by Geri Fitzsimmons & Andy Stephenson1

Lieutenant Bradley Benson’s cell phone started an obnoxious chatter for the second time since they’d stepped into Deputy Chief Carbonetti’s office at One Police Plaza only a short time ago. As his hand automatically reached for the nuisance, the glances of both his superiors fell on him.2

Captain Taylor’s sizzling stare could have scorched his hide if he was closer; the words he mouthed without sound were clear. Shut the damn thing off!3

With that same idea in mind, Benson took a veiled glance at the screen as he touched the shortcut to off.  Farley…twice in five minutes. Something important was up, he assumed as he struggled against the urge to play the Sergeant’s message.4

“Was that a personal call?” Taylor barked.5

“No sir,” Benson said. “It’s from Farley, he’s either back at the crime scene or on his way. We decided last night to do a daylight investigation of the area personally before the car dealership opened.” Benson took a glance at his watch and added, “Knowing Joe, I expect he’s been there about an hour already.” 6

“Yes, well....” Taylor was no longer watching Benson, his view shifted to confronting Carbonetti’s Little Pig Eyes, as he often described them to his wife when he referred to the deputy chief. “Shall we have Brad lay out the scenario for us. The 911 call didn’t come in until....”7

Carbonettii’s quick, sharp wave of hand halted Taylor and he ordered, “Return Farley’s call.” Then, as if second guessing the Lieutenant’s desire, he added, “Put it on speaker.”8

At the first word of command “Return....” Benson instantly began engaging all cell phone functions, the ringing was loud in the room, then came Farley’s, “Where in Hell are you?”9

“In Deputy Chief Carbonetti’s office listening to you on speaker.” He rushed the warning, even though neither of the Brass seemed surprised at the lowly sergeant’s out burst. “What’s happening?”10

Farley‘s voice dropped to a less indignant level. “We’re in the area I told you about last night. It is apparently the remains of a cement cellar of a house that was demolished years ago. Someone decided it would make a fine private dump site. Problem is they or someone else mixed human remains in with garbage. The Forensic techs arrived about half an hour ago and are trying to give us a count of the bodies. From our initial sightings, it looks to be around six. All the victims but one died awhile ago and were extremely small. The one older female, like the girl in the van, was a fairly new addition....”11

“Jesus Christ!” Carbonetti’s expletive followed, the joint, “My God!” hissed by the other two men in his office.12

The Deputy Chief spun from his desk, his face reddened like he‘d been slapped. He grabbed Benson‘s phone. “What in Hell have we got there Joe?” 13

Farley’s voice hesitated as if attempting to structure his information. “Not certain, Chief. The small skeletons are a haberdashery of bones, apparently left over from animal and insect activity in several barrels. We did find five loose skulls in them. The girl’s body is still partially intact and, like the child we found in the van, I’d guess she’s ten or eleven.14

“There’s a lot of hair and rags mixed in with bones. The techs won’t say for sure, but from the hair they collected so far, they speculated we have three races represented.”15

While Benson continued to hover in front of the desk, Taylor collapsed in a chair, as Carbonetti said, “Benson is leaving here now.” He thrust the man’s phone at him.16

“You and Joe plug my cell number into your contacts.” He quickly spieled off the numbers. “I want you to keep me personally informed with any information you uncover, no matter how inconsequential it seems.”17

Benson was already headed for the door, he was half way through as he let his sneer surface. He could hear Captain Taylor rapidly talking, explaining how Carbonetti came to know more about a case originating in his precinct than he did.18


****19


Outside the sun had risen on a picture-perfect Autumn day.20

The man behind the wheel of the two year-old black Lincoln Town Car , didn’t notice the reds, oranges, and tans of the changing leaves as he sailed along the highway a few miles over the limit. The crisp October wind sang in its contest with the speed of the car’s motor; unable to reach the heated interior and plague the tormented man even more than his own thoughts. Remembrances, over used memories, and fears of the present clashed in his mind like so many warriors battling for control.  The Bitch! How he hated her, how he loved her. For ten years, she’d let him believe they were the perfect couple, with the perfect marriage and the adorable child. She seemed content in her role as his wife and Marie‘s Mother. Spending only a minimal time in her professional life, she never complained. How could he realize she was setting him up?21

Mommy, Daddy.  The child’s voice cut into his mind like a sharp blade, causing greater pain than any steel could. Daddy, she was crying---screaming-- and he was helpless to rescue her. A man who had never given way to fear in his life, now had to confront the terror of his beautiful little girl being abused, perhaps sexually assaulted and tortured by some demented animal who walked on two legs. His desire to wreck havoc on another man was fueled by his actual knowledge of the viciousness these creatures who preyed on the young were capable. Special Agent AJ Sanders was reduced to being a father of a victim.22

He could have been in the grip of a fever that suddenly broke, for the sweat peppered his skin and flowed from his hair follicles to the soles of his feet. The smell invaded the car’s interior, but he didn’t shut off the heater. In fact he didn’t even notice that he had commenced shaking. My fault! I married her! I made her my baby’s mother, came the urge to lay blame. A sad smile touched his lips.  Without Catlin, there would have been no Marie, who’d given his life so much joy in such a short time.23

AJ Sanders liked his world ordered. Unlike most youngsters he’d set early goals, figured the steps necessary to attain them, and never slipped from his ladder into the future for long. Before the boy completed high school, his career was thought out and planned. His politically active father became Senator Sanders the year AJ entered his first semester at MIT, assuring his son’s desires could be attainable.24

When his agenda called for a proper wife with the right credentials to shine as a hostess, while possessing the qualities that brought pleasure and excitement to his bed, AJ met Caitlin Myers, third daughter of a political and affluent New York family. 25

Always on the alert for raw talent, The Agency had accepted an invitation to lecture at NYU and Agent Sanders received the nod.26

At five-six with a petite figure, the young lady wouldn’t have been an impressive sight if it wasn’t for her determination and timely wit. He found himself fielding a number of her well considered questions. Unlike others who jumped up enthused by his recognizing them and sputtered their questions, the attractive young lady only rose slowly halfway from her seat, asked a short question, and then sat back down as though she was indifferent to him. 27

Caitlin, like a number of the students, came to personally meet and greet him after his speaking engagement. He made a point of asking her, along with several other students, to join him for coffee in the cafeteria. 28

Sander’s insufferable memory rarely allowed him to forget things. So even though years had passed and he was in agony as he maneuvered his car into its designated parking space at the rear of the Federal building in downtown Manhattan, Sanders vividly recalled that first encounter. He remembered her endearing smile when he followed her to her car and told her she could do him a favor by joining him at Peking's Perfection Chinese all-you-can eat lunch buffet near the NYU campus. How he wished now he could curse the memory and his ex-wife out of existence.29

As Sanders entered the building from the rear, took his place in the private elevator that dropped him down to the floor of special offices nestled in the bowels of the building, safe from attack and the general public, he continued to analyze. The last few years hadn’t been his fault. Caitlin had sacrificed both him and their child in her desire to further a career that had suddenly become important to her.30

He shoved through the outer office, noticing the lack of his assistant, into the confines of his own sanctuary. 31

“What are you doing in here?” He barked in the general direction of the young woman with her butt leaning against his desk. As she pulled up straight, he spotted Caitlin seated in a guest chair. “So you found time to come?” he said to her without so much as a ‘Hello’.32

“I thought you were calling from the office,” Caitlin said. “I was surprised you weren’t here.” She shrugged. “Miss Rhoades offered me coffee." She raised the cup as if to prove the fact. “And was going to check your schedule to see when you were expected.”33

Miss Rhoades was already exiting as Caitlin made a point of saying, “Thanks for the coffee.”34

“Agent Rhoades,” Special Agent Sanders said and halted her.  “I sent a file from my home computer to the office computer--with designated case files--could you open it and down load those files into my desk computer, so we can work on them here?” 35

“Do you need me to help? I had planned on....”36

She was cut off as Sanders said, “Continue with your other assignment as soon as you download those files.”37