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I think I'd like to add at "tab" at the top of my blog just to have the story all in one place... even if it's in backward order... Just in case I decide to blog a story again.
On the Scene:
T99 was the name they chose to make themselves stand out. Rumor had it that they wanted to be known and feared. Not just by other gang members. They wanted the fear and respect of the city. The gang task force unit watched from the time T99 started letting their presence be known.
Narcotics agents worked to gather information. Even the FBI wanted to understand the new threat. The city’s gang unit arrested T99 soldier and started working compiling lists of names and known associates. They began mapping out known and suspected hangouts and houses.
There were plans in the works to infiltrate the gang. Undercover agents worked to get in to the gang. The plans came too late. It was not enough to get territory from lesser rival gang members. They weren’t getting the notoriety they wanted.
Confident they could dominate other gangs for territory, T99 decided to go after their true enemy. In a move that was certain to gain them the notoriety they wanted, T99 declared war on the police department.
The convenience store at the intersection of Lockport and Hunt opened out onto the corner. It was a perfect location to pull in the foot traffic that flowed by on the sidewalk. Employees from nearby businesses were the main customer base for Cosmo’s. Cosmo knew things were not good when the six men filled his store with their banter. He knew they were gang members and didn’t care which gang claimed them. They wore matching hats and no one, outside of a baseball team, wore matching hats. They didn’t cause trouble for Cosmo and he was grateful. It was difficult to do business with your hand hovering over the panic button.
The feeling that he’d just survived a threat, faded just moments after the six stepped outside his door. Shots fired into his store and into the men. Slamming his hand onto the panic button, Cosmo ducked under his counter. Glass fell around him and Cosmo prayed.
The intersection in a gridlock, angry drivers and frenetic pedestrians greeted the first two squad cars to respond to the call of shots fired. They called for immediate back up and ambulances upon arriving on the scene. There simply was no way for two uniforms to take care of everything. Especially with bodies lining the sidewalk and laying on the street.
They worked at securing the crime scene. Once more uniforms arrived, it was easier and more quickly done. It didn’t take long to get an entire block barricaded around the intersection to keep cars back. Another barricade kept the pedestrians back. Captain Mulholland of the 22nd Uniform division was on the scene directing his officers. Standing in the middle of the intersection, he commanded a regiment that included officers, detectives and emergency medical teams.
Drivers were questioned for to get their statements, if they had no valuable information they were asked to pull their cars back and leave the scene. Many were grateful to do exactly that. Others argued that they needed insurance information to get their cars repaired. Long-suffering only lasted for so long before tension cracked even the most stalwart of officers. “Look, buddy, the person responsible for the accident bled out on the pavement. I don’t think he’s going to be paying for anything. You understand?”
“Did he have insurance? You could check to see.”
Meg shook her head as she walked along the sidewalk. Her partner, Neil Spiro, was nothing if not succinct when he declared, “Damn.”
Meg had traded her leather jacket for a windbreaker emblazoned with POLICE on the back, just in case the badge hanging around her neck wasn’t enough to get through the barricade. “News crew is already on the scene.”
“Saw that.” Neil groused, “They always make it worse.”
Meg inhaled on a sniff and nodded her head, eyes sweeping the scene, “Not like they could draw more of a crowd.”
Spiro simply grunted. Mulholland glared at them as they approached him. He approved that they’d already gloved up their hands, ready to work. Meg carried a camera case and an evidence collection kit. Neil, supportive of equal rights, let her.
Seniority spoke first and Neil greeted Mulholland, “Captain.”
“You two just became part of the task force to clear this mess up and get it off my street.”
“We’re not homicide.”
“You both know how to work a crime scene. You’ll work it and I want to know why they attacked each other in the middle of the day. As of right now, I’m in charge of the investigation. All reports go through my desk. Start with the van.”
“Yes, sir.” They agreed together.
Standing in the middle of the intersection, Meg considered the destruction. Not only was there debris from colliding cars, but there were personal effects littering the sidewalk and street. War zone. The only bright spot of the entire situation was the fact that the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Rain would have created an even bigger mess and darkness would have made collecting evidence even more difficult than it already was. The street was littered with evidence markers. Photographs were being taken and a crowd continued to form. Pushing it all from their minds, Meg and Neil joined the just-created task force.
They approached the van, the side door open a body lay in the door. If it weren’t for the blood on the front of his shirt, he would have appeared to be resting against the back of the passenger seat. Meg started taking pictures.
“I'm going to the sidewalk. I want to see what it looks like from over there.”
With only a nod to acknowledge that she’d heard him, Meg looked at the gun on the street. He’d dropped it on the street. The van door had been pulled open to allow the shooter ease of motion. Those from the sidewalk had gotten off enough shots to break the glass on the door and the glass of the window on the other side. Carefully, Meg looked in the van. The back seats had been taken out leaving only one seat behind the driver.
The passenger was missing half of his face and Meg tilted her head to consider the driver. They were leaning toward each other. Pictures recorded her observations and she went around the front of the van. Holes in the hood and front grill. The driver side tire and, Meg discovered, the back tire as well, were blown. The driver had a neat hole in his head.
Touching a gloved hand to the metal door frame, Meg frowned and turned to look at the sidewalk. Cell phone cameras were aimed at her but she ignored them as she scanned the crowd. If anything was to have been found there, it was disturbed. Turning back to the van, she lifted her camera to her face and took pictures.
When the medical examiner’s team asked if they could remove the bodies, she gave permission and asked that they pull the passenger from the front, first. She watched while they did. Blood spatter on his clothes confirmed that the driver had been shot from the other side. His gun had fallen into his lap. Meg recorded both weapons for evidence and tagged them for ballistics testing. Someone was going to be on overtime before this investigation was done.
Continued
Narcotics agents worked to gather information. Even the FBI wanted to understand the new threat. The city’s gang unit arrested T99 soldier and started working compiling lists of names and known associates. They began mapping out known and suspected hangouts and houses.
There were plans in the works to infiltrate the gang. Undercover agents worked to get in to the gang. The plans came too late. It was not enough to get territory from lesser rival gang members. They weren’t getting the notoriety they wanted.
Confident they could dominate other gangs for territory, T99 decided to go after their true enemy. In a move that was certain to gain them the notoriety they wanted, T99 declared war on the police department.
The convenience store at the intersection of Lockport and Hunt opened out onto the corner. It was a perfect location to pull in the foot traffic that flowed by on the sidewalk. Employees from nearby businesses were the main customer base for Cosmo’s. Cosmo knew things were not good when the six men filled his store with their banter. He knew they were gang members and didn’t care which gang claimed them. They wore matching hats and no one, outside of a baseball team, wore matching hats. They didn’t cause trouble for Cosmo and he was grateful. It was difficult to do business with your hand hovering over the panic button.
The feeling that he’d just survived a threat, faded just moments after the six stepped outside his door. Shots fired into his store and into the men. Slamming his hand onto the panic button, Cosmo ducked under his counter. Glass fell around him and Cosmo prayed.
The intersection in a gridlock, angry drivers and frenetic pedestrians greeted the first two squad cars to respond to the call of shots fired. They called for immediate back up and ambulances upon arriving on the scene. There simply was no way for two uniforms to take care of everything. Especially with bodies lining the sidewalk and laying on the street.
They worked at securing the crime scene. Once more uniforms arrived, it was easier and more quickly done. It didn’t take long to get an entire block barricaded around the intersection to keep cars back. Another barricade kept the pedestrians back. Captain Mulholland of the 22nd Uniform division was on the scene directing his officers. Standing in the middle of the intersection, he commanded a regiment that included officers, detectives and emergency medical teams.
Drivers were questioned for to get their statements, if they had no valuable information they were asked to pull their cars back and leave the scene. Many were grateful to do exactly that. Others argued that they needed insurance information to get their cars repaired. Long-suffering only lasted for so long before tension cracked even the most stalwart of officers. “Look, buddy, the person responsible for the accident bled out on the pavement. I don’t think he’s going to be paying for anything. You understand?”
“Did he have insurance? You could check to see.”
Meg shook her head as she walked along the sidewalk. Her partner, Neil Spiro, was nothing if not succinct when he declared, “Damn.”
Meg had traded her leather jacket for a windbreaker emblazoned with POLICE on the back, just in case the badge hanging around her neck wasn’t enough to get through the barricade. “News crew is already on the scene.”
“Saw that.” Neil groused, “They always make it worse.”
Meg inhaled on a sniff and nodded her head, eyes sweeping the scene, “Not like they could draw more of a crowd.”
Spiro simply grunted. Mulholland glared at them as they approached him. He approved that they’d already gloved up their hands, ready to work. Meg carried a camera case and an evidence collection kit. Neil, supportive of equal rights, let her.
Seniority spoke first and Neil greeted Mulholland, “Captain.”
“You two just became part of the task force to clear this mess up and get it off my street.”
“We’re not homicide.”
“You both know how to work a crime scene. You’ll work it and I want to know why they attacked each other in the middle of the day. As of right now, I’m in charge of the investigation. All reports go through my desk. Start with the van.”
“Yes, sir.” They agreed together.
Standing in the middle of the intersection, Meg considered the destruction. Not only was there debris from colliding cars, but there were personal effects littering the sidewalk and street. War zone. The only bright spot of the entire situation was the fact that the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Rain would have created an even bigger mess and darkness would have made collecting evidence even more difficult than it already was. The street was littered with evidence markers. Photographs were being taken and a crowd continued to form. Pushing it all from their minds, Meg and Neil joined the just-created task force.
They approached the van, the side door open a body lay in the door. If it weren’t for the blood on the front of his shirt, he would have appeared to be resting against the back of the passenger seat. Meg started taking pictures.
“I'm going to the sidewalk. I want to see what it looks like from over there.”
With only a nod to acknowledge that she’d heard him, Meg looked at the gun on the street. He’d dropped it on the street. The van door had been pulled open to allow the shooter ease of motion. Those from the sidewalk had gotten off enough shots to break the glass on the door and the glass of the window on the other side. Carefully, Meg looked in the van. The back seats had been taken out leaving only one seat behind the driver.
The passenger was missing half of his face and Meg tilted her head to consider the driver. They were leaning toward each other. Pictures recorded her observations and she went around the front of the van. Holes in the hood and front grill. The driver side tire and, Meg discovered, the back tire as well, were blown. The driver had a neat hole in his head.
Touching a gloved hand to the metal door frame, Meg frowned and turned to look at the sidewalk. Cell phone cameras were aimed at her but she ignored them as she scanned the crowd. If anything was to have been found there, it was disturbed. Turning back to the van, she lifted her camera to her face and took pictures.
When the medical examiner’s team asked if they could remove the bodies, she gave permission and asked that they pull the passenger from the front, first. She watched while they did. Blood spatter on his clothes confirmed that the driver had been shot from the other side. His gun had fallen into his lap. Meg recorded both weapons for evidence and tagged them for ballistics testing. Someone was going to be on overtime before this investigation was done.
Continued
2 comments:
EEE...
Well, that story is going to run in the back of my head all day. I can't wait for the next installment.
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