The Protectors of the Saltire. William Speir

“We used something like this on a mission about two years ago. It’s kind of a modern version of a scaling ladder for getting over a wall.” He walked up and tried to lift one of the contraptions. “It’s light weight. One person could carry it, extend it, and climb the wall quickly. Strange design, though,” he added after a moment. “It’s wider that any scaling ladder I’ve seen before.”

      “Could it be used so multiple people could climb up at the same time?” Emily asked.

      “Sure, it’s wide enough to hold two people side by side.”

      “Can we straighten one out and see how big it is?” Ralph asked.

      “Okay,” the soldier replied. “Give me a hand.”

      The two men grabbed one of the contraptions and extended it until it was completely straight. They hooked it onto the railing of the barn’s upper level and tested it. It easily supported both men climbing up together.

      “Well, I guess we know what it is, now,” the soldier said when he and Ralph rejoined Emily on the ground.

      “Yes, now we just need to know what they were going to do with it,” Ralph said.

      “I suggest you tell me what’s going on,” Burkhart said to Agent Mims. Burkhart was interrogating each prisoner one at a time. He was standing on one side of the clearing, far enough away from the other prisoners that they couldn’t hear what was being said. Two guards held the prisoner being interrogated. Tom watched from behind Burkhart, hoping to hear something that would help explain what the former HSF agents had been working on.

      Agent Mims stood there and stared at Burkhart in silence.

      “We have you for a number of crimes committed against U.S. citizens,” Burkhart continued. “You and some of your colleagues disguised yourselves as a gang, broke into people’s homes, brutalized the people, stole from them, and damaged their personal property. You were also seen raping a girl in this city before you were transferred to Dallas.”

      Agent Mims’ eyes opened wide. It was clear that he didn’t expect anyone to know about the rape. It was never put in any report while he was undercover with the HSF.

      “For your information, the girl was under-aged,” Burkhart lied to scare the HSF agent more. “That’s statutory rape, and that’s 20 years hard labor in this state. Also, one of the people you attacked had a heart attack and died a few days later. When he died, your attack on him became murder. That carries the death penalty in this state. I could turn you over to the state authorities. Just imagine what being imprisoned in the general population of this state’s prison system would be like. You, being a former law enforcement officer, would be quite a prize for the other prisoners. And once it becomes known that you’re a sex offender, every thug in that prison will be standing in line to teach you a lesson and let you know what it feels like to be raped. Is that what you want?”

      Agent Mims’ eyes showed fear, but he still said nothing.

      “I can guarantee you that you’ll be left unprotected in the prison’s general population. No guard will stop anyone who tries to do something to you. You could be raped, beaten, even killed; and no one will lift a finger to stop it. The person killing you might even get off for good behavior – doing the world a favor, you know.”

      Burkhart let his threats sink in a moment before he continued. “Or you can tell me what I want to know and maybe – just maybe – you won’t be executed for your crimes. If you get life in prison, you’ll be sent to Leavenworth, and I guarantee that no one will mess with you there. It’s your choice: hell on earth in the prison system of this state, or a better existence in a federal facility. Either way, you’re going into a hole for the rest of your life. The only thing you get to choose is what kind of hole it’s going to be.”

      Agent Mims still didn’t say anything.

      “All right,” Burkhart said to the guards. “We’ll turn this one over to the state Attorney General along with the video of him raping that girl.”

      “What video?!” Agent Mims demanded.

      “Didn’t you know?” Burkhart asked sarcastically. “The house you broke into was under surveillance at the time. The rape was caught on camera, as was the conversation you had with the other HSF officers when they arrived.”

      Agent Mims was scared. There was no way he was going to be able to fight the rape charge if it had been recorded. He thought about what would happen to him in a state prison once it became known that he was a rapist and a former HSF officer. It wasn’t something he wanted to ever experience. Burkhart motioned for the guards to take him away, and Agent Mims made a quick decision.

      “All right, I’ll tell you what I know.”

      “That’s better,” Burkhart said, motioning for the guards to bring him forward again. “Now, tell me what you’re doing here.”

      “We’re getting ready for something.”

      “Yes, I figured that out on my own. What are you getting ready for?”

      “I don’t know for sure. I just came here about two months ago. There are hiding places like this in several places around the country. At first, we were just hiding out, trying to figure out what to do and how to keep from being arrested. Then we started getting word that we needed to prepare for something big. We’ve been recruiting some of our colleagues who were already cleared by the Army and the courts. They bring us the supplies we need and help keep us safe. They move us around periodically so no one knows where we are. I’ve been in three hideouts since the HSF was raided, and it’s the same everywhere – a large cache of guns and cash, equipment being made ready for something, training…”

      “What kind of training?”

      “Weapons training. Military training. Infiltration, surveillance, assassination… probably the same stuff your team is trained in.”

      “Why?”

      “I don’t know. The word was sent out that Kingston was going on the offensive and we all needed to be ready to help him.”

      “Deputy Director Kingston of the HSF?” Burkhart asked.

      “Yes.”

      “What is this offensive?”

      “I don’t know. No one does. All I know is that we’ve already started moving people and equipment closer to wherever the offensive is going to start. We sent several vehicles and about 20 men three weeks ago. I don’t know where they went. They were told on the road after they left.”

      “When is the offensive supposed to happen?”

      “I know it’s in the spring, but I don’t know the exact date. Kingston’s being very careful about what people are told; it’s very compartmentalized. That way none of us can reveal too much of the plan if we’re caught.”

      Burkhart questioned Agent Mims for a few more minutes before having him taken away and put in one of the waiting vehicles that had arrived to start transporting prisoners and the captured materials. He questioned the other prisoners next. After a couple of hours, all of the prisoners had been interrogated and taken away to be processed. Only one other prisoner had talked, and the information he gave corroborated much of what Agent Mims revealed.