second asked for two million and threatened that the price would rise again if No Prisoners was not contacted by ten the following morning. The letters gave instructions for Fescoe to initiate contact by posting a specific term—“tribute”—in an update on the LAPD’s Facebook page.
In turn, the chief would get information about where and how to transfer the money. The letters also warned that failure to make contact and payment within twenty-four hours would cause the daily death toll to increase by one.
“Using social media as one of the levers,” Del Rio commented. “You’re dealing with someone young, educated, a planner.”
I nodded, “And ex-military, I’d expect.”
Cammarata, a former US Army Ranger, snorted. “Why? Just because he uses the handle No Prisoners? He could have played football, as in ‘Take no prisoners.’ Or soccer, for Christ’s sake. Who is this amateur?”
I ignored the barb, said, “Could very well be, Sheriff. That’s just the way it feels to me.”
He nodded coldly. “We pros don’t go on feelings.”
“Well, there you go,” I replied. “But honestly, I’m as confused as you are, Sheriff, as to why Rick and I were asked here.”
All eyes traveled to Chief Fescoe, who cleared his throat. “In my opinion, what we have here is the makings of a first-class career Armageddon, a worse spree killer than the DC Sniper. How we handle this will pretty much determine our political fates, especially if the death count continues to rise. So what I’m about to suggest does not leave this room. Are we agreed?”
Slowly, reluctantly, all those gathered nodded, including me.
“I think Jack’s right in his reaction and so is Del Rio, and that’s part of why I asked them to join us,” Fescoe began. “This ‘pay to stop the killing’ angle. I’ve never seen it before. And there’s something about the way this is being done, call it a feeling if you want, Lou, but this guy is not going to stop. He’s highly trained. And he’s going to kill until we either catch him or we buckle and pay him off.”
“We are not buckling,” Mayor Wills said emphatically. “The City of Los Angeles will not be paying any murderous extortionist on my watch.”
“Exactly my thoughts, Your Honor,” the chief replied with a slow bow of his head. “I never for a moment considered advising you to pay. But we are faced with a double-edged sword. If we don’t pay, we must ask ourselves whether we are also dooming six innocent people to die tomorrow.”
“You don’t know that,” Sheriff Cammarata snapped.
“You want to take the chance?” Fescoe shot back, reddening.
“No,” the mayor said. “What are you suggesting, Mickey?”
Fescoe took a breath, glanced at me. “We could call in the FBI and their profilers and let them take control of this, but then the extortion campaign would leak everywhere, any way you look at it a PR nightmare for us.”
“I sense an ‘or’ coming,” Mayor Wills said.
“ Or we can bring in Private on a hush-hush basis, as, say, consultants.”
“Why in God’s name would we do that?” Sheriff Cammarata demanded.
I was wondering the same thing. And I could tell Del Rio was too.
“Because they’re not tied to the goddamned Constitution,” Fescoe said. “They can simply do things we can’t legally. They can take risks that we can’t.”
“You mean they can cut corners and break laws?” the mayor said coldly.
“I didn’t say that, Your Honor,” Fescoe soothed. “But consider that six lives are at stake tomorrow, and seven the day after that. Wouldn’t you cut a few corners to save those lives?”
I held up both hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where am I legally here? Where is Private? My firm isn’t going to do your dirty work and then have you turn around and slap us with some Bill of Rights violation.”
“That won’t happen,” Fescoe said.
“How are you going to ensure that?” I demanded.
“The mayor is going to grant you
In turn, the chief would get information about where and how to transfer the money. The letters also warned that failure to make contact and payment within twenty-four hours would cause the daily death toll to increase by one.
“Using social media as one of the levers,” Del Rio commented. “You’re dealing with someone young, educated, a planner.”
I nodded, “And ex-military, I’d expect.”
Cammarata, a former US Army Ranger, snorted. “Why? Just because he uses the handle No Prisoners? He could have played football, as in ‘Take no prisoners.’ Or soccer, for Christ’s sake. Who is this amateur?”
I ignored the barb, said, “Could very well be, Sheriff. That’s just the way it feels to me.”
He nodded coldly. “We pros don’t go on feelings.”
“Well, there you go,” I replied. “But honestly, I’m as confused as you are, Sheriff, as to why Rick and I were asked here.”
All eyes traveled to Chief Fescoe, who cleared his throat. “In my opinion, what we have here is the makings of a first-class career Armageddon, a worse spree killer than the DC Sniper. How we handle this will pretty much determine our political fates, especially if the death count continues to rise. So what I’m about to suggest does not leave this room. Are we agreed?”
Slowly, reluctantly, all those gathered nodded, including me.
“I think Jack’s right in his reaction and so is Del Rio, and that’s part of why I asked them to join us,” Fescoe began. “This ‘pay to stop the killing’ angle. I’ve never seen it before. And there’s something about the way this is being done, call it a feeling if you want, Lou, but this guy is not going to stop. He’s highly trained. And he’s going to kill until we either catch him or we buckle and pay him off.”
“We are not buckling,” Mayor Wills said emphatically. “The City of Los Angeles will not be paying any murderous extortionist on my watch.”
“Exactly my thoughts, Your Honor,” the chief replied with a slow bow of his head. “I never for a moment considered advising you to pay. But we are faced with a double-edged sword. If we don’t pay, we must ask ourselves whether we are also dooming six innocent people to die tomorrow.”
“You don’t know that,” Sheriff Cammarata snapped.
“You want to take the chance?” Fescoe shot back, reddening.
“No,” the mayor said. “What are you suggesting, Mickey?”
Fescoe took a breath, glanced at me. “We could call in the FBI and their profilers and let them take control of this, but then the extortion campaign would leak everywhere, any way you look at it a PR nightmare for us.”
“I sense an ‘or’ coming,” Mayor Wills said.
“ Or we can bring in Private on a hush-hush basis, as, say, consultants.”
“Why in God’s name would we do that?” Sheriff Cammarata demanded.
I was wondering the same thing. And I could tell Del Rio was too.
“Because they’re not tied to the goddamned Constitution,” Fescoe said. “They can simply do things we can’t legally. They can take risks that we can’t.”
“You mean they can cut corners and break laws?” the mayor said coldly.
“I didn’t say that, Your Honor,” Fescoe soothed. “But consider that six lives are at stake tomorrow, and seven the day after that. Wouldn’t you cut a few corners to save those lives?”
I held up both hands. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where am I legally here? Where is Private? My firm isn’t going to do your dirty work and then have you turn around and slap us with some Bill of Rights violation.”
“That won’t happen,” Fescoe said.
“How are you going to ensure that?” I demanded.
“The mayor is going to grant you
Similar Books
