Title: The 355
By: greygoose70
Chapter 7
The FBI's newest Gulfstream G650ER landed at London's Heathrow Airport a quick five hours after taking off from DC's Reagan International Airport. After taxiing to its private hangar its lone passenger, SSA Jordan Shaw descended the steps and into the waiting Range Rover. An hour later she was sitting in the conference room at Interpol's office building in the heart of Manchester. Seated there with her are her good friends and crime busting associates Rick Castle/Rodgers and Kate Beckett as well as former FBI/BAU Agent Emily Prentiss, now the director of Interpol's London Division. The Spanish woman she was introduced to is Dr. Vittoria Sanchez, a physicist at the CERN facility.
She then began to speak, "Three weeks ago a nuclear scientist, Dr. Malcom Fitzhimmer, was murdered. Because he sat on the POTUS energy commission I was called in to investigate. During our investigation we discovered he had written a paper about CERN's research into the development of antimatter. In this paper he discussed the implications, especially the dangers, of such a project. We were able to catch and arrest his killer, a woman who claimed to be a member of a group called the Culper Ring. She was imprisoned awaiting trial but never made it, she was killed four days ago."
"The same day as the theft," Rick said.
"Dr. Sanchez, why didn't you report the theft and the killing of your father right away," Jordan asked?"
"Director Kohler told us not to. He was afraid it would cause a panic especially if it came out what the antimatter was capable of. He was also afraid of what it would do to the reputation of CERN."
"Where is your father's body now Vittoria," Rick enquired.
"Madrid, I had him shipped back there for burial in our family's private cemetery."
"We need that body," Rick announced. "Who's up for a trip to Spain," he then asked.
"Not necessary," Emily responded. "We just need the slugs for comparison. I have agents there they can get the local medical examiner to retrieve them and send them here. Vittoria, has your father been buried yet.?"
"No, his viewing and burial isn't till this coming weekend."
"Good, let me make a call," Emily responded then left the room. "The bullets will be here in the morning," she declared when she returned. "Now let's get some lunch, I skipped breakfast."
"Back to the Golden Chippy," Kate spouted enthusiastically.
"Good as place as any; let's go," Emily asserted.
After lunch everyone returned to the conference room except for Emily who went to her office to catch up on some overdo paperwork. The others meanwhile were discussing different scenarios all of which was getting them nowhere. Not one of the three countries they considered would be stupid enough to commit an atrocity on another country as this was capable of. That left the Culper Ring itself and the three unanswered questions. When? Where? And why?
"Let's take a break," Kate said as a lull in their discussion set in. "I need coffee."
"Me too," Terri said.
"Include me," Rick uttered, "Vittoria…"
"Tea for me," she replied.
"Breakroom is right next door, let's go see what they have," Rick said rising from his chair heading for the breakroom the three women right behind.
"Oh, look they have a Keurig," one of them stated. "And a variety of coffees and teas," another one proclaimed.
Seating at one of the tables in silence each enjoying their liquid refreshment they all jumped in surprise when Rick's phone rang. "Hold on a minute Ilsa," he said upon answering and putting it on speaker. "Go get Emily," he told Terri.
A few moments later Terri returned Emily directly behind her. "Okay Ilsa go ahead," Rick said.
"I met with my contact," she began; "she told me that about six months after I left a woman approached her, asked if she would be interested in joining the group. When my contact asked what kind of group it was the woman told her that women just like herself were helping those that were raped and molested during the war. They helped locate some of those responsible, saw that they were prosecuted and punished. She told me she never met the leader just that the woman called her Grandma Culper. She left the group about a year afterwards when she discovered it was the group itself that implemented the punishment. She also told me the group has moved their headquarters to Podgorica, down in Montenegro; I'm heading there tomorrow."
"Good work Ilsa. Stay safe. We'll talk again tomorrow." Rick then disconnected the call.
"On that note I could use something stronger than this coffee," Rick said. "Where's the nearest tavern?"
"Goolsby's is just around the corner. I'm up for a drink as well," Emily replied.
"Count us in," came a chorus from the remaining three.
Goolsby's Tavern
"What you thinking, Rick," Kate asked when the barmaid delivered their drinks."
Rick lifted his shot of bourbon dropped it in his mug of beer then took a healthy drink. He wiped the foam from his upper lip then looked at each of his companions before speaking. "Before I ever begin to write a story I always answer these questions first. Who: who is my villain. What: what is his/her crime. When: when was the crime committed. Where: where was the crime committed. And lastly Why was the crime committed. I believed we have discovered the Who and the What. The When and Where are still unknown but the Why is becoming clearer."
"Okay the Who is this Culper Ring," Jordan said.
"The What is a bomb," Terri added.
"More than just a bomb, Terri," Rick replied. "A bomb has two primary purposes, destruction of property or kill the inhabitants in a property. This device is capable of annihilation of both."
"So Why," Kate asked.
"I'm only speculating here but I believe this plot was orchestrated by one person. The one we know as Grandma Culper and doesn't have the full sanction of the entire ring. I believe she was a victim of the atrocity that befell on the Muslim women during the Bosnian War and has held a grudge ever since but has reached a point where individual prosecutions are not enough that it's time to inform the world that the mistreating and crimes against women comes to an end."
"So to do that she is willing to wipe out what," Emily proclaimed, "an entire city, a small country, a government, a…"
"That's it!" Rick shouted pounding his fist on the table disturbing most of the patrons in the establishment.
"That's what," Kate said placing her hand on his fist to stop his pounding.
"She's going after a government," he stated emphatically.
TBC