewing in LA.” Mark looked at the faces staring back at him and was pleased he had their attention. Then he remembered he was dealing with professionals here and not to take them lightly. All four of them were killers and when given an assignment, carried out the orders to the letter. He hesitated thinking they might go wild with the information he was about to deliver.

  He took a sip of wine and continued saying, “The gangs in LA are about to erupt into an all out war. The major factions are of course, the Bloods and Crips along with the 18 St. Gang which maybe the largest with upwards of twenty thousand members. Well, somehow we must stop this potential blood spilling in LA. Of course we thought of calling out the National Guard, but that only fuels the fires of all residents and not just the gangs. Let me be frank here, we’re not sure what would happen if we took a different path than before with increased police presence and other small Band-Aids on a large wound. What I would like for you to think about and discuss among yourselves if you come up with an idea or plan to at least stop this round of bloodshed, we are willing to listen carefully. We would swear you all in as United States Marshals for legal purposes. Are there any questions or any feedback?” Peter let it hang there and once more drank off his wine in a single gulp.

  Joy looked at Robin because it was his turf and to Robin they all were looking at him for answers he didn’t have at the moment, but he spoke up saying, “This is a tough one and no doubt that is an understatement. There are literally thousands of gang members and how we would communicate with them or try and stop them is one tough assignment.”

  Joy spoke up and said, “What if we take out their leaders? Would that be possible or would that just inflame the fires of revenge?”

  Brain added, “In Miami the same problem as in LA only there we have more Hispanics than anything. The police there have been trying to educate them and find meaningful lives for the unskilled and jobless kids. But I’m only telling you something you already know. Like Joy says maybe we could knock off the leaders, but like the old saying, if you kill a bad guy a thousand will come to the funeral bent upon revenge. I’m not sure force is the answer, but if all else has failed, let's give it a whirl.”

  Robin spoke up and said, “One plan might be we hit all the main headquarters at the same time. That is, Bloods, Crips, 18th St. and the Asians. That way they couldn’t blame each other for the destruction. Also, we kidnap who we can and transport them to Death Valley to struggle with Nature for a change.” The room went totally silent and for a minute or two, each member looked at each other formulating the idea. Finally the silence was broken by a knock on the door where a young man asked if they would like to order dinner. Mark stood up and told them he would take his leave and tomorrow he would like to see a rough draft of the plan or any other plans they might come up with.

  After he left Peter took his place at the head of the table after giving it over to the AG. Dinner was good and by the end of the desert, with wine flowing like water, even Brian enjoyed the wine, and they went back to the hotel to sleep on the plan of Robins.

  Joy went to her room and Pect changed out of his dinner duds leaving for his old haunt to liven up a usually due night of old war stories. His cache was full of delectable tad bits and he was ready to lock lips on one of his old girlfriends.

  The next day the driver was at the hotel at eight. Dressed down now that is was a typical day for the mercenaries they arrived at Peter’s office in no time. Peter and Toni were there at seven pouring over maps of LA and searching the internet for information on gangs and such things.

  All members present, Peter sat at the head of his new conference table and ask first whether each of them had made a decision about working for the government. All members nodded their agreement and then Peter asked them about Robin’s plan and then the discussion started. Three hours later they had decided pretty much along the same lines as Robin’s original plan of taking out the leaders meeting plac
e and then hog tying the principals for transportation to Death Valley. They would use military helicopters flown by recruits who were former military and who could keep their mouths shut. Details went on through a catered lunch and by the end of the day, maps memorized, weapons decided on, contacts noted from the LA and local FBI office whereby snitches would fill in any gaps left out, the plan was set.

  Peter called the AG’s office and said a report would be on his desk in the morning. Pect left for his haunt to hire some guys for support and to find a pilot or two as Robin did with the phone to a few of his former buddies. By nine pm they turned the lights off and went to dinner at the hotel where they were staying.

  Peter felt good, but he’d yet to make contact with Sandy and tell her it was time to go their separate ways. He knew she would throw a fit and a crying jag would occur when he told her he was in love with another woman. Peter didn’t like to hurt anyone and especially Sandy who had stuck with him through good times and a lot of the bad times as well. Peter had been staying at the same hotel as his new people and now he thought it was time to meet his former lover. He picked up his cell phone and rang Sandy up.

  Sandy was thrilled to hear from him and told him she had a thousand questions. She asked him when they could get together and he told her tomorrow at lunch would be fine if she could make it. They decided on their usual place for lunch and when she detected a less than excited voice, she asked him if he was doing ok. He put on a brave voice and said he was fine, but he had a new assignment he’d been working on for too many hours a day. She accepted the story and rang off telling him how much she loved him. Peter hung up feeling like a shit head and dreaded the meeting tomorrow with Sandy.

  Peter the next day was a nervous wreck. He’d told Toni about his lunch with Sandy coming up and throughout the morning was constantly looking at his watch. He tried to prepare for the afternoon meeting with the AG and put some final touches on the LA operation, but he couldn’t keep his mind on the subject. Finally it was time to meet Sandy and his driver drove him to the restaurant where Sandy with a big smile waved at him coming through the door from a secluded corner table. With more confidence than he felt, he purposely walked up and gave her a brush of the lips on the cheeks and sat down next to her with a big sigh blowing out a lungful of air he’d been holding back every since he walked through the door.

  Immediately the waiter was next to the table and Peter ordered a glass of wine to settle his nerves. Sandy was talking in his ear and all he heard was a roar like an ocean in his head. He hadn’t a clue what she was talking about so he just nodded his head a few times and gave her a grunt once in awhile. The wine came and they ordered lunch both having a cob salad. Sandy asked about his new job and he told her the condensed version and she asked no more questions after that. Peter looked at her and saw she had fear in her lovely eyes as usually women are much smarter than men when it comes to knowing something is not right between them. Lunch came and both hardly eat much and then Peter picked up his wine glass and finished it off in my gulp and then he blurted out by saying, “Sandy, I fell in love with another girl and I’m so sorry and I really mean that.”

  Sandy sat with her hands in her lap staring at him and then one tear ran down her face while he followed its path to her chin and fell off into her lap. She said, “I knew something happened and I guessed it was another woman. For years now I’ve been in love with you waiting for the right time to get married and have kids. Well, too little too late and I wish you the best Peter Holmes.” Sandy stood up and left the restaurant walking tall and straight. Watching her back Peter wondered if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life letting her go. Well, he thought, it’s over now and I have Toni who loves me to death and a new job to ply my wares of logic on. He paid the bill and took a taxi back to his office.

  Peter’s new agency, without a name, gathered its members in a conference room near the AG office. The meeting was scheduled for two pm and it was now almost half past two. It appeared time didn’t matter to the agents who now sat discussing more details of the upcoming operation in LA. In front of Peter a stack of files and rolled up city maps of LA sat before him. Toni had her new laptop open and her fingers were ready to fly at a moment's notice. Finally the AG walked in with two of his staff following like shadows on a bright spring day. The AG looked the table over and still standing said, “Well, I trust you all had a nice dinner and a good rest? I also presume we are to a person agreed to employment with our government?” No one denied that fact and he sat down waiting for Peter to give a report.

  Peter, who seemed in total control spoke with a firm voice saying, “We have a plan sir and briefly it is this. We will take out the leader’s headquarters simultaneously, capture as many members as possible, transport them to Death Valley and let them fight with Mother Nature instead of one another. We’ll notify the LA police and FBI as to our operation, but not involve them if we can help it. Transportation of the gang members will be flown by helicopter to their destination by our own hired people. This operation will be totally in-house and without spillover if possible.”

  Mark looked at Peter and remarked, “Do you think this can really work?”

  Peter and the rest smiled and he answered, “We have confidence it will work, but bloodshed is bound to happen. However, as far as collateral damage is concerned, we expect the innocents to escape any fallout.”

  “When do you plan on instigating your plan?”

  “Word has it that the gangs are preparing now and in a few days is the word we get for a major battle to begin. We hope to be on location by tomorrow night and scout the areas marked out on our maps. After that we will see what the street people say about timing and make a decision after that.”

  “I hope this plan works. If not, I’ll have a lot of explaining to do, but that is my job and you have yours. Good luck and be safe.” Mark and his shadows stood up and left the room as did Peter and his team.

  62

  Ensconced in at the FBI field office in LA, Peter and his team sat around a conference table putting the final touches on the operation. They’d taken a red eye out of DC and the sun was just coming up over LA. A hot day was forecast and by the end of the day it would be even hotter than hot for LA’s gangs.

  The plan was thus, recon the sites of each major gang headquarters, gather information from snitches on the streets using the LA police and FBI Intel; and it was Brian’s job to work with the National Guard using their transport trucks for the eventual trip to the desert region. At the local Marine base in San Diego, six Chinook helicopters were fueled and ready for takeoff at any given moment after dark.

  Peter asked the group, “You guys think we are set and ready for the night’s operation?” His eyes went to the maps on the wall pinpointing the four areas of the city where each operation would take place. Peter looked at Robin and Joy for a response.

  Robin said, “I think we are ready and our communication system will be in place by late afternoon and my boys are good to go. Robin had recruited twenty retired or recently discharged Special Forces guys for additional support. All members would be heavily armed and outfitted with bullet proof vests.

  Joy chipped in by saying, “We meet later this morning with some members of the Navy Seals who have volunteered for this operation. I think all in all we have enough team members to carry this off.”

  Peter replied, “It’s Friday night coming and the word we have each gang is having a big meeting to prepare for the war coming. Let’s hope that a lot of blood is not spilled and our operation can be looked upon later in history as bold and direct. Well, if there’s nothing more than each of you have things to do and let’s report back here at six pm for the latest reports to go over any last details.” Peter had knots in his stomach and now that the die was cast, nothing to do but wait and see what developed. Information was key to this and he hoped by this evening it would be forthcoming in facts and not hearsay.

  Each team leader, Joy, Pect, Robin and Brian
left for their respective areas to recon and meet up with the local police who had a pulse on the gang’s movements. For Peter and Toni the day dragged on like a slow moving storm approaching the coast.

  By four in the afternoon, the team leaders began drifting back in. Peter noticed grim faces and no doubt the leaders were preparing game faces for the night’s operation. By five, as the sun dipped towards the Pacific Ocean all were sitting around the conference table chatting about the different things going on in each area they were assigned.

  Peter stood and in a clear voice, but maybe an octave higher than normal asked, “Have all of you sufficient information to carry out this operation? I’d like to go around the table and hear what each of you has to report.”

  Joy went first and told of her team that would hit the Crips, “We are good to go and I have a police officer who speaks Spanish with me. We plan on moving in quickly and hope very little blood is left on the group when we have gathered up our catch. I’ve looked the area over and it will be difficult to sneak up on these guys as I’m sure look outs will be around the area. We’re going to first use rubber bullets to stun and then surround the house.”

  Robin echoed pretty much the same report as did Pect and Brian. Robin would take on the Blood gang and Pect the 18 St. with Brian the Asian gang. All members had people who spoke the language of each gang. Finally Brian told the group trucks and medical personnel were standing by at each location and would be in place by nine pm along with the choppers waiting .