| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted November 15, 2020 | Chapters: |
...9 10 -11- 12... 
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The Vigilante goes viral with her crimes.
A chapter in the book Where Are All The Children
Virtual Vigilantism
by Mistydawn
The sun shines through the large picture window brightening the drab earth-toned space. Horns blare in the busy street below it. The traffic zooms by. There's a light rhythmic tapping in the center of the room. Toni is investigating a tip she received about various men being held captive in their homes.
There has to be a dozen of these, she thinks, clicking through the links. The men's lips are moving, but there's no sound. The horror on their face tells her they're begging for their lives. She zooms in and finds the messages on the wall behind them, calling them out for the sexual predators they supposedly are.
The silhouette of their vigilante comes to mind. They were able to catch a quick flash of her leaving the second man's house. The shot is so distorted that the only thing they could get from it with any certainty is an approximate height. Could she be doing this? Toni compares the videos to other crime scenes. The staging is the same. Think I'll message her see if she replies.
She goes to the channel's main page and types, We don't know who you are or why you're doing this, but we appreciate all of your help. Together, we can make the city a safer place to live. Sincerely, Detective Moore. The team believes she's personally connected to the trafficking ring, but they're not sure how.
Toni takes a screenshot of the first man and then runs it through the system. Not having any luck, she tries the next. She's waiting for the computer to come up with a match when she notices a forensic technician step into the room. "Please tell me you have something, John."
"Not on the videos, but I did find something on the house you rated this morning." He hands her the laptop. "Over two dozen children have been through there. It seems to have started as far back as 2010. I also found this." He pulls up a document. "I'm guessing it's a list of his clientele."
Toni scans the page. It's a spreadsheet of names, dates, and preferences. "This was on his laptop?"
"The file was heavily encrypted, and it was hidden under a picture on his home screen alongside the photos of the girls. His computer was locked with a fingerprint and was stored underneath the fake bottom of a drawer in a locked desk."
"I'm surprised it wasn't rigged to explode."
"I took precautions, just in case."
She recalls a horrid incident he'd had a few years back. "I bet so." Toni quickly scans the document again. "I guess we're going to be serving another dozen or so warrants soon."
"I'll print you off the list."
The detective and Agent Donaldson step off the elevator. Jamal walks over to Toni and says, "The desk sergeant said she'd received over a dozen anonymous calls about YouTube videos of naked men being held captive in what they assume to be their homes. The way the callers are describing the footage, I believe it's our vigilante again." He hands his partner a piece of paper.
She quickly scans the page. "I already know about them. My friend sent me the link a little while ago. I'm running their faces through the system. I have our computer techs trying to figure out who set up the account and where the videos are streaming from." She pulls up the link on her computer. "Here, take a look for yourself."
The agent and her partner step up beside her.
"There's close to a dozen of these." She clicks through the videos.
"Wait, sergeant, go back," Detective Donaldson instructs. Toni does as she's told. "Now, zoom in." He leans in and says, "I thought so."
Jamal turns towards him. A perplexed expression on his face. "Do you know this man?"
"He was a commanding officer for the FBI a few years back. He took an early retirement out of the blue. One day he was there, and the next, he was gone." He shakes his head and says, "I'll see if I can get his address."
"Mike and I will try to get a location on the rest of these men."
***
Larry, Kevin, and Agent Reynolds are headed over to a suspect's house at Lakewood Heights. According to the coffee shops' security footage, Mike Clarke and Mark Hensley delivered the girls to their clients. Seeing four FBI agents on the corner of Harper and Rhinehill road, they pull up beside them.
Climbing out of the cruiser, Larry walks over. He points to the officers off to the side and says. "I want you to secure the perimeter. The rest of us will take the house."
The officers shuffle in a single file to the home. When the agents are in place, Larry turns towards his detective and nods.
Discovering the door is unlocked, Kevin eases it open then ducks out of the way. With her gun drawn, Agent Reynolds takes a quick look around. Not seeing anyone, she slips inside. Kevin covers her.
Realizing the coast is clear, Kevin takes the room to the left, Larry to the right. The agent continues down the hall.
"He's in here." The agent calls out.
The men walk in to find a man naked, handcuffed to the bed. The words Baby raper is scribbled in red lipstick on the wall behind him with an arrow pointing towards the bed. Larry scratches the stubble on his face and says, "Our vigilante strikes again."
Hanging up his phone, Kevin walks towards the captain. Jamal said our bust has gone viral, sir."
"Viral?" the captain repeats.
"That's what he claims." Kevin discovers a phone on the dresser behind them when he glances around. He sees the video is on when he picks it up. He then notices the offensive comments being posted by the viewers. The phone dings a message in bold, red letters appears on the side. Castrate the sick SOB. The words are repeated over and over until it's the only one on the screen. "You'll love this suggestion, captain." It's a comment they sometimes make out of frustration. When the perp gets off on a technicality or is released only to rape again.
"It's illegal, pal." The phone dings again. The message reads, we won't tell. "Sorry, no can do." Crying emojis fill the screen. "He'll get what's coming to him in prison. I promise you that." The word maybe replaces the face. "We'll do our best to get him there." The phone sounds again. The text reads: Your best isn't good enough, captain. "I'm sorry you feel that way." We all do follows Larry's reply.
"Kevin scoops up the construction paper on the dresser. It's a collage of naked men secured to a piece of furniture in what he assumes to be their homes. There's a handwritten note below it that reads, four down, dozens to go. The second piece of paper is naked photos of the man on the bed. The children in the pictures are performing various sex acts on him. He then notices the bottom drawer is ajar. He opens it to find a collection of homemade tapes. "Take a look at this, captain." He hands him the two pieces of paper. "I have a feeling the photos were taken from his personal library." He points to the drawer."
Agent Reynolds, I want you to run the photos through facial recognition, see if we can figure out who they are, and tell forensics to get in here."
"I'm on it, sir."
Kevin answers his phone again. "I'll let the captain know." He turns towards Larry and says, "That was Toni, sir. She says they've received dozens of calls about videos of naked men. Said there's one, in particular, Agent Reynolds needs to see." His phone dings. He opens the message and then clicks on the link.
They find a man handcuffed and naked to a kitchen chair when they glance at the screen. He has an FBI hat on his head. A lifeless child by his feet. The caption behind him says. "I begged for help, and you turned away."
"Do you know this man, Agent Reynolds?" the captain asks. She steps up beside them.
She glances at the picture and gasps.
"What is it, agent?"
"He... He was my sergeant when I first started on the force."
There has to be a dozen of these, she thinks, clicking through the links. The men's lips are moving, but there's no sound. The horror on their face tells her they're begging for their lives. She zooms in and finds the messages on the wall behind them, calling them out for the sexual predators they supposedly are.
The silhouette of their vigilante comes to mind. They were able to catch a quick flash of her leaving the second man's house. The shot is so distorted that the only thing they could get from it with any certainty is an approximate height. Could she be doing this? Toni compares the videos to other crime scenes. The staging is the same. Think I'll message her see if she replies.
She goes to the channel's main page and types, We don't know who you are or why you're doing this, but we appreciate all of your help. Together, we can make the city a safer place to live. Sincerely, Detective Moore. The team believes she's personally connected to the trafficking ring, but they're not sure how.
Toni takes a screenshot of the first man and then runs it through the system. Not having any luck, she tries the next. She's waiting for the computer to come up with a match when she notices a forensic technician step into the room. "Please tell me you have something, John."
"Not on the videos, but I did find something on the house you rated this morning." He hands her the laptop. "Over two dozen children have been through there. It seems to have started as far back as 2010. I also found this." He pulls up a document. "I'm guessing it's a list of his clientele."
Toni scans the page. It's a spreadsheet of names, dates, and preferences. "This was on his laptop?"
"The file was heavily encrypted, and it was hidden under a picture on his home screen alongside the photos of the girls. His computer was locked with a fingerprint and was stored underneath the fake bottom of a drawer in a locked desk."
"I'm surprised it wasn't rigged to explode."
"I took precautions, just in case."
She recalls a horrid incident he'd had a few years back. "I bet so." Toni quickly scans the document again. "I guess we're going to be serving another dozen or so warrants soon."
"I'll print you off the list."
The detective and Agent Donaldson step off the elevator. Jamal walks over to Toni and says, "The desk sergeant said she'd received over a dozen anonymous calls about YouTube videos of naked men being held captive in what they assume to be their homes. The way the callers are describing the footage, I believe it's our vigilante again." He hands his partner a piece of paper.
She quickly scans the page. "I already know about them. My friend sent me the link a little while ago. I'm running their faces through the system. I have our computer techs trying to figure out who set up the account and where the videos are streaming from." She pulls up the link on her computer. "Here, take a look for yourself."
The agent and her partner step up beside her.
"There's close to a dozen of these." She clicks through the videos.
"Wait, sergeant, go back," Detective Donaldson instructs. Toni does as she's told. "Now, zoom in." He leans in and says, "I thought so."
Jamal turns towards him. A perplexed expression on his face. "Do you know this man?"
"He was a commanding officer for the FBI a few years back. He took an early retirement out of the blue. One day he was there, and the next, he was gone." He shakes his head and says, "I'll see if I can get his address."
"Mike and I will try to get a location on the rest of these men."
***
Larry, Kevin, and Agent Reynolds are headed over to a suspect's house at Lakewood Heights. According to the coffee shops' security footage, Mike Clarke and Mark Hensley delivered the girls to their clients. Seeing four FBI agents on the corner of Harper and Rhinehill road, they pull up beside them.
Climbing out of the cruiser, Larry walks over. He points to the officers off to the side and says. "I want you to secure the perimeter. The rest of us will take the house."
The officers shuffle in a single file to the home. When the agents are in place, Larry turns towards his detective and nods.
Discovering the door is unlocked, Kevin eases it open then ducks out of the way. With her gun drawn, Agent Reynolds takes a quick look around. Not seeing anyone, she slips inside. Kevin covers her.
Realizing the coast is clear, Kevin takes the room to the left, Larry to the right. The agent continues down the hall.
"He's in here." The agent calls out.
The men walk in to find a man naked, handcuffed to the bed. The words Baby raper is scribbled in red lipstick on the wall behind him with an arrow pointing towards the bed. Larry scratches the stubble on his face and says, "Our vigilante strikes again."
Hanging up his phone, Kevin walks towards the captain. Jamal said our bust has gone viral, sir."
"Viral?" the captain repeats.
"That's what he claims." Kevin discovers a phone on the dresser behind them when he glances around. He sees the video is on when he picks it up. He then notices the offensive comments being posted by the viewers. The phone dings a message in bold, red letters appears on the side. Castrate the sick SOB. The words are repeated over and over until it's the only one on the screen. "You'll love this suggestion, captain." It's a comment they sometimes make out of frustration. When the perp gets off on a technicality or is released only to rape again.
"It's illegal, pal." The phone dings again. The message reads, we won't tell. "Sorry, no can do." Crying emojis fill the screen. "He'll get what's coming to him in prison. I promise you that." The word maybe replaces the face. "We'll do our best to get him there." The phone sounds again. The text reads: Your best isn't good enough, captain. "I'm sorry you feel that way." We all do follows Larry's reply.
"Kevin scoops up the construction paper on the dresser. It's a collage of naked men secured to a piece of furniture in what he assumes to be their homes. There's a handwritten note below it that reads, four down, dozens to go. The second piece of paper is naked photos of the man on the bed. The children in the pictures are performing various sex acts on him. He then notices the bottom drawer is ajar. He opens it to find a collection of homemade tapes. "Take a look at this, captain." He hands him the two pieces of paper. "I have a feeling the photos were taken from his personal library." He points to the drawer."
Agent Reynolds, I want you to run the photos through facial recognition, see if we can figure out who they are, and tell forensics to get in here."
"I'm on it, sir."
Kevin answers his phone again. "I'll let the captain know." He turns towards Larry and says, "That was Toni, sir. She says they've received dozens of calls about videos of naked men. Said there's one, in particular, Agent Reynolds needs to see." His phone dings. He opens the message and then clicks on the link.
They find a man handcuffed and naked to a kitchen chair when they glance at the screen. He has an FBI hat on his head. A lifeless child by his feet. The caption behind him says. "I begged for help, and you turned away."
"Do you know this man, Agent Reynolds?" the captain asks. She steps up beside them.
She glances at the picture and gasps.
"What is it, agent?"
"He... He was my sergeant when I first started on the force."
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