Iscariot

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.

***

Part 14 - For Thirty Pieces of Silver

*CLICK!*

The gun did not fire. Teddy Parker almost collapsed with relief, but then felt his hands being grabbed as he was pushed to the floor on his chest. His wrists were quickly manacled.

"Well done, Mr. Geiger." said Edward Blassingame. "I had to be sure of you." He stepped up and took the handgun from Geiger, who looked pretty stunned himself. Jerry was also wide-eyed with shock.

"Okay, boys, take him to the kitchen." Blassingame said to his henchmen. "Waterboard him, beat the shit out of him, get what you can from him... then kill him and get rid of the body where it won't be found any time soon. After that, you can drive back to the City in my limo."

Turning to the others, Blassingame said "Mr. Geiger, Jerry and I will go with you in your car. I hope you brought some clothes with you, like he told you to. We're going to the City----"

"GOD DAMN YOU TO HELL, GEIGER! YOU BASTARD JUDAS!! GOD DAMN YOUUUUUUU..." yelled Parker as he was dragged away. Geiger said nothing, but followed Blassingame and Barsbane out the door they came in, hearing the sounds of Parker being hit in the kitchen, and his grunts and gasps of pain as the two men began working him over...

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

1:15am, Saturday, June 29th. I pulled up as close as I was allowed to the raging inferno on the road ahead, near the entrance to AGC Trucking, just over the County Line on the Nextdoor County side.

I had followed Nextdoor County Police Chief Molly Evans in her POV, and we got out of our respective vehicles and walked up to NCPD Captain Paul Price. "Hello Chief. Hello Commander Troy." he said when he saw us.

"What happened, Paul?" asked Molly.

"We can't get very close to the fire yet." said Captain Price. "But from what the TCPD's drone could see when we flew it in close, a tanker truck was turning left into AGC Trucking and this limo car ran right into it. The HAZMAT placard on the back of the truck indicated the tank was full of gasoline. So far we've been unable to see the car tag on the back of the limo. It's completely engulfed, and we think anyone in the car is dead; we've seen no bodies, alive or dead, anywhere along the road. No sign of the truck driver, either."

I nodded. "Are you going to let it burn out, or try to put it out?" I asked.

"Our Fire Chief thinks most of the fuel has gone up already. Certainly the damage has been done." said Captain Price. "The TCFD is sending their foam truck..."

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

2:35am. Molly and I were sitting in my Police SUV and chatting when Captain Price came up to us. We got out of the vehicle to talk to him.

"The fire is out." Price reported. "Two bodies in the car, both in the front seat. We'll take them to the TCPD Morgue for identification and the autopsy." The contract between the Town & County and Nextdoor County permitted this. Price continued: "There was no body in the cab of the tanker truck."

Price continued: "We got the car tags of both vehicles. The big rig belongs to AGC Trucking. They go over and fill trucks at the City Railyards oil and gas storage facilities and drive over here to refill their trucks. The driver is alive. He woke up in a ditch about half a mile down the road, and the last thing he remembers is passing the turnoff north to State Highway 141."

Price went on: "The limousine belongs to Edward Blassingame; it's his personal vehicle. We don't know if he was one of those killed in the crash, and will be finding out first thing after daylight. We'll send a Detective to interview him."

"If you don't mind," I said, "if he's alive, let me send a Detective with your Detectives that go talk to him... since the vehicle was coming out of my County and into yours."

"No problem." said Molly. "In fact, consider yourself asked to assist us in this investigation..."

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

7:03am, Saturday, June 29th. Edward Blassingame was sitting in his plush BigAgraFoods office in the City. And he was worried.

"Where are my security people?" he asked Dick Granger, who was sitting in the office with him. "They should've been back long before now."

"Maybe we need to be far more careful about that Geiger guy." said Granger. "What if the Iron Crowbar is up to something with him?"

"I dunno... hold on, I'm getting a text." Blassingame said. "Oh shit, it's from Barsbane. He says turn on the news." He got the remote out of his desk drawer and turned on the monitor.

They watched in mounting horror as Tim Sioban reported on the vehicle crash near AGC Trucking. "Jesus Christ, that's awful!" said Blassingame.

"I hope Parker's body wasn't in the trunk." said Granger, earning a scowl from Blassingame.

"Listen," Blassingame said. "Get out of here. I expect the Police will be here any minute. Go to the safehouse and keep watch on Barsbane and Geiger." Granger fled for the 'back door' that would provide a visibility-free means of egress.

*KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!* *KNOCK!*

"Come in!" said Blassingame. It was one of the buildings uniformed security guards. Behind him were two Detectives in plainclothes.

"Sir," said the security guard, "two Police Detectives asked to speak to you. They say it's urgent."

"That's fine, show them in." said Blassingame. The Detectives came in and the security guard shut the door, not coming in himself.

"Thank you for seeing us, Mr. Blassingame." said one Detective. "I'm Nextdoor County Detective German, and this is Town & County Detective Warner..."

"Is this about my vehicle that was in that fire?" asked Blassingame.

"I'm afraid so, sir." said Joanne Warner. "I'm sorry to inform you that two persons were found dead in the car. We came first to make sure you were alive, and now we need to ask if you might know who was in the vehicle?"

"My driver and security man." said Blassingame, giving the names. "I wasn't needing the car last night, so I had them drive over there with some papers to the Lowe, Ball, & Lynch legal firm. Do you know what happened? How the crash occurred?"

"We're still investigating, sir." said Detective German. "Early reports are that a tanker truck full of fuel was turning left into AGC Trucking, possibly right in front of your vehicle. In any case, the two vehicles collided and burned. We're sorry for your loss."

"Thank you." said Blassingame. "If there's anything we can do to help you in your investigation, please let me know. And after you're done, I'll send someone to claim the bodies, and I'll notify their families."

"Thank you, sir." said German. "It might be a few days, early next week, before the bodies are released, pending the autopsies and the investigation. But we will contact you at the earliest possible moment." He extended his card to Blassingame, who took it then gave the Detectives his own card. They excused themselves, and left.

Blassingame made a phone call. "Yes, Granger. Looks like it was just a bad bad coincidence about our guys. But keep an eye on them anyway..."

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

10:00am. I was sitting in my office, writing up my report on the crash and fire, when there was a knock on my door. Detectives Joanne Warner and Theo Washington came in.

"Sorry to report to you directly, sir," said Joanne, "but Jerome--- er, Lieutenant Davis is visiting is father at Valley Villages this weekend, and Captain Perlman is not here."

"That's all right." I said. "Please, have a seat." They sat down in the hot chairs.

"I went with Detective German to the City." said Joanne. "Edward Blassingame was in his office. I think he'd just heard about the crash on the news. He said he'd sent the limo over to our County with some papers for his law firm."

"Which law firm?" I asked.

"Lowe, Ball & Lynch." said Joanne. "They're business attorneys. I just called there, and no one is in the office right now."

"No huge surprise there." I mused, partially to myself. "Okay, then. Looks like it's just a tragic accident---- hold on... why are

you

here, Theo?"

"Sir," said Theo, "I just got here a few moments ago. I checked my emails this morning, and I got one from Teddy Parker, sent last night. He said he was going with Geiger to meet a C.I. I texted him this morning to make sure everything was all right, and I didn't get a reply. Then I called his Police iPhone, and got no response. So I called his personal cellphone, and Janice Holloway answered. She said he hadn't been home all night, and she started getting a little frantic."

"So then I tried to call Geiger." Theo said. "No answer from him, on either his personal or Police iPhones."

"That's not good." I said. "Did Parker say where they were meeting the C.I.?"

"No sir." said Theo. "And I took the liberty of checking around his desk and Geiger's, and there's no notes or anything. I then called the I.T. guy on duty downstairs, and asked him to check the emails and texts on both their Police iPhones. Nothing. They can't check the personal iPhones, though."

"Hoo boy." I said. "Okay, let's start looking for them. I'm going to call in Myron and start having him and his people look for radio and cellphone transmissions. You guys call your fellow MCD Detectives, and y'all go to Parker and Geiger's residences. If Geiger is not home, you are authorized on my responsibility to enter his home... no, belay that, I'll go myself..."

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

"No one here." said Cindy after I'd knocked on the door of Geiger's duplex apartment several times.

"Let's go around back." I said. We did so. There was a screened-in back porch. I looked around, then used my red crowbar to force the screen door.

"You gonna use that on the back door?" Cindy asked.

"No." I said. "I'm going to pick the lock... unless you want to pick it yourself."

"Be my guest." Cindy said. "I'll be over here, calling your mom and asking if you picked up these criminal habits while growing up in Apple Grove."

"You don't have to call." I said as I used the tools I'd brought on the lock. "Because I freely admit that I learned this in Apple Grove. Drove Elizabeth nuts when I broke into her stuff"

"No wonder you're so good at Aikido." Cindy said. "I'd be trying to beat the shit out of you, too, if you'd done that to me."

"And you never did that to your older sister?" I asked.

"I'll take the Fifth on that." said Cindy. "And yes, there's a reason I have two black belts."

I laughed as I made the tumblers of the relatively simple lock do my bidding. I opened the door and went in. An alarm started beeping. I went to the hallway and shut it off with the manufacturer's code for that type system.

"Looks pretty normal." Cindy said. "Not spotless, but not a dump, either."

"Yeah." I said. "And no outward sign of a break-in, or a struggle."

We looked through the place quickly. There were no notes on the desk or by Geiger's computer, which was a standalone Mac. "We won't set the alarm when we leave." I said. "I might get a warrant and have someone come in and get this computer."

"You think something's happened to him?" Cindy asked. "And Parker?"

I turned and looked right at her. "You're the one with the Vibe. What do

you

think?"

Cindy looked back at me and nodded. "Yeah," she said, "I think something's wrong."

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

12:00 high noon, Saturday, June 29th. Present in Classroom 'E' were Sheriff Griswold, Chief Moynahan, me, Cindy, Teresa, Tanya, both Lieutenants Milton, and the four 'remaining' MCD Detectives."

"Parker's car is in the employee's parking lot." said Myron. "Cellphone pings from both his and Geiger's phones were last detected around 9:00pm last night in the Southwest Ghetto area." said Myron. "I've tried triangulation; it's not pinpoint accurate, but it looks like the area around Al Sharpton Elementary School."

"We sent patrols into that area." said Teresa. "So far, nothing. No trace of Geiger's car, either."

"That's another thing, sir." said Myron. "I cheated, and tried to access the tracker on his car that's connected to the 'THEFT' light. Nothing has come up. That suggests the battery has been removed from the car."

"If it was parked at Sharpton Elementary," I said, "someone could've stolen it and taken it to a chop shop."

"Or he and Parker drove somewhere, chasing down a clue or something." said Tanya Perlman, who looked visibly shaken up. "Jack is going to have the FBI join the search as soon as you make his phone ring."

"Why don't you go to your office and call him now on my behalf?" I 'suggested'. Tanya drove her wheelchair out of the room about as fast as it could physically go.

"All right, guys," I said, "I know this is distressing at best, scary at worst. It's times like now that we've got to suck it up, be our most professional, and find our guys. Myron, anything on the computers?"

"No sir." said Myron. "Parker sent that one email, and that was it. Geiger sent nothing, made no notes on his Police laptop. I took the liberty of asking for a warrant to get Geiger's personal computer at his home, and as soon as we get the warrant, we'll get the computer."

"Did Geiger mention who his C.I. was on any of this?" I asked.

"We heard the name 'Merlock' the other day." said Joanne Warner.

"But there's nothing mentioned in any notes, emails, or texts in the past day or two." said Myron.

"It'd be good if we can find out who that C.I. is, or was." I said. "Okay, who went to Parker's place?"

"Theo and I did, sir." said Joanne. "Janice Holloway was already very upset, but we calmed her down, and she is going to call everyone she can think of to see if Teddy went somewhere for any reason. And we took her to your Cabin home as you requested."

"Good." I said. "There's people there, and it'll take one hell of an attack to get to anyone inside, so at least she's safe."

"Do you think she's in danger, Mr. Crowbar?" asked the Chief. "Do you think this is a coordinated attack on all of us and our families?"

"I don't know, Chief." I said. "But better safe than sorry. All of you, contact your families and tell them to be aware of their surroundings. And all of you be aware of

your

surroundings. At least light armor is now mandatory for all Detectives and the Police Leadership; tell the Vice Detectives. And that goes for you, too. Chief."

"What about Our Sheriff?" Chief Moynahan asked flatly.

"It's hard to force Klingon Warriors to do anything they don't want to do." I quipped.

"Har." said the Sheriff. "We Klingons

love

wearing armor. I'll notify the Sheriff Department's leadership about this, and suggest they wear armor, as well."

"Okay." I said. "Any ideas? Any suggestions?"

"Sir," said Theo Washington, "Geiger had been working on the McGinty's Materials thing for the last few days. Maybe his disappearance, and Parker's, has something to do with that. With your permission, I'll contact the SBI-OER and see if they can find something."

"Sure." I said. "I'll probably be calling Britt Maxwell myself, but you go ahead and call them."

"Sir," said Joanne Warner, her voice faltering, "is it possible that... that the two bodies in that burned out limo are Teddy and Geiger? That Mr. Blassingame is lying to us and somehow created that accident to destroy the evidence?" The gloom that question created swept through the room like a rolling fog.

"I hate to say it," said Cindy, "but it's a thought. The tanker driver was found down the road, and doesn't remember anything."

"That's truuuuuuue." said the Chief.

"I'd think if that were the case they'd want the driver to die, also." I said. "But all that will come out after the autopsies. Let's not start theorizing without data..."

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

1:00pm. Lt. Myron Milton came to my office.

"Sir," he said, "Judge Nance denied the warrant to enter Geiger's home. He said there's no formal, public Missing Person case notice about him, and it hasn't been 24 hours yet. He also complained that we the Police were going directly to the Court for warrants, when we should be going through the D.A.'s Office."

"That's bullshit." I said. "I'll call Judge Folsom just as soon as we finish this conversation, and he'll snap Nance's head back so hard it'll pop. So what do we need to do, formally open a Missing Persons case?"

"Yes sir." said Myron. "But that means it'll have to be noted in the logs, and that means the Press is going to find out about it."

"Grumble grumble." I said. "But it can't be helped. Okay, any more ELINT on anyone?"

"No sir." said Myron. "I ran the identities of Blassingame's security people to get cellphone numbers, then tried to trace their pings. Nothing. It's possible that the glove compartment of the limo is shielded and their cellphones were in there."

"That is indeed a possibility." I said. "Okay, good work. Keep it up." After Myron left, I called Judge Folsom at home, and he said the next sound I heard would be Nance's head being snapped back after Folsom called him. I then called the Duty Desk and told them to make a log entry of two missing persons: Geiger and Parker. I then got on my computer and formally opened the cases...

Part 15 - The Scavenger Hunt

Meanwhile...

As he sat at the kitchen table of the safehouse, eating McDonald's Egg McMuffins and sipping coffee, Timothy Geiger listened to the KSB radio broadcast. The story of the tanker truck and limousine crashing and burning was the feature story, but Geiger didn't really make any connection between it and Blassingame's men.

Jerry Barsbane came into the kitchen, and sat down opposite Geiger. "Oh, here you go." he said as he took Geiger's service weapon out of his pocket and put it on the table. "We're working on getting you a clean piece, but for now you can hold onto it." A 'clean piece' was a gun where the serial numbers were erased, and the rifling pattern unknown. Geiger's service weapon's rifling pattern was on record with the TCPD and the FBI.

"Thanks." said Geiger, picking up the firearm and putting it in its holster in the small of his back. "So you trust me, huh?"

"Mr. Big trusts you now." said Barsbane. "I tell you what: I'm glad he never tested me the way he did you. I'm not a killer, not like that. I've never shot anybody. I was in good with the Southport Mob, but I never could become a Made Man because one of their requirements was that I had to kill someone, and I told them straight out I couldn't."

"I didn't like it, either." Geiger said, then added bitterly: "But the way they treated me in the TCPD... he would've got what was coming to him, if there'd been a bullet in the gun. So... you survived in the Mob, even after refusing to kill someone?"

"Oh, yeah." said Barsbane. "They knew I was useful, for my transportation skills. And that's why Mr. Big picked me up and put me on his payroll. He hates to waste good talent, which is why he thought you might be an asset to the Team."

"I appreciate his faith." Geiger said. "What does he think I can do to help him?"

"You can become a P.I., like McGinty did." said Barsbane. "Or you can be like me, and learn the ropes of the underside of Society. A lot of cops have trouble making that transition. Is it going to be a problem for you?"