Chapter 68

I went up 310 to the interchange and turned left before I noticed the car behind me. I got on the radio to dispatch and identified myself, asking if there was a unit in my general area. I was told there was a traffic unit about a mile ahead of my position so I asked them to have him pull over the brown Chrysler about a mile behind me. They responded that it would be done, so I also told them to tell the officer to do it as a felony stop and to be careful. I also told them I would swing around and assist the unit. They cleared and I heard them passing the information to the traffic unit. He responded saying he was a two-man K-9 unit and would be glad to assist. I just smiled to myself as I went by his position behind a sign. When the Chrysler passed him he came out behind it with his lights on and the car almost immediately pulled over to the side. I did a quick U-turn and went back, blocking him in from the front. I grabbed the sixteen, laying it on the seat within easy reach. There were two men in the car and when they saw the drawn pistols they followed instructions to the letter and lay down in front of the other car with their arms outstretched. I pulled the fifty and covered them while the officer cuffed them and helped them up. The two officers then searched them, finding handguns on both of them. I walked up and started searching the car, which they didn't like at all. I found a sawed-off shotgun on the floor on the driver's side and when I opened the trunk, it was full of AK's and mags for them and all were loaded. I showed them to the officer and he immediately called for transport for the two men. They didn't say a word the whole time, just nodded their heads when asked a question and then I read them their rights.

"I think I will let you two take credit for the bust. Just be careful with these two because they probably belong to the same crowd that opened up on Butch and the other officer. I will stick around until transport shows up and then I have to leave. If you need my statement have Charlie call me. They are to be charged with domestic terrorism and held for Federal Authorities with no bail."

"Sure thing Commander, and thanks for the bust. We were getting awfully bored clocking cars and waiting for some excitement. Are you sure you don't want your name on the sheet?"

"I'm positive guys, they're all yours to deal with. I think Charlie will want to have a little talk with them so you better check with dispatch and let him know what you have."

He called in and reported what he had and asked if the Commander could be notified of their stop and what was in the trunk. I heard him come back personally telling them to transport to the station before booking. They were loading the guns into their trunk as evidence when I heard a car coming fast. I looked up at the car coming and saw several guns in plain view. I told the Troopers to get down, and then we were under fire. I pulled the fifty and opened up on the driver before they got next to us. I must have drilled him dead center because the car ran up the embankment on the other side of the road and flipped over. It rolled twice before stopping on its top. I waited a few minutes and went over to it and either they were all dead or out of it from the crash. I pulled several automatic weapons out and laid them behind the car in the ditch. One Trooper stayed with the prisoners while the other one came over with his pistol out to cover me.

"You ok Commander? Man thanks for the warning because I would have never expected a second car. I have called it in and the ambulance and the coroner are on their way. Charlie said for you to stick until he got here. What the hell kind of a cannon are you using? Man, that thing is loud and from the looks of the driver and the windshield, it's powerful as hell."

I knew he was just letting off steam because of what happened. I didn't call him down for the remarks, but I did give him that look and he settled right down. He helped me drag the two in the back out and put plastic cuffs on them. The two in front were dead, one from a broken neck from the crash and the other one was missing most of his head from my window shot. I noticed the Trooper was looking a little green so I sent him back to his car to get his camera so I could take some pictures of all of them except the driver. I took facial shots of the car's occupants then the two by the cruiser. I stepped back and took pictures of the car and all of the weapons laying in the unit's trunk and what I had dragged out of the car. I got the keys and let the trunk fall open on the wreck, and it was full of more rifles. I heard the Trooper gasp as they fell out of the trunk. They also had an RPG with several grenades for it. I was wondering if these were recovered, or they had brought them with them when they came. Well, I thought that's eleven so far and wondered how many more of them were wandering around Nevada with cars full of weapons. If Preacher's men had found the others I wouldn't know the count until I talked to them. This was getting a little out of hand, and I still didn't know where they were all staying.

Charlie and the Coroner beat the ambulance to the scene. He jumped out and came directly to where I was leaning against my unit.

"Harry, thanks for having the unit alert me to what was going down. Don't these people know they can't get away with killing law enforcement? That one over there fits the description of one of the ones who opened up on Butch and the rookie he was backing up. Dammit Harry, isn't there some way we can keep them from getting out on bail?"

I showed him my other ID and said they were all going to be held on domestic terrorism charges and that there is no bail on those charges. I also told him I would call the Director and have recording devices set up for all their visitations as soon as they arrived at the jail. I filled him in on the happenings at the cabin and he just looked at me in shock. I told him to hang on a minute while I made a call and set things up. I called the Director and filled him in on the happenings up to date and he said he would call the Federal Prosecutor and get the ball rolling. I was to tell the State Police they were responsible for the prisoners until he could get a couple of Russian-speaking interrogators in place. I passed the word to Charlie when I hung up and he said he was going to have his own private ten minute talk with the one prisoner. I reminded him about leaving marks and he just gave me an evil smile, telling me he was familiar with protocol when it came to questioning hostile prisoners.

"Harry, we'll take over from here. Just fax me your statement when you get time to write it out, will you? I am not going to ask you for your gun, but remember we may need it sometime to test fire it for court. I promise you the bullet won't be filed to protect your other position. Where the hell were you going when you spotted the tail?"

I told him and he said the sheriff there was a damn good man and had inherited a less corrupted department than Mark and I had. He had straightened it all out within months and now had a top notch department like ours was becoming. He also had been imported from another state just to straighten out the department. I told him for safety's sake to make sure the ambulance and the prisoners were escorted by other units because the Russians would take them if they got a chance.

"Don't you worry about that Harry. I have several old armored cars I will use for transport. We have never lost a prisoner and it won't happen on my watch. I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't been here today. I would have probably had lost two men but for your experience, Harry. Your Director cleared fifteen men from the list I sent him and they are all on alert for when you need them. I have already made it clear to them you're in charge and they are to follow your orders to the letter. You can take off if you want, and I will stay and take charge here until we get it all cleaned up. Don't worry, I have more units on the way to make sure there are no more problems with these people."

We shook hands and I climbed back into my unit and continued on my journey. When I pulled into Medford, I started looking for the courthouse. The county sheriff was located in the bottom two floors with the basement being the jail. I found it with little problem and parked in a spot marked reserved for deputies. I went into reception and asked to see the sheriff. I was told unless I had an appointment I would have to come back another day. I presented my Homeland Security ID and they immediately called his office. I was escorted back to his office by a sergeant who let me in, walking away after shutting the door behind me. I got my first glimpse of the man behind the desk and he was about the same age as Mark had been from what I could tell. He was on the phone so I got to observe him a little bit before he hung up and turned his attention to me. When he saw me sitting there, he got a smile on his face and stood up and held out his hand to shake mine.

"Damned if it isn't Harry Hanson in the flesh. So you finally decided to visit my neck of the woods, huh? What's the bit about Homeland Security?"

"Hell Sheriff, I have so many IDs I can pick and choose which one is the best at the time. How did you know it was me because I don't remember ever meeting you?"

"I went down for the big news conference but you disappeared before I had a chance to talk to you. I take it you don't like reporters?"

"Never did and never will, Sheriff."

"Harry, just call me Avery like everyone else does. Sorry to hear about your friend Mark. Who is going to take over the department now that's it starting to get a good reputation?"

"I have no idea Avery, but Andy is running it on a temporary basis until the Commissioners decide. I know I would never make a good sheriff 'cause I hate politicians worse than the flu."

"Ok Harry, I know you didn't come up here to chitchat, so what's going on?"

I went over the Russian thing then I brought up the camp in his county and asked how many problems he had been having with its occupants. He sat and heard me out before he started talking.

"Harry, that camp of redneck backwoods freaks is the sore spot of my county. I know they have illegal weapons but I can't get probable cause to search. I do want to thank you for pulling all their special commissions. It made my whole day to drive out there and give them the news. I have never seen so many mad people in my life when I gave them the news. Harry, they are dangerous as hell and the people here have been putting a lot of pressure on me to close them down. I can't because they stay to themselves and pay their taxes on time every year. They own about a thousand acres of prime mountain real estate that the logging people would love to get their hands on for the timber rights. They have armed patrols all over the place and they won't hesitate to shoot if you're on their side of the line. Please tell me maybe you are going to shut them down."

"I don't know anything for sure right now Avery, but I will tell you they have come to the attention of Homeland Security for running illegal weapons and maybe illegal aliens. I can tell you that it would be a good idea to keep your men out of the area for the next couple of weeks while they are checked out. Do you have any idea of how many people live there?"

"I would guess upwards to three hundred men, women, and children. The kids don't attend the local schools and are rarely seen off the camp. The men and women come to town on a regular basis but they keep a low profile while they shop and go out to eat. They don't usually cause any problems, but it is a sore waiting to pop from what I have seen. A lot of the women have bruises, and several are always going to the little clinic across the county line. It's run by a doctor that doesn't ask questions, but likes the money they pay for his treatment. I tried checking him out but ran into a dead end after he went to medical school. His name is Dr. Roy Larkinson. He just popped up about three years ago and opened the clinic. He gets a lot of medical supplies from Canada and Mexico according to the UPS driver who goes there five or six times a week to deliver."

I just started to ask him another question when the scrambled cell rang with its distinctive chirping. I answered it and it was the Director on the line telling me Sean was settled in and there were three teams from Bragg on their way to the chemical plant. I gave him the doctor's name and told him to get someone right on it and to call me back on him as soon as possible. He then informed me that Team Two had taken down two men in the fire tower and made sure they would be found by their friends. He also told me I was too damned sneaky for my own good and that he was sending me an escort to make sure I wasn't ambushed on the way back to my home. The excuse he used for this was that since I was getting married tomorrow, he wanted to make sure he was attending a reception and not a wake. He hung up, laughing as I started to give him hell. The sheriff was listening with a smile on his face as I slapped the phone shut in frustration at being hung up on.

"Now that takes guts to cuss out the Director of Homeland Security. Damn Harry, you need to be a little more diplomatic to your bosses."

"He isn't my boss and I damn sure didn't ask for the job I have been given. It was dumped into my lap because I was the only one who knew this area. He puts his pants on the same way I do in the mornings and I hope when he shaves tomorrow he cuts his throat."