CHAPTER 5

The disclaimer continues.

Don bullied and argued with hospital staff as soon as he woke up. As a result he was walking into the bull pen at the FBI building only a little after 8:00am the next morning. He was pleased to see his team in and ready for a briefing on the case. He put up with the concerns and questions as they spotted him before steering the conversation back onto the task at hand.

"Danny Hendrik, 29 years old, mid level member of Soren's criminal organisation. He was arrested yesterday morning just after 10:00am and brought straight here to the organised crime unit. He told Agent Miles," Megan nodded at the agent sitting across the room, "that he would roll over on Soren for immunity and witness protection. Miles needed to arrange urgent protection so asked Don to get him to a safe house whilst they spoke to the DA and witness protection. Don took Hendrik out of here just after 2:00pm to the Jackson Hotel four blocks from here. The attack took place at 3:14pm. Don was then taken to the industrial estate at 7th and Quay where they torched their getaway vehicle and left Don." Megan summed up.

"They killed Hendrik just over an hour after Don took him to the hotel? How did they find him so quickly?" Colby asked.

"We're thinking they have someone on the inside." Megan answered looking at Don.

Don tapped one of the drawings on the wall. "Telford knew the procedure to take over watch at the safe house. He knew exactly what to say to get me to let him in. He also spoke to someone over the phone to get instructions. Whoever that was demanded my ID and passcode." He looked to Megan. "Have you got anywhere with that?"

Megan pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Don. "A male called our internal inquiry number from a payphone. He identified himself as Don Eppes, listed your badge number and passcode. He wanted information on an address. The address came up a blank."

"They had my passcode for over an hour, they made no other inquiries?"

"Nope. I think he was just trying to confirm your ID."

"What I don't understand is why they let you go." David spoke up.

"I don't know. They knew who Hendrik was and had no hesitation in killing him. There was no reason for them to bother to find out who I was but they put a bit of effort into doing so. Telford took my ID and rang his employer, then waited for a call back before dealing with me. They put themselves at great risk doing so. Telford later got the call back saying that his employer knew who I was and thought highly of me. It doesn't make sense; the smart thing would have been to get rid of me right at the start. I saw them all clearly." Don waved his hand at the four drawings on the wall. He turned to David. "Start going through my files, including my personal file, for letters. Look for positive reports." It was strange to look for complimentary letters rather than threats. But if it was someone who knew him and liked him then they may have written a thank-you letter and if so it would be in his files.

David scribbled himself a note on his pad. "Got it."

"Agent Miles, anything on the Soren angle?" Don asked.

Miles stood. "As best we can tell he still doesn't know that we had Hendrik. If that's the case then this had nothing to do with an attempted rescue of Hendrik."

"Telford said something about there being a miscarriage of justice if Hendrik was allowed to turn State's Evidence." Don recalled. "Check out the DA's office. Someone from there, a clerk maybe, must have passed on information of your application."

"It sounds like a vigilante group." Megan said. "They got information of Hendrik turning states evidence. They don't want him to get away with that so they kill him. They have you, Don, a FBI agent guarding him. They didn't know you and didn't want to kill a good guy. So they checked up on you. We need to see if there have been any other attacks like this on witnesses."

"On it." Colby said.

"Right. Lets get to it." Don said ending the briefing.

Megan approached him holding up a flash drive. "I have your statement here typed up. You'll need to go over it."

Don took it from her. He knew the importance of getting the information down as quickly as possible before he lost any details. "Thanks." He took it to his desk and plugged it into the computer. Before he went any further though there was something else he had to do.

Fifteen minutes later he was carrying a coffee back to his desk. He'd gone down to the armoury and filled out all the paperwork needed to get a replacement gun. There were a few more reports needed in relation to losing the other one but they could wait. He sat and started going through his statement.

The ringing phone interrupted his thoughts; he had been going over what Telford had said to him in the office at the warehouse. "Eppes."

He listed for a minute then hung the phone up. He rounded up his team. "Lets roll. LAPD's found four dead guys." He called as he grabbed his field jacket.

"Who are they?" David asked wondering why they were rushing out to the scene, they were already working on a case.

"Don't know, but LAPD says I need to go down there."

The waste land was not far from the warehouse where Don had been taken yesterday. LAPD had been checking the surrounding area for witnesses to the fire when information led them to the wasteland. When Don and his team arrived they found the area swarming with police, forensics and several coroners' vans. A white tent was set up a short distance away. After showing their badges the FBI agents were allowed through the perimeter and were directed to the lead investigator.

"Detective Harber." The middle-aged officer identified himself, gold shield hanging from a chain around his neck.

"Don Eppes." Don then introduced the members of his team. "Why did you call me here?" He couldn't think why he had been specifically asked for. Don hadn't yet authorised the release of the drawings of his attackers, deciding to wait a little while after the threat made against his family if made public he was still alive. The FBI were looking for them after almost shutting the local LEOs out of the case. The locals were only investigating the fire. His other current cases, on hold for the moment, didn't involve the LAPD either.

"Because of these." Harber reached into the car beside him and handed Don two clear plastic bags, one containing a note, the other an unopened envelope.

Don looked at the envelope and saw his name on the front of it. He handed that to Megan while he looked at the note written by hand in full block capitals in a blue ink.

'CALL SPECIAL AGENT EPPES OF THE FBI.'

Don looked to Harber. "We need to take these."

"Sure." Harber noted the exhibit log and Don countersigned as receiving the evidence bags.

"Can we see the bodies?"

"Right this way." Harber lead the team into the tent.

The four bodies were lying in a neat row. Each was lying with arms and legs straight as if they had lain down to sleep on their backs. Don immediately recognised three of the four men as Boots, Gruff Voice and the one he never gave a name to.

"It's them." Don said quietly, indicating the three to his team.

He stepped over to the unknown man. He studied his face for a while but nothing came to him. He didn't recognise him at all. He turned to Harber. "Do you have ID's on any of them?"

"No." Harber pointed at the three Don had recognised. "How do you know them?"

"They were involved in a murder yesterday." Don answered. "This one wasn't, at least not that we are aware of. I can't give you any more just yet."

"The hotel murder." Harber reasoned. He knew about that as it was LAPD who first responded before the FBI took over. He looked resigned as he added: "Are you taking this over as well?"

Don looked at Megan who nodded and took out her phone. As she called for FBI forensics Don confirmed Harber's suspicion. There would be official notification from his boss to Harber's boss later.

It took several hours for the scene to be handed over, all exhibits exchanged and signed for and statements taken from the first response officers. Another few hours for photographs and measurements to be taken and the bodies were finally loaded into the coroners' vans and taken away for autopsy.