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, racism, 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.
***
Part 27 - WILDCAT SPEAR
Hearing Kelly Carnes's proclamations of lawlessness, I provided the 'appropriate' response.
I hit the break button on my Police radio, then said "Break break break! All units, this is Commander Troy. Prepare to reclaim the illegally-occupied zone. First option is beanbags and rubber bullets, but
on my authority
, you are authorized to use lethal force if confronted by lethal force. Arrest anyone you can, we have space for hundreds. Media reporters are not exempt; I say again, Media reporters are not exempt and are to be arrested if they are inside the zone. Codeword is imminent; I say again, codeword is imminent."
"What the hell are you doing, you son of a bitch?!" yelled Kelly Carnes. "This is a Police-free zone! It's to protect these people from your brutality!"
"That's right!" yelled Bettina. "You are are not welcome there!"
"Place Carnes under arrest," I said, "for sedition and inciting to riot." Detectives Julia Rodriguez and Joan Laurer moved swiftly to implement my instructions, and Kelly Carnes was not fast enough to evade them. A successful arrest was made, and Carnes was hauled off to Police Headquarters and taken through full booking.
I turned to Bettina and said loudly "There is not one inch of this County that is a Police-free zone, and I'm going to demonstrate that to you. Please make sure to document what the Town & County Police do to rioters that act violently and unlawfully."
"All units are ready, sir." said Teresa. "Shall I give the code word?"
"I'm pulling rank, and doing it myself." I said. I took up my radio, hit the break button, and said into it: "All units, this is Commander Troy.
Warrior Spear! I say again, Warrior Spear! Execute, execute, execute.
"
"May God damn you to hell!" Bettina spat at me as an armored paddywagon suddenly rolled up and crashed through the barricades the thugs had set up. Tear gas canisters were thrown into the crowd of demonstrators. TCPD Officers poured into the breach, and attacked those demonstrators trying to hold the position as they coughed and retched in the tear gas atmosphere. Many of them were knocked down and zip-tied, and other protesters began running east down Jefferson Drive and into the side streets.
But that demonstration was just for Bettina's cameras. The main assault on the 'Police-free zone' came from the east. The water cannon paddywagon was used where MLK Jr. Drive intersected University Avenue to drive the protesters back, followed by tear gas and beanbags fired from shotguns.
More Police and other deputized Agents of the Law poured into the breach, their chemical masks (actually, most of them were BOW Enterprises's five-minute air masks) obscuring their identities. It would seeeeem that there were more of them than the total number of Police and Deputies we had on the payroll.
And that was true... there
were
more. Where did they come from? I knew that
that
was where Sheriff Griswold had been the last couple of days. He'd been deputizing these American Patriots.
They were the Guardians of Justice M.C.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Bettina and her crew were told that if they entered the former 'Police-free zone', they'd be arrested and charged with sedition and inciting to riot. As the Police moved in, someone came up to me and said "There's a KXTC news van and crew up ahead. Inside the zone."
"Good." I said. I took my M79 grenade launcher (
Author's note: 'Summer In The County', Ch. 02.
) and went up to where I could see the news van. I was surrounded by nervous Police Officers that were dedicated to my personal safety.
*POOMP!*
*WHIZZZZZZ!*
*POP!*
The tear gas grenade exploded in front of Lester Holder and the camera crew by the van. I saw thugs running away from the back of the vehicle, and I knew I'd just broken up a 'strategy session' between the perps and their hand-in-glove Media allies.
*POOMP!*
*WHIZZZZZZ!*
*POP!*
As another tear gas canister exploded, spewing CS spray all over the van, they began yelling "Stop shooting! We're the Press!"
*POOMP!*
*WHIZZZZZZ!*
*POP!*
"Stop shooting! We're the *cough* Press!" yelled Lester Holder.
*POOMP!*
*WHIZZZZZZ!*
*POP!*
I tried to hit him with that shot, and barely missed. The gas grenade exploded on contact with the ground just to his side, spraying him with CS agent and obscuring him for a moment.
"Beanbags!" I ordered. Teresa and the Detectives with me got their beanbag shotguns ready.
"Stop! We're the Press!" the crew said, walking towards us with their Press IDs in their hands, their arms extended to show us.
"Fire at will!" I ordered. A barrage of beanbags battered the KXTC employees, knocking them down. The shots fired after that first volley went over them, and pummeled Lester Holder, who was violently vomiting from the tear gas.
"Place them under arrest.' I said. My orders were
enthusiastically
followed...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
I'd had the main force come in from the east because there were more residences there than on the more industrial west side, and I wanted to keep the perps from setting fire to those buildings. It worked; the only buildings set on fire were a couple of stores and a storage shed on one of the industrial sites. The TCFD was able to arrive and quickly douse the flames. A few agitators tried to rush the Firefighters, and got the full blast from the water hoses in their faces, knocking them down. The Police followed up to make arrests.
Demonstrators tried to run down side streets outside the zone, hoping to escape. They found their routes blocked off. Those that did not surrender were fired upon with beanbags and rubber bullets. But as they realized that we were not going not going to let them escape, that we intended to capture them and take them to jail, some began organizing into groups and fighting back, using locks on chains, tire irons, and even a few crowbars(!) to attack the Police. They were engaged in personal combat, and they were pummeled. Those that used crowbars were tagged; they would be receiving my
personal
attention later on.
Police drones recorded everything. We would be looking for the leaders of the perps. Jacquez Wilson eluded capture, but we rounded up a number of perps that facial rec would show had been photographed 'consulting' with Lester Holder earlier.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News." sobbed the redheaded reporterette at 11:30pm, Thursday, May 15th. Tears were running down her face, and not from CS gas.
"It's over." Bettina wailed. "The Town & County Police have crushed the peaceful protesters, and reclaimed the 'Police-free zone' that was meant to create dialogue and understanding of the frustrations of Blacks at the way the Police have treated them. And now Commander Donald Troy has ruthlessly destroyed them, and every bit of hope they had left..."
Meanwhile, Mayor Allgood was being interviewed by Catrina Pierce of KFXU, with KSB and other news agencies in attendance. He said "The Police acted in as restrained a way as they possibly could, using non-lethal force to break up the
illegal
'Police-free zone'. They have arrested hundreds of agitators, and we'll be working with the FBI to determine who the leaders are so that we can charge them with high crimes such as sedition."