Special Unit- The Mean Streets of London: Chapter 1

[MrEdwardNigma]

16:12
"Wonderful. Tell me all about it. You know how I like the details!"

[Hairb]

"Details about what?" Luc stepped through the door. "Sorry to keep you."

[Silent Hunter]

"Protect Europe", Carlton replied. She headed over to the computer and put up what was the hold screen for the video-conferencing system.

Waiting for Ian to take his seat, she then started to talk.

"Our pals in Berlin", she started, "have been monitoring this group for some time with growing alarm. I'll let Major Schlussel fill you all in".

She pressed some buttons and the image of a middle-aged woman with short black hair appeared. She had a dark coloured suit on.

She was Polizeiratin Emilia Schlussel, head of the Berlin equivalent of Special Unit.

"Afternoon", she said in good English, but with a pronounced accent, "I was worried this was going to happen at some point.

Protect Europe, to give it its English name, is the most worrying event in the far-right movement for years. The Nazi groups of Europe are starting to ally together against what they perceive to be a common threat- Muslims. And not just the ones who are actually militant".

[Voshkod]

"And here I thought we beat the Nazis in 1945," Tattershall muttered (perhaps loud enough to be overheard). "Just the Germans to never stay down."

A bit louder. "And what have you all been doing about? What sort of actions have they been taking?"

[Silent Hunter]

The German officer heard Ian's remark, but ignored it. She responded to his second post.

"We've been monitoring things, making a couple of arrests.

Mostly it's just been internet discussions and meetings, plus some petty vandalism. This would be the first murder they've committed.

The movement appears to be fraught with internal differences, but they're working them out- a bit quickly for our liking".

[Hairb]

"What's their policy on drugs? Would they ever let a user like Barker into their movement?"

[Silent Hunter]

"What's their policy on drugs? Would they ever let a user like Barker into their movement?"

"I don't honestly know. I doubt it".

[Hairb]

"How tightly knit is this organisation? Could the order to kill somebody have come from some sort of..." Luc shrugged, trying to think of the word he wanted. "...High Command?"

[Voshkod]

"You mean oberkommando, I think," Tattershall said quietly. "Any sign they've cozied up to the Russians?"

[Silent Hunter]

"You mean oberkommando, I think," Tattershall said quietly. "Any sign they've cozied up to the Russians?"

"Yes, there is", Schlussel replied, "There are plenty of far-right groups in Russia and the former Soviet Union interested in this grouping. Thing is, the Western European groups are showing some resistance to it.

As for tight-knit, we don't fully know. There are no clear leadership figures, except some anonymous guy known only as The Leader's Successor".

She spat out the last words. Schlussel had lost relatives to the Nazis in the war and her great-uncle had been in the SS, which was a matter of shame for the family.

[Hairb]

"Any idea where this Sucessor operates out of?"

[Silent Hunter]

"Any idea where this Sucessor operates out of?"

"Maybe Western Europe, but that's a massive area".

[Hairb]

Luc made a sour face.
"I suppose that if they're still unassociated with violence and murder, looking at links with arms dealers wouldn't be helpful. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

[Silent Hunter]

Luc made a sour face.
"I suppose that if they're still unassociated with violence and murder, looking at links with arms dealers wouldn't be helpful. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?"

"I'd say it would be very helpful. They may well be arming to 'take offensive action', so to speak and I think some of them would appreciate the irony in Muslims being killed by 'Muslim' weapons".

At that point Carlton got a message and read it.

"We've located Shevchenko", she said, "Good news and bad news. He left the country on a plane from London City Airport at 11am this afternoon, heading for Ukraine, where we can't extradite him from due to Ukrainian law. However, Kiev's version of Special Unit have apparently made a solid case on him for the weapons theft and arrested him on landing".

[MrEdwardNigma]

"I'd say it would be very helpful. They may well be arming to 'take offensive action', so to speak and I think some of them would appreciate the irony in Muslims being killed by 'Muslim' weapons".

At that point Carlton got a message and read it.

"We've located Shevchenko", she said, "Good news and bad news. He left the country on a plane from London City Airport at 11am this afternoon, heading for Ukraine, where we can't extradite him from due to Ukrainian law. However, Kiev's version of Special Unit have apparently made a solid case on him for the weapons theft and arrested him on landing".

"Are you saying we're going to have to work together with Kiev?"

Dr. Cramer frowned.

"Oh, dear, I've never seen that go well..."

[Voshkod]

"We should get over and search the Russian's place soon," Ian said.

[Silent Hunter]

"We should get over and search the Russian's place soon," Ian said.

"I'll send someone over to do that. I need you and Luc to interview O'Reilly. Make this case water-tight".

She turned to Cramer and Emilia.

"Tell me about it. Last time we went to Kiev, three of us got hit on by one of their officers".

[Voshkod]

"Bet she wouldn't have to leave London for that to happen," Tattershall whispered to Gainsbourg as they left to interview O'Reilly.

[Silent Hunter]

1703

The two officers arrived at Barking Police Station, where O'Reilly was being held.

His lawyer, a slick type who Special Unit knew well, was waiting at the custody desk. She was a semi-attractive white redhead, in an expensive suit.

[Hairb]

Luc gave the standard introduction for the benefit of the recording device: names, dates, times and so on.
"Well, Mr O'Reilly, I imagine you know why you are here."
He paused.
"At the time of your arrest, you stated that you had organised the murder of Jomo Smith by a Mr Edward Barker, now deceased. You claimed you had been commissioned to do so by one Aleksey Shevchenko. Was this the case?"

[Silent Hunter]

Luc gave the standard introduction for the benefit of the recording device: names, dates, times and so on.
"Well, Mr O'Reilly, I imagine you know why you are here."
He paused.
"At the time of your arrest, you stated that you had organised the murder of Jomo Smith by a Mr Edward Barker, now deceased. You claimed you had been commissioned to do so by one Aleksey Shevchenko. Was this the case?"

O'Reilly gave a quick look, smiled, then said,

"No comment".

[Voshkod]

Ian smiled, and it was not a nice smile. "We've got the e-mails, O'Reilly. We've got the gun. We'll have the money soon enough. We've got an assault on an officer. We can put you away for a very, very, long time already, away in a nice, dark cell with all those nice people you love so much, Yardies and Pakis. Or, just maybe, you work with us, help us get Shevchenko - who is a hell of a lot more important than you, to be blunt - and you get a much lighter sentence."

He turned to the attorney. "Sorry you got stuck with this pile of crap, dear. See if you can convince him to come around, eh? We've got two cops and another witness who heard him confess to the whole thing. I'll give you two five minutes to talk about it, eh?"

[Silent Hunter]

The solicitor and O'Reilly had a brief discussion.

When the two officers returned, O'Reilly was smiling.

"My client has informed me that the confession was made under duress and he intends to file a complaint", the solicitor said.

[MrEdwardNigma]

The solicitor and O'Reilly had a brief discussion.

When the two officers returned, O'Reilly was smiling.

"My client has informed me that the confession was made under duress and he intends to file a complaint", the solicitor said.

((Okay, that's it. Police brutality, now!))

[Voshkod]

Ian laughs. "I knew your client was a Nazi, sweetie, but I didn't know he was a comedian. We have at least one witness, and I know you've checked our records, and Luc here is clean, he's a real sweetheart. He wants to go down that route, it's his hide. But make sure he understands this, ma'am. A man's dead, and society wants to punish someone. The shooter's dead, the paymaster's fled, which leaves our little old Nazi plumber's ass as the only one hanging out. So I'd strongly recommend he reconsider. I'm sure a deal can be cut, and if he's afraid of something, we'll give him protection. But only if he cooperates. Otherwise, since he assaulted an officer, we'll ask for him to be moved to maximum security while he awaits trial. His choice, sweetie, but you should help him make it."

[Silent Hunter]

O'Reilly thought about this for a second.

"I am not a Nazi. I am a patriot. Unlike you".

[Silent Hunter]

1815

Cramer was sitting in the office when he got a telephone call. The background check on the landlord had found nothing bar a parking ticket.

Carlton came over to him. She smiled.

"Do you want to go home now and come back tomorrow?"

[Voshkod]

"Oh, a patriot is it? A patriot who doesn't have the spine to stand up for what he believes, has to hire some poor stupid kid to do it?" Tattershall leans forward. "Listen, my son, a patriot has the stones to stand up for what he believes, he doesn't hide behind lawyers and technicalities. A patriot believes his cause is worth a bit of pain. You're not a patriot. Hell, you're not even a Nazi, they at least had some courage." Ian spits on the floor. "You're just another racist coward who likes hurting black people. Your type is a dime a dozen, O'Reilly."

[Hairb]

"If you think you can bamboozle the court with this phony complaint, you are gravely mistaken, Mr O'Reilly."

[MrEdwardNigma]

1815

Cramer was sitting in the office when he got a telephone call. The background check on the landlord had found nothing bar a parking ticket.

Carlton came over to him. She smiled.

"Do you want to go home now and come back tomorrow?"

"That's all right, Carlton, I still have some work to do. I don't sleep that much lately anyways. Could you make sure they let the landlord go? I have no further questions for him, and it seems he simply knew about Barker being the killer due to a ridiculously lucky guess, however unlikely that may seem"

Alvin went back to his car and drove off to the arms dealer.