Law & Order: Leanbox

LAW, Part 2

by Derald Snyder

MILITARY BASE

MESS HALL

APRIL 4, 11:17 AM

Bennie Crisco, Eddie Green, and Peach in full armor walked into the mess hall, where several soldiers were eating an early lunch.

"Hey!" called Bennie, holding up his detective's badge. "Any of you from 82nd Unit? We need to ask some questions!"

"Yeah, we wanna get justice for Joe!" Peashy called out. A few voices called to her in recognition, while one man stood up from his lunch and turned to face the detectives as they approached.

"You from 82nd Unit?" Bennie asked.

"Yes sir!" the man saluted. "Corporal Michael Fitzgerald, 82nd Unit. Although, truth be told, I was expecting JAG..."

"Lady Vert pulled a few strings," Peach explained. "Given what happened last time with Adrian..."

"Yeah, I heard about that. Glad he was acquitted," Fitzgerald nodded.

"So you were there last night?" Eddie pressed.

The corporal heaved a sigh. "Yeah, I was there... poor Joe, never knew what hit him..."

"Well, why don't we go talk somewhere a little more private?" Bennie suggested.

*At the interrogation room...*

"Joe was like family to us," Fitzgerald sighed as he sat at the table, Peach sitting across from him with her helmet removed, Bennie and Eddie standing off to the sides. "Hell... we *were* Joe's family, he was an only child, his parents died from illness not long after he joined the army... He didn't deserve to die like that."

"So what were you all doing out there?" Bennie asked.

"Picking up some ordnance from a supplier," the corporal replied. "We were just finishing up when this suit of armor shows up outta nowhere, yellin' at us. Major gave the order to open fire, so we did. Thought we had 'em pinned down, and then- BOOM! -Joe goes down. Big hole in his chest..." he paused to inhale deeply. "Anyway, we got the order to retreat, so we piled in the transport and took off. We could hear that guy shooting after us..."

"And you just left Joe behind," Peach said in an accusatory tone.

"Like we had a choice!" Fitzgerald protested. "Look, none of us wanted to be the next guy with a hole in him... Besides, Major Tom said he'd contact JAG first thing in the morning..."

"Who's this Major Tom?" Eddie interrupted.

"Thomas Peloton," Peashy answered. "He's the head of 82nd Unit. I've met him before... one of the few guys who could hold his own against me in hand-to-hand combat."

"You remember any details about the guy that shot your brother-in-arms?" Bennie inquired.

Fitzgerald heaved another sigh. "Well, it was pretty dark out... but that armor seemed pretty streamlined... almost feminine. Think he or she had a big cannon on one arm..."

"Like a plasma cannon?" Eddie guessed.

"Could've been," the soldier shrugged. "But that beam that killed Joe was orange-red. I thought plasma was supposed to be green-colored..."

"I think it depends on the type of plasma or firearm used," Eddie pondered.

"Anything else you can remember?" Bennie pressed.

"Like I said, it was dark out, and things happened pretty fast," Fitzgerald sighed.

"OK, well we're gonna wanna talk to your commander, get his side of the story," said Eddie.

"He should be in his office right now," the soldier stated.

"I know where his office is," Peach spoke up. Standing, she leaned over and gently clasped the corporal's hand in her own. "I promise you, we are going to find who did this to Joe, mark my words."

Corporal Fitzgerald sighed and nodded in gratitude...

OFFICE OF

THOMAS PELOTON

APRIL 4, 12:03 PM

"It's good to see you again, Sergeant," Peloton said as he shook hands with Peach. He had dirty blond hair, cut in the usual military buzz cut, a sharp nose, and small grey eyes, with a slightly tanned skin complexion. "I only wish it were under better circumstances..."

"You and me both, Major," Peashy nodded. "This is Detectives Green and Crisco," she introduced her companions.

"Charmed," the major nodded as he shook hands with them both. "JAG gave me a heads-up that you were coming..."

"We already got the gist of what happened from Corporal Fitzgerald," Bennie began, "but we wanted to hear your side of things..."

"Not much I can add then," Peloton shrugged. "I was busy getting the last of the cargo loaded up during the firefight."

"But you were the one that gave the order to open fire," Eddie pointed out. "So you must have seen the perp..."

"Only a shadow," Peloton replied, "but I definitely heard her voice..."

"So it *was* a woman," stated Peach.

"You remember exactly what she said?" Eddie Green asked.

"Something along the lines of 'Stop right there, bastards!'," the major recalled. "I didn't see much, but I *did* see that big cannon on her arm, that's why I gave the order. Joe was at the front of the group, that's probably why he got targeted..."

"But something's bothering me, major," Peashy cut in. "Why were you picking up ordnance at that time of night, and in that particular spot? I know I'm not the brightest bulb, but it doesn't make any sense to me..."

Tom Peloton sighed as he clasped his hands and lowered his head. "Well, that supplier was on a pretty tight schedule... late at night was the only time they had available to deliver to us. I told 'em, to meet us at that place because it wasn't too far off the highway, not to mention a pretty recognizable landmark- they call it Daredevil's Drop, y'know? Anyway, I told 'em they could just drop it off there and then be on their way lickety-split."

"We're gonna need the name of that supplier," Bennie insisted.

"Yeah, sure, I'll write it down for you," Peloton nodded.

"Any reason you could think of why this lady would target you and your men?" Eddie asked.

"Couldn't say," the major shrugged as he pulled a pad of paper from his desk drawer. "But given that she called us bastards, maybe she mistook us for organized crime or something, maybe a bounty hunter. But hey, I'm just guessing." He then sat down and began to write...

*Back at police headquarters...*

"Well, the major's story seems to check out," Bennie reported to Lita Van Braun. "We contacted the supplier, Ripley Weapons Supply, and they confirmed the meet. But they said their truck was already gone by the time that bounty hunter or whoever showed up."

"So all we know is that the shooter is female, in sleek armor and with a plasma cannon," the police lieutenant summarized. "And if she's a bounty hunter like the major figures, that's gonna make it hard to track her down..."

"Wait, wait, I got an idea," Eddie suddenly broke in. "There's a bar not too far up the highway from Daredevil's Drop, host to quite a few unsavory characters. Maybe our shooter could've stopped in for a drink, or someone there saw something... Not a place you wanna go in without back up, though."

"Well, good thing I'm here, then," Peach smirked as she punched a fist into her hand. "Wouldn't mind having an excuse to cut loose..."

"Not unless you have to," Lita sternly warned her. "And on that note, you might wanna dress casual for this one, Sergeant. They see you in full armor, they might be tempted to shoot first and ask questions later..."

"Yes, ma'am," Peashy nodded in assent.

*To be continued...*