Return To Point Hollow Ch. 02

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Part 7 - Ambushed (continued)

One could cut the tension in the air with a katana as we arrived back at Police Headquarters. The SWAT Team had come up, fully armored and armed, in a standoff in the lobby against six FBI Agents. The entire Detective Corps that were at Headquarters had put on their armor and gone to augment the SWAT Team.

And Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle was there... she'd had to order the heavily pregnant Joanne Warner back to MCD, and then she positioned herself right in front of FBI SAC Bob Parsons. That was not going to end well for someone...

Cindy and I had put on our armor before going inside. As I came around the Duty Desk to the lobby, I saw Bob Parsons and his brother David right behind him, Peter Page, Dominic Ellis, and two others I did not know.

"What is it with you people?" Bob Rovers was asking huffily. "We're here to help solve this case!"

"Your help was not asked for." I thundered as I came around the Duty Desk and into the lobby. I felt the surge of energy in my Officers, and the surge of hatred in the FBI Agents. "What the fuck are you doing here, Rovers?"

"Ah, there you are, Troy." said Bob Rovers. We're taking over this case. It crossed State Lines. Hand over everything you've obtained to this point. And we need space here to set up our operations to investigate the case."

"Where's your writ?" I asked.

"Pardon?" said Bob Rovers.

"Your court order to take over the case." I said. "Oh, you don't have one. And you won't get one, because these are State crimes. You have no jurisdiction here, so get out or get arrested."

"Listen you little punk." snarled Bob Parsons, "you're nothing but a local piece of shit cop. We're the FBI, the FEDS! Now get the fuck out of my way, or I'll barbecue your ass..."

He stopped talking as Teresa pulled her service weapon out of its holster and aimed it at Bob Parsons, the *CLICK* of the safety being taken off clearly heard throughout the lobby.

"Better be sure." I said. "This here local Police Officer outran an exploding building, but I don't think you hotshit Feds can outrun bullets."

"That's assaulting a Federal Agent." snarled David Rovers.

"No, it's protecting her immediate superior Officer from a hostile threat by an armed trespasser." I said. I then raised my voice and said "Place these six trespassers under arrest. Disarm them!" Police were moving forward to implement my instructions. The FBI Agents drew their firearms.

"FEDERAL AGENTS, HOLSTER YOUR WEAPONS!"

The voice came from the front doors. FBI Assistant Director Owen Lange stormed into the room, followed by FBI SAC Jack Muscone and FBI Special Agent Julius Jefferson. Jefferson had made the command in his powerful voice. All of them had on armor protection.

"Put your weapons away! Now!" ordered Lange. No one moved. "Parsons, what the hell are you doing?"

"Taking over this case." said Bob Parsons. "It crosses State Lines, and it's obviously mass murder by a psychopath, which BAU units are intended to solve."

I said "We have not asked for the FBI's help, and these are State crimes. We do not yield jurisdiction, and never will to this incompetent, disreputable BAU."

"Commander Troy is right." said Jack Muscone. "It's State jurisdiction, and this particular BAU has been shown to be incompetent in two past cases in this area."

"I agree." said the EAD. "Parsons, get your ass and your people out of here. By that, I mean get all the way out of this County. Move."

"This is our case, Mr. Director---" tried Parsons.

"I SAID GET OUT!" yelled the EAD. Considering that he was a man who was brave enough to challenge Your Iron Crowbar to freestyle boxing matches in the ring, he was not a man to be trifled with.

Bob Rovers looked at me with unappeasable hatred in his eyes. "I'll be back, you piece of shit." he snarled quietly.

"It's your funeral." I said.

"And you're going to get raped, bitch." Parsons snarled at Teresa as he turned to go. I physically restrained her from going after Parsons and severely damaging him. The FBI Agents all left.

"Stand down, everyone." Teresa ordered.

"Great job, guys." I said. I turned to the Duty Desk Sergeant. "Good job, and thanks for calling me..."

Part 8 - Tidal Wave

10:15am, Thursday, October 3rd. We were in the Main Conference Room.

"On behalf of the FBI," said AD Owen Lange, "I apologize for Rovers and his BAU's actions this morning. I did some checking. They had no authority to come in, they weren't assigned to come in, at least not by anyone who will admit it, and I've referred all of them to the Office of Professional Responsibility for an investigation."

"So why are they here?" asked Cindy Ross. "By that I mean... I don't understand their motives."

"That BAU team is one of the Swamp Frogs's marked cards, one of their tools against us." I replied. "When I see the Rovers BAU team, I see Swamp Frogs behind them. So something about this case has the Big Boyz's interest."

"Maybe the drugs that were uuuuuused." said Chief Moynahan. "The toxicology report from the Crime Lab is in your email inboxessss." Cindy went for her Police iPhone. I did not.

"Not interested in the tox report, Commander?" asked Jack Muscone.

"It'll keep." I said. "I'm more interested in the timing of the BAU team's arrival. They had to know that neither the Sheriff, Chief, nor I would ever allow them to come in, to set up, or to take over this case. So they timed it so that they were here at the exact time they thought we'd be in the Board of Inquiry hearing. They thought they could bully the rest of the TCPD into letting them in. What they didn't know was that we were going to sue to force Finneran to be recused, so they didn't know we'd be back as quickly as we were."

"We'd have kicked them out, anyway." said Cindy.

"I think I see what they were trying." said Muscone. "They didn't expect the entire TCPD to front them. They figured they'd be allowed in, maybe even given a space, and then given the information on the case. By the time you got back and kicked them out, they'd have that much. Now... they're going to have to get a warrant to get the tox report and the autopsies."

"Yep." I said. "And alternatively, they may have just wanted to create the confrontation. It was very personal with both Bob and David Rovers... especially in the aftermath of the Blassingame conviction and death penalty. They get inside and we have to kick them out, maybe they thought they could get something out of that. They may have thought they could get something out the confrontation that did happen, but that got blown up when you guys came in."

"You may be right... you usually are..." said Owen Lange, "... and I'm not going to let this one go. I'll be digging deep to find out what's going on."

"And speaking of what's going on," I said, "I have not failed to notice your presence here, not in Washington, but here in my Town & County, Mr. Assistant Director. And I don't think you're here for the double cheeseburgers or a rematch in the boxing ring."

"Not much gets past you." Lange said. "Yeah. When I heard about the mass casualty event, I just got into the car, went to the airport, and caught the next flight to the City. This thing potentially could get national interest. And Don, while I know the Rovers BAU has totally poisoned the atmosphere, pun not intended, and you're not predisposed to accepting Federal help... we do have some competent and good BAU units. If you need any help, give me a call, and I'll send them to help you... and not in the way Rovers just did."

"Thank you, Mr. Assistant Director." I said. "Let's see what plays out as the data comes in. And speaking of double cheeseburgers, you might as well have one or two while you're here. Right, Jack?"

"Thanks for nothing. Now I'm all hungry" Jack complained. We all chuckled at that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11:00am, Thursday, October 3rd. Cindy came into my office. "Did you see the autopsy and toxicology reports?" she asked.

"I sure did." I said. "Nothing personal against Jack or Owen Lange, but I didn't read it then because they'd have asked me for my opinion on it, and I didn't want to share with any Feds."

"Don't blame you." said Cindy. "So give your Kato your opinion on it."

"You remember that drug that killed Louella Hopper?" I asked. (Author's note: 'Casting Aspersions', Ch. 01.) "Martha said that the drug that was injected into the six dead people was very similar to it: a neurotoxin that stops breathing, asphyxiating the person."

"Which explains why they were blue." said Cindy.

"Yes." I said. "The drugs that affected all 18 people were also in the powdery residues the HAZMAT teams found in the area. They're hallucinogens, something like LSD, but more potent. And I've read reports in the past that allow me to know that they induce fear. Various Federal Government agencies experimented with these drugs, but this particular preparation was tested under a program called 'Operation SCARECROW', after the comic book character that is The Batman's enemy."

Cindy said "Is that why the BAU team is here?"

"I don't know," I said, "but them being here so fast would suggest foreknowledge. The Crime Lab report only came out this morning, right at the time of the confrontation in the lobby. Anyhoo, Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow in the comics, used 'fear gas' against his victims, and this compound at Point Hollow was administered in semi-gaseous form, like CS tear gas in a smoke grenade."

"So why were the twelve survivors moved?" Cindy asked. "To get them across the State Line, and provide the BAU team an excuse to come in?"

"That's Iron Crowbar thinking, there." I said. "But it's not the only possibility, so don't fixate on it. Let's hear what the survivors have to say..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

11:45am. Sheriff Griswold came into Headquarters with Mike G. Todd. Mike was grinning happily. Our Sheriff was much less amused. They came to my office, and sat down in the hot chairs at my invitation. The Sheriff poured himself a mug of coffee, and Mike accepted a bottled water.

"Judge Watts had us come into his Chambers." said the Sheriff. "On our side was me, Mike, and the Police Captain Union's Rep. On the other side were Silas, Finneran, and the NEA's lawyer representing those six slugs. Judge Watts threatened to put the NEA lawyer in jail for Contempt after the guy got snarky about it, and I was ready to personally effect that arrest and perp walk."

"So how did it go, sir?" I asked.

The Sheriff deferred to Mike G. Todd, who said: "Better than I hoped. I showed the video and the ad, and Watts was ready to make a ruling right there and then. But he held off, and said a full hearing would be scheduled. Until that happens, there cannot be any more Boards of Inquiry... at all. And if the hearing is strung out until past January 1st, it won't happen at all. But I think the NEA's lawyer is going to take it to the Appeals Court to demand an immediate hearing or removal of the stay."

I nodded. "Okay, then." I said. "Thanks for that good work, Mike. I need to talk to the Sheriff for a moment." Mike took the hint, said he'd be in touch, and exited the room.

"What about Silas, Sheriff?" I asked.

"That son of a bitch straight-out lied to me." growled Griswold. "We've always known Finneran was corrupt, but I had no idea Silas had turned like that." Then he peered at me and said "I also had no idea you were going to do that to bust Finneran's chops."

"No, I didn't mention it to anyone, until I worked it out with Mike." I said. "I realized at the time, during the Charter Commission hearing, that I could use that against Finneran. Mike had someone file the lawsuit as soon as the Court opened, and Watts wasted no time in issuing the stay pending the hearing. That notice to Silas was already on the way."

"Did you know Silas was going to do me dirty by not postponing the BOI?" the Sheriff asked.

"It's not paranoia if they're really out to get us." I said with a grin. "I did consider the possibility of it, and I realized it likely would happen when Bettina brought up the BOI in her newscast, but did not say exactly when it was going to be. So by the time my source called me, I was already texting Mike to get ready."

"Har." said the Sheriff, who was now beaming. "Outstanding job, Crowbar."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Helena said "Lunch is ready in Classroom 'E', sir." my lovely assistant said.

"Join us, Sheriff." I said. "We're having a working lunch today."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It was going to be a tidal wave of information coming at us, which is one reason I authorized a catered lunch of subs and pizza. Every bit of the food was consumed when all was said and done... and a lot was said and done. I'd emailed Savannah Fineman, and cc'd DA Walters and Paulina Patterson, that we were having the meeting. Savannah was there, and having one of the subs. Joanne Warner was also in attendance, and consuming pizza for two.

"Okay," said Captain Perlman to start the meeting. "First of all, notice the new whiteboards on the back wall." Indeed, large whiteboards had been mounted on the wall opposite the wall where the projection screen was, pretty much covering the entire long wall. There were screens that could be pulled down to cover the whiteboards.

"From now on," said Captain Perlman, "the doors to this room will be on auto-lock. You can get in by using your TCPD I.D. on the card reader. But entry will be restricted so that those whiteboards can be used." Everyone nodded, and kept eating.

"Let me discuss these autopsy and toxicology reports." I said. I discussed the neurotoxin and 'fear gas' agents that had been found, their effects, and how they may have tied into the case.

"Okay, Jerome, who is first?" Tanya asked, after I was done.

"I'll go first, so I can get back to my stuff." said Myron Milton. "I've downloaded everything from all the computers or tablets that were confiscated under the warrant. We'll have to give those back, but I have the information on them, including emails, some texts, and all the websites they've visited."

"That's great." I said. "And if you need to go, go ahead." Myron grabbed his sub and left.

Jerome Davis spoke up: "I'll give the combined report of this morning's interviews. All of the Detectives did a great job talking with the survivors, and the survivors's stories are very similar."

Davis: "First of all, all of them were still under the influence of the gas or whatever they inhaled, which Commander Troy just confirmed induces hallucinations of fear. They were all still fearful, some more than others. The 'fear gas', as he called it, also may have affected their memories, so we may not be getting a complete picture, but maybe their combined statements will be enough."

Davis: "All of them said they went there for what they called 'the Release'. When asked what that meant, they said it meant 'the release of the Demon'. All of them knew who Guru Bob Stevens was, and they called him 'Guru Stevens' or 'Spiritual Advisor Stevens'. But they also said that he was not the leader of their group. When asked who the leader was, they said only 'Dr. Westbrook'. When asked more about him, no one could tell us more, and some seemed to become frightened as if they were having a relapse into their drugged states."

I noticed that Joanne Warner's eyes had lit up at the name of Dr. Westbrook. I tuned back in to Jerome Davis's statement.

Davis: "When they were asked who was there, how many others, they all said there were more than 20, and a few said 25 definitively. One of them, Lawrence Evans, said that there were 25, in five groups of five at each point of the pentagram. We never found a pentagram on the scene, so I'm not sure if that was a literal or figurative reference."

I piped up: "The HAZMAT team trampled over the area near the Ritual Tree, and may have obliterated a drawn pentagram in that area. But keep going, for now."

Davis: "Yes sir. They all said they were doing their chants and incantations by torch light, and the torches started burning brighter... all of them independently said that... and they smelled incense and then something really bad, really foul. Some of them said they saw an image of a demon, but not all of them said that. And they said the next thing they knew, they were waking up in the hospital, feeling very scared."

Davis: "None of them remembered riding to another location nor being anywhere else. And none of them can remember any dreams they may have had. Just some fleeting nightmares of a demon coming for them."

I nodded. "Good report. Of course the next question is: did anyone say anything unique, out of the ordinary, anything that contradicted with the others?" Jerome looked around for help. Sr. Detective Theo Washington picked him up.

"Sir," said Theo, "Lawrence Evans seemed to be a lot more clear than the others on a lot of things. He remembered the pentagram and groups of five, and that there was a small fire in the dead middle of the pentagram, which sounds to me like it was really there. He says the smoke wafted over him and he began seeing demons, and feeling very deep fear. He also said he smelled a really bad stench, like a dead person and sulfur put together, but seemingly even worse."

I felt as much as saw Cindy look over at me, remembering our earlier conversation.

"Sir," said Julia Rodriguez, "Sarah Wood said one interesting thing. She said everyone met at the University Tavern, one of the bars on the west side of University Avenue. They were all transported in vans to Point Hollow. She said they were black vans, but didn't remember anything else about them, like license plates. She did say that when everyone got there, it looked like there were lights on in the Point Hollow house. They never went to the house, but were led straight into the woods."

Julia: "I called in to have patrols look for everyone's cars at the University Tavern, and they're all there... parked in the back lot pretty much out of sight of the front parking lot and front of the building where people enter. Everyone's car from Irene Ward's Beamer to Gary King's Impala was there. The vehicles were all searched, and nothing at all was found in any of them... and by that I mean nothing at all, not even a chewing gum wrapper."

"Cleaned out, eh?" I said to myself. "Did you notify the IT group to get video?"

"Yes sir." said Captain Perlman. "We have some footage of the vehicles coming in, and some of them going into the bar. But the camera seemingly just didn't record any vans coming into the parking lot nor any of those people leaving. Myron is checking to see if the video was altered in any way, but he doesn't think it was. And no black vans on the street cams."

"That's not good" I said. "Did Sarah Wood say why they were going to Point Hollow?"

"She said they were going there in order to witness 'the Release'." Julia replied. "Which is what all of them said. Like Lt. Davis said earlier: when we probed, and asked what the Release was, they all just said 'the release of the demon', and then seemed to go back into a trance-like state. That is what pretty much ended all of the conversations with them, when we asked them that."