Chapter 6: The Aquarium

CtOS Control Center
The Wards

After making the formal introduction to CtOS task force leader Dr. Neal Bartholomew, the doctor lead Detective Harrison inside the CtOS Control Center in The Wards, where the enigmatic headquarters of the task force was located. Bartholomew began his tour of the building by bringing Harrison to the reception desk, where a young dark-haired woman looking to be of collegian age sat behind a very clean and modern-looking desk. She wore a telephone headset on her head and had a very noticeable nose piercing.

"Detective Harrison", Bartholomew said as he motioned to the young receptionist, "This is Molly", he said, "She's our dayshift receptionist here at the Control Center." He motioned back to Harrison. "Molly, this is Detective Troy Harrison with the Chicago PD", he continued, "He'll be joining us at the task force."

Molly smiled warmly at the detective. "It's so nice to meet you, Detective", she said with a very sincere tone in her voice before taking something out of her top desk drawer and setting it on the desktop. It was a laminated ID badge with Harrison's picture on it. "Here's your keycard badge, sir", she said, "It'll allow you access into the building and into The Aquarium."

Though slightly confused, Harrison took the badge and pinned it to the lapel of his suit jacket. "Thank you, Molly", he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well." He then looked to Dr. Bartholomew as the men continued walking. "The Aquarium?" he asked Bartholomew.

The doctor smirked. "It's what we call our task force command center", he replied, "You'll see why when we enter. Before we get there, I have just a few questions."

Harrison nodded. "Shoot", he said.

"Your college background was in Psychology and Criminology, right?" Bartholomew asked, "Superintendent Daniels provided me with your file when he told me you'd be joining us here. I'm just wondering, how does a guy from Vermont end up attending a small college in Mississippi?"

"The small-town college there had great programs in those two specialties", Harrison explained, "I thought it was a better fit for me than a bigger school like the University of Virginia or Yale. I wanted to go on and get my Master's Degree in Criminology when I was recruited by the FBI."

Dr. Bartholomew nodded approvingly. "I see", he said, "Your file said that your specialties as a profiler include serial crime and ritualistic crime, correct?"

"Yes", Harrison said, "When I was going through Behavioral Analysis training at Quantico, I was one of six rookie profilers who got to visit prisons along the East Coast and interview inmates. Kidnappers, murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and any combination of the aforementioned four categories."

Bartholomew grimaced a bit. "I bet they were a real jolly bunch, huh?" he said.

Harrison scoffed. "Oh yeah", he replied with great sarcasm.

The two men soon reached a set of reflective glass double doors with a keypad security scanner beside them. Dr. Bartholomew pointed to Harrison's ID badge. "Why don't you give that a try?" he asked.

Harrison shrugged before taking the badge off his lapel and running it through the scanner. The device beeped affirmatively and the two double doors automatically opened with a mechanized hissing sound. "Welcome to The Aquarium, Detective", Bartholomew said as he led him into the Command Center.

The CtOS Task Force Command Center was a very spacious room, filled with computer workstations occupied by about a dozen law enforcement officials representing various agencies. Harrison noted the presence of familiar designations like "FBI", "ATF", and "U.S. Marshal" embossed on the various employees' shirts and raid jackets. The very obvious centerpieces of the room were two huge high-definition television monitors which showed a multitude of split screen feeds from what looked like surveillance cameras, computer webcams, and cell phone cameras.

"I get it now", Harrison said to Bartholomew, "With those giant monitors you have here, it's like you guys are looking in a big fish tank. I take it the populous of our fair Chicago are the fish then, huh?"

"Something like that", a male voice said from somewhere on Harrison's right side.

Harrison turned to see FBI Special Agent Dean McCain coming toward him with an extended hand. McCain was a tall white man in his late forties, with his brown hair shaved into a telltale Marine buzzcut. He was dressed in a very reserved-looking polo shirt in the FBI's trademark shade of blue with the official FBI seal just beneath the buttoned collar.

"Hi", he said politely, "I'm Special Agent Dean McCain, FBI. I specialize in crimes against children for the task force. Whenever we get a tip that someone could be misusing the CtOS features to lure or exploit minors, that's where I come in."

Harrison shook the man's hand. "Nice to meet you, Agent McCain", he replied, "Troy Harrison, CPD."

"I hear you used to be one of us", McCain said, "Is that right?"

"Yeah", Harrison replied, "I figured a change of pace here in the Windy City could be beneficial."

McCain gave his new colleague a fascinated smile. "Cool", he said, "Welcome to CtOS."

Harrison nodded to McCain with gratitude before Dr. Bartholomew motioned to a petite, lean African American woman who appeared to be in her mid-forties. Her black dreadlocks were fashioned into an immaculate bun with a flowered fabric hair tie and she was dressed in a plain white cotton t-shirt, blue jeans, and a raid jacket bearing the words "ATF AGENT" in large yellow lettering on the back. She was also wearing a radio headset.

"This is Agent Lavinia Taylor with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms", Bartholomew explained, "We call her 'Vin' for short. Any case that involves guns, explosives, or arson comes to her."

"Nice to meet you, Detective", Taylor said without taking her gaze from her computer screen, "I'm sorry for not shaking hands at the moment, but I'm right in the middle of something."

Harrison discreetly leaned over Taylor's shoulder, but was careful not to get in her way. On her screen, he could see what looked like a boat dock with boats arriving at it through the perspective of one of a CtOS surveillance camera. "What're you working on?" he asked.

"An ATF team is about to intercept a gun deal", Taylor explained before pointing to a man disembarking from one of the boats onto the dock, "And this dude just arrived from Milwaukee on his big, spiffy speedboat. He's about to get nabbed by one of our undercovers."

Agent Taylor then pressed a button her headset. "ATF Alpha One, this is CtOS Task Force", she said into the mic, "I have eyes on your target and the CtOS scan has confirmed his identity. He's your boy. Green light, repeat, you have a green light."

Just like that, a plainly dressed man who had been standing nonchalantly up against one of the dock pillars smoking a cigarette suddenly drew down on the suspect with a handgun. "ATF!" The man yelled as he kept his weapon trained on the suspect, "Hands in the air now!" Six other ATF agents in raid jackets and tactical vests soon appeared in the frame of the camera as they made their way onto the dock and arrested the man.

One of the agents glanced into the boat, removed a large cardboard box that had been opened, and deliberately turned it toward the camera so Taylor and the others could see. The box housed approximately half a dozen illegally purchased Tec-9 semiautomatic pistols. "CtOS Task Force", the agent's voice was heard through Taylor's computer speakers, "This is ATF Alpha Team One. We have the suspect in custody and we have the illicit cargo. Good job, Task Force, way to go, over."

Taylor pressed the button on her headset once again. "Ten-Four, Alpha Team", she said into the mic, "No sweat. Get home safe. Task Force out."

Harrison smiled gleefully, very much impressed by what he had seen. He high-fived Taylor and laughed, as did Taylor herself. "I'll take that over a regular handshake any day, man!" Taylor said through laughter, "Welcome to the Aquarium!"

"Thanks Vin", Harrison replied, "That was very exciting. Looking forward to working with you."

Taylor nodded as Dr. Bartholomew ushered Harrison over to his workstation. The detective took a seat and put on the headset that sat beside the keyboard. "You're assigned to work The Wards at CPD right?" Bartholomew asked.

"Yeah", Harrison replied.

Bartholomew reached over Harrison's shoulder and typed something on the keyboard. All of the available CtOS camera feeds covering The Wards appeared on the computer screen. "So that's where you be monitoring then", Bartholomew explained, "Your headset is connected every available police and emergency channel at OEMC. You see anything go down, radio them and they'll send whatever help may be needed for that situation."

"Okay", Harrison said.

Bartholomew then used the mouse cursor to select the image of a white man appearing to be in his mid to late twenties wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up. Once they had an adequate view of his face, he clicked on it and the live feed was momentarily paused, putting a rectangular orange border over the man's face. A small text window then appeared beside the right edge of the border, displaying basic vital statistics on the man.

"Ronald Davis", Harrison read out loud, "Twenty-three years old. Open warrant for a failure to appear on a narcotics possession case."

"Get on the horn to OEMC and tell them they have a wanted subject in the area", Bartholomew instructed, "Then hit the space bar and resume the live feed to track his movements."

Harrison pressed the spacebar, thereby resuming the live CtOS feed, before keying the mic on his headset. "OEMC Squad", Harrison said into the mic, "This is Detective Harrison with the CtOS Task Force. I have eyes on a wanted subject on the north side of The Wards, over."

"Copy", a female OEMC operator replied, "OEMC Operator Seven-Two-Five here. Go with the information, over."

"CtOS Scan has identified the suspect as 25-year-old Ronald Davis", Harrison explained, "Suspect is a white male, twenty-three years old, approximately five-foot-six, one-hundred-fifteen pounds. Suspect is wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with blue jeans and what appears to be black sneakers. Be advised, a failure to appear warrant has been issued for this subject, over."

"Ten-Four Detective", Operator 725 replied, "What is the suspect's approximate location at this time?"

Harrison briefly looked at the feed screen before keying his mic once again. "Be advised", he said into the mic, "Suspect appears to be leaving an ATM machine outside Peter's Liquor Store. That address is Fourteen-Thirty-Three Scott Street in The Wards. Suspect's heading eastbound on foot, repeat, eastbound on foot, over."

"Ten-Four", Operator 725 replied, "Be advised, we have a CPD patrol unit approximately one block out from that location. Suggest maintaining visual contact on the CtOS, over."

Harrison briefly muted his mic and looked to Dr. Bartholomew. "What do I do?" he whispered nervously.

Bartholomew put an assuring hand on the detective's shoulder. "You've got to breathe, buddy", he said comfortingly, "You're no good to anybody if you get flustered."

Harrison took his supervisor's advice and took a very deep, cleansing breath. Now collected, he checked the live feed screen for a moment. Ronald Davis was jogging, almost running toward an intersection. He unmuted the headset and keyed the mic again. "Be advised, Squad", he said into the mic, "Suspect is now headed toward a busy intersection east of the liquor store. Looks like he's trying to run for some reason, over."

"Copy that", Operator 725 responded, "Will advise. Unit Thirty-Four-Adam-Two is just around the corner from there, over."

As if by the power of the operator's suggestion, the CPD patrol car suddenly zoomed into frame from the right side of the screen, light bars flashing, just barely clipping Ronald Davis and knocking him off balance. He fell backwards and was suddenly laying face up on the ground. Two CPD patrolmen hurried out of the car and held their weapons on Davis. One officer soon flipped him over and secured him in handcuffs before pulling him up and ushering him to the car. Harrison noted that one of the officers was speaking into his radio mic.

"OEMC Operator Seven-Two-Five to CtOS Task Force", Operator 725 said from her end of the radio, "Be advised, Thirty-Four-Adam-Two has your suspect in custody. Well done, Detective, over."

Harrison chuckled with relish. "Ten-Four, Operator", he said into the mic, "Thanks a lot. Task Force out."

An impressed Dr. Bartholomew extended a hand, which a delighted Harrison promptly shook. "Fine work, Detective", Bartholomew said, "Fine work. I think it's okay if I leave you alone for a bit. If you have any questions, dial three-three on your desk phone. That's my extension, okay?"

A now more confident Harrison nodded and Dr. Bartholomew walked away in the direction of his office. Harrison had dreaded this assignment at first, but now he seemed to be settling in just fine.