Hinesville: Seeing Red (Part 3)

Hinesville: Homicide (Part 2)  (18+) Viv and Coop investigate the death of a local hermet, and things aren't what they appear.

Vivian and Cooper walked away from the crime scene. "Go home." She didn't even bother to look at him as she spoke. "I'll meet you there."

Vivian thought of her old partner. Lane and Vivian worked together for five years, until he left Hinesville to take a better job in Savannah, shortly before her husband, Jake, was killed. What Vivian didn’t know was Lane was Jake’s superior officer, and that he and Jake had been there to recruit her. Lane never left the military, his assignment was to be her partner and friend. The agency he worked for wanted her on their team.

Another group, she knew only as Crimson Hellfire, was trying to get her at the same time, accept their intentions were not as pure. They knew that Vivian was an orphan and a ward of the state, which made her an easy target. On top of that, she was brilliant, though she had done everything in her power to hide this fact, they still found out, and wanted to force her into service with their unit.

Vivian opened the driver’s door and dug her phone out of her pocket. She pulled the door closed, quickly calling Lane.

She explained what happened, and waited for Lane to give her some advice on what she should, or could, do.

“It has to be them Lane.” Vivian started the unit.

Lane sighed. “Maybe Pete was involved in something shady. What do you know of his background?”

“I understand what you’re getting at, but this was out in the open, the techs should have found it easily. There’s a new guy on the team, but he’s done really well up to now.”

“Who’s the new guy?”

“Steve Ball, why?”

Lane jotted the name down to have his people run it after he hung up. “Just wondering if I knew him.”                                       

“Why, after all of these years, why are they back now?”

“I don’t think they ever really left. They’ve just been quiet.” Lane couldn’t believe what had transpired.

“What’s going to happen, Lane? This was some crap that was really high level, and nothing was redacted.”
       
Marine First Lieutenant Alex Boudreaux walked into Lane’s office, and Lane motioned for him to close the door.

Lane thought for a while, considering everything. Lane knew what was probably going to happen, but it could go anywhere from here. “I know that, whoever handles this, it isn’t going to be the FBI.”

Vivian shook her head. “There is no-one else it could be, Lane. It’s gotta be Hellfire.”

“Let me make some calls, and I’ll give you a call back.” Lane threw his phone on the desk and looked up at Alex.  “We need to know what the hell is going on, and who’s doing this.” Lane ordered.

“I have Nick, Jace, and Taylor all working on it. Is there anything else you need, Captain?”

Lane handed him the name of the new tech Vivian had mentioned. “Have one of the guys do a quick vet on him.”

Alex grabbed the paper and ran out to complete the task.




Vivian slipped the car into drive, and could feel that old dread building up in her stomach. Before she knew it, she pulled into Cooper’s driveway and ran inside.

"What the hell is going on?" Vivian closed the door, and noted he looked just as exasperated as she felt.

"I know that's some high-level shit, but what the hell, it wasn't like we were looking for it, we just found it," Cooper agreed as the two of them walked to the back of his house.

"How much did you read?" She followed him into his room, and watched as he grabbed a duffle bag out of the closet.

"All of it." Cooper chuckled a little and grabbed some clothing out of his dresser. "Mostly just because it was there, and how many opportunities do you have to see that kind of stuff?"

"I get that, but by default we have to read it, it's part of the crime scene." She sighed as she thought about the conversation they had with Ben and Nate.

Cooper grabbed some more clothes and began to stuff it in the bag. "You know what we need to do?" Cooper stopped what he was doing.

"We just read the one page, and when we realized what it is, we closed the file, and called Ben and Nate, who we work with on a regular basis," Vivian rattled off.

"Exactly," Cooper agreed with her.

"I will not break this agreement we just made," Vivian stated firmly with a certainty only she possessed. "So, if they tell you otherwise, they're lying."

"They're going to split us up when we get there, obviously, you realize that, so I am giving you the same guarantee. I will not go back on this deal."

"That's settled." Vivian put her hands on her hips as she thought about the next few days of federal interviews. "You ready?"

"Yeah, let's go get your stuff." He zipped up his bag and threw it on his shoulder.

The pair stopped by Vivian's house, and she packed up in much the same style as Cooper.

"I want to stop and talk to Gail," Vivian told him as she started up the unit.

"We really need to get to the station," Cooper reminded her.

"It's on the way to the station, I'll run in."

Vivian drove to the Coroner's office.

Several FBI Agents were just leaving, and she pulled in just as the feds were pulling out.

Gail, still in her autopsy get-up, was just starting to remove her gloves when Vivian strutted in.

"They took it all, even my samples," Gail said with a hint of disgust, pulling her gloves off with a snap. "I have nothing, not even my notes. I was also told not to talk about the case."

Vivian couldn't believe what was going on. "We have been, too."

"So, with that in mind, I think he was stabbed, but not with an ordinary knife," Gail said to her friend.

"A dagger, maybe?" Vivian offered, remembering the sword.

Gail nodded as she thought about the suggestion, and finished removing all of her coverings. "That's an excellent possibility. I'd have to see the blade, but those old decorative ones could be a close fit."

"We found a sword like that at the crime scene, no blood on it though."

"I'd have to look at it, but we’ll never see it again. I’d bet that's what it is," Gail told Vivian and finished cleaning herself up.

"We have to go, but I'll get with you soon."

Lane called as she stepped out to the lobby.

“What you got, Lane?”

“After talking to the guys I still know, I think your right.” Lane was disgusted that this got passed them.

Vivian stopped as she stepped into the parking lot. “It’s Crimson Hellfire.” The reality of this actually happening was starting to sink in. “There’s no way I can get out of this, is there?”

“It sounds like it’s Hellfire, and I don’t see how you can.” Lane’s anger was spilling over as he glanced at Alex. “Vivian, you need to listen to me very carefully. Watch yourself. This kind of people don’t care, they will do anything just to make a point.”

“Lane, I have to fight this. I can’t go with these people.” Vivian shook her head trying to shake the old ghosts from her thoughts.

“I would suggest it.” Lane was flat and to the point. Alex walked in again wanting to report what they had found.

“Thanks, Lane. I’ll talk to you soon.” She was now internally determined to fight like hell.

Lane hung up, but he knew it would be a while before he’d talk to his friend again. He looked at Alex and waited for him to report.

“Steve Ball is an alias.” Alex watched as Lane paced a little. “We can’t find any history on this guy.”         

“Get on the phone.” Lane’s fury was palpable as he spoke to Alex. “Start making calls, and get her out of this. They aren’t going to hold back, knowing her history with them.” Lane looked at his desk and then back at Alex. “I don’t think she’ll be holding back either.” 

“Who do you want me to call?” Alex could think of no less than fifteen people he’d call in this situation. He ached for Vivian and remembered all of the resistance to these bastards he had put forth through the years.

“All of them,” Lane growled and turned to a window, considering the situation. “Just get started.”

“Yes, sir.” Alex left Lane’s office, grabbed three of the other guys, and they all got on the phone.





Vivian walked to the unit, and looked up to see Cooper ending a phone call.

“Who were you talking to?” Cooper asked her as she slid into the driver’s seat.

“Lane.” She fired up the engine, and looked at Cooper. “You?”

“Cap.”

“What did he have to say?”

“Just that this is crappy.”

They found several FBI Agents when they walked into their squad room at the PD. One agent was at Vivian's desk, searching her computer, and a couple of others were escorting their suspect out of the building.

"Foster, Martin," Sullivan called them to his office.

They slowly stepped in his direction, followed him in, and he motioned for them to close the door.

"I got the rundown of the shit can y'all stumbled into," Captain Sullivan explained as he crossed his arms and sat on the edge of his desk. "Most of my questions were answered with, ‘it's a matter of national security'."
                                                                             
"We’ve already been told not to talk about it," Cooper explained.

"I know." Sullivan nodded, wondering himself what was in store for the pair. "They're cleaning your computers of any information that you may have on the case."

"All of it?" Vivian was shocked by the statement, but even she didn't know why she was so surprised. There was nothing normal about this case.

Captain Sullivan sighed, and dropped his glasses on top of his desk. "They took your 10-15, too. A team of agents came and removed him from his cell."

Cooper and Vivian let out a sigh at the same time, and Vivian answered, "We saw them escorting him out."

Ben knocked on the Captain's door and opened it. "We cleaned your computers, and you have to leave–now." Ben was direct and stern. This irritated Vivian–he didn't need to be.

The detectives turned to their captain in silent resignation.

"I know, I'll see you when I see you." He waved them off.

Cooper stepped out and Vivian closed the door and turned to the Captain. “Cap, if you find out we leave FBI custody, would you call the state police and ask them send out a BOLO on us as missing persons?”

“Viv, from what Ben was telling me, that shouldn’t happen.” Captain Sullivan wondered if he should be making calls now. He knew Vivian wouldn’t ask something like this unless there was a damn good reason.

“Please, Cap.” Vivian looked at him, knowing what this was really all about.

He nodded and she left.

The two left, with a Bureau escort, two cars behind them, one in front, and the whole group drove toward Statesboro.
                           


Ben drove one of the FBI escort vehicles with Nate in the passenger seat, both of them still wracking their brains for an escape. Nate decided to make one more call.

"What do you mean they can't stop it?" Nate was furious which was given away by his tone. He listened to the response of his supervisor. "This is bullshit!" He paused as his supervisor explained that he had pulled all of the strings he could, but questioned why the officers looked at the information. "Of course, yes, they looked at it, it was part of a crime scene, a homicide at that." Nate sighed in disgust as he listened to the man explain that it was now out of their control. "Yes, sir." Nate rubbed his temples and hung up.

"Why can't they stop it?" Ben could feel his blood pressure rising, and prepared to escort the two officers away if they had to.

"He, and everyone he knows, have tried everything. They can't stop it because–get this–they read it," Nate explained as his head started to pound.

"That doesn't make sense." Ben was just as disgusted and took his frustrations out on the steering wheel, trying to rationalize what was going on.

"This is bullshit!" Nate growled and hit the dashboard. "We need to lay down the law, and tell them what they need to know."

"What, to fight everything tooth and nail?" Ben questioned and hit the steering wheel again, wishing he had not reported the fact they had read it, but it was pointless. The team cleaning the house found four video transmitters in the house. The people who set them up knew they had read it already, there was no stopping it.

"We get to bring them to the site," Nate mentioned as they entered Statesboro.

"At least we get that." Ben took a long breath, knowing the next few days were going to be among the longest of his life. "They have no idea what they're in for."




They were about halfway there when Vivian broke the silence. "How do we end up with all of the shit cases?"

Cooper started laughing, relieving some of the stress. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"Why are we being escorted? I’m certified to act as a federal agent, at their request." Vivian looked in her mirror at the agents in the car behind them.

"I was thinking the same thing."

The two continued along in silence. Both of them could feel the approaching storm in their gut.

Soon Cooper was pulling into the FBI field office parking lot. An Agency car parked behind them, blocking their car. They were then escorted to the building by four of the Agents.

"I'm so not looking forward to this," Vivian mumbled to Cooper as they walked to the building.

"Me neither." Cooper breathed out as the door was held open for them.

Ben and Nate ran up to meet them just inside the building.

"Come with us, and say nothing until me or Ben come to talk to you," Nate told them in a tone that left no room for discussion. Nate, Ben and four other agents escorted them through the hallways. They were brought to a conference room and left there. They both dropped their bags by the door and sat down. There were some bottles of water left on the table. Cooper grabbed two and handed one to her. She twisted the cap, but the top didn't "crack" like a new unopened bottle of water would. She quickly put her hand on Cooper's bottle before he opened his, and he stopped what he was doing.

"Mine was already opened," She whispered and set her bottle on the table.

Cooper tried his and it was the same. "They were spiked."

She knew what that meant, and sighed. "What the hell is going on that they would drug the water?" She knew at this point, at the very least it wasn't the FBI pulling the strings.

Cooper shook his head, but knew the situation was unavoidable.

Vivian rubbed the back of her neck as she sat in one of the chairs. “I don’t think this is going to end well.”

"Me neither."

Vivian didn't know what to think. Her mind raced as she thought about Jake, her late husband, and the shit she went through while he was alive. Neither of them knew Pete, but she’d bet those bastards with Crimson Hellfire set all of this up. Jake warned her they’d stop at nothing.

Ben and Nate walked in about ten minutes later, rescuing Vivian from her thoughts. She grabbed her bottle of water, having every intention of giving it to Nate or Ben.

"Let's go," Ben ordered, and motioned for the two to follow.

The four walked out a side door toward a waiting sedan.

"What's going on guys?" Cooper asked.

"Wait until we're in the car." Nate gave him a look that told Cooper not to question him.

The four climbed in the sedan with limo tint on the windows, and Ben drove them off of the lot.

"You two, I want to continue poker night, so listen good," Nate started. "We're Agents Hernandez and Garcia, not Ben and Nate. We're taking you to a secure facility, where you're going to be debriefed, but not by FBI. These guys are serious."

"We figured out it's not the FBI, but why in the hell were we escorted by six agents to a debrief?" Vivian, though concerned about the direction this was taking them, still wanted answers.

"Think more along the lines of interrogation." Ben wanted to put emphasis on what Nate had told them.

"The FBI has no control over these people. You read the first page, realized the seriousness of the information and immediately called us." Nate explained, but it didn't matter. All they had to do was crack open a folder, and the presumption would be they read it all.

Ben looked at Viv and Coop in the rearview mirror, hoping they understood why him and Nate were so wound up. "Do you understand what we're telling you?"

"Can we leave our weapons with you?" Vivian had a sense of dread continuing to build within her with the warnings of the agents. "We'll get them back when we're done. "

"I’d suggest it," Ben agreed, and watched the two detectives.

"I'm going to leave all of my personal items with you, also." Vivian began to put her gun, wallet, keys and phone in the seat pocket in front of her. Cooper quickly did the same. "Why did they spike the water in the conference room?"

Nate sighed and shook his head. "We didn't know they did."

Vivian slid her bottle of water to the front seat. "You can check it."

Nate took the bottle. "I will." Nate knew exactly who he’d bring it to for analyzation. They’re out of the loop, and away from this organization. "We'll get your stuff out of the car later, at the office," Nate told them as Ben turned down a side street.

Vivian noticed the area was mostly unused warehouses. There wasn't much traffic in this part of town, and it was obvious.

Ben was about halfway down the street when his car was cut off from an alley.

"Remember what we told you. We won't stop trying to find you, but this is as far as they're going to let us go," Nate said urgently.

"They will split you up now, and we won't stop looking until you're both back," Ben said, and Vivian could see how angry he was.

“Ben, I’m fighting this.”

Ben quickly tried to consider the options they had, “Vivian, don’t.”

“They killed Jake,” Vivian glared at Ben.

This statement shocked Ben, but they didn’t have time to discuss it. “Viv, don’t do it.” But he wanted her to. He wanted her to give them hell.

“Call Sullivan, tell him what happened.” Vivian told both men.

“Viv—“ Nate started to answer her.

“Call Sullivan!”

Vivian turned to see a van as it pulled quickly behind the FBI vehicle. Several men exited both the car and the van. Ben quickly recognized five of them, all of whom worked black ops at one point or another. They'd been all recruited by several government agencies that didn’t technically exist.

A third car pulled up alongside Ben’s car and the men only exited the vehicle, spread out, guns visible on their hips, and watched as if to keep the FBI agents at bay.

                                               
Their doors were opened, and Cooper and Vivian were pulled from the car. They didn't even bother to grab the bags they packed. They both knew, after all of the warnings they received, they didn't need them.

Vivian took a few steps and began to fight like hell. If these bastards are who she thought they were there would be hell to pay. Five of the men were quickly on her. She had two on the ground as Cooper was dragged to the van. Another handful of men quickly came to the aid of the others and pulled her toward the car.

Ben and Nate threw their doors open as the men from the other agency surrounded their car.


"We'll be taking them from here." One man looked coldly at Ben as he walked up.

"This is bullshit! We were supposed to escort them to the facility!" Ben yelled at the man as Nate joined him on the driver's side of their car.

"There has been a change of plans, Agent Hernandez," The man told him gruffly, and immediately dismissed Ben as irrelevant. "Now, go back to your office, you will be contacted when we're done with them."

Nate lunged at the man, and he was immediately restrained by two of the unknown agents.

"Don't push it, Agent Garcia. I know who you really are." The man glared at him.

Nate shook off the two agents and stood in the middle of the street with Ben. Two of the men walked to the FBI unit and cut their tires. "You will not follow us," one of the men said coolly, walked back to his car, and they all drove off.

The FBI agents watched helplessly as their friends were taken away in separate directions.

"This is bullshit!" Nate yelled as he hit the hood.

"Fuck!" Ben screamed in the intense frustration. He pulled out his phone and called their boss, SAC Chad. "They took them, before we got there!"  Ben listened as he seethed. "Why would I lie about that?" Ben took his phone away from his ear as if he were disgusted by what was being said. "You better get everyone on it, they need to be found as quickly as possible. They’d rather die than turn on one another." Ben hung up, even though the person on the other end was still talking. Ben looked at Nate and then opened his phone again, he was calling Sullivan.

Hinesville: Viv's interrogation (Part 4)  (18+) Viv and Coop find out what they are in for...will they make it?