Hunting Grounds
Chapter 42
Epilogue
"Captain Victoria Gates, be seated, please." Gates realized that the meeting they had requested she attend this morning was looking less and less like a meeting. She was seated at a table with a lone chair. While in front of her were three tables with someone sitting behind each of them.
"Captain Hamilton is to my left, Captain Reinhart is to my right, and I'm Captain Foegle. Let's get started, shall we? Do you recall a case that involved the Lee crime family?" Foegle asked her.
"Yes, sir."
"We have the written reports about this case and have read them thoroughly. In it, your detectives Beckett, Ryan, and Esposito questioned why you were ordering them to stand down and not pursue the Lee family. You just repeated your order more forcefully.
"Now the three of us know that once you have a crime family trying to circle the wagons, you do not stand down. You pursue them even harder. Your actions gave the Lees time to figure out how to respond, and even now, the Lee family is still in business. You had a chance to damage the Lee family business and you didn't take it." He put that folder aside and picked up another one.
"Next, do you recall a case involving a vigilante that was in your district? Lone Vengeance, I believe it reads. Detective Beckett had brought someone in for questioning. You instructed Detective Beckett to get a confession.
"While she was questioning him, you called Mayor Weldon and told him that you had caught the killer and taken the vigilante off the streets. When indeed, you had neither. In fact, as the case progressed, you had not one but three Lone Vengeances. But only one had actually killed someone." Foegle gave her a minute.
"Yes, sir." Gates knew that was a mistake, but she wasn't going to admit it. Not even to him.
"When Detective Beckett told you that you shouldn't have done that, you blew up at her." She watched him pick up that piece of paper. "You told her, and I quote, 'Perhaps I shouldn't have placed my faith in your ability to do your job, Detective, and I use the term loosely.' End quote." He put the piece of paper back down.
"Let's stay with Detective Beckett for a moment, shall we." He changed folders to a new one. "Katherine Beckett made detective faster than any woman in the history of the NYPD. She beat you by six weeks. Detective Beckett was an up-and-coming star. The city could use more like her, yet she no longer lives in this city, let alone this state.
"Staying with Detective Beckett for a moment. She questioned your actions, and you suspended her for two days without pay. You called her insubordinate. She promptly blew up and suggested you make it a week. In the end, you suspended her for a week with no pay." Foegle placed that folder to one side.
"Yes, sir." This wasn't a meeting, it was a dressing down of Gates' command.
"Moving on. Let's discuss the topic of Captain Rodgers next. Captain Rodgers is a United States Navy SEAL who already has more medals and service badges than you ever will. He is a decorated SEAL that serves his country with distinction.
"This board didn't have an issue with him being assigned to provide review papers to the Navy. Neither did Mayor Weldon, Chief of Detectives Ted McQuinn, Commissioner Alastair Barlowe, nor the captains of the 54th and 101st precincts. Not even Captain Montgomery prior to you. Just you, it would appear.
"So much so that you phoned someone to have her help you get rid of him counter to all of our approvals. In turn, she did as you asked. And because of you, she came dangerously close to being fired. She presently has a letter in her file that may eventually go away." Gates' mouth fell open, but she recovered quickly. She didn't know that.
"The woman you phoned was your sister. According to an interview with her, you two were not that close even when you called. You are even less close now. In actuality, she told you to never contact her again in any manner.
"As stated in one of Rodgers' written reports on the 12th precinct, he advised you that Captain Montgomery, who also didn't have a problem with him being there, I will remind you, had left orders concerning him in your desk. That he wasn't here to tell you how to run your precinct, and yet you wanted to tell him how to do his job. Preferably not do his job at all." What Foegle was telling her was that yes, Rodgers had turned in reports about the 12th precinct.
Gates could just imagine all the lies Rodgers had written into that report.
"However, those orders as signed by Secretary of Defense Erwin McElroy weren't good enough for you. You proceeded to insult and degrade Captain Rodgers on a daily basis. Conduct very unbecoming of a captain of the NYPD. We're lucky that the press didn't catch wind of your actions toward a decorated member of the United States Navy. We would have been crucified, thanks to your actions." Foegle was furious about that alone, not to mention everything already discussed, and what was left.
Captain Hamilton picked up one of his folders. "This folder contains the names of all of those of the 12th precinct that have turned in their resignations. The most prominent one is Detective Beckett. We had high hopes for her. But thanks to your actions, she has taken her skill to another city in a different state. Detective Kevin Ryan is another. Having a detective that once was in Narcotics gave us a two-for-one advantage. Now he is gone as well. He, too, took his skills to a different city in another state.
"Do you know how many names are in this folder, Captain Gates?" He put it aside and picked up another one, not giving Gates time to say anything. "This folder is the worst of all. In it are all those in the 12th precinct that have requested a transfer. A few have asked for a transfer to a specific precinct. But most don't express anywhere specific. They just want out of the 12th.
"What's worse is that these are only the ones for whom we have a copy of their transfer requests. As I'm sure you know, per regulations, you have seven days to either approve the transfer or write a reason why the request should be rejected and sent on to 1PP for review. Care to take a guess how many of these have exceeded those seven days?
"I'm uneasy regarding what will be found when your desk is searched, to see just how many official requests for a transfer you have actually received. We only have eighteen of them. Eighteen, Captain Gates. That number is unheard of in the history of this department." He was disgusted with her.
Captain Reinhart picked up a folder. Apparently he was next. "In this folder are copies of Captain Rodgers' reports about all three precincts where he managed to visit and spend time. The reports for the 54th and the 101st read as recommendations on what could be improved. However, each are glowing reports compared to the ones about the 12th precinct. The one on Captain Montgomery shows just what changed after we lost Montgomery and when you were made captain of the 12th. The report with you as captain reads like a horror story.
"Degrading comments made to detectives, even officers. All the insults that you hurled at seemingly everyone out in the open, let alone the ones not in this report that took place one-on-one in your office.
"You are a captain of a precinct, not a detective still part of Internal Affairs. And yet, all this reads as if you were still a detective with Internal Affairs. It's a horror story." He slammed his hand down onto the table and laid the folder aside.
"One final thing, Captain Victoria Gates," Reinhart said as he studied her face. "Does the phone number 555-444-1212 mean anything to you?"
She didn't flinch.
Foegle took over again. He picked up a folder and opened it. "It should since you called this number a total of eleven times during your tenure as captain of the 12th Precinct. In turn, that same number has called you a total of four times.
"We had this number investigated. It's a burner phone, totally untraceable. Would you care to tell us who you are calling, Captain Gates?" Foegle gave her a moment.
Gates had used her personal cell phone to make those calls, so for them to have her phone records meant she had been investigated and hadn't heard a word. Certainly not from the person she was talking with.
But she was thinking she was going to need him if she was going to survive this. "No, sir." She wasn't going to rat him out and destroy what little she still had.
"I see." Foegle and the others on this board had doubted that she would tell them. Though, unless she had something to say that would be monumental, they had already decided her future with the New York Police Department.
"Very well. Victoria Gates, based on our evidence and your refusal to tell us who you are talking with, you are terminated effective immediately. Your office will be stripped of all personal effects and shipped to the address we have on file. Your pension is now forfeit. Your benefits are also immediately forfeit.
"You will leave all NYPD property on the table. Agents." He motioned that they could enter the room now.
Gates turned and saw two men and one woman, all wearing black suits, enter the room. "These people are from the FBI. They have questions about who you are talking to and what arrangements and deals you have made with this person.
"If you have provided this person with any sensitive NYPD material, you will be arrested and charged. You signed a non-disclosure agreement with the NYPD, and we will strictly enforce that agreement. Make no mistake. We will find out what you have done.
"She's yours." Foegle washed his hands of former Captain Victoria Gates. "If we still had access to Detective Beckett, we would ask her if she wanted to take the Captain's Exam, and when she passed, offer the 12th Precinct to her. But your actions have deprived our city of that benefit.
"What you have left us with is one huge fucking mess that we need to figure out how to clean up. If the FBI releases you to us, we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. You will never hold a position in any law enforcement agency within the State of New York ever again." Foegle and the others left with their folders and what was in them.
Gates found herself being escorted to a room where the female agent was. Once inside, she told Gates to strip naked. Gates was then searched very thoroughly, including having a gloved finger stuffed up her ass and another finger into her vagina before the agent gave her different clothes to put on.
Gates knew what number she was going to call when she got her phone call. Except she instantly learned that this number was no longer in service. It was only then that she understood just what she had done.
[_] /\ [_]
Kate was staring at her murder board while sneaking peeks at Royal resting comfortably on his bed for now. They had all learned that when he felt like it, he would go to each and every person he could reach in this area, if not the entire floor.
Kate had also heard Captain Campbell greet him when Royal entered his office. Even he petted him and cooed at him, and she had learned at that time that he had doggie treats in his desk.
Life in this city and this office was very much different. She had already learned that having Royal here had changed everyone's attitude. This job was hard enough, even on the good days. Royal was making it more fun for everyone.
Yes, they razzed Kate a bit since she was the one that got to take him home with her, when they had been taking turns taking him home with them instead.
"We found him." One of her partners came up to her with his home address and his work location.
Kate took the paper and looked at it. "The airport!" Kate smiled, left him, and knocked on the captain's door. "He has a brother who works in the baggage handling area of the airport. It's the perfect place to ship out anything he wants. Just add a bag with a forged tag. Our airport is an international airport."
"I'll inform the airport police," Campbell said.
"Request permission to take Royal there and let him sniff around." After all, they were looking for drugs in addition to solving a murder. A murder seemingly connected to drugs.
"That's a lot of bags, Rodgers," he reminded her.
"Royal can do it, sir." Kate had faith in him. Almost immediately, Royal was next to her; she bent down. "Who's a good boy? You are, aren't you?" Kate petted him and kissed his head. She, like everyone else around here, was more than willing to gush all over Royal and tell him how good a boy he was.
"Request granted. I'll have airport police give you some support. Take Caroline with you."
"Thank you, sir. Come on, Royal. We have work to do." Kate left and went her desk to get her weapon and everything else she was going to need, including a bag of treats and a leash for Royal.
"Care to join me while we watch Royal sniff for drugs in the baggage area of the airport?" Captain Campbell had made it an order, but Kate was making it voluntary.
"I would love to. Watch Royal in action? Who can resist that?" Caroline retreated to her desk and got out her weapon and whatever she needed, including her own little bag of doggie treats. "Poop bags," she called out and saw Kate hold up a tiny thing that had poop bags rolled up inside it. All they had to do was pull one out and unfold it.
"Come on, Royal! Let's go find us some drugs." Caroline was happy to be here. And working with another woman like Kate had been a godsend for her. Add Royal to that, and this job was actually a little fun.
[_] /\ [_]
Kate was driving while Caroline got the passenger seat. Royal got the back seat and was just sitting there watching where they were going.
"So how is that husband of yours?" Caroline had seen him come in to pick up Kate and take her out to lunch many times. Kate was one lucky woman. Her husband was handsome and a hunk.
"Rick's been deployed for nearly three months, Caroline. I'm about ready to lose my mind." Touching herself and her vibrator just wasn't doing it for her. She needed him to touch her, to make love to her.
"He's in the Navy, isn't he? So you don't even know where he went?" Caroline could feel for her.
"Barely a clue. Egypt, Afghanistan, Israel, the Philippines, they're all in the news. I discount Afghanistan since they don't even have water so why send a SEAL team there? But the others…" Kate was worried about those locations.
"He'll be fine," Caroline assured her.
"I know he's well-trained, but I still worry. He warned me when we were dating that this would happen. He may be worried that I might be cheating on him since that would never happen. I just worry about him coming home injured. Those IEDs in the Gulf War blew legs off." Yes, Kate was worried.
[_] /\ [_]
They had just parked when Kate's cell phone rang. She hit ACCEPT on the car's display panel. "Rodgers." God, she loved saying that name. That was her name now. She was loving being married.
"Hello, Mrs. Rodgers."
"BABE!" Kate was so happy to hear his voice that she felt tears well up. And then Royal barked since he knew that voice.
"Royal! Who's a good boy?" Rick crooned like everyone else did.
"Where are you, babe? How are you?" Kate wiped away tears.
"I'm in DC. I just got here, and I'm trying to arrange a flight to the Air Base. With luck, I'll be home tomorrow."
"YES!" Kate had a victory. "Call and tell me when and I'll come get you. I'll ask Captain Campbell for the time off. I'll even bring Royal." Just then, they all heard Royal bark again.
Rick smiled when he heard Royal. "I will do that."
"I hate to do this, but I have to go. I'm with Caroline and we're at the airport with Royal. We're going to get Royal to search for drugs as part of our investigation." Kate hated to put an end to the call, but she would kiss him senseless tomorrow.
"Hello, Caroline."
"Hi, Rick." Caroline was happy for both of them.
"I'll let you go. Kiss Royal for me. See you tomorrow, Kate. I love you."
"I'll be there. I love you, too." Kate listened to him hang up.
"He's coming home!" Caroline was happy and watched Kate wipe away tears. "He sounded fine, Kate."
"Yeah. I knew I loved Rick. I just never really knew just how much till now." Kate willed herself to stop crying so she could quit wiping away tears. He was fine and would be home tomorrow.
"Let's go, Royal. We have work to do before Rick comes home." Kate got out of the car, let Royal out, and put him on the leash. Then they all headed for the airport to find drugs, and maybe find their killer.
[_] /\ [_]
Kate had Royal with her and had gotten as far as she could get onto the Naval Air Base and was waiting of her husband to show up. She had barely had any sleep last night after Rick had called her.
Royal barked and strained at his leash since he wanted to go over there. That had Kate looking, and she spotted him. She was so happy to see him! But then she started to cry. He was injured! It looked like his entire left arm, and even his shoulder was in a cast.
Kate put both hands over her mouth; she could feel the tears. It was then that she lost control over Royal, who ran to him. With her hands still over her mouth, Kate watched as Rick knelt down, petted Royal, and kissed his head.
Finally, Rick made his way to her since she was frozen in place. Kate looked him over. He had his coat over his shoulder, and his arm was indeed in a cast.
"Rick?" He hadn't said anything about him being hurt. She let him kiss her, and she kissed him back. Kate finally ran a hand down his arm. "What happened?" She used her other hand and wiped away more tears.
"It all kind of went south on us. I got shot and it fractured my left shoulder. We got out, but I'm not the only one injured. The team I was a part of is history now." They had been disbanded since three of them would be out of action for quite a while.
Kate looked into his eyes. "How bad?"
"It depends on your point of view, I guess."
That wasn't an answer, and she wanted one, damn it. "HOW. BAD."
"We managed to be extracted. The injured were flown to Germany where they operated on all of us. That's where I got this. I've got a few pins in my shoulder to put it back together and allow the bones to heal.
"I'll be out of action for months, maybe forever. I won't know that till the bones start to heal and I lose this thing. So you might like the result. If I can't regain my strength in this arm, my time as a Navy SEAL will have reached its end."
"Oh, Rick!" Kate knew he loved being a SEAL. It was who he was. He loved serving his country to the best of his ability.
"I get a Purple Heart now." And Rick got another ribbon on his chest.
"Rick!" Kate ran her hand down his arm again, totally ignoring Royal, who didn't want to be left out any longer.
"I'm fine, Royal." Rick leaned down to pet him.
Kate touched his cast. "This is not fine, Rick. How long do you have to wear this thing?"
"Eight weeks minimum."
"Two months!" The man she loved would be walking around with that for two months?
"I do have good news." Rick had a series of good news, at least for her point of view.
"There's good news?" She didn't see any good news. How was he supposed to sleep with that thing? How was he going to make love to her with it? She had tomorrow off, and she had plans to make love to him for hours and hours.
"I won't be deployed again for at least another nine months, or longer if my shoulder doesn't recover well enough." That was the first part of his good news.
"That's something at least." She got to keep him while he recovered.
"I have one more piece of good news. While I recover, the Navy has talked Captain Campbell into letting me follow you around at your job. Just like in New York City with one tiny exception."
"REALLY!" Suddenly his damaged arm was history, and she raised up on her toes to kiss him. "What's the exception?" This just had to be the bad news.
"I can't leave the district looking like this, and I won't have a permit to carry a weapon in New Orleans. I can help, but I can't go anywhere with you. I can't watch your back." He hated that part but was pretty sure Kate would like the good part.
"Who cares!" Kate raised up on her toes to kiss him again. She got to have him home, and she got to have him at work. Her husband and Royal, both in the same place, day after day. "Let me guess. Lance?" If it was she owed him big time.
"I've already thanked him."
"I'll find him a present and send it. Um, can you actually make love to me wearing this thing?" Kate was so horny she was going to burst soon.
Rick's smile got wider. "Let's find out. Do we have straps yet? I could tie you to the bed even with one hand."
Kate felt her heart skip a beat. They had only ever teased each other about that. It was time to do something about it. "I'll put a location into my GPS on the way home. Come on, husband. I need to make love to you so badly." Kate took his good hand in hers and called for Royal to follow. He was still loose but came running at her call.
"Maybe we can talk about that first child of our family." It was a subject they had talked very little about.
"You want to start a family?" Kate was a little surprised.
"No, I want us to talk about when or if we're going to have a family, not actually start one," Rick corrected her. "We have a four-bedroom house with over three thousand square feet of space."
"We can do that," Kate agreed as they walked to her car.
"Heard anything from anyone?" Rick inquired since he had been out of communication with everyone for about three months.
"Let's see." Kate unlocked the car and put Royal in the back. Then she helped Rick get in her car and closed the door on his side.
"Kevin says he likes his job, and Jenny is loving Key West. Lanie is still doing her job and told me that Javi didn't transfer. A lot of others didn't either. It seems they fired Gates, and no one has heard from her again."
"Really?" Rick found that interesting. He wondered if his reports had anything to do with that. Or if it was just another piece of the puzzle that was Cast Iron Gates.
"So who is captain now?" Rick asked her.
Kate shrugged. "I don't know him. Javi hasn't told Lanie much so I don't know anything about him. But he can't be worse than Gates was." She didn't see how that was possible.
Rick was ready to say, Yes, he could, when Kate's cell phone rang. It was connected to the car, so she pressed ACCEPT on the display panel. "Hello?"
"This is Ben Williams from the FBI. Is this Katherine Houghton Rodgers?"
"It is. What can I help you with?" Kate queried.
"It sounds like speakerphone, and it sounds like you might be driving. Who else is listening?"
"My husband."
"Captain Rodgers. I didn't know you were back in the States already. I trust you are doing well?"
"I have a cast, but I'm fine. What can we help you with?" Rick asked him.
"I need you to find a place to park, Ms. Rodgers. Just for now."
"Okay." Kate spotted a parking lot that they could use. "We're parked. What's up?"
"This concerns the death of your mother. For now, watch the evening news when you get home. It will be on just about every channel. We will be making an arrest soon. It should be taking place as we speak."
"My mother's case? You found who killed her?" Kate couldn't believe it. Finally, after all these years.
"We found a lot, a whole lot. He has control over the single largest heroin distribution network in United States history. We are still gathering information, but we believe we can add murder charges for your mother and others, along with a whole list of other charges."
,
"WHO! TELL. ME. WHO! I need to know who." Kate stared at the screen that didn't really tell her much. No ID or anything, just that it was a phone call.
"United States Senator William H. Bracken."
"A senator?" Kate was dumbfounded.
"That explains why Roy said he might have the power to have more orders changed if he is well connected," Rick said.
"He did," Ben confirmed. "There's one additional thing. I believe you know a Victoria Gates."
"She was captain when I was at the 12th. Gates is involved in this?" How was that possible?
"Victoria Gates is not involved in your mother's murder, nor as far as we can ascertain is she involved with his drug distribution network. From what we can determine, Gates used her contact with Bracken to further her advancement within the NYPD. She knew nothing about the man himself or what he was doing."
"That's something, I guess. What about Roy?"
"Roy Montgomery has been very helpful. We have been unable to determine to date if he was directly responsible for the death of our undercover agent Bob Armen. Still, Montgomery is accountable for altering NYPD records, and helping to hide him and help him. Granted, he did it to protect you and his family.
"We are still in negotiations regarding what his penalty for all this will be. Of course, he and his family will disappear. However, there's one more thing we need to discuss, and then I'll let you go.
"Bracken has access to very well-trained hired killers. I don't believe they're better than Captain Rodgers, but we suspect he may try and take his revenge on people. So you and Captain Rodgers might do well to keep your eyes open and watch your backs.
"Just watch tonight's news. That's all, Detective Rodgers and Captain Rodgers. Enjoy the rest of your day." He ended the call.
"They found him. They actually found him." Kate couldn't believe it.
Rick did his best to reach across to touch her since his left arm was in a cast. "Are you all right?"
"I don't know. I spent so much time trying to find out who, and now I know. It just wasn't me that did it." She was happy and conflicted at the same time.
"Drive us home, Kate. Take us home." They had long since bought the house and moved in. They even had a few new pieces of furniture, including a bedroom set for guests that had yet to visit.
[_] /\ [_]
The FBI agent who called Kate was right. The arrest of Senator Bracken was all over the news. Drug charges, murder charges. Almost more indictments than even Kate could follow.
"I don't even recognize him. I can honestly say I've never seen him before." Kate was snuggled in nice and close to her husband on his good side. "I don't even know who I voted for in the Senate."
"You got what you wanted. Justice." Rick turned his head and kissed hers.
"I need two days off eventually. I need to go talk to Mom. I want to tell her that we found her killer. She deserves to know he is meeting justice." Kate knew she would be talking to a grave marker, but she had already done a lot of that over the years.
"Can we wait till I can move my arm?" Rick asked her.
"Yes, babe, we can wait. People at work can watch Royal. Right, Royal?" Kate petted his head that was in her lap.
Kate could honestly say she was happy. She was married to a good man, had a good job that she enjoyed. She had Royal, and at long last, she had justice for her mother.
"So when are we having this conversation about starting a family?" Kate hid her grin by burying her face into his side. Then suddenly, she sat upright. "We forgot to get those straps for the bed!"