Veronica was in the front seat of the van, thumbing through the paperwork, both real and fake. She was psyching herself up. This was like reverse interrogating someone, and adding physical danger and heaping helping of borderline illegal crap on top. She looked over. On the seat next to her was the body cam with the note telling Violet to put it on along with the tiny Ziploc of drug-infused paper if it became necessary. She knew she needed a real record of what went down if it all came apart and…and… and.
There they come. Damn, he’s a big slab of meat! Not quite as big as Paige’s boyfriend, but big and square. For the first time she wondered if Violet could take him. As a kid, she never second-guessed her skills and strength. She was like a force of nature on the playground. It was sometimes like watching three different kung fu or karate movies at the same time back then.
But this time. This time he is big and has already tried to kill with his bare hands. This wouldn’t be for lunch money or bragging rights. If it gets physical, it would be for all the marbles.
What was it Violet kept telling her growing up? Defeat starts in the mind, so does winning. Violet better be right. Veronica looked over again. They were almost there. Time to get in character and sell it like Violets life depended on it. She rolled the window down.
“Good evening gentlemen, Capt. Frickel. Since he is known to be violent, please lock him to the floor ring. Capt. Frickel, we are going for a little drive to your new home while awaiting trial. If you behave yourself properly throughout the trip, all will go smoothly. Do not give me trouble of any kind. If you do, the outcome will not be pleasurable for any involved and it will only worsen your pending outcome. Thank you, gentlemen that will be all. My co-driver will be here momentarily.” The dome light went out as they could hear the van doors being shut.
Veronica sat in the dark silence. She knew most might be worried at this point, the silence might be uncomfortable. Good. Now he is out of his turf and into some one else’s control. Someone he hasn’t got the measure of yet. Time to take away everything he thought he knew. Veronica turned in her seat and spoke at Capt. Frickel, her voice equal shades of boredom and disgust. Looking down on the commoner.
“Look Captain, I meant what I said about behaving yourself. I have your jacket of charges here and it disgusts me. I haven’t seen such a laundry list in a long time.” She started leafing through the papers on the clipboard. “Let’s see what all they will be addressing at your article 32 hearings. You are being charged with violating the following articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in numerological not chronologic order: 80, 81, 89, 90, 92, 93, 120, 125, 128, 133, 134-3, 134-4, 134-26, 134-35, 134-36 and 134-47. This is quite the list. You should just sit back and contemplate the errors of your ways.” Veronica tried to sound like someone confirming the delivery of a washing machine someone ordered on line. She was just delivering.
Veronica saw as she talked, Frickel was getting more and more confused and angry and indignant. How dare anyone speak to him this way! This wasn’t what he had arranged for. What was this! Good! They had him!
“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t even know what most of those are! I was told I was charged with assault, of which I am contesting for cause. What are the rest of those you rattled off?”
Veronica had a smirk as she replied. He was an idiot. She could have added twelve more and he would have never noticed. The important thing was all the ones she said, she could make a half-assed case for, maybe, to a non-lawyer.
“Well that is between you, your lawyer and the arresting officers. I am just going over what I have. If you let me continue, they have you for much more. Let’s see. What are the highlights?”
She made a show of flipping through the pages on the clipboard. “I’ll skip the numbers since you don’t understand the UCMJ. I guess you must have slept through the military justice section of OTC, you don’t have the bearing for ring knocker or the common sense for ROTC.”
Speaking slowly to make sure he understood and further drive her point home “Attempted murder, conduct unbecoming, disobeying a lawful order of a superior officer, it looks like there are twelve counts of that, Unlawful conduct as a sentry in time of war, and they have the camera footage from inside the armory for most of this.” Veronica’s eyes lit up as she got to another page and she smiled. This was the one she figured would be the harpoon to really drive him over the edge. She thought of it while watching the TV as she was getting dressed in billeting. “Oh, and it will be interesting how you ‘contest with cause’ the raping of her six year old son!”
Frickel came unglued. The veins were bulging his face was crimson. He tried to pull free. Veronica thought he might stroke out right there in the van. ‘I guess unhinged accomplished’ she thought to herself.
“Rape her son?! What the **** ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?”
Veronica grinned inwardly as she had her flat witness for the prosecution demeanor on as she thumbed back through the pages before looking up at him through the security screen.
Veronica turned to look across the cabin of the van towards the passenger side. She saw Violet in uniform walking towards the van. She seemed to be walking deliberately different. She couldn’t tell how but it didn’t look like the Violet she knew. The closer she came, the more she didn’t look like Violet.
“Calm down Captain. All I am doing is reading the charges sheet. And all I am reading to you are the items with checkmarks and numbers links to the material evidence. My co-driver is here now. You need to sit back and shut up if you know what’s good for you.”
Veronica held up a small audio recorder high near the roof where presumably the Captain could see it, then placed it prominently on the dash of the van. In the rear view mirror, she could see Frickel see who her co-driver was. He had to look two or three times. He couldn’t believe what his eyes were seeing. He started screaming and thrashing about again.
“Wait, what the hell is she doing here? She can’t be here. What kind of ****ing trick is this? She’s supposed to be in a coma! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!”
“Calm down, be quiet. We are just taking a drive. Do not irritate the Special Agent who is driving and can add more charges to your list!” Veronica wasn’t loud, but she was forceful and harsh, the tone cutting through the Captain’s noise like a knife. She had to regain control. They had to make him believe but he had to engage them in a way it would work on tape and get them their slam dunk.
Violet opened the door. There was Veronica, behind the wheel. On the seat in front of her was a piece of notebook paper with a note
‘Put on the camera, just in case’
Attached to the small camera was the tiny Ziploc. This Violet put in her pocket. She clipped the camera onto the front of her uniform. She tried to look natural as she avoided looking directly in the back when she climbed into the seat of the van.
Once her seatbelt was clipped, Veronica started the next part of their play. Violet kept telling herself to play along with whatever Veronica said. She was driving the interrogation. She was just a prop unless it went really wrong.
Once Veronica saw Violet was settled in and seemed ready to play her part, she began talking.
“Ma’am, here is the map so you can follow along and help navigate. The van has already been fueled and has enough for the entire trip. I will repeat what the JAG briefed you. Do not speak with the prisoner, otherwise there might be more interaction required at the far end. Do you understand?”
Violet/Paige merely nodded as she thought she should to agree to the request by the Special Agent.
Veronica put the van into gear and started off the base. Things were quiet for a few minutes other than the Captain squirming and wiggling in his seat. Finally, the Captain could contain himself no more and had to speak had to know!
“What is this bullshit about your son? What kind of shit is this? I thought you were in the hospital! Sergeant! You better answer me! I am a Captain in the….”
Veronica had to make him powerless again, had to keep him off balance. She stood on the brakes and uncorked a sliver of her temper as the van slid to a dead stop in the middle of a turn on the mountain road.
“Look. She is not to speak to you. She has been ordered not to. She actually knows what orders mean and what to do when given them. Oh, and as for rank, a bottle cap has more rank than you do while you are in custody. Your rank is ‘Prisoner’. In case you didn’t read you booking papers, your rank and privileges afforded due to such have been suspended. If you are exonerated, your rank and privileges will be returned, but considering the charges and the evidence against you, I wouldn’t count on it! At this point, I think you should devote all your energy to praying for solitary confinement. Child rapists in Leavenworth don’t fare well in general population. Now shut up!”
Veronica’s eyes were hard as flint. There is a certain amount of self-preservation hardwired into the genetics. Veronica seemed to tap into Frickel’s at this moment.
At the words ‘child rapist’ a sob came out of Violet. Veronica was so proud of Violet at this moment. She didn’t act surprised, she played it true to character. Atta girl!
The Captain sat stunned for a few moments. The only thing visible to Veronica in the mirror was Frickel’s eyes, big as saucers, as he rocked back and forth muttering over and over. ‘this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening, this can’t be happening’
Veronica put the van back in gear and accelerated. She wanted to make some time down the road in case this asshole had any accomplices who would look to waylay them on the road. She hoped the false trail she pointed to in the LE shop would keep them going the wrong way, but she couldn’t count on it.
The quiet mumbling was all that was said in the van for several hours. Veronica wanted to talk to Violet, but couldn’t risk it. They had him on the ropes and needed to keep him there. They couldn’t give him any tiny little crack to exploit.
Eventually, the Captain screwed his courage or his outrage up enough he had to pop off again. He tried talking to Veronica again.
“Look, I was told she was in a coma, how are you up and walking around? If you’re up and walking around, how is it attempted murder? None of this shit makes sense! I want to talk to my lawyer! This is bullshit! Where’s my lawyer? He didn’t authorize this move. This has to be illegal!”
Veronica hid her smile. Here it really begins. We planted the seed and now it’s blooming! Veronica’s voice was weary sounding.
“You can talk to your legal representation when he gets to the holding facility. He’s a little busy right now. That’s part of the reason I keep telling you to shut up. Your lawyer isn’t here and we do not want to question you without him. I am a federal law enforcement officer. You say shit to me and it’s admissible. I am not asking you questions. I am in fact commanding you to shut up. You are only hurting your case.”
Veronica paused. She needed him to keep talking, but she needed to push him just a little more. Maybe dangle his planned defense and how it’s already been defeated? That could work. Hold on, Violet, another turn or two and he will bite the hook and we will have him!
“Actually, go ahead and talk, I don’t care. Your case probably couldn’t get much worse. You probably would have been better off if you could have hit worth a shit and actually killed her.”
Veronica’s voice went soft and consoling for a moment. Come on! Play the victim part for me V! She thought as loud as she could.
“Shit! I’m sorry ma’am, but it’s the truth from that point of view. Then you couldn’t have testified about the sexual advances on you and the rape of your son. He was trying to shut you up and get away with it again.”
Veronica heard soft sobs coming from Violet/Paige. She was really selling it. Good! Damn! We should have planned this out more!
The captain lashed back. He wasn’t quite there yet.
“What do you mean again? What kinda shit are you trying to hang me with? And what do you mean couldn’t hit worth a shit?”
Now she had to really slam it home. Time for Veronica to turn it up to eleven. Anger, disgust and contempt coming right up.
“I mean your punch was as limp as your dick! Punching her was probably the biggest boner you had since her son. If it wasn’t so weak, she couldn’t have played dead, knowing she had four cameras recording the whole assault. She just had to put up with your pathetic ass making a fool out of yourself for a few minutes, then she would have all the evidence to finally put you away! We already have investigators pouring through the other units you were in. Some have already come back with examples of a ‘pattern of behavior’. This will lead us to your other victims. Like I said, you shouldn’t be flapping your gums. You should be praying for solitary.”
By the end of her tirade, Frickel had a shellshocked look on his face. He was totally lost. He was really terrified for the first time. He sat trying to figure out what he could do.
Veronica knew he was terrified. She could smell the piss that he had released.