Switchblade

Chapter 31: Disruption

Tati woke up the next morning in pain. She hadn't eaten once the entire day yesterday and her stomach was mad at her for it.

She heard a key unlock the door and grew excited.

She looked to see who it was and saw Killian enter because he didn't trust the men anymore.

"Breakfast." he said. He tossed a paper bag to her before turning around to leave.
"Where were you yesterday?" Tati asked, sadly.
"I was out."
"You locked me in here for an entire day...with nothing..."
He turned around to look at her.
She was staring up at him with big disappointed eyes.
"I know what I did." he answered.
"Why?"
"You talk shit to me and expect me to reward you with food and a fun time? You don't work anymore. You're gonna stay in here, be fed when I decide I want you to be, and you're gonna hope I don't hurt you in the meantime."
She didn't respond.
"You can be a victim like you wanted. Eat or don't." He turned back around and left with a slam to the door.

Tati looked at the brown bag.

She opened it.
It was a small thrown together sandwich and a bottle of water.

~•~

Stone laid in the hospital room with Lyle by his side.

"Call them."
"Sir?"
"CAALLL THEEMM!" Stone demanded.
Lyle quickly took out his phone and dialed 911.
He handed the device to Stone.

"911, what's your emergency?" said the operator.
"I need to speak to a detective. Any."
"I'm sorry?"
"Any detective will do. I need them to pass the word."
"Sir, I can't do that..."
"It's information on the assassination of President Johnson."
The operator's eyes widened. "Hold, please."

Stone stood there waiting impatiently in his hospital bed.
He'd find a way to remain anonymous so that he could both get Segal off of his back and not become a target for Cermak.

"Sir, your call is being redirected." the operator returned and said.

"Hello?" said a deep voice.
"Yes."
"What do you know?"
"Before we get into that I want complete anonymity. You will not know my name, you will not call me again, and I don't want you to even attempt at trying to figure out who I am. What I am about to tell you puts my life in danger. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir." the detective answered. His phone was on speaker as he and another detective of the bureau sat down in a room to listen. The other detective had recently grabbed a pen and notepad for the occasion.
"Cermak Industries is behind the assassination. No, I will not tell you how I know due to keeping my privacy but they are a money laundering scheme led by mob bosses full of loan sharks, tax evaders, and murderers. Cermak made a deal to assist in Johnson's election so long as Johnson promised to help in return. Johnson did not keep his end of the bargain and when he was asked to do another task past the rest of their demands, he said no out of fear it would get him too much traction. So Cermak made him pay. Aside from Cermak Industries being around for almost a century, Johnson made it easier for them to get away with a lot of bullshit that has bitten people in the ass. Including me."
"Do you know what all Johnson did to side with Cermak?" the detective asked as the other wrote quickly.
"What is that for? I thought this was just about the assassination."
"If you tell us, it can help in trial later after the capture of the head of Cermak. Adds to the extension of his incarceration and the intensity of the facility he'll be held inside of."
"All I know is it helped him get away with tax evasion and access to ports. Anything else I don't know but I'm sure there was more." Stone admitted.
"Alright. Well, we appreciate your help."
"Do not call this phone." Stone said abruptly and hung up.

He then laid it on the hospital nightstand. He took his bed remote before repeatedly slamming it against the device.
He did it again and again until he saw cracks forming throughout the screen. He then removed the case and threw it roughly onto the tile floor.

Lyle stared at the shattered device.
Stone panted with his hair fallen over his face. "You'll receive another by tomorrow."

The detectives sat there.

"What do you want to do?" asked Detective Martin.
"We'll bring a team to get Cermak tomorrow afternoon. He should be in his office by that time. We'll bring him in and contain him for questioning." said Detective Park.
The two stood up to leave the room.
"I'll pass this along to Donald." Detective Martin stated.
"Sounds good."
The two left the room and went in two different directions.

Detective Martin turned around to see where Park went.
She then took a left and pulled out her cellphone as she entered a currently empty computer lab.

"Yea." Doc answered.
"You'll be visited tomorrow by the afternoon in your office. They plan to bring you in for questioning. Someone tried ratting you out but remained anonymous. I can't even track the number, Park used a landline and I wasn't the one on the phone. They sounded well informed though so whoever it was probably ditched the device they used by now anyway. It wouldn't be helpful."
"Mm."
"He knew a good bit about your relationship with President Johnson but the goal is to have you locked away. Came up with a lie to make you murdering the President more believable." Martin stated.
"Now why would I kill a man that was on my side?" Doc sighed.
"He said Johnson didn't follow through with the plan and apparently you snapped."
"So, they've got an active imagination." said Doc.
"I was made to write down everything he said. What do you want me to do with it even though it's false?" Martin wondered.
"Let them keep it. If they do contain me it won't be for long and losing that sheet of paper would only bring attention to you. The case is too large for you to seemingly make such a big mistake. I don't need to lose my eyes and ears at the bureau. File it away or do whatever he told you to do with it. I'll be fine."
"Yes, sir." she replied.
"You'll receive a bonus by the end of the day. Good work, Martin."
"Thank you, sir."
Doc hung up.

Detective Martin slid the phone back into her pocket and left the computer lab.

Doc made a call.
Killian answered.

"Hello."
"You'll be gone tomorrow."
"Why?"
"I'll be taken into custody. I don't want you here. You'll take charge in my absence. They'll likely raid the building while I'm gone. Computers most likely but nothing is here so it'll be fine."
"What happened?"
"Some idiot tried to throw me under the bus." Doc explained.
"Segal?"
"No. They remained anonymous. If it was Segal he'd let them know it was him so he'd seem like a good guy. Trustworthy. This was some other asshole. Probably working with or under Segal."
"Alright."
"Let the others know."
"Yea."
Doc hung up the phone.

Killian sighed.
That created a problem for him.