12th Precinct, Present Time
To Serve and Protect
Chapter 12 - Game On
The darken skies of Antonov international airport in Hostomel, a north-western suburb of Kyiv, were thick with Russian MI-8 helicopters. As one came under attack by a surface-to-air missile, it released an explosive burst of flares. The air assault by Russia, perhaps one of the largest of recent decades, was a bold and brazen attempt to seize a strategic airport near Kyiv, Ukraine's capital.
Weeks Back
Prior to the start of the Russian Invasion, small squads of Russian special forces troops were patrolling the area around Kyiv and the border. The capital Kyiv was some 235 miles from the Border and the spec ops units were dressed in civilian clothing, thus blending in with the local people. The cross-over from the Ukraine-Russian border to the Ukraine side began with these small special ops units doing intel. They were so clandestine as to have initially gone about their way unnoticed, but Jackson Hunt, long a U.S. Black Operative, was one of the few that spotted them immediately when they crossed. As the approach of the Russian invasion had seemed imminent, they had change their vehicle to a fast moving SUV all wheel drive terrain vehicle with a pop up camper tent platform mounted on the roof rack of the vehicle. No longer would they go back to the city, but slept in their vehicle over night. This, so they could spend days at the border observing. Alexis sleeping in the roof mounted pop up tent and Jackson in the back seat of their vehicle.
They were even so bold as to park the SUV, cover it with a camouflage net, and then hike much closer to the border for still pics taken by Alexis. On foot they were less noticeable, but also more vulnerable to potential capture by Russian forces operating in the immediate area. When they camped at a concealed location, Jackson would often plant motion sensing devices around their vehicle and surrounding space. Then any motion would be alerted silently via Wifi to the portable laptop they had brought with them. Days before the invasion, they had been camped out and then alerted to motion. Jackson wearing his spec ops black night clothing then checked out the surrounding area to their SUV using an infrared scope. He spotted the spec ops forces and knew this was an intel group gathering info for the invasion.
It was then when they knew that the invasion could start any time.
Secret Liar Underground
Fletcher had rigged a security 'fence' of sorts around his rail car, one that could sense motion, then would provide notification to his laptop. At night with LED lights on, he used the window shades to keep light from his car from bleeding to the outside. There was no reason to light up the outside tunnel, as Fletcher knew the he was being hunted vigorously since going to ground. The car did not have to attract undue attention and have someone spot it. He did not want to create suspicion from the Transit Authority to check out a report of lights coming from an abandoned line. Mole people were always sought out for eviction from these abandoned tunnels. So Fletcher's motion sensors would tell him if someone was in the area snooping.
Fletcher was on his laptop reviewing the files he had secretly downloaded to a thumb drive. He found four potential victims and decide it was time to stalk his prey. He had electrical power from a run of a splice from a nearby electric junction box to his rail car. To his surprise the junction box also had a telephone feed that was still active. He used that to tap a source so he had internet. This is how Fletcher had internet service and that kept him connected to the on-line resources he needed for his research on possible vics. After getting his list of possible victims, he had used the net to find out more about them, he then prioritized his list and then begin his surveilling of these targets of opportunity. After stalking his first and second vics, they did not match his MO.
For his third vic, Fletcher dons a disguise. He puts on the outfit of a gas meter man and heads out. Today Fletcher would stalk potential victim three for a match, the first two potential targets not meeting the appearance he sought for in his victims. When he gets to the apartment of his third target, he talks to the building superintendent .
"Gas company", he tells the super, "checking for leaks. Is it possible to get into the individual apartments?"
"I got keys, you need to check how many?"
"Just one, initial test indicate it is comes from Apartment 6E."
Once there Fletcher looks at a notice on his clipboard, " Records show this is for a Ms. Charlene Williams."
"Yes it is. A very attractive young lady by the way."
When they get in, there are pictures everywhere. On a desk is a picture of a young blond with what appears to be her parents. She fits the image of women that Fletcher like to make his victims.
"It that a picture of Ms. Williams?"
"Sure is."
"You are right, very attractive."
He fakes looking at the gas stove in her kitchen.
"Found it, let me correct it", he says and then pulls out a tube of liquid solder and commences to use it on the 'leak'. He takes out a meter with a probe and pretends to be taking readings.
"Okay got it, you will tell Ms. Williams about this."
"No need, called her by cell before we headed out and got permission to use the apartment pass key on her apartment."
"Good man, thanks again Super!"
"Anything to help the gas company".
12th Precinct
They had searched all the abandoned buildings, warehouses, and such facilities in the most probable areas of origin for their suspect and still had not found his hideout.
"What now?", asked Kate of Jordan.
"Remember when we worked the Scott Dunn case years ago, when we did find his hideout, all the evidence was there. It will be the same when we find Fletcher's secret hideout. We will get him and the evidence", Jordan tells the group.
"But when? We've done the searches, but still no hits", Espo responds.
"We need to think like Fletcher. We need to get in his mind and see what his next move will be?", Kate poses.
The team goes back to review all the data collected thus far on their suspect. They are trying to get insight on what his next move might be. After a while, Castle speaks, "He's going after another victim to make a statement. In his mind he's daring us to find him before he strikes", Rick let's out, thinking aloud.
"So we hunt for possible victims", Ryan comments.
Shaw sees where Ryan is going and turns to her FBI techs, "Get me the latest billing file that Fletcher was working on!"
"You thinking what I'm thinking?", says Castle to his wife, also catching on to Ryan's train of thought.
"We find potential vics and then monitor them", Kate replies.
"Might be hard getting the billing file, we may need a warrant', Anne states.
"Then lets see if we can get Fletcher's old boss to give us names. We don't need the complete file, just the names of people who were treated from covid off the billing file", says Tori Ellis, "If we tell him the names can prevent another murder that may compel him such, as to give those names to us freely without a warrant."
Witaker and Ellis head out to Fletcher's old firm to see if they can talk to his boss and get names. They come back with four possible names. They find only one of the names, a Charlene Williams, fits the description of the vics Fletcher like to target. Shaw has the surveillance team that had been monitoring Fletcher now switch to monitoring Williams.
Stalking His Vic
Fletcher is dressed as a NYC Sanitation Worker cleaning the street in front of William's studio apartment. After posing as a Gas Company man to gain access to her apartment, he found she she fit his appearance of the women he liked to collect for his current killing spree. He had been observing her for some time now, finding out her routine, her habits and getting to know how he could abduct her. For the last few days, he observes her leaving at about the same hour when going for work. She normally took a subway to her job. Fletcher continued to look after her as he saw her heading in the direction of the closest subway station from her place.
What Fletcher had not caught on to was FBI Agent Armas and his partner observing him observing Williams.
Armas calls into the 12th Precinct Joint Command Post, "Hey guys, could you call the Sanitation Department and see if they have a man out cleaning up in front of William's apartment?"
It takes a while for the CP to respond back, in the meantime the Sanitation worker is seen getting his gear ready to leave. Then the response, "That's a negative on the worker. That street is not on the schedule for today."
"Bingo, we got him. All eyes on the sanitation worker", Armas says over the radio, alerting the other members of the surveillance crew.
Fletcher gets a feeling. He always had an uncanny ability to sense when he was in danger. Trusting his instincts, he looks around. Across the street he sees a man drinking coffee on a table outside the shop 'Coffee Palace' across from William's apartment. The man is the only patron outside, despite the cold temperature, while other customers are taking their coffee inside the little coffee shop. That in itself raises a red flag for Fletcher. Down the street he sees a homeless man supposedly sleeping on the sidewalk, but notices the man looking at him quite intently.
"Looks like I may been made", Fletcher thinks to himself.
Rather then rush to pack up his gear and leave, he places them in his cart marked Sanitation, and he takes his time. He continues to appear as if he is packing up his stuff after finishing his job here. He takes his cart and wheels it slowly and deliberately to a spot down the street, just short of an alley way. He makes like he is waiting for a pickup, which is the normal procedure for street cleaning crews. His cart has trash and debris he picked up from the sidewalk and street in front of Williams' apartment building just to make it appear real. Everything looked quite legit.
"He has stopped and looks like he is waiting for a ride", is the message over the FBI stakeout frequency, the alert is coming from the Agent Brook, masquerading as the homeless man.
After about ten minutes, Fletcher is seen making his way to the alley, but stops short of the alley way entrance to pickup some more trash there.
"Looks like he might be making a move. Remember we need to find his hiding place so do not intercept suspect till I give the word", warns Armas over the radio.
Fletcher puts the trash he had picked up in the bin to his work cart, then he looks back at the alley once again, like he has spotted even more debris. He heads there, picks up some left paper cups and the like, and then looks down into the alley. Making out like he has spotted even more trash, he heads into the alleyway.
"This guy is really role playing", Armas says over his mike, after 5 minutes pass, Armas speaks over the radio again, "Agent Brook head towards our suspect and keep eyes on him."
When Brook gets to the alley entrance, he calls out, "Suspect is not here, someone get to the other end of this alley way and intercept."
When agents in an FBI car comes up on the other end, Fletcher is long gone, leaving behind on the street, just after the exit of the alley, the jacket and cap of a sanitation worker. Fletcher had made a successful escape from the monitoring crew.
At Fletcher's Secret Place
When he gets back to his subway car, Fletcher is steaming mad. He had almost got caught! He had underestimated his pursuers. They were far more capable than he had assumed. He will not make that mistake again! He gets on line and does research on the 12th Precinct the one Police Station that he knew had jurisdiction for the homicides. In his research he comes across a bio of the 12th's Commanding Officer, one Captain Katherine Beckett-Castle. She is a super cop. Fastest female to homicide detective in the history of the NYPD, former lead detective of the 12th Homicide Alpha team, the best of the NYPD homicide squads, and a highly decorated C.O. of the 12th.
He calls up a picture of her. She is very attractive, like, fashion model attractive.
"Okay Capt Castle", Fletcher thinks to himself, "what if I change my MO and make you my next vic? Let me do just that and send a message to your team that you can not get to me. I am too smart for any of you."
It's a great plan, one of the best he had ever thought up. He would show the NYPD. It would send them a threat not to mess with him. Once the deed was done, he would proceed as he had planned to stop the killings until the cases grew cold. It would be a symbolic defiant finger to the 12th Precinct. Fletcher immediately starts planning for the abduction and murder of Captain Kate Castle. She will be the only brunette to become a victim. Still, if she is good and satisfies his blood lust, maybe he will change to brunettes for coming victims.
