In the city of Gotham City, mob bosses rule the streets. Few police and district attorneys takes a stand to defend the people or the criminal justice system. These are their stories.
"Come on, come on." a young teenage boy said as he and his group of four marched through the swamp. A box of fireworks in hand.
"Why are we doing this in a swamp?" another boy asked.
"It's either this or Toxic Acres." a third boy said. The fourth boy stopped in his tracks, seeing a dead body for the first time.
The summer day was nice and hot. Perfect for a pair of detectives to march through the muck of a Slaughter Swamp. Reaching the yellow tape, a Park Rangers lifted it up. "Why couldn't the Rangers deal with trouble out here?" Detective Ethan Bennett asked.
"We're having enough trouble dealing with punks lighting fireworks. Besides, dead bodies are your department." the Ranger said, leading them to a dead blonde hair woman. "This one is Amy Block. Freshman at Burnside High School."
"This one? Do you mean there's more?" Detective Ellen Yin asked.
The Ranger lead the detectives over a hill to a field of Rangers putting up flags next to bodies. Old and new.
"Damn." Bennett cursed.
"Twenty-eight bodies. Twenty-eight." Lieutenant Geoff Shancoe said. Slamming the report on the desk. Bennett and Yin were just as angry. "Do we at least have something?"
"Different methods of death, weapons, and good chance of different killers. So Serial Killer is out." Yin said.
"My guess the swamp was a body dump for a gang. And considering that Slaughter Swamp is over the river, it's in the Thorne Families territory." Bennett said.
"Go to Gang Unit. Hopefully, who ever is on the Thorne's case isn't on the creep's payroll."
Gang Unit go into the dark world of organized crime. Either you get the bastard's asses tied in a knot, you die, or get on their payroll. Sitting at a bench, Sergeant Jesse Rolm was eating a burger. That is, until Bennett and Yin sat next to him. "Piss off." the Sarge warned. Then the Detectives showed their badges. Acknowledging it, he sat his food down. "Piss off."
"The Park Rangers found a grave site with fresh bodies in Slaughter Swamp." Bennett said.
"Great. Some families get closer. I get a headache." Rolm said.
"How does Thorne dispose of bodies?" Yin asked.
"Slaughter Swamp. Sprang River. Probably some in Toxic Acres. Lends them out to the other mobs."
"And how about the thugs?" Bennett asked.
"Thorne wants one dump for one thug. Sometimes they overlap. Accidentally. Many times coordinated."
"Who was in Slaughter Swamp?"
"Maybe around sixty guys uses the swamp. Well, the ones still living."
"We want names." Yin said.
Hours going through Rolm's files frustrated the two detectives. The Sarge had poor records, notes, and worst everything was out of date. It seems Rolm was on Thorne's payroll. As Bennett took a sip of coffee, Yin wanted to start some conversation. "I heard the boys at the 3rd arrested one of their own."
"Yeah. That's rare. But the 3rd is a clean house." Bennett said, putting a file down.
"If only their Captain becomes a Chief. Or, better yet, Commissioner."
"Then he'll clean the department out in a day. He better have the best luck." Bennett said, finding an interesting file. "Hey, I got something. Marty Portsmith. What a name. Anyway his record has Robbery, Assault, Assault with a Deadly Weapon, and so much more. Guess where he lives."
Handing Yin the file, she perked up.
Marty Portsmith Residence
105 Abbey Avenue
Tuesday, September 5
"Oh no." Bennett said as he and Yin walked up the porch steps. Police Crime Scene seal on the door.
"Looks like we got calls to make."
"Or we ask them what's happening." Bennett said, pointing over a police cruiser rolling up on the yard.
"Looks like we got bad cop drivers." Yin noted.
Two young unis got out of the vehicle, walking over to the detectives. Both parties showed their badges.
"What happened here?" Yin asked.
"Homeowner opened his door. Twelve gauge to the face by the neighbor."
"Block?" Bennett said. The Uni nodded. "Great."
"Mind if we check out the dead man's place." Yin asked. The Unis nodded. The detectives walked up to the door. Cutting the seal. Opening the door, they saw a pool of dried blood. Putting gloves on, they looked around the house. Hopefully they get to find something connecting Portsmith to Amy Block.
The living room was filled with trash. Bennett searched the TV stand with drawers of 2000s DVDs. Looking in between each case, he found nothing.
"Hey, I got something!" Yin yelled.
Walking into the Kitchen, he found his partner next to a shelf. She pushed it to the side, revealing a door. Both detectives pulled out their sidearms.
"I'm guessing that's not a pantry." Bennett said.
She went down first, he followed. The basement was dark. Grabbing their lights, the space was illuminated. Several girls in a cage. Each one scared.
Putting a cup of water on the table, Yin sat next to Katty Mattson. A college GCU Junior. The recent kidnapped girl. Perhaps a key to finding the guys responsible for this trafficking ring. "Can you tell me what happened?"
The poor girl shaky grabbed a hold of the cup.
"I was at the library. Studying for an exam. I called a taxi. And. They." she began to tear up. Yin held the girl's hand.
"You're safe." Yin's words comforted the girl.
"They brought me to that house."
The detective showed a picture of Amy Block. "Do you recognize her?" Katty clasped her hand over her mouth.
"She saw them take me inside. I heard a gunshot."
"Did Marty Portsmith kill her?"
"No, it was someone else. A third person." Katty said. Yin getting as much information as possible.
Sirens and lights echo behind Robert Alberto's taxi. The yellow car pulled over. Both detectives got out, sidearms drawn. "Robert Alberto! Turn off the ignition!" Yin ordered the driver. Hearing the engine die, a cruiser rolled up in front. Two unis pulled their weapons out. "Get out of the vehicle! Slowly! Hands in the air!" Alberto opened the door, getting out to the detective's orders. "On the ground! Belly flat on the ground!"
As he followed the commands, Bennett walked over with handcuffs.
"We got you dead for rights on Kidnapping and Human Trafficking. Do you really want to add murder to the list?" Bennett asked Alberto. The scumbag glared at the detective.
"I don't know what you're talking about?"
"We got nine witness who picked you out of a photo array. We got your taxi at each crime scene. Your fingerprints at Portsmith's house. Tell us who killed Amy Block and maybe you get a nice deal with the DA." Yin added. The scum leaned on the table.
"All I hear is nothing." At that, Bennett slammed his hand on the table.
"We don't need the third man. We got a witness to a murder. You were there. One plus one equals twenty-five to life for your sorry ass."
"You can't do that, man. I didn't kill the bitch."
"Then who did?" At that, Alberto was willing to give up.
"Thomas Chatham. He made a partnership with Smithson."
"So this Chatham made an offer to Portsmith to kidnap and sell girls to oversea customers." Shancoe said as Yin drank her coffee.
"A real scumbag." she said.
"But why would he have his own dump in Thorne's territory?"
"Rolm said that he lends out dump for other gangs. My guess Chatham has been a frequent partner for Thorne."
"Does he have a gang?"
"Yeah. The Black Light Tribe."
"Oh shit."
Bennett entered the office soon after.
"Okay, Chatham has a record a few miles long. SVU has a warrant out for his arrest."
"Then go get him." Shancoe ordered and the two detectives left.
Black Light Tribe Clubhouse
409 Endem Street
Tuesday, September 5
Watching the clubhouse, Bennett and Yin got SWAT ready. Something neither wanted to call SWAT. Because of Captain Branden's violent nature. But there wasn't a choice. This gang was idiotic and armed to the tooth.
"Okay, people, I want Chatham alive." Yin warned the officers.
"Don't worry, we'll catch the little bastard." Branden promised. It wasn't very comforting.
The officers hurried to the front door. On the count of three, an officer slammed the battering ram into the door, was knocked back. SWAT moved in first, followed by the detectives. Finding the gang unconscious. Chatham a tied up, hanging upside down.
"What the hell?" Bennett whispered. Chatham was mumbling.
"Hey, what happened here?" Yin asked. But what the scumbag said made no sense.
"Batman. Batman." he repeated.
"Document number 847585. People vs Thomas Chatham. Murder in the first degree. Nine counts of kidnapping in the first degree. Nine counts of Sexual Assault in the first agree. Nine counts of rape in the first degree. Manufacturing of drugs in the first degree." the Court official said as Chatham was brought up with his lawyer.
"Not looking good for you, Mister Chatham." Judge Green said. "How does the defendant plea?"
"Not guilty." Chatham plead.
"People on bail."
"The people want him remanded. He has ties to the sex trafficking market. Because of this, we believe he could use his connections to flee the city and the country." Kate Spencer said.
"The People's case is base on nothing but the lies of corrupt cops. My client has nothing to do with sex trafficking. He is a respected member of Gotham City." the defense lawyer said.
"Nice try. Defendant is remanded to Blackgate Penitentiary." Green said, pounding his gavel down.
As Chatham was taken into custody, the defense lawyer walked over to Spencer.
"My motion to suppress." he said, handing her the blue folder.
Slamming the motion papers on the desk, EADA Harvey Dent was in shock. "Who the hell does this guy think he is?"
"Marten McBetty. Just got his degree last year. His firm last month." Spencer answered, sitting down.
"Once this gets in front of the judge, he'll be laughed out." he said, trying to figure out why McBetty is such an idiot.
"Your honor this motion to suppress the bodies is ludicrous, idiotic, and just outright despicable." Dent said entering the Judge's chambers with McBetty.
"Slaught Swamp is private property. Owned by the Bertinelli Family. Those kids weren't allowed on the property, nor the cops. Therefore they couldn't get the bodies in evidence." McBetty said.
"That is just stupid that even a first year law student could overturn."
"Lucky for me I'm not."
"Enough." Judge Richards warned. "Mister McBetty, this is a frivolous motion which I'm going to deny."
"Congrats. You won one motion. Now let's talk." McBetty said sitting at the conferance table.
"One count of Muder in the second degree. If he tells us his connections in the sex trafficking market, drug dealers, and who told him about the body dump in Slaughter Swamp." Dent offered. The defense lawyer chuckled.
"Assault two. No jail time."
"Have you lost your mind?"
McBetty handed the EADA a new motion.
"Motion to suppress everything found at Portsmith's home."
"On what grounds?"
"It's private property. They entered without Mister Portsmith's permission or a warrant."
"He was dead. They don't need a warrant to enter."
"Well then." the lawyer said standing up. "Good luck."
"This guy sounds like a prick." DA Matthew St. Cloud said as he, Dent, and Spencer entered his office.
"He is. The Judge wanted to give him Contempt of Court." Dent said.
"It seems like McBetty's plan is to delay the trial for as long as possible. Do it long enough, make us let him go." Spencer said.
"An idiot plan."
"So what are you going to do?" Cloud asked.
"Put Chatman on trial. Send him to prison." Dent said as the door opened. Spencer walked over, getting a new motion. The EADA looked over a the DA.
"Motion to suprress evidence. McBetty is claiming Alberto never had his lawyer so his confession should be out."
Supreme Court
Motion Hearing
Thursday, September 15
"Alberto wasn't given a lawyer. Everything he said shouldn't be used in this court." McBetty said. The Judge wasn't having it. He raised his hand to shut the lawyer.
"Mister Dent was he read his rights?" Richards asked.
"Yes." Dent answered.
"But." McBetty said before interupted by the Judge.
"McBetty, if you disturb my courtroom one more time I will hold you in contempt." he warned before turning to the EADA. "Did he ask for a lawyer?"
"No."
"That settles it. Everything Mister Alberto said is allowed. Now Mister McBetty, stop with the frivolus motions." Richards said slamming his gravel. Then McBetty walked over to Dent.
"Let's talk."
The trio of lawyers sat at the table to talk. Dent just hopes that's what going to happen. "Okay Dent. Let's agree for a moment that my client did commit this crime. You have no real evidence aside from the testionomy of a low level thug wanting out of prison."
"Not to mention nine witness of your client raping girls." Spencer noted.
"In the dark." the lawyer said as Dent grabbed a coin from his pocket.
"How about this. Heads we go to trial. No deals. Tails. Murder in the Second for Chatman's confession. And give up his partners. As well as telling us who used that body dump." Dent said. Flipping the coin in the air. Catching it, he looked at the worried defense attoney.
"A coin flip? Really?" Cloud said as he, Dent, and Spencer walked towards the elevator.
"Scared Chatman's lawyer enough." Spencer said.
"Lucky for him it was tails. Now we got enough to get several big names." Dent added as they reached the elevator doors.
"I don't suppose he gave up Thorne?" Cloud asked, pressing the button.
"Only for the body dump."
"Well at least we got one thug off the streets."
"For how long?" Dent asked as the doors opened.
The Preceding story was fictional. No actual person or event was depicted.