Continued Story

Chief Murphy knew that Mary was sticking to her cover but wondered if he shouldn't have made a little more effort. He decided that knowing she was all right was the best he could hope for at the moment. 

Inside, Mr. Big said, "Go upstairs and get ready. I'll send Terri up to help you pick something out and give you further instructions."

Mary wasn't sure if she could continue on like she had been, but as the escorts took her to the changing room, she realized she had little recourse. She would do her duty. 

She showered and put on fresh underwear and the robe. Terri was waiting with a purple dress with sequins, matching pumps and a pair of stockings. After placing them in the bathroom, Terri whispered, "Mr. Big is suspicious of you. Don't press your luck any further." 

"I know, it's tough to keep the training from kicking in and acting on it."

Outloud Terri said, "We need to style your hair up. This gentleman likes to see a woman's neck." 

Mary played along. "We must please. I do. I be out soon." She rolled her eyes. 

Terri aka Jake saw it and had to stifle a sigh. He knew Mary was tired of this. He wished he could take her away.

The Chief knew that Mary would not call the station and that she knew more than she was willing to say in the presence of Mr. Big.  The Chief felt responsible for placing Mary in this situation and would do what he could to protect her.  He needed to create a situation to get her alone.  Pulling her off the case crossed his mind. How to do that without disrupting the investigation and alerting the thugs required some form of diversion.  He immediately thought about Sam and the possibility of using him in some manner.  Sam was a determined individual.  The fact that his daughter was injured would tend to strengthen his involvement.  “Yes”, he thought. “That’s what I will do.”
The Chief sat at his desk considering various scenarios that might work.  Making contact with Sam without creating suspicion could be accomplished at the hospital.  He would visit Sam’s daughter when he knew Sam was there.  The Chief called the Doctor in charge and asked the Doctor to call him when Sam made his next visit.  He asked the Doctor to keep his request confidential.  He also asked the Doctor to inform him about all visitors. The Doctor responded by saying|: “Only family members are permitted to visit anyone in intensive care.  With the police, we can make an exception.  I’ll let you know when Mr. Sullivan arrives.”

Sam arrived at the same time the physician was finishing up his exam. 

"Mr. Sullivan, she is doing well. Having all this support has done wonders."

Sam shook the doctor's hand. "Thank you, Doc, for everything."

The physician left the room, went down the hall and dialed a number. It was answered. "I'd like to speak directly with Chief Murphy." 

"I'm sorry sir he is on his way to the hospital."

"Oh, did he say where exactly? I only ask because he asked me to contact him and I work in the hospital."

"The ER, there's been an accident and he is doing a follow-up."

"Thank you, very much." The physician hung up and went to the emergency room. He saw there was the usual controlled chaos after an accident. The sliding glass door opened and Chief Murphy was walking in. "Chief, one moment of your time, please."

Chief Murphy looked at the physician. "Oh, hi, Doc. What is it?"

"Mr. Sullivan is in with his daughter. He arrived less than five minutes ago."

"Thanks, I'll go see him first. I don't think they'll let me speak to the victim here until things are a little more settled. I don't want to miss Mr. Sullivan."

Chief Murphy left the ER and went to Sam's daughter's room. He knocked on the door. Sam met him outside. "What's up, Chief?"

"How would you like to play the part of a big-time operator?"

"Why?"

Chief Murphy escorted Sam to a quiet nook and explained all that had been going on. "I know she is all right at the moment but I can't help but feel as though she is in danger."

"All this time, you've had someone on the inside?" Sam saw the chief look down and then give a slight nod. "You want me to help you, now? My daughter has been injured --"

"I'm thinking they are related. I wouldn't ask but --"

"I'll tell you what, I won't go undercover as an operator. I can pretend to be a father looking for his daughter and maybe act a little on the inebriated side. What do you think?"

'Sounds perfect to me " responded the chief. 'Go for it".

Although Sam was miffed, he was pleased that Chief Murphy finally took him seriously and wanted his help. He decided to visit Mrs. Smith. Perhaps she had some new information and photos that would be helpful. He not only had his wife and daughter to worry about, but also Natalie and Suzy. This undercover person, Mary, was an asset he had not known about. “At least”, he thought, “she was looking out for the girl’s welfare.”
Sam called Wolf and together they made their way to see Carrie on the pretense that she may need some things from the store. Carrie was standing by the window and saw them coming. She opened the door before he had knocked and waved them inside. As usual, she patted Wolf and then went to the kitchen to fetch him a treat.
“Good to see you, Sam. I was wondering when you would come again. Seems like there is more activity taking place at the Hoffman house. Every day there are cars coming and going. There are some new arrivals - girls that is. They come and they go again. Wish I knew what was going on here. It is so unsettling for an old lady like me to see young girls being used. It doesn’t leave much to the imagination to figure it out. I just wish someone would do something to stop it.”
“That’s why I came by. Is there anything you need before I fill you in?”
“No, I did some shopping at the local grocery and have what I need for the time being.”
“Good. Are there any new photos?”
“Yes, I took pictures of every car that arrived along with pictures of the girls. The camera is full, so you will need to take it with you and load it again if you want more.”
“I’ll do that. Sit for a moment and I’ll try to fill you in as much as I can. From what I learned, there is illegal activity taking place here. I believe there is human trafficking taking place as well as smuggling operations. That may explain the use of the storage shed. The police are aware of this activity and are working undercover to identify the culprits involved. These people are ruthless and cannot be trusted. My daughter is in the hospital having been shot by one of these animals.”
“Oh, my goodness. Is she alright?”
“Yes, thank God she survived and is being cared for. It is another reason for you to be careful and not take any risks. Be careful that you don’t see you taking pictures. If you must go out, call me and I’ll bring Wolf to accompany you. He would enjoy the exercise and provide good protection. In the meanwhile, I’ll view the pictures you took and let you know if there is anything further you can do without exposing yourself to danger.”

_________________

When Sam left Carrie’s house he went straight home and downloaded the photos from the camera. He immediately sent an email to Chief Murphy with the photos attached.

The photos were very telling.  He was so glad he had taken them.  For once he had done something very right.

The Chief examined the photos and had them enlarged.  He was able to see license plate numbers, the make and model of cars as well as a clear view of some individuals.  He gave the assignment to Deputy Snyder to try and identify the people in the photos.  Deputy Snyder went to work immediately using the photo files of known criminals.  There was no match with any of these photos with their local files, so he decided to send them to the central bureau for identification without informing Chief Murphy of his action.  His trace on license plates with the make and model of vehicles did not match.  “Something is very wrong” he exclaimed out loud.  “Either the plates are stolen or false.  He decided to inform the Chief.  When the Chief learned that he had forwarded the photos to the central bureau, he was not pleased, however he was pleased that he now had an opportunity to investigate the illegal (false) use of tags associated with the vehicles.  He requested that Deputy Snyder identify the owner of the vehicles with a warning to keep this matter confidential and not to place the report into the open files.  It may be necessary to post a bulletin to the police force to be on the lookout for cars matching the description.  This was normal police work. He informed his department at the customary morning briefing to be on the lookout for these cars.

It wasn't long before the cars began to show up.

Within two days, a patrol car spotted a car matching the description of the cars they sought.  The officer immediately put on his flashing lights and pursued the car.  Instead of pulling over, the car sped up.  The officer put on his siren and the chase began.  At the same time, the officer placed a call on his speaker-radio announcing that he was in pursuit of a suspect giving the make and model of the car, the name and location of the highway on which they were traveling and requested assistance.  The car he was pursuing began weaving in and out of traffic.  Most vehicles pulled to the side of the road when hearing the siren allowing the police car to pass.  They were approaching an intersection and the light was red. Instead of stopping, the car being pursed went through the light narrowing missing one vehicle but causing others to crash as they swerved to avoid the speeding car. The police officer, having slowed down to cross the intersection without mishap, gave the suspect more distance from the pursuing police car. The officer again spoke into the radio advising the situation.  A Police helicopter was requested while at the same time a road block was being set up.  The suspect vehicle side-swiped several cars that impeded his progress causing more accidents.  As they approached the next intersection, the officer saw the flashing lights of the roadblock and assumed that they would nail the bastard, however the suspect did not reduce his speed. Instead he rammed into the road-blocked Police cars and continued.  Shots were fired at the suspect’s vehicle trying to hit the tires, however it did not appear to affect the flight of the car. The helicopter appeared, hovering over the speeding car with a loud speaker demanding that the driver stop.  He ignored the warning.  Shots rang out from the copter.  The vehicle swerved out of control causing it to ram into a telephone pole and immediately burst into flames.  The police converged on the scene.  An ambulance and fire truck were requested while the police tried to rescue the driver from the burning inferno.  By the time the fire was put out and the driver retrieved, they had a dead body.  Investigators went to work immediately searching the charred effects.  The identity of the driver was still unknown.

This was a most unusual occurrence. They were in a rural area of the country and criminal behavior
was unheard  of.

When the body was removed and transported to the morgue, the car was towed to the police garage where forensic experts went to work. The car was thoroughly examined. They were able to life finger prints that were sent to the FBI for identification. The suspicion of FBI involvement was still on Chief Murphy’s mind.  Being cautious and wanting to maintain control, he kept a copy of the prints and assigned people from his department to do their own search.  In the meanwhile, the ID of the cars and license plate numbers shown in the photos that Sam had sent him did not match.  They were not issued by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Tracing the ownership of the vehicles required a physical examination of the vehicle to obtain the motor ID number. The order to be on the lookout for the other cars was still active. While Murphy was studying the data from the burned vehicle, he was notified that another car on their list had been spotted.  The officer was requesting instructions on how to proceed. Murphy jumped on the phone asking to speak directly to the officer. His instructions: “Proceed with caution.  Do not attempt to stop the vehicle.  Wait until the vehicle comes to a complete stop before approaching the driver. Treat the driver as a criminal suspect. He may be armed and dangerous. I want the driver to be apprehended and taken into custody for interrogation. Give me your exact location so I can send you backup.”

THIS WAS ENOUGH WORK TO KEEP THEM BUSY FOR WEEKS.

may I participate in this story?

We will love having you Betty,  you are most welcome.  Jump in.

Welcome Betty.

Boris Ivanovich came to the US as an exchange student from the Ukraine.  To blend into the American culture, he changed his name to “Barry Smith”.  Barry worked hard to eliminate his foreign accent and before long was talking like his classmates.  Fitting in was necessary for him to accomplish the assignment he was given by his sponsors.  Learning the American culture was exciting as well as intriguing.  His sponsors had provided him with excellent forged documents to be used when needed.  There were no National ID in the US and most people used a Driver’s license for ID purposes, especially useful for students to prove their age when ordering alcoholic drinks.  Barry was handsome and knew it. His attraction to the opposite sex was of little importance to him, but an asset for his assigned work.  His sexual preference was known by his sponsors who considered it a plus for the work involved. As the Police closed in, Barry reflected on his past and present activities.  He smiled to himself thinking how gullible the Americans were.  They were so trusting and would believe most anything they were told – an ideal place to engage in illicit activities.  He watched the news to keep abreast of national and international events.  He was aghast at the lies being told by politicians whose followers believed them. It was an ideal place to spread propaganda and he was becoming adept at this part of his assignment.  Agreeing to act as a spy in addition to sex trafficking and smuggling had made him rich beyond his imagination.  Preserving this status was now in jeopardy if he was caught.  He slowed down and pulled his car to the side of the road. The Police car stopped behind him with lights flashing.  An officer approached his car with his gun drawn. The officer demanded that he exit the car with his hands raised.  Barry complied.  As he exited the car, he asked: “Was I speeding officer?”
The officer didn’t reply.  Instead he pushed Barry against the car and cuffed him.  The officer then proceeded to pat him down.  Being satisfied that Barry was not carrying any weapon, he placed him in his Police car.  At this moment, two other Police cars arrived on the scene.  They got out of their cars approaching with guns drawn.
“Do you require assistance?” they asked. “No, I have the man cuffed and will take him to the station.  Check the contents of the car and have it towed. Ask Chief Murphy for further instructions.”

It didn't take long before they spotted a bomb, yes a bomb!  They did not want to tow the car with a bomb attached so one of them bravely jumped  into the car and steered it into a  pond nearby.  He got out of  the car and wiped his brow.  "How did we miss a bomb?" he muttered to himself.

He was wringing wet so went into the station to get  dry clothes..  There he met two  full-grown skunks!

Huh?  I must have missed a post.  Gary was handcuffed and taken to the Police station.  How did he suddenly appear and jump into the car?

Good question.  I thought The two officers with guns drawn were looking at the car as instructed 
and were to have it towed  and then follow Chief Murphy's instructions. One of them jumped
 into the car--not Gary.

Thank you all for the invitation.  Please allow me to read the whole story so far and could someone introduce my character and let me know that it is me. Love, Betty

Betty, there is no author-character identification for the authors participating in the continuation of the story.  Reading (reviewing) the thread will help you catch up with the events and allow you to help steer the story to whatever eventual conclusion it may reach.  It may be helpful to make a list of the characters already identified in the story and what interaction they have played or may play as the story continues.  Todate, the authors participating are Lynn, Shelagh, Alice and myself.  Your input is welcomed.

Thanks, Abe.  I will read and consider.  It is hard to join a story that has a flow going.  Love, Betty

You can do it, Betty.  You can  deal with the skunks LOL.

The very wet detective wished his gun had stayed dry.   
How on  earth was he supposed to defend himself against two  full grown skunks?
He was petrified of being sprayed by them.  Espedcially all the more  because he had a very special date that night.  He had planned on asking his girl friend to marry him and didn't want to smell like a skunk.
He turned to back away, when he heard a hissiing sound.  Oh no, it was another skunk! He wished he had taken that promotion to the city he had been offered 3 weeks ago--too late now.

Chief Murphy placed Boris Ivanovich, aka Barry Smith, in the interrogation room.  Before he began his questioning, a report came in from the FBI indicating a match on the fingerprints with a Boris Ivanovich.  The Chief began his questions by asking the suspect his name.  Barry responded by saying: “Barry Smith”. The Chief masked a smile and asked, “What is your occupation?”
“I’m a student.”
“Where did you get the car you were driving?”
“I borrowed it from a friend”.
“What’s the name of this friend?”
Gary shifted in his seat, obviously unprepared for this question and tried to divert attention by asking the Chief: “What’s this all about?  Why was I stopped?”
“I’m asking the questions here and you will answer.”
“As students, we often share transportation, cars, when we need one.  I don’t know who owns the car, just that I was given the okay to use it.”
“You do realize that to drive a car you must have proper vehicle identifictation, indicating car ownership and a valid driver’s license. Without that information, the car may be considered stolen.  Unless you can provide me with the information requested, I will charge you with operating a stolen vehicle.  Is that understood?”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I will lock you up until you provide the information requested. Ignorance is no excuse of the law.  Unless you provide me with this information now, you will be confined in a cell.  I will give you the chance to call whoever you need to call to get this information. You also have the right to an attorney. What do you choose to do?"