The search team arrived at Zoe Prince's apartment and got straight to work. "What are we looking for? asked a young Rookie Cop with as yet no facial hair. "An outfit, like something worn at Halloween" answered Peterson. It could be important evidence in an ongoing case" They decided with no guidance from the senior Detective that they would concentrate their combined efforts in one place at a time, beginning in the bedroom. Every cupboard, every drawer, every wardrobe was torn apart. Despite their obvious youth these guy's knew what they were doing. They had just started in the kitchen when up popped an emoji on Zoe Prince's Laptop, not one that Peterson had ever seen before. Words began to appear below in quick succession. "Are you there? "Yes" answered Peterson. "have you something for me? "I have a non-compliant in Queens" replied the writer, "It may need your expertise. It is a code four situation, warnings have been issued and ignored. Therefor the ultimate penalty must be paid. Status, one individual, sex male, crime, grooming and rape of young women, one fatality. Execution, tomorrow evening. Address, flat 11, Chester building, Main street Queens. Team, Nails, Axe and Blade. Confirm" Peterson hesitated in case there was a designated password, but then wrote, "Confirmation given" He then notified Rodriguez who's only words were, "Find that dammed outfit, I'm coming over" For five hours they searched the Apartment and found nothing, and then as a disappointed Rodriguez made to leave. "I found this" said the only growth faced member of the search party, holding up a small key. "It was hanging on a nail at the back of a Dressing table drawer" He held it up, it was just a small not unusual key. "That is a key from the Luggage hold at Penn Railway Station" said the only female of the four. "Are you sure? asked Ryan Peterson. "Yeh I'm sure" she replied, "I worked security at the Penn before joining the NYPD, and on many occasions opened Luggage boxes for travelers who had lost their key. We held a skeleton Key just like that one. The Rookie took the key from her colleague and identified the number 7 and the letter H, this is the box number and the alphabetical row it is in" "Can I say I love you, or is that to much" said a now revitalized Manny Rodriguez. "What ever Detective you are the Boss" answered the smiling Rookie. They opened 7H at Penn Station and there it was, the gruesome looking outfit worn by Nails as seen on many occasions on CCTV Cameras. "Quick try it on" Rodriguez told Paterson. "Not here Boss, back at the flat" he answered "But to be honest there is something we never discussed, I am much larger than Zoe Prince, this outfit looks tiny" Peterson in fact was on the money, the crutch of the Wet Suit came just above his knees and before he could say I told you so Rodriguez decided that Gena Pollock should play the part. "It's too dangerous Boss" said Clarence Weldon, "she is to inexperienced" "This inexperienced young girl" retorted Rodriguez, "Has brought us more information on her own than you and I have put together. And furthermore she is 29 years of age and a Detective in New York's Finest and a dammed good one at that. So the choice is yours" he said turning to Detective Pollock. "Although it would be disappointing I would completely understand if you refuse" "Of course I will do it" she replied, "I knew what I was signing up for when I made Detective. Just make sure you are on me at all times" "We got you" answered Rodriguez. The following morning was preparation day. Manny Rodriguez was in his usual meticulous manner combing over every detail while leaving a 10% margin for error and then covering that 10% with his plan B. "Are we all clear? he asked the group, "are there any questions? There were none. His attention then turned to Agent Charlie Delano while moving a chair sideways on to his desk. "I need to understand these people Delano" he said, "I need to know where they are coming from. Tell me something to make me happy, build me a profile" "I have obviously been working on just that" she said, "And I am constantly drawn to the fact that these six individuals have some kind of long standing history in common." "You mean they may have gone to school or College together, or maybe the Military" said Rodriguez. "Yes certainly along those lines" she answered, "But at this moment we only know the identity of two of them, I reckon we need at least four to begin to build up a profile of all of their younger days" "Ok, I hear you Delano" said Rodriguez, "But would it be fair to say for the time being we research one of the two, let's say Zoe Prince and have her background to hand when making comparisons" " good idea Detective" answered Delano, "And considering all going well we should have three to work with come 9pm" "Speak to Peterson" said Rodriguez, "Tell him what you are looking for. There is nothing he cannot find on that Computer of his. Nothing ventured as they say. Now everyone of you go through all of the detail, there can be no mistakes. It is going to be a long day" Chris Paine as suggested by Agent Delano was traipsing around all of the crime scenes, all of which were within the boundaries of New York City. Nothing in what he could see was telling him that the abductees had been taken any significant distance from the place of abduction. All of the crimes scenes when circled on a map of the City were within a ten mile diameter. Therefor why would a kidnapper travel far away just after committing their crime with a live hostage on board in a vehicle almost certainly on some occasions caught on CCTV monitoring cameras. He had decided on a new strategy. If as expected all of the Abductees were alive and well this would require a large amount of food and water. His plan was to E-mail all of the major Supermarkets inside of his estimated diameter in the name of the FBI requesting information on a regular large order of food and drink not destined for a food outlet. For Agent Paine it was now a waiting game. This being the case Manny Rodriguez was quick to conscript him into the team for the night's main event. One amongst other things that baffled the Detectives was the manner in which the Spikes made their way from their vehicles to their target without being noticed. Surely they could not be walking around in fancy dress, but one thing they were sure of, they were about to find out. To enable the entrance of Detective Pollock, AKA Nails, Delano had worked out that the easiest covering of clothes to be quickly removed would be (a) a small coat, or (b) a track suit. Therefor Pollock would stay in a parked car fifty yards down the street from the entrance to the building. Peterson and Paine would be watching from an Apartment across the street. When and if they observed two individuals dressed in similar outfits they would alert Delano and Pollock as what to wear. If they had no match for the clothing then the two SPIKES would be arrested as planned inside the building. Weldon and Rodriguez had earlier notified the residents in the five Apartments surrounding number 11 to stay inside no matter what they heard. At exactly 7.55 two identical cars pulled up a few yards each side of the entrance. The individuals leaving the vehicles were dressed the same, black caps, sun glasses, buttoned three quarter length black coats and training shoes. Ryan Peterson alerted Delano and Pollock, that they were down with the outfit. Detective Pollock left the car, Agent Paine and Detective Peterson watched until she had entered the building, notified Rodriguez and crossed the street. Gena knew to put on her mask before leaving the elevator, as she done, so her gang members were standing by the door to Apartment 11. "Remove coats" said one. "No mercy" said the other, it was a well rehearsed performance. T he door was knocked, a black man in his forties answered, they pushed their way inside. Detective Pollock entered last and held the door as Weldon and Rodriguez followed quickly by Delano, Paine and Peterson crashed into the room. "FBI, NYPD", was being voiced, "on the floor you crazy bastards" shouted Rodriguez, and all four including Gena Pollock were quickly lying face down. They were handcuffed and hooded to protect Pollock's identity. Weldon read them their rites to keep the process legal and one by one they were led downstairs to the waiting Police cars. The black rapist screamed his innocence but not a word was spoken by the SPIKES. Downtown they were registered and placed as their fellow gang member Zoe Prince in isolation. The Detectives would now see their faces for the first time, but who were these people? One as it happened was easy. The first mask removed revealed a black manly looking woman instantly recognizable as Captain Delilah Lancaster, quickly confirmed by Ryan Peterson as he brought up her Computer Profile. Number two was not known to them, around forty years of age, white male, well groomed, this would prove more difficult. Clarence Weldon however thought somewhere in the back of his mind that he had seen this face before but kept quiet as he just could not put his finger on where. Rodriguez had released a statement to the 11,o,clock news that there had been a Homicide at the Chester Building in Queens, the dead man as yet unidentified. It was 1,pm the following morning, the team had been scrolling through mug shots of identified criminals and news paper clippings of known Celebrities. When all of a sudden, "Did you notice that they drove identical cars? said Agent Chris Paine. "Yeah they did, didn't they" answered Ryan Peterson, "they were B,M,Ws, "What did Zoe Prince drive> asked Rodriguez. Delano searched the paperwork, "A black B,M,W, she said trying to stay calm. "Bingo" shouted Clarence Weldon, "The guy in custody is Richie Norman, he owns one of the largest Car Dealerships in New York, fuck his face is on Billboards from Connecticut to Philadelphia, I knew I recognized that dude" "Ok, we are all tired" said Manny Rodriguez, "But first thing in the morning we need an address for this fuck, Paine you and Weldon get on it. Ryan, you go with Gena to Fort George, you will need clearance, I will arrange it. Delano, you now have three, take the findings of Ryan Peterson and get me a link between these crazy bastards. We need their Computers, the ones they use to correspond in SPIKE language to confirm mission complete. A great nights work now get some rest"
YOU ARE READING
SPIKES
General Fictiona wayward childhood, a way to get even, or are the intentions really good.
