After letting that last statement sink in, Esteban moved on to the next rookie:
- "Officer Chie Sugawara is also a fresh graduate from the academy and this will be her first assignment. She first applied for military service, but was turned down because of bigoted selection personnel. Family history indicates both military and civil service throughout, specifically in North Honshu, Japan and the West Coast. She set a new record for negotiation tactics by resolving a close-quarters bank hostage exercise in 5 1/2 minutes."
- "How the hell did you manage that?" said Perns, raising an eyebrow.
- "I told the guy we'd been following him for weeks, and the money he wanted to leave with was fake and planted a few days before."
- "And he bought that?"
- "No, but the split second he looked down to the bags were enough for a headshot."
Silence feel once again upon the assembled group, mostly fueled by the stunned disbelief that such a smooth-voiced woman could be capable of such efficient cold-heartedness. After a noticeable pause, the Captain continued.
- "Finally, we have Ricks Marli. Ex-fixer turned informer, turned cop. Evidently, his business contacts were becoming a little too hot, which prompted a few betrayals in Miami, New Orleans and in the Southwest. Furthermore, since turning state's evidence, while being healthy, is not personally lucrative, Mr. Marli decided to go the full nine and is now know as Officer Marli. We now have access to his extensive street knowledge, as well as contacts that haven't clued in on his switch."
Carrie Perns eyed Marli for the duration of his introduction, still coming to grips with working with an ex-criminal. She now remembered his indirect link to the Sala Cartel, acting as an information broker for middle-men. Nothing to concrete, but still something to watch out for. He could still be a plant, for all she knew... While she was pondering this, Esteban turned off the screen and the lights went back up. Meyer spoke up.
- "Wait a second, what about the management? Aren't we lowly peons gonna be privy to all the dirty details of our Lieutenant and Captain?"
- "Of course you will, replied Esteban, but I thought we'd just tell you ourselves without the help of the screen. Now, Lt. Cotton, if you please."
Cotton obligingly stepped forward to introduce himself to the group.
__________________
A plan is just a list of things that don't happen.
|