Chapter 17

PLANNING

The next morning on the way to the range near Toole, Cole asked, “any thoughts about our newest addition?”

“I don’t like the idea of her risking her job and endangering herself to get us information on wife beaters. We’ll need to be extra careful with the people she gives us so no clues are left that would point to Jamie. When she goes shooting with us, we can’t come out to this government facility.”

“Oops, I didn’t even think about that. You’re right. It works so slick to use this government shooting facility. It’s too bad that we can’t just bring her out here.”

“I drove by the hangout for the gang bangers in West Valley, I saw Billy Williams strutting around and chewing out a group of young kids. I assume that they’re trainees for his gang.

I didn’t see a lot of other people around. There were only a few cars. There were a lot of empty buildings, an old run down park, and a convenience store that must pay some kind of protection to him to remain open,” said Aaron.

“When I went by the Mexicanos base of operations, it was similar except there were a lot of people around and a lot of sporty cars with darkened windows. It sounds like this area was a little nicer. There was one empty building, an old KMART. They had kind of taken over a small park with a basketball court.

I didn’t see Jose Garcia. But I didn’t stop and take a good look with the binoculars. I’m sure that the nighttime picture will be different.

I was watching for some kind of reaction or a look to tell me that one of gang members had noticed me, but as far as I could tell, I was invisible to them. I think that we should keep going back and forth at different times to see if there is some kind of pattern. We know that they peddle a lot of drugs; they have to have some kind of building where they handle and prepare the drugs. It’s probably somewhere close.”
“I’ve been thinking, how much good is it going to do to chop off the head of these gangs? If these guys are any kind of leaders, he has set up a chain of command. There will be somebody ready to fill his shoes before his body cools off. I think that we should somehow work toward taking out as many of them as possible.”

“I saw a movie a long time ago where a man was trying to get revenge on some mafia types. I remember that Charles Bronson played the main guy in the movie. Anyway, he was working back and forth with 2 groups of bad guys. In the end he set up a meeting with these 2 groups of mafia types. Neither of the groups trusted each other. Bronson started picking off the leaders from a spot where he could see them but they didn’t notice him. The two groups thought that the other group was trying to kill them when the first man fell; and each group started shooting at each other. When it was all over, Bronson was the only person alive. I think that he actually picked off the last guy. I loved the ending.

Maybe we could somehow do the same thing. If Mr. X could maybe learn about a meeting between these two gangs, we could make it work,” said Cole.

As they continued to do reconnaissance on the gangs, it became clear that each gang was actively pursuing their drug dealing activities. Gang members were coming and going all of the time. It slowed down from early morning through late afternoon. The gang bangers would show up with bags of what was assumed to be cash. They would go into the old buildings, and return with other bags filled what was assumed to be drugs. Jose Garcia and Billy Williams were clearly in charge of the two gangs and were seen around the distribution points.

“Why didn’t the police shut these guys down,” asked Aaron?

“I’m assuming that the gang has lookouts stationed throughout the area and if any police get too close, they either cut off the police cars or somehow hide the drugs and money. They could also have informants in the police department so that they know when a raid is coming. It just doesn’t make sense with this much activity going on the police don’t know about it. There must be some dirty cops as well. They could be bringing in the drugs a little at a time from somewhere else so that there is never too much at any one place. The bags that are being carried in and out could be anything. It may be that 1 out of 10 bags actually contain drugs. The others could be laundry, lunches, whatever.”

JAMIE

The next Monday night at the trail-head, “Is there any way that we could find out about a meeting between the two gangs,” asked Cole?

“I hear about some gang meetings sometimes. If I do, you will be the first to know. What do you have in mind?”

Cole repeated his recollection of the Bronson movie.

“I saw that movie. What a great ending. I’ll nose around to see if I can find out anything. How did your meeting with the nurse go?”

“She’s in. We went over the seriousness of what we’re doing and the need for absolute secrecy. We didn’t mention you or JUSTICE FOR ALL. She has already applied for a concealed weapon permit. We’re going to take her on some shooting practice. No, we’re not taking her out to Tooele to shoot.”

“Whew, I thought for a moment that you had missed that little detail. I should have known that you would’ve realized that would be a bad idea at this point. We probably don’t need to come up here each week, although I enjoy the ride up here and the air is so clean and fresh, I think I’ll come up here even if you guys don’t show up.”

“I think that I would also like to keep coming up here. Just like you, I think the fresh air is worth the drive,” said Cole.

“Well I guess it’s settled, we continue the Monday Night meeting until further notice,” added Aaron. “We’re also going to meet Jamie every Monday night after we leave here. She is going to furnish a list of wife beaters to us.”

“What are you going to do to them?”

“We talked about it the other day. That comment about perhaps castrating them is interesting. The problem is that it would be risky and it could be messy. Maybe the threat of castration would do the trick,” said Cole. “If we talked to a guy where the beating wasn’t too bad or if it was his first time, maybe we should simply tell him that if we ever see his wife or girlfriend in a hospital again, we will find him and cut his balls off and throw him in a dumpster to bleed to death.”

“If she’s in the hospital, it’s a pretty bad beating. If I got a threat like that, I would take notice and pay attention,” laughed Rizzo.

“We need to meet Jamie in 15 minutes, so we’ll talk to you next week,” said Aaron.
Jamie was waiting for them when they pulled into the diner. There were no truck drivers this time, but there were a couple of rough looking guys watching Jamie. They turned away when Cole and Aaron came in and sat down.

“Let’s go to the backroom,” said Cole. They stood and waved at the waitress.
She pointed at the back room and said I’ll be right in.”

The waitress followed them in and took their order. When she brought it back, she said “I’m glad you guys are here. Those 2 guys sitting at the counter scare me. I’m alone right now, the regular cook is sick and the manager went to make a deposit.”

“Is there some way that you can signal us if you need some help?”

“I can turn the lights off and on from behind the counter.”

“Ok, if you need some help while we’re still in here, just turn off the lights and we’ll be out in a flash,” said Cole.

Both Cole and Aaron pulled out their pistols and put them on the table. “This will save a few seconds in case the lights go off. I didn’t like the looks of those characters when we walked in,” said Aaron. “If we have to go out there, you take right, I’ll take left.”

Jamie was sitting there watching them. “You guys are really something else. My first reaction would be to turn around and run. When I saw those guys sitting there and the way that they looked at me, I wanted to run. If you weren’t on your way, I would have turned around and left before I even sat down.”

“Most people are good people, but there are vermin called people scattered around everywhere. I’m thinking that those creatures in the other room are what we like to call Rabid Dogs,” said Cole.

Jamie handed them each a list of people. “It’s the same list. I made a copy. These are the worst 10 people that could think of. She had given those names, addresses, number of times in the Emergency Room, injuries, and dates.

They were going over the list when the light went off; Cole and Aaron grabbed their guns and stepped to the door. Cole told Jamie to get down as he opened the door. The vermin were standing in front of the cash register. One of them was pointing a pistol at the waitress. The thugs didn’t notice the door opening. When the door opened enough for both to see the vermin, Cole yelled, “Drop the gun!”

The thug turned and tried to find a target for his swinging pistol. A hole appeared between his eyes just above the top of his nose. The other reached for the gun that was still in his dead partner’s hand. Two holes appeared in his neck and head. Both of the vermin were now very dead. The waitress stared at them as she sat down on her chair.

“Are you ok,” asked Jamie.

“I’m fine, thanks for taking care of these snakes. Who are you?” We get robbed pretty regular, and the boss always blames me. Can I call the police now?”

“Just a minute,” said Cole.

He looked at Jamie and asked her to “take a napkin and wipe all of their glasses and the table where they had been sitting and the door knobs.” To the Waitress, “we would rather not be identified. Will you tell the police a story and give them an identification of someone else. We have been identified as tall, nice men, so that would be perfect. Just tell them that Robin Hood came in as these guys were holding you up. It would be really helpful if you didn’t mention that we were meeting in the other room, and please, please don’t mention our friend here. Also, don’t mention either of our cars that are outside.”

“You may have just saved my life, so I’ll tell them anything that you want me to tell them.”

“I would suggest that you practice your story a few times so that you will say the same thing each time they ask you for details,” said Aaron as he handed her a handful of $20 bills and some ones, “this should cover our drinks and a tip.”

“The money isn’t necessary, but thanks anyway,” said the waitress as Cole and Aaron went out the door. Jamie wiped the door handle as she went out.

ROBIN HOOD

Detective Rizzo was on call. He arrived at the Diner and noticed the University Hospital across the street. Streaks of red and blue lights flashed across the front of the building from the police cruisers sitting in front of the diner. “Fill me in”, he said to the officer who was talking to a middle aged woman in a black and white waitress uniform.

“It seems that Robin Hood strikes again.”

“Robin Hood strikes again, why do you say that?”

“The waitress said that one of the gunmen who shot these two who are lying on the floor said that he was Robin Hood.”

“Ok, from the top, what happened?

“The waitress said that she was alone in the diner, all of her customers had just left when the 2 victims came in and ordered some coffee and sat at the counter. She got the coffee and gave it to them. They started to drink it as she turned and went to clean the serving table. The next thing she heard was one of the victims saying to open the cash register, this is a holdup. She looked around and one of them was pointing a gun at her. Before she could even open the cash register, the front door opened and 2 men burst in. One of them said drop the gun. The guy who was pointing the gun at her turned as if he was going to shoot at them, Robin Hood shot him in the head. The other victim dove and was trying to grab the gun from his partners hand when both Robin hoods shot. She saw that one bullet hit him in the head. They told her to call the police and tell them that they she had been saved by Robin Hood.”

“Robin Hood takes from the rich and gives to the poor. Did they take anything?”

“No, they asked me if I was alright and said goodnight as they left. I did notice that one of them wiped the door handle.”

“Is there anything else that you would like to add?”

“Yes, I think that Robin Hood saved my life and I want to thank both of them.”

“That’s all I need, someone from downtown may call you and ask some more questions or may ask you to come down to the station, but for now, here’s my card. If you think of anything else, please call me. The Crime Scene unit will be here in a few minutes to go over the entire diner. They will be looking for anything that might help identify Robin Hood, so don’t clean anything like the floors, counter, glasses or anything.”
“I understand said the waitress.” She had already wiped down the table, chairs, and table in the other room as well as the floors, glasses and plates in the main restaurant, and was busily cleaning the counter when the Crime Scene people arrived.

“What are you doing”, yelled the Crime Scene Technician as he stepped in the front door?

“I’m cleaning up. If I don’t keep this restaurant clean I’ll lose my job. I haven’t touched the bodies and I didn’t see any bullets around.”

‘Did you clean the front door?”

“No, I’m sorry; I’ll do that right now.”

“No, don’t do that, we need to check if for fingerprints,” shouted the Crime Scene technician. He then dusted the entire diner and found nothing except a few in the kitchen and on some of the clean dishes and utensils. The waitress had effectively erased any fingerprints that Jamie may have missed.

Rizzo filed his report. Two men were killed in the 24 Hr. University Diner. Both were long time repeat convicts who had been released from prison 2 months ago. Both were dead as the scene. One victim was killed with a single wound in the center of the forehead, the second with a bullet in his neck and another in his head through his ear. The witness statement said that she saw both men shot. It’s not known if the shots that killed the victims were fired from more than one weapon. The witness reports the gunmen identified themselves as Robin Hood and the physical description, tall, matches other general descriptions of Robin Hood. The witness didn’t get a good look at their faces and couldn’t give a detailed description of either of them. She also reports that she didn’t notice any cars parked in the parking lot. There was an older car parked in front that belonged to one of the victims. Crime Scene technicians were unable to find any usable fingerprints or any other clues to the identity of the gunmen.

His report didn’t include the fact that he knew the waitress was withholding information from him. Of course Rizzo knew who the gunmen were. He was happy that there was no evidence to connect them with the murders. He figured that Jamie was also there and was glad the waitress didn’t tell him that bit of information either.
‘If any other detective had got this call, they would have known she was lying and probably withholding information. They could have possibly made her give them a better description of Cole and Aaron and told them about Jamie. Jamie was undoubtedly in her nurses “uniform.” The waitress had done exactly what he knew she would do when he specifically told her what not to clean. She would do anything she could to protect them, so she went right to work cleaning those items that Rizzo had listed.’

The newspaper story blared “ROBIN HOOD IS BACK.” “Police reported that 2 men were killed in an attempted robbery last night at the 24 Hr. University Diner by 2 men who identified themselves as Robin Hood. Police think that the 2 dead men were responsible for a string of burglaries over the last 2 months. A witness said that Robin Hood was really 2 men and they burst into the diner while she was being held at gunpoint. A gun battle followed in which both men who were robbing the diner were shot and killed. The waitress told this reporter that “Robin Hood saved my life and I don’t want the police to do anything bad to them.”

Police replied “no comment” when asked if they would charge Robin Hood with some crime if they could find them. Police ask for any witnesses to call the police so that this vigilante action can be stopped and added that a reward is offered.

The newspaper reporter, in a radical departure from past practices, asked, “WHY ARE THE POLICE TRYING SO HARD TO STOP ROBIN HOOD FROM STOPPING CRIME WHEN THE POLICE CAN’T STOP IT THEMSELVES? If the prisons let out criminals and the courts won’t keep these criminals off the street, isn’t it a good thing to have somebody remove the criminals from our streets?

The reporter went on to say that “everyone understands why people can’t take the law into their own hands, but on the other hand, is it so bad that 1 or 2 people put an end to the law breaking of a few really bad people? Robin Hood has only killed those criminals who had been preying on the innocent, helpless members of society. Let’s reward Robin Hood!”
Follow up reports continued for a week in the area newspapers. Editorials were being printed talking about the stupidity of some of the laws that protected the rights of known criminals. Other editorials questioned why the victim had fewer rights than the lawbreaker. Some local lawmakers were publicly calling for the removal of laws giving criminals rights and instead removing rights of any criminal convicted of a serious crime.

MICKEL

Mickel Hernandez was an illegal alien from Mexico. He came with his family when he was 14 years old. His father was one of the good Mexicans. He worked hard to provide for his family. He didn’t agree with many of his countrymen who would sneak into the United States and send money home to his family. He wanted his family with him so that he could guide his family with 6 children as they grew up. He didn’t want them to grow up without his guiding hand. His 4 boys were like all young children. His wife could raise them in his absence, but it was best if she didn’t have to. Mickel was the youngest child.

When his father told him that they were going to leave Mexico and find a better life north of the border, he was afraid. He had heard about the outlaws that take your money and then either kill you in the desert or leave you there with no water where you would probably die. His father had talked to many people and studied the maps of the desert between Nogales, Mexico and Tucson, Arizona. It was a long way with no water. His father believed that they had a better chance of making the trek alone than trusting the outlaws who would deliver you across the border after they took all of your money.

The desert was actually pleasant during the winter months. That was when they would have to go. Mickel knew there was a chance that some of them might die during the trip into the United States, but he believed his father when he told him of the opportunity for them all in America. In Mexico, there was no opportunity. Unless you had money to bribe the police and government officials you stayed in poverty with no way out. His father had waited until he thought that all of his children were old and strong enough to make the trek. Mickel’s father sold everything they had and changed it into U.S. dollars. They only had enough money for 1 person if they were going to trust the outlaws. “No, it must be this way. Our whole family must go and it must be now.”

They were dropped off in the desert near Nogales by a friend. They had studied the maps and talked to many people. This was the place. There was a trail leading into the desert. Each of them had backpacks loaded mostly with water. Michel’s mother had made some dried food packets that would give them something to eat. Water was the most important. They followed the main trail. The trail was going exactly where Mickel’s father felt they needed to go. They had to keep to the east of the row of mountains. If they could make it to Tucson, there were friends of his father that would give them a place to stay and help him find a job. The nights were the worst. They didn’t have any sleeping bags or blankets and while the days were nice, the nights were cold. The trail let them up one hill, around the next, then down into dry creek bottoms.
Finally, they arrived at a road that cut through the cactus and rocks. Off in the distance they could see some kind of buildings. The trial followed the road. It was far enough away from the road so that the cars and trucks that were going back and forth couldn’t see them most of the time. They would hide behind the large cactus plans whenever they heard a vehicle coming. The building was a gas station. There was a phone booth sitting besides the building. Mickel’s father went alone across the road and called his friend in Tucson. Before long the whole family was settled in their new life in America. Michel was forced by his father to learn to speak English. He would have to practice and practice until the accent was mostly gone. ”If you’re going to live and do well in America you must be able to speak, read, and understand their English. Someday, you will be an American citizen”, his father would say over and over. Later, Mickel learned that his father was a wise man.

Two years later they moved to West Valley City in the Salt Lake Valley of Utah. West Valley City is one of the poorer areas of the area. Mickel didn’t do drugs, but since he was Hispanic, he ended up in one of the many Hispanic gangs. The gang wasn’t doing anything really bad, it was a social thing. Other gangs were stealing anything of value while other gangs were into drugs. He was picked up for questioning because he was Hispanic and looked guilty. The detective who questioned him was named Rizzo. Rizzo treated him with respect and after the questioning was over, he said “come with me I’ll take you home.”