GWOT Internal Disturbance

[drewkitty]

GWOT Internal Disturbance

Critical incidents never catch one at a good time. At the exact moment a member of the Reaction Team decided to bring his rifle up to H4 to discuss the terms of his employment, I happened to be ... patrolling the perimeter posts, hiking between Post 6 and Post 7.

So my entire involvement in the incident was monitoring radio traffic while carefully skipping down the steep hill at high speed. By the time I reached the inner perimeter road it was all over.

"Security Breach, Security Breach, H4."

"Copy security breach. React, react, react."

"We have one at gunpoint. Be advised suspect is still armed."

"Open fire," the dispatcher directed crisply.

"What?"

"Security Control to H4, open fire on the suspect immediately."

"Suspect has dropped his weapon. Suspect is in custody."

"Do you need medics?"

"Negative."

That was the easy part. What to do with the employee and his two dependents was the hard part.

We didn't have much of a brig. What we did have was a huge concrete bench type table which could only be moved with a forklift or equivalent power equipment. The bench was wrapped with chains. The chains in turn were convenient attachment points for handcuffs. The entire assembly was under a shaded tarp with a water tap and hose nearby.

When I arrived the suspect was chained to the table, looking around in rage and confusion. He had been searched at least twice, based on the condition of his rumpled business suit and pants.

I took the H4 guard's report. Then I spoke to the Reaction Team commander, who confirmed that the suspect had not been authorized to take his rifle anywhere, let alone to another building or to the executive floor. Reaction Team operates as a team. All that had been necessary for the H4 guard to know there was a problem was to see that there was only one member of Reaction Team present with a firearm. Except in a declared site-wide emergency, one equals arrest. And in some areas, such as H4 and the armory, even then.

This was not our decision. I quickly typed a precis of the guard's report and my conversation with React Actual and E-mailed it to the VP-HR, CC Site Location Executive. Normally this would be the responsibility of my client contact, but with the departure of Legal One I kind of didn't have one.

The answer was quick. And it was from the SLE.

"Term him. Eject all three."

This was not going to be pretty. But I had a valid and lawful order and I was going to carry it out.

I called Sharon and Brooke to me. I gave them their orders face to face so that there could be no misunderstanding. They set off stony-faced for the dependent camp.

"Take his dependents into custody. Force authorized. If they cooperate they may pack one bag each. Bring them here, handcuffed behind their backs. Do this now."

Then the VP-HR and two members of React as her bodyguards came down to speak to the former employee. Her conversation with him was brief and formal.

"You are no longer employed by the Corporation for threats and acts of violence, imperiling our ability to meet the requirements of our customers during a time of national emergency. You are required to leave the location now and never return."

A box containing various personal effects was duly deposited nearby. I searched it and removed two USB devices.

"Hey! Those are mine!"

"You will not be allowed to leave here with anything that contains data," I explained.

"They're not yours."

"Correct." I sent Shane to go get something. Everyone but the suspect and Shane blanched.

I put the first USB stick on the table. I shouldered the sledge.

I smashed it. Then I smashed the second one.

"You asshole."

"Now you may take them with you." I brushed the pieces into the cardboard box.

I left the sledge nearby. Might need it again.

He had no idea what he was dealing with here.

In obedience to my orders, Sharon and Brooke returned. Sharon had a woman in her thirties in custody. Brooke had a child in her early teens in custody. Both were handcuffed as I'd directed.

Not entirely surprisingly, the suspect completely lost his shit. Fortunately, he was thoughtfully chained down so he hurt no one but himself, and that not much.

We formed convoy. Three vehicles. No Hate Truck. The lead would be a hardpoint pickup truck, with machine gun. The middle would be the Crown Vic configured for prisoner transport - just one. The tail would be another pickup truck, no hardpoint, with the two dependents in the truck bed.

"Is there any way we can stay?" the woman asked me as her husband was bundled into the Crown Victoria. His handcuffs had been replaced with a set of zip tiers. We would cut them off when we released him. Or would we?

"I'm sorry, no," I replied. "I can only give you a very limited set of options. I can drop the three of you off together, or I can drop you and your child in a different location. Which would you prefer?"

Without hesitation she said, "Different location please."

"Will do. Ma'am, strongly recommend that you and your daughter drink a lot of water right now. We will search your bags."

We secured their hands in front of them with zip ties, and gave them a chance at the water hose.

Brooke and Sharon and I searched the two backpacks. No contraband was found. I added a folding knife to the woman's bag. Brooke added two granola bars to the child's bag.

Brooke and Sharon continued custody of them in the back of the third truck.

I rode shotgun in the Crown Victoria.

A few employees watched us roll out the gate. None said anything.

I briefly gave directions by radio. We had a numbering system for destinations, and changed it frequently. The numbering system I gave was for what had been a popular shopping mall, now functionally abandoned.

I called a halt two blocks short.

"Release the dependents," I ordered.

"What?" said the prisoner. We ignored him.

Sharon helped them down while Brooke covered the near area with her rifle. The two of them started running. Hopefully they would find somewhere to hide and to shelter. But we had given them all the help they would get today for free.

As we drove off, the prisoner lost his shit again.

He should have thought of that before taking a rifle upstairs.

I gave my next set of directions.

This was going to be a tad risky. But we'd done it before and had no reason to believe today would be different.

We could have sent him out the front gate. But then his affiliation with our site would be obvious. We had enemies who would get information out of him, one way or another. And if his information was valuable enough, he might even be able to come back with a rifle a second time.

I didn't want that to happen. I was relieved that his ex-wife and daughter were not going to watch.

We drove along one side of a large public park. It had been a public park - now it was a shantytown of improvised shacks, tents and vehicles used for habitation.

"Halt," I directed.

I got him out of the car. I did not cut his hands free. He started cursing me out.

That was perfect.

Some people were watching us. The driver of the Crown Vic was carefully not listening. The lead and rear vehicles were some distance away. Plausible deniability.

"This short eyed asshole is a kiddie diddler. He fucks little kids," I explained. I kicked his knees out from under him.

Then I got in the front of the Crown Vic and we rolled out.

A crowd was gathering behind us, in a circle around the man. They were carrying bricks, rocks, lengths of lumber and baseball bats.

I don't know what happened next.

Maybe you do?

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[drewkitty]

Reminded, I dumped the cardboard box out the window.