Confessional Guardian Investigative Service Volume three

Chapter 3

   "I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." Michael Jordan
   Will Rodgers World airport, Shana and a team arrived at the airport and were shown to the flight gate.
They were shown onto the plane and began looking around.
Father Robards kept glancing out the curtain of the first class cabin, as the team got closer.
A flight attendant noticed him fidgeting and laid her hand on his shoulder;"are you okay Father?", She said.
"Yes, how much longer will it be until the wheels go up?", Robards replied.
"Just as soon as the agents finish searching the plane," she responded.
  He continued to fidget and shuffle hesitantly in his seat as the team walked into the cabin.
Father Robards quickly grabbed the fight attendant in a headlock, putting a knife to her throat;"don't freaking come any closer, I will give her a new hole to breathe through!", He shouted.
   Matt stepped forward putting his gun away and holding them off.
"Father Robards, there's no need for this, God certainly won't forgive this," Matt told him.
"Don't step any closer!", Robards warned.
"I'm staying back please, don't do this," Matt responded with his hand's up.
"All of you feds are jerks who don't understand what I am going through," Robards snapped.
    Matt sat down in the chair directly in front of him.
"Tell me about what you're going through, you might be surprised how much I understand," Matt responded.
Robards threw the woman into an empty seat next to him and lunged at Matt.
Matt quickly wrestled him to the ground, cuffing him, and helped him to his feet.
   They walked Robards off the plane and watched it take off from from the window.
"I always figured you'd catch up with me, I just didn't think it would be this soon, Patrakas gave me up, didn't he?", Robards replied.
"Maybe to God, but not us, found him dead in a cemetery between Edmond and Guthrie a few hours ago," Reina told him.
"Serves that fragging flirt right," Robards snarled.
    Guardian Investigative Service headquarters Edmond public safety building Edmond, Oklahoma, Manning and Samantha met them at the back door as they walked Robards in and sat him down in an interrogation room.
Samantha watched him as he continued to shuffle hesitantly in his chair.
"He's still not sure what he's doing here," Samantha told them.
Angel eased back;"how can you tell?", She asked.
"The way he's shuffling side to side in his chair, he's trying to plan his responses intelligently, but isn't sure what will be asked of him," Samantha replied.
"Does he have Unbridled Rage Syndrome like Scruggs?", Manning asked.
"No but, I would wager dollars to donuts that he knows more than what he'll be telling you, and will lawyer up," Samantha replied.
"You want in on this?", Manning asked.
"Only if I can do this alone," Samantha replied.
"Go, we've got you out here if you need us," Angel replied.
"Okay, thanks," Samantha replied as she walked into the room and sat down across from him.
   Robards glanced up at her with a grin;"you're Confessor is killed and now they send you in here to grill me," he responded.
"What do you know about all of the Priest's who have been killed?", Samantha asked crossing her legs.
"Only what you do," Robards replied.
"I see the way you shuffle hesitantly in your chair and that tells me you at least know about the Patrakas killing," she told him.
   Robards glared hard at her, the arrogant smirk turning to one of fear.
He slowly began telling her all he knew, it took two hours.
   Samantha walked out of the room and met with Angel and Manning in the hallway.
"That was nice work," Angel complemented.
"Thanks, figured if I spoke body language he'd open up," Samantha replied.
   Tasha walked up to them yawning.
"How's Scruggs?", Angel questioned.
"Sleeping like a baby, he just passed out before he said anything,"Tasha replied.
"Great, how long will he be out?", Manning asked.
"Two to three hours, he was pretty upset," Tasha responded.
    They watched as Robards was escorted to a cell.
"I guess we'd better pick up Sister Gelter again," Shana said.
"Just to protect her, I am pretty sure she wasn't in on the blackmail," Manning said.
"How do you figure on that?", Shana asked.
"She really wants to help us, and won't stop helping us until this is over," Manning returned.
"Sounds pretty straight," Jakob replied.
    Angel hung up her phone;"body just turned up at Gracelawn Cemetery in Edmond, they think it's Sister Gelter, Gordon and Gibson are on their way out there," Angel told them.
"Let's go," Manning replied.
    Gracelawn Cemetery Edmond, Oklahoma, they pulled into the cemetery and met Gordon and Gibson.
"Sister Sarah Parlon, 34, perishoner from St. Paul's," Gibson told them.
"Cause of death and time?", Angel questioned.
"According to Me, she's been dead for about two hours and she took a horrible beating like the Priest's," Gordon replied.
"Any idea who found her?", Shana asked.
"Caretaker was picking up trash and straightening up flowers, when he found slumped over this headstone," Gibson said.
   Tasha looked at them for a minute shaking her head;"this is the same killer, I just don't get why the Mo got switched," she said.
"Maybe the killer sinsed we were getting too close and switched," Navarro theorized.
"I don't think so, this killer wants to be caught, that's why he's killing religious figure heads,"Tasha replied.
   They finished up and headed back to headquarters.
Tasha sat in her office with the rest of her crew.
"I don't get the switch in Mo, why switch?", She asked.
"He figured on us getting too close and snapped, that's the only thing I figure," Matt put in.
"He'd have to be keeping track of our every move somehow," Tasha replied.
"The media has been reporting on the case, maybe he's watching the news," Reina said.
Samantha shook her head;"this one doesn't seem like he's gonna trust the media," Samantha replied.
    Gibson walked into the room;"everything okay in here?", Gibson asked.
"We're just trying to figure out why the Mo was switched," Tasha replied.
"You're obsessed with the switch and not really getting the whole picture, people are dying," Gibson replied.
   Gibson motioned for Tasha to followed him out to dinner.
They drove down to Flat tire and ordered food and beers.
"Why are you giving into the switch of Mo instead of trying to help us figure out who's doing this, and how Scruggs is involved?", Gibson asked as their beers came.
"I guess that I am just tired, I haven't slept well in two days," she responded.
   Tasha gazed over at the table across from them;"any idea who that girl is and she's been watching us?", She asked taking bite of her salad.
"She's been following me around for two days, she's been at every scene we've been at," Gibson replied.
"Let's talk to her," Tasha replied.
    They walked over to the table and asked to sit down with her.
She invited them to take seats at her table and they had their stuff moved.
"My name is Aida Hulong, and I have witnessed at least three or four of the murders," she told them in broken English.
"Why were you at every scene then and why haven't you come forward?", Tasha asked.
"I have been scared about being next," she responded.
"Which perish do you attend?", Gibson added taking a bite.
"All of them at one time or another," she answered.
    Gibson looked at her for a moment.
"Please tell us everything you know and we'll move you into protection," Gibson replied taking a sip of beer.
She told them everything she knew about the Patrakas killing and the others she witnessed.
They called Gordon and had her moved into protection.