Page 49 of State of Retribution (First Family #9)
A very Hill had quickly organized the personnel needed for the raid of Dylan Offenbach’s property and was getting impatient about how long it was taking to get everyone in place.
He’d brought in numerous FBI and ATF teams as well as the U.S.
Marshals and would request perimeter backup from the Herndon Police in case Offenbach was on the property and tried to escape.
He'd done everything he could think of to ensure a successful mission and was only waiting on the commander of the FBI’s SWAT team to report in before Avery gave the go-ahead to proceed.
He was giving that agent five more minutes before telling him he was out of time to prepare.
The longer they waited, the more they risked being detected, if they hadn’t been already.
Offenbach was legendary in the sharpshooting community, and Avery’s greatest fear was that he’d be waiting for them, prepared to take out as many federal agents as he could.
Fearing the possibility of booby traps, he’d brought in bomb technicians and had a Hostage Rescue Team on standby just in case.
Despite the fast but meticulous preparation, he feared he was sending his people into an ambush.
The SWAT team, made up of some of the FBI’s ace marksmen and women, had fanned out into the dense woods that surrounded the house and barnlike structure they’d be entering.
If Offenbach was hiding on the property, Avery was confident his people would find him. Hopefully, before he killed anyone.
Avery took to the radio to remind everyone involved of Offenbach’s skills. “He shoots to kill and could be hiding anywhere on the property. We need to be quick and efficient. Keep your wits about you.”
When the SWAT commander radioed to say his team was in place, Avery authorized them to proceed.
And then he held his breath, praying he wouldn’t hear the crack of gunfire as his agents busted down doors with battering rams.
“I’ve got Ramsey,” an agent reported. “Hog-tied in the kitchen. He’s been shot in the leg and has lost a lot of blood, but he’s alive.”
So, Offenbach had turned on his coconspirator. Avery wondered if Ramsey would tell them why.
He didn’t hear gunfire, but he did hear screaming, and it sounded an awful lot like children. Son of a bitch.
“We’ve got Offenbach’s ex-wife and six children. They were in a locked room inside the house. Looks like they’ve been there for days.”
Avery asked Herndon Police to summon EMS.
“We’re in the barn. Looks like a massive 3D printer and homemade drone parts.”
Bingo , Avery thought.
As one agent after another reported their areas were clear of the man they were looking for, Avery relaxed ever so slightly and prepared to send in crime scene and forensics technicians to process the items found.
Avery walked in from the command center and took a look for himself at the 3D printer and the items scattered on the workbenches in the barn. Then he called Jake Malone to report in. “Offenbach was holding his ex-wife and kids in a locked room, and we found Ramsey hog-tied and shot in the leg.”
“Jesus,” Malone said. “Are the wife and kids okay?”
“Waiting on EMS to evaluate them. Ramsey’s lost a lot of blood, but he’s alive. We also found a huge 3D printer that’ll most likely turn out to be the source of the unmarked drones.”
“It’s unbelievable that he’s been doing all this while showing up to work every day and collecting a paycheck from the District. Although, after what we’ve been through around here, nothing should surprise me anymore.”
“This is a pretty sophisticated operation, Jake. If you ask me, he’s been planning this since the day Sam caught him where he wasn’t supposed to be.”
“Seems that way.”
“What do you think went down with Ramsey?”
“He probably stopped being useful to Offenbach, who’s the mastermind. Ramsey isn’t smart enough to pull off something like this. What’s the next step in finding Offenbach?”
“We’ll talk to the ex-wife and hopefully get some insight from Ramsey. I’ll keep you posted. And we’ll coordinate any release of information with your team.”
“Thanks, Avery.”
“You got it.”
Jake called everyone into the conference room for an update. In addition to the Homicide squad, the chief, deputy chief and the other captains had been asked to attend as he brought them up to speed on what’d transpired at Offenbach’s property.
“God, he had his wife and kids out there?” Sam asked. “How had we not heard anything about them being missing?”
“Maybe because no one had noticed yet.”
“Wouldn’t the schools be looking for them?” Cruz asked.
“They’re homeschooled,” SWAT Commander Nicholson said. “Offenbach was adamant about them not being ‘indoctrinated’ by public education.”
“What the hell does that mean?” Gonzo asked.
“Beats me,” Nicholson said. “But he had a beef about it and insisted his ex-wife teach them from home. She taught elementary school before they were married.”
“We used the pings on his cell to find him in Atlantic City,” Sam said. “Can we do that again to find him now?”
“He won’t have the cell with him,” Nicholson said. “He’d be wise to that after Atlantic City.”
“That’s true,” Sam said. “Does the wife have a cell he might use?”
“That’s a good idea,” Malone said. “I’ll get a warrant for her phone, too.”
“I really want to talk to the wife,” Sam said. “Do you think Avery will let us be part of that?”
“He may let us be part of it,” Farnsworth said, “but you will not be. Too much conflict of interest to have you anywhere near this, Lieutenant.”
“Understood,” she said through gritted teeth, “but someone from here should be allowed to be there when she’s questioned.”
“We’ll send Gonzales and Cruz if Hill is amenable,” Malone said.
A knock on the conference room door preceded Patrol Officer Clare sticking his head in. “Pardon the interruption. Lieutenant, there’s a Ryan Goodman here to see you. He’s demanding the chance to speak with you.”
Sam stood as she frantically tried to remember who he was. Right. The father of Nate Andrews’s wife, Emily. “Demanding, huh? He’s the father-in-law of one of our murder victims.”
“Cruz, go with her,” Malone said.
“Yes, sir.”
Sam and Freddie went with Clare to the lobby where Ryan Goodman paced back and forth like a caged bear ready to attack someone—and apparently that someone was her.
“This was all a personal vendetta against you ? My son-in-law is dead, my daughter is a widow, and their children are now fatherless because of bullshit that had nothing at all to do with them ? Is this for real?”
“Mr. Goodman, come into my office,” Sam said. “We’re willing to answer any questions you have, but only if you calm down.”
“You want me to calm down ? This is an outrage. Do you have any care at all for the people whose lives have been devastated by your spats with fellow officers?”
“I care very deeply about everyone who’s been harmed by people we considered colleagues, and we share your outrage.”
“Sure you do. Your family is alive and well, while my daughter’s life is ruined.”
“My family was targeted by these madmen. They sent drones with guns intending to murder as many of us as they could, along with countless others.”
“Yes, I know, but thank God you had the massive resources of the federal government protecting your loved ones. Who did Nate have protecting him? No one .”
“You’re absolutely right it’s an outrage, and we share your anger. We’ve devoted our lives to keeping this city safe, and when people from our own ranks commit these crimes, please believe me, it breaks our hearts, too.”
That seemed to take some of the steam out of him. “I just can’t believe that beautiful young man was killed for such a stupid reason.”
“Neither can we. I wish there was something I could say that would make this better for you and your family, but there isn’t.
The one thing I will tell you is that we’ll be by your side throughout the entire process to get justice for Nate and Emily and the rest of the victims who were harmed by these men.
We won’t rest until they’re in prison for the rest of their lives. ”
“You know what really gets to me? You all knew they were both bad seeds. You knew it, and you kept them employed anyway.”
“They have the same right to due process as anyone else, whether we agree or not. If you think we didn’t want Ramsey gone a long time ago, I can assure you no one wanted that more than I did.
We’ve been fighting that battle for quite some time.
Other than the lie Offenbach told his superior officers, we’ve had no reason whatsoever to suspect he was plotting something like this. ”
“He was right here. Working shoulder to shoulder with cops, and no one suspected him of anything?”
“We had no reason to, Mr. Goodman. I know that might seem unbelievable, but a highly trained officer like Offenbach would know how to commit these crimes and get away with them.”
“That’s just great. So you’re effectively training criminals here. I see how it is.”
“That’s hardly true. We’re a department of more than four thousand men and women, human beings with faults and failings. Most of us are here for all the right reasons. Please don’t indict more than thirty-nine hundred hardworking, dedicated public servants for the crimes of a few.”
“That few ruined my daughter’s life, and you can bet we’re not going to go quietly on this. You’ll be hearing from our attorneys.”
“I understand.”
“If you’re so unpopular around here that your fellow officers would resort to murdering innocent people to get you out of here, maybe you should reconsider whether you should still be working here.”
After dropping that bomb, he turned and stormed toward the main doors, probably planning to share his vitriol with the media.
Awesome.
Freddie’s hand on her arm made her realize she was trembling. “Sam. That’s bullshit. Tell me you know that.”
“He makes a good point.”