Fake Fan Fiction ❯ Prison Rose ❯ Chapter 1

Prison Rose

 

by Mori Ryoshi

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I do not own FAKE or Sanami Matoh's wonderful characters.

 

Summary: A murder investigation requires an undercover assignment in New York City's Sing Sing prison. The job requirements include: knowledge of weapons, blond or light brown hair, and a protective personality. Ryo would be perfect; but, he arrested the suspect in the first place. Enter Commissioner Berkley Rose, tall, blond, violet eyes, and perfect for playing the part.

 

Dee's warning bells are set off when the events begin to unfold. Will his predictions be correct or is his internal radar off this time? How will a cop deal with one of the most difficult situations a person can be placed in? And, what the heck is wrong with that guard?

 

 

Rating: NC-17, adults only

Warnings: Yaoi, violence, racial hatred, mature themes, loving sex, and rape (chapters will be clearly marked)

 

Pairings: Ryo/Dee, J.J./Drake, Berkley/?, OC's/OC's

Timeframe: The present

Series: None, standalone story

 

 

Prison Rose

 

 

Chapter 1

 

When he entered the conference room shortly before three, Ryo wasn't surprised to see the commissioner already working in the conference room. Several case files were spread out over the table in front of him. “Sir,” Ryo said softly as not to startle the man who was clearly deeply concentrating on the material.

 

Berkley sat up in surprise; even Ryo's soft voice made him start. “Sorry, Ryo, come in. Is it three already?” He glanced at his watch and had to privately wonder where all the time had gone.

 

“Almost.” Ryo settled into one of the large leather chairs and started laying out his own notes. “J.J. and Dee will be along in a few minutes. They were going to pick up some printouts.”

 

“What's on your mind?” Berkley asked as he sat back in his chair. He groaned as he shifted his stiffened shoulders. He rubbed his left shoulder to work some of the ache away.

 

“In the office, you said, `Diana gave me a cover.'” Ryo paused and watched Rose's face for any change in expression. “Did you really mean me?”

 

“Yes.” Even though he'd expected it, Berkley's quiet confirmation still shocked Ryo. “We have a limited number of people suitable for this assignment. You would be the best choice; but, you have a history with Gideon. If the appearance of the individual weren't a requirement, the choices wouldn't be as limited.”

 

“But, because of his tendencies,” Ryo paused as he thought about his word choice. “His tendencies, we don't have the choices.”

 

“It's a problematic combination.” The commissioner leaned back in his chair. “I never realized how few blonds we had in the precinct until this case. If we had to, I suppose we could bleach out someone's hair; but, that presents its own problems. What if the assignment runs longer than expected and he develops roots?” He chuckled softly at Ryo's raised eyebrows. “I actually thought about it and went as far as contacting a hair stylist to find out how long we would have before someone started showing noticeable roots.”

 

“How long?”

 

“It depends how quickly a person's hair grows. But, on average we would have around two weeks before the roots started to show. Maybe three for lighter colored hair. Unfortunately, the three other snipers in the precinct all have dark brown to black hair. I would hope this would be over within two weeks; but, I can't guarantee it.” After checking his watch, Berkley glanced toward the door. “So where are your erstwhile partner and J.J.?”

 

“They'll be here.” “I hope they get here soon,” He added mentally.

 

“I know they'll be here. Don't worry, Ryo,” Berkley smiled and turned back to his paperwork.

 

“Sir?” Ryo questioned quietly. After the commissioner had looked up, he continued. “We'll give you all the support we can. We don't want to lose one of our own in there.”

 

Berkley glanced at the table and nibbled on his lower lip as he thought about Ryo's simple words.

 

“Even Dee's willing to provide support.”

 

“I never had any doubts about Dee; not in this situation. He might have problems with me because of our history; but, he would never leave a fellow officer, regardless of history, in trouble.” Berkley looked up and gave Ryo a weak smile. “Ah, there they are.” From the corner of his eye, he'd seen the other detectives enter. He forced his face into a neutral expression so the other men wouldn't see his doubts.

 

“Yeah, here we are. We had to wait for the stupid printer,” Dee groused as he held up the folders.

 

“Homicide could use a few more printers, Sir,” J.J. said in a much calmer tone of voice.

 

“I know. I have two more printers for the unit in next month's budget. We also need a new printer in personnel. I wish I could purchase everything at once; but, we have limited amounts of funds and they have to cover everything.” Berkley relaxed a little as the feeling of normalcy covered him. “Who would have thought that complaints about budgets would feel calming,” He observed silently.

 

“Yeah. Why doesn't that damn mayor get off his ass and approve the budget?” Dee flopped into the chair next to Ryo and put the stack of print outs on the table. “Heck, he's got plenty of time to run around the city in his Jag and harass his secretary. He should take timeout from one blowjob to hand over the money.”

 

J.J. carefully sat in the chair across the table from J.J. and laid his own stack of printouts on the table. “That would be showing responsibility, Dee. That moron wouldn't know responsibility if it bit him on the ass.” The young man seldom cursed; but, the mayor seemed to bring the worst out in him. He'd made the mistake of arresting the mayor's daughter for carrying a concealed weapon without a permit when she drew the weapon on him and Drake when they went to arrest a murder suspect, who just happened to be the young woman's boyfriend. Only Berkley's intervention had prevented the mayor from forcing some kind of disciplinary action. He knew the commissioner had called in several favors to stop anything from being put into motion.

 

“Back to the case at hand,” Berkley started in an effort to pull their attention back to the case.

 

“Are you really going undercover, Sir?” J.J. asked.

 

“Yes. As I mentioned to Ryo when he came in, we have a limited number of people who fit the requisite profile. I don't want to risk sending someone who requires bleached hair because I can't guarantee they'll be out before they were discovered.” Berkley pushed a couple of folder out of the way and opened one file in particular. “I've been doing some research into Gideon's background. His parents were involved in the white separatist movement and that's probably where he got his beliefs. I'm not sure how he got into the military because he has a juvenile record. Diana had his file transferred here from the FBI this morning. He spent three years in detention centers because of a knife-fight with another student at his junior high. The student was black. In the documents, it's clearly documented that the attack was unprovoked; and in fact, the victim had repeatedly asked to be transferred from Gideon's classes, out of his lunch period, even to different buses for his transportation to and from school.”

 

“Great, a deeply rooted bigot,” Dee said with a scoff.

 

“Yes, deeply rooted, which is a good thing.”

 

“How so, Sir?” J.J. asked.

 

“Since his beliefs are deeply rooted, they should be more predictable.” The three detectives nodded at his observation. “He has numerous arrests for other, minor, attacks on fellow students. The racial make up of his school district was predominantly white; probably a good thing since it gave him less victims.”

 

“Maybe a bad thing since it meant those few non-white students had a greater risk of being attacked,” Ryo observed.

 

“True. However, this is where his beliefs get weird. He never attacked a female student, regardless of race. In fact, before he went to prison, he received a commendation from the school for rescuing a young, black woman from being gang raped.” Berkley shook his head. “I can't figure out an explanation for that.”

 

“Did he become more violent after that?” Dee asked.

 

“It appears that he did. Prior to that incident, most of his record is for non-violent crimes: shoplifting, public lewdness, and one case of urinating in public.”

 

“Maybe he got in trouble with the `other white-folk' when he helped that woman.” Dee affected a weird accent for the `other white-folk' comment. “If his parents made it clear that even black women weren't to be helped and respected, it might have made him more aggressive, eventually turning to violence.”

 

“You might be right, Dee,” Berkley said as he absorbed that possible explanation. “That might also explain why he's progressed to murder.”

 

The three detectives nodded in agreement.

 

“What else is in his file?” J.J. prompted.

 

“There's a brief overview of the military investigation into possible weapons theft and discrimination toward non-white soldiers. One report from his basic training describes him attacking another recruit, a black recruit, when the other man beat him in a firearms drill. He was disciplined with extra exercise and placement of the report in his file.”

 

“That must have been some attack,” Ryo observed. “Most incidents are handled as off-the-record as possible.”

 

“It doesn't go into much detail.” Berkley glanced at his notes and continued. “He did have several reports of discrimination toward non-whites during his time in the military. After the military, there's a period of two years where we don't have any records. No arrests. No traffic tickets. Nothing.”

 

“That's weird.” J.J. frowned.

 

Berkley agreed. “However, when his file starts up again, it's something major. He was arrested in Utah for running someone off a mountain road. The other person was seriously injured; but, for some reason, he didn't press charges. The man was black. There are several incidents, also in Utah, involving him attacking Hispanic males as well as Asian males. Again, no violence against women.”

 

“Too bad we can't send a woman in for this.” Dee's comment drew chuckles from the rest of the men. “At least we would know he wouldn't harm her.”

 

“How has this guy gotten away with so much?” J.J. asked.

 

“In most cases, the other person drops the charges or declines to press them in the first place. In the few instances he's gone to court, he's had excellent representation.” Berkley picked up one of his legal pads and tossed it to Dee. “Familiarize yourself with those cases. And, you get to arrest me tomorrow.”

 

“Me? Arrest you?” Dee couldn't hide his glee. “Oh, goodie! Can I rough you up a bit?”

 

“Before we get into that, what's the cover story? Are you being held for trail? Or are you being transferred?” Ryo's questions didn't stop Dee from dancing in his chair.

 

“I'm being transferred from Rikers to Sing Sing. The reason is that I had an altercation with another inmate; so, yes, you can rough me up a bit.” Berkley had to laugh as Dee almost jumped with glee. “Just keep it within reason. I don't want to be so roughed up I can't defend myself.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I hear you,” Dee said with a wave of his hand.

 

“My cover persona has me being extradited back to New York after being arrested on weapons charges in Washington DC. The original charge is second-degree murder due to the death of a clerk during a bank hold up from two years ago. They're using an open case for the cover story, which should make it more believable.”

 

“They're using the Winston case?” Ryo asked.

 

Berkley nodded. “My cover is Albert Schmidt. It's actually a very good match. We're similar in height and have the same hair and eye color.”

 

“But, he was a good seventy pounds heavier than you,” J.J. said with a concerned look.

 

“He lost weight.” Berkley paused before continuing. “What the most important thing is, there is no connection between Gideon and Schmidt. He was not a New York native. His partners brought him in from Pennsylvania specifically to pull off the heist. According to his file, he objected to being questioned by black, Hispanic, or Jewish officers. Plus, he had extensive weapons knowledge. At the time of his questioning, we didn't have enough evidence to link him conclusively to the heist. It wasn't until the ring leader was arrested that we knew he was involved.”

 

“Yeah, by then, he'd disappeared.” J.J.'s sarcastic statement made everyone nod.

 

“Why is it important to use an actual case, Sir?” Ryo asked.

 

“Since he was convicted, Gideon refuses to deal with anyone unless they have at least an arrest record for a felony. I had a choice between this and a rape case. I'm not a rapist and I don't think I could even fake being one.” Berkley frowned and glanced at the table before looking back up. “But, I have killed in the line of duty.”

 

“You were a police sniper. And, you shot a suspect during your time in SVU, right?”

 

“Yes, J.J.,” The commissioner answered. “So, this is something I'm familiar with. I've never understood rapists. Even when I was in SVU, I couldn't understand a rapist's motivation.”

 

“Killing is another story,” Dee whispered.

 

“Especially if you're killing someone to keep them from killing you or your partner,” Berkley said quietly.

 

“Yeah.” Dee and Ryo glanced at each other after they both voiced the single word.

 

With a sigh, Berkley addressed the next area of concern. “I spoke with the prison and they're going through their records to make certain no one I've arrested is in the areas I'll frequent. I know at least three people I arrested where originally housed at Sing Sing.”

 

“That could make your stay real short,” Dee said sarcastically.

 

“Yes, it could. Since I've been with the 27th, I haven't handled many interrogations and the chief has been the public face, for the most part. Prior to that, I was upstate. I'm depending on my face not being well known.” Berkley knew being identified was a real risk. “I've studied everything we have on Schmidt and should be all right on that front. I'm going to be placed in the same cell with Gideon and hopefully, I'll find a way to win his trust. It's just a matter of the right opportunity presenting itself.”

 

“Why are you so interested in these cases?” Dee asked as he tapped the legal pad covered with Berkley's neat script.

 

“I'm hoping you find something in those cases that will help me better relate to Gideon. Maybe some experience we have in common, or that I can act as if we have in common. We need to figure out how he's communicating with the outside, how he's ordering these hits. Another thing I would like to know; is how he's getting the information on these people. How did he find out Astor's real last name? Every one of these hits had a note that indicated that he knew something about that person that wasn't common knowledge. Where is his source?”

 

“Sir, I hate to think this; but, what if his contact is in the police department?” Ryo asked.

 

“I've thought about that. If that's the case, I'm as good as dead once word gets to him that there's a cop undercover in the prison.”

 

“It would be better if you were at Rikers. We're going to have a difficult getting to you in a timely manner at Sing Sing.” Ryo was starting to analyze the logistics. When he realized the commissioner had given the research assignments to Dee, he knew that he'd be in charge of getting Rose out if there was trouble.

 

“That's taken care of, Ryo. I've reserved a set of hotel rooms about a mile from the prison. I'm using part of the budget to cover the cost. The rooms come with a small kitchen as well; so, you won't have to worry about hunting down a restaurant.”

 

“Then we can give you a panic alarm. We can keep one base at the hotel and the prison warden can have the other. He'll still be first on the scene if there's a problem.” Ryo worked through his mental checklist, jotting notes for later implementation. “I wish there was more we could do to guarantee your safety.”

 

“I know you'll cover all the bases, Ryo. J.J., you'll act as my lawyer. Once Drake gets his cast off, he can act as another lawyer. You and Drake have less people at Sing Sing than Ryo and Dee. For some reason, your convicts end up upstate.” Berkley grinned at that discrepancy.

 

“I'll be sure to bring professional attire.” J.J. jotted a note concerning his role and immediately added a list of props he would require to pull the role off.

 

“By tomorrow morning, I should have the rest of this material committed to memory. I've already dealt with personal business, such as mail, phone calls, etc. If a serious problem arises, you can always come in for a meeting, J.J.. I don't think I'm going to be very busy.” Berkley looked at Dee when the detective cleared his throat. “Yes, Dee?”

 

“You should take a supply of cigarettes; they're as good as gold behind bars.”

 

“No, the cover has me being recently arrested. I wouldn't have had the chance to build up a stockpile of anything prior to being transferred.”

 

“True.” Dee nodded.

 

“J.J., in addition to acting as my lawyer, I need you to try gathering any and all information on Gideon's henchmen. There's a list of his known associates in his case file. Each of his victims has additional names that need to be researched. If I fail with him, we'll have to try finding his henchmen another way. We should prepare for that possibility simultaneously.”

 

“What specific pieces of information are you hoping to get from him?” Ryo asked.

 

“I'm going to try getting seven specific pieces of information. First and probably most important, I want a list of his future targets. Second, identify where his network is headquartered: building, city, if there are branches, etc. Third, his supply lines, it would be great to shut down his suppliers as well as his enterprise. Fourth, we need a complete list of his team. We don't want to take him out of circulation, only to have three clones pop up to keep everything running. Fifth, we need to know where he's been getting his information on his victims. Sixth, this is something the FBI requested, they want to know if he has terrorist ambitions. We know he hates Jews; does that hatred include attacking them at home and abroad. Seventh, also an FBI request, if he is still a supply line from the military, we need to identify it; so, it can be shut down.”

 

“That's pretty ambitious,” J.J. observed. “I assume any information you get will be funneled out of the prison through me?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Will you maintain written notes? Or only verbal?”

 

Berkley glanced at his notes. He'd written a similar question during his initial planning session. “I would prefer written notes; but, I don't know if I should risk it. I will take a journal with my personal belongings. I'm also going to have a pen with a recorder in it. I'm not sure if I'll get the chance to use it; but, it would be something more than simply my word.”

 

J.J. nodded at the answer. “You've got to love those spy-stores.”

 

“They have some great toys,” Berkley agreed.

 

Ryo looked the older man over and took special note of the tension in his shoulders and the way he nibbled on the inside of his lip. “He's more nervous than he's willing to admit. Heck, he has reason to be; cops and prison don't mix very well and Gideon's already shown a propensity toward murdering people he doesn't like.” A disturbing thought occurred to the detective as he thought about the problems that might arise if Gideon discovered the commissioner's identify. “Sir, if he discovers who you are, that might include your name. Rose is a common shortening of several German Jewish last names.”

 

“Yes, my Grandfather came to the states after World War II. He changed his last name from Rosenberg. Since he was making a new start in a new land, he thought he should have a new name to go with it.”

 

“He might assume you're Jewish,” Ryo stated

 

“He might.” Berkley nodded as he thought about the unfortunate Astor. “Let's hope for the best.”

 

Dee frowned as the earlier bad feeling brushed over him again. “I'm glad Ryo isn't going in. He'd be made as part Japanese immediately,” He thought, ignoring the fact that few people realized what he'd noticed right away.

 

“Dee will handle my transfer along with Lincoln and Mackey.”

 

“Why do you need me along?” Dee asked in a suspicious tone of voice.

 

“I want one of my primary detectives with me during check in. Lincoln and Mackey are new here and the only reason I'm using them at all, is that they have experience with prisoner transport.” Berkley looked directly at Dee and held his eyes. “I can't use J.J. since he'll have his own part to play. I would like to have Ryo along for the transfer; except, he needs to meet with the two prison officials who will know my identity. He'll be briefing them on dealing with situations that might come up. Because there has to be someone inside helping get Gideon's information out, there will be very few people who know who I am and my purpose for being there. To everyone else, I'll be Albert Schmidt, accused murderer.”

 

“Some of the guards might recognize you,” Ryo thought aloud.

 

“True. The chances are low; but, there is that possibility. I hope if anyone does recognize me, that they keep silent out of professional courtesy.”

 

The detectives nodded.

 

“Well, you have your assignments. Dee, I'm supposed to arrive at ten; so, we should leave the precinct around eight to account for traffic.”

 

“I'll be here early. Heck, I won't be able to sleep tonight. I get to arrest you and rough you up a bit.” Dee grinned like a maniac.

 

“Do you have anything planned for dinner tonight?” Ryo asked.

 

“No, I was going to order something for delivery and eat here while I continued studying the files.”

 

“Do you think you'll have time to go to dinner with Dee and me? You don't know how long it'll be before you can eat normal food again.”

 

Berkley smiled. “But, I heard Sing Sing has excellent food,” He said sarcastically.

 

“J.J. can come along as well.” Ryo nodded at the younger detective.

 

“I've got to opt out. Drake's supposed to make dinner for me and then he's got a surprise for me.” J.J. grinned as Dee covered his ears, as usual.

 

“Invite Drake. I'm sure he would love to avoid cooking,” Dee said with a wide grin. “Plus, restaurant food won't kill you. His just might. He never was much of a cook.”

 

“What do you say, Sir?” Ryo asked.

 

“All right, it's a very good offer.” Berkley smiled as his detectives continued bickering over Drake's cooking, J.J.'s surprise, and other miscellaneous matters that were only important when they needed a sense of normalcy around them.

 

“I just thought of something,” Ryo said suddenly as he turned back to the commissioner. “Who will be handling your job while you're out?”

 

“The chief will be handling most of my duties. If anything major comes up, Commissioner Craig from the Bronx Station will handle it. I haven't met her yet; but, I've been told she's excellent. She transferred here after twenty years with Chicago PD.”

 

“Her?” J.J. questioned.

 

Berkley simply nodded.

 

“Well, if she knows her job, I don't care.” J.J. turned back to Dee and began teasing him with various surprise possibilities he was hoping Drake would give him in the future. When the surprises turned very risqué, Berkley couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. The raven-haired detective looked so uncomfortable with his fingers in his ears.

 

“It's good to hear you laugh, Sir,” J.J. thought with a smile. “You probably won't be doing much laughing in prison.” He was glad his purposeful ribbing of Dee was getting the desired result.

 

At one of J.J.'s particularly lewd suggestions, Ryo decided to get into the act. “Hey, Dee, I hope you heard that one. I would love for you to give me that surprise.”

 

Noticing Ryo's lips moving, Dee removed his fingers and frowned. “I didn't hear you. What did you say?”

 

“I simply said that I hoped you heard that suggestion because I would love to get it from you.”

 

Berkley laughed even more as a shocked expression ran across Dee's face and Ryo started blushing a deep red.

 

“What was the suggestion, J.J.? Now! What is it that my lover wants from me?” Dee was almost climbing across the table in a desperate attempt to force J.J. to repeat himself.

 

“You should have been listening in the first place. I was just wasting my breath.” The lavender-haired detective put his nose in the air and gave Dee a snooty look before grinning widely. “Don't worry, I'll tell you later. First, we should go over all this stuff we printed up. I think we all forgot about it.”

 

“Oh, duh,” Dee said as he glared at the stack of printouts. “I did forget it.”

 

“What did you find out?” Berkley asked. He'd forgotten about the paperwork as well.

 

“Some of it's old news,” J.J. started. “Dee's stack has all Gideon's adult arrests and the information the departments had against him. My stack is a little more interesting. It's amazing what you can find on the internet. This,” he said as he picked out one especially large file, “contains the various psyche records I could find.” He handed the heavy file to Berkley. “You should read through it before tomorrow. There's a lot of information in it that should help you deal with him and maybe you'll find something that will help you gain his trust.”

 

“Good find,” Berkley said as he took the file. His eyes opened a little wider as he realized just how much information was in it. “I'm glad I'm a fast reader. What else do you have?”

 

“Most of this is research I did on the Aryan Nation, Aryan Brotherhood, and other groups like them. Even if you're not posing as a card-carrying member of one of these groups, you should have an understanding of them so you have some common ground with Gideon. The bottom file has information on some of the newest weapons the military's been using. They've come up with some really neat new stuff that he would probably love to get his hands on.”

 

“Good thinking. I don't know much about those groups and I guess just saying that I didn't like certain groups of people wouldn't be enough.” Berkley was beginning to wonder if he would have enough time to go through everything. “I'll glance through everything, at least. I've read the summaries for his arrests. Do you think the summaries were accurate?” He asked Dee.

 

“The summaries were pretty good; but, they left out a lot of details that might be important. None of them gave the racial breakdowns on the various cases.”

 

“That's probably easy,” Berkley broke in. “All the victims were black or Hispanic or Jewish.”

 

“Yes,” Dee agreed. “There were also all male between the ages of eighteen and thirty. Some of the pictures of the crime scenes might be of interest since the murder victims were all posed. The scene photos for his weapons arrest is very telling as well. There's one picture that was taken from the top of a stack of crates; you can see the corner of the crate at the bottom of the photo. He had his weapons arranged in a maze, complete with dead ends, twists, and turns.”

 

“That is interesting. He was paranoid even in his own warehouse.” Berkley made a mental note of that and wondered if he was going to get any sleep in his cell.

 

“The earliest stuff we've got are simply assaults. The victim pictures might be interesting to you as well. His black victims had mostly facial injuries while those from other racial groups' injuries were focused on their torsos and hands. If he does attack you, knowing his attack patterns might give you a better chance of defending yourself until help arrives.” Dee thought a moment as he mentally reviewed the cases. “I don't think the shooting victims will be much help, those are the largest chunk of the printouts, because even thought he ordered them, he didn't commit them.”

 

Berkley nodded in agreement. “Anything else?”

 

“Not on my end.” Dee sat back in his chair and slouched, triggering a poke from his partner.

 

“Sit up,” Ryo whispered.

 

“What order should I address your material in?” Berkley asked J.J..

 

“Go through his psyche report. That will be the most helpful when dealing directly with him.”

 

Berkley had planned on reading that first. He was impressed with the way all his detectives had matured over the years and how their investigative techniques had changed and improved. He knew he had the best unit in the City and, he liked to think, in the nation.

 

Next, glance through the stuff on white supremacy. Most of it is reiterations of the same stuff; but, at least get a feel for it.” J.J. frowned a moment as he thought of something else. “Your cover, Albert Schmidt, I can't remember; but, he was very computer literate, right?”

 

“According to his file, he used the internet to line up jobs and for research. It was suspected that he had at least rudimentary hacking skills; I'm assuming that means he could use scripts and try the most commonly used passwords. Why?”

 

“If he had an inclination toward the white supremacist movement, he might have run across Gideon's website.” J.J. grinned. “What better way to start the guy talking, than to say that you love his website and are very familiar with it.”

 

Berkley nodded and grinned widely. “Do you have a printout of it?”

 

“Of course,” J.J. grinned even wider.

 

“I'll read it. Then, I'll finish off with the weapons information.”

 

The detectives nodded.

 

“Sir, I'll get the panic button and bases together this afternoon. I would like to test them as well as check them outside the lab. I'm sure they have the necessary range; but, if they don't, I would like to find out now, rather than when you need immediate help.” Ryo stood as he spoke. “I'll head to the electronics lab now. I think Zale's on afternoon today; in my opinion, he has the most knowledge about all those gadgets and should be able to recommend the best options. He might even have some ideas about giving you a wire so everything could be recorded. Even if you don't wear it, as long as it's in the cell, we could pick up conversations.”

 

“Okay, have fun,” Berkley said with a grin. He knew if something were possible, Ryo would find it. He'd feel a lot better if any confessions could be recorded. That way, everything would be on record and it wouldn't come down to a he-said/he-said situation. He knew his word would carry more weight in a court of law; but, if there was a way to avoid it, it would be welcome.

 

“We'll leave you alone with your reading, Sir,” J.J. said as he also stood. “If you have questions about all that stuff, page me and I'll see what I can do. If you need more information, let me know. I'll get it.”

 

Dee followed the lead of the other detectives and stood. He frowned at all the papers Berkley had in front of him. “I'm glad you're reading all that stuff.”

 

“We'll go to dinner at six?” Ryo asked. “Would you like Chinese?”

 

“That would be perfect,” Berkley agreed. “I'll try to get through as much of this before then as possible. If I have questions, I'll ask them over dinner.”

 

“Okay,” J.J. said as the trio left the conference room, letting the door close softly behind them.

 

Again alone, Berkley swallowed hard and allowed his doubts and worries to come to the surface. He hated to admit it; but, he was terrified. After closed in spaces and another 9-11 attack, going to prison was one of the few things that scared him enough to trigger a panic attack. “There was another reason I wanted you there, Dee. If you're there, I'll be less likely to have a meltdown because I'll be to busy trying to show you up. You bring out the worst in me; but, you also bring out the best,” He admitted mentally. His thoughts continued as he closed his eyes and tried to reign in his emotions. After several more minutes, he turned to the printouts and began scanning them.

 

An hour later, he had completed Gideon's psyche profile. “He's a lot more complicated than I expected,” He whispered to the empty room. He pushed the heavy file to one side so he could address the rest of the documentation. “I'll read through it again in the morning before leaving.”

 

He quickly read through the documents Dee had brought. While the information from the hits was interesting, the only things of relevance were the various notes found on the victims. The crime scenes were disheveled and showed little planning. He frowned as he looked at the copies of the notes. “That's Gideon's handwriting,” He said as he dug through the psyche report for a questionnaire that Gideon had filled out. He laid the examples side-by-side and studied them. The writing seemed the same; but, he couldn't be certain because handwriting analysis was never his strong suit. He quickly jotted, `Dee: notes and questionnaire comparison,' on his notepad. He drew in a deep breath as the possibility Gideon had authored the notes hit home.

 

“That gives everything a whole new angle. If he's writing the notes, he definitely has someone on the inside, or else he's passing the notes through his attorney.” The commissioner thought about those possibilities some more. He knew that was something he would need to watch for. It wasn't unheard of for a guard to pass notes for an inmate or to act as a go-between. But, it was grounds for dismissal, if the guard was caught.

 

Berkley focused on the information, refusing to allow his fears to come to the surface. He knew he wouldn't be able to put his fears off forever; but, he felt that he needed to hold them off until later that night, at least. At a quarter till six, Ryo knocked on the conference room door giving the nervous commissioner an excuse to take a break.

 

“Sir,” Ryo began before frowning. “Are you all right?”

 

“I'll be fine. I'm just nervous about everything.” Berkley sighed as he sat back. The pain in his shoulders had intensified over the last two hours and he knew it wouldn't get any better. He tried to stretch without increasing the pain and finally gave up. “I shouldn't have sat so long.”

 

“That's never a good idea.” Ryo walked over and retook his chair from earlier. “Dee's finishing up a few things; then we'll leave.” He paused and studied his boss. The tension was clear, as was the intense worry the older man was feeling. It always surprised him how easily he could read the commissioner. “We have a few minutes. Would you like to talk about anything?”

 

“No,” Berkley said too quickly.

 

Ryo sat back and waited. After several minutes of staring at each other, he realized that Berkley wasn't ready to talk about anything, yet. “I'll be here overnight. If you want to talk, I'll be here.”

 

Berkley looked surprised at Ryo's quiet words. “Thank you. I'm not ready to talk about it right now.”

 

“This might help. One of my top five fears is going to prison,” Ryo admitted. “I'm more afraid of prison than dying.”

 

Berkley nodded, at a loss for words.

 

“When you're read to talk, I'll be here,” He repeated. “Right now, we should get Dee so we can eat. I don't know about you; but, I'm hungry.” He smiled.

 

“So am I,” Berkley admitted. “I didn't eat lunch and breakfast was at six this morning.”

 

“When did you get the case file?” Ryo asked as they stood.

 

“Yesterday afternoon. I didn't find out the chief had assigned it to you, Dee, and J.J. until this morning. But, when I saw your name in the file, I knew you couldn't do the assignment. I phoned Diana last night and after explaining the situation, asked her to provide documentation for a cover. It was delivered this morning.”

 

“She really came through,” Ryo said as they left the conference room.

 

“She usually does.” Berkley thought about Diana and their relationship.

 

“I don't understand why the two of you can't work things out.”

 

Berkley stopped and frowned. “I'm willing to work it out. But, I'm not willing to give up my job to follow her to Los Angeles.”

 

Ryo shook his head. He knew the reason the pair had broken up after being engaged for close to a year. He didn't understand why Diana wouldn't come to New York; she could transfer without losing her position and he knew that she loved the city.

 

“It's okay, Ryo,” Berkley said as he misinterpreted Ryo's silence as him searching for the right words. “I'll be fine and she's got someone else. I hope she's happy with him; he'll follow her to whatever assignment she gets.”

 

“It's her loss,” Ryo said quietly.

 

“What's that say about you, Ryo. I was willing to change jobs for you; actually, I did change jobs for you.” Berkley forced a smile. He'd given up on the gorgeous detective; but, he couldn't forget how he'd felt the first time he laid eyes on the young man as he looked over the English countryside.

 

“I'm sorry about that, Sir. If Dee hadn't been there,” His voice trailed off because he wasn't sure how to finish the comment. He'd thought about things and still had no idea what might have been if things had been different.

 

“No, Dee had to be there. The two of you were destined to be together.” Berkley's words were tinged with regret; but, the underlying truth came through clearly. He grasped Ryo's shoulder and gave it a companionable squeeze. “It's okay. I'm just giving you a hard time. I'm glad Dee makes you happy.” He smiled as Ryo's face seemed to light up.

 

“He does make me happy. I wasn't willing to deal with a lot of things with myself and he's helped me face them and embrace them, making me more true to who I am and was meant to be.” Ryo smiled. “Strangely enough, that day you kissed me.”

 

“And you punched me,” Berkley interrupted as his hand dropped to his side.

 

“Yes, and I punched you, made me realize how differently I treated Dee. That was when I started thinking about where our relationship could go.” Ryo looked toward the office he shared with Dee and saw his partner leaning against the doorway. He wasn't sure what the other man was feeling; his expression was one he'd never seen before. “I think Dee's ready to leave.”

 

“He's probably as hungry as we are.” Berkley and Ryo walked to Dee. The commissioner wasn't sure what Dee was thinking either. Oddly enough, the one thing he was certain of was that Dee wasn't angry. “Am I driving?”

 

“Yeah,” Dee said as he wrapped his arm around Ryo's waist and started toward the elevator.

 

Berkley followed as he dug his keys out of his pants pocket. In the elevator, Berkley stood with his eyes closed. The closed space of the elevator didn't seem as threatening with the approach of a prison stay looming ahead.

 

“So, which restaurant are we going to?” Berkley asked as the trio climbed into the Mercedes. Within minutes, they were on the road heading for The Chinese Rose. “J.J. decided not to come?” Berkley asked.

 

“He's meeting us at the restaurant,” Dee said simply.

 

“Drake still isn't able to drive so J.J. went to pick him up.” Ryo clarified.

 

“I'm glad they decided to come.” Berkley carefully steered the vehicle through the heavy traffic. At fifteen minutes after six, they pulled into the lot and parked next to J.J.'s little red Neon. The three men walked to the restaurant in silence; each deep in their own thoughts. The drive over had calmed the commissioner and for the moment, he was able to push the next day's adventure out of his mind. For now, he was simply going to enjoy dinner with his detectives.

 

“There they are,” Ryo said as he nodded to the corner booth where Drake and J.J. had settled in. They'd already helped themselves to the buffet and had heaping plates in front of them.

 

“The food's delicious,” Drake mumbled as he tried not to choke on his mouthful of egg roll.

 

“Don't talk with your mouth full,” J.J. gently admonished. “He's right, though; the food is delicious. You've got to try their new beef dish. It has the best sauce!” He dug back into his plate as the three men slid into the booth.

 

After the waitress took their drink order, they filed back out to get their own plates from the buffet; all three tried the beef J.J. recommended. Within minutes, they were enjoying some excellent food and good company.

 

Dee groaned as he flopped against the back of the booth. “I ate too much.”

 

“As usual,” Ryo said with a chuckle.

 

“But, the food was delicious,” Berkley added as he debated if he should unbutton his pants. He'd eaten way too much as well and the normally loose fitting pants were more than a little tight.

 

J.J. and Drake just grinned. They'd eaten a lot as well; but, they hadn't eaten as quickly as the other three. “Stocking up for your time behind bars?” Drake asked, breaking the calm that had settled over the group during their meal.

 

“Drake,” J.J. said quietly.

 

“What? He never eats that much.”

 

“It's okay, J.J.,” Berkley said quietly. He couldn't keep the tension out of his voice. “I did eat more than normal and it probably was from nerves.”

 

“I couldn't do this assignment, Sir,” J.J. admitted.

 

Drake nodded in agreement.

 

“It's not going to be easy. I've read several books that purport to help you prepare for prison. Some of their tips should help me initially; but, I can't fool myself into thinking I can avoid all trouble. Just the cover story will set me up as a possible target.”

 

“How so?” J.J. asked before he thought about it.

 

“I'm being transferred from a medium-security prison to a maximum-security one because I attacked, or was attacked, they won't know which, another inmate. Once other inmates hear that, they'll assume I'm an open target.” Berkley took a sip of his drink.

 

“I guess that's better than being someone's sex toy,” Drake said as he scratched his chin.

 

Berkley chuckled. “Yeah. But, that might be a way to make Gideon trust me. According to the warden, he's been attacked several times and each time, he has a more difficult time getting away. Evidently because he's small, the other inmates see him as easy prey. He hasn't been inside long enough to belong to a network that will protect him. Even then, most networks won't take him in because he isn't willing to put out. Unless you have something to offer, many times you're on your own.”

 

“So what's your strategy? Get into a network? Or try being a loner?” Dee asked. He'd thought about prison because so many people he'd grown up with were now behind bars.

 

“Initially, I'll try going it alone. Schmidt has never done time; so, I should seem a little confused, like I don't know the ropes and don't understand things.”

 

“Not so far from the truth,” J.J. observed. “We might know about this stuff from the outside just because we deal with the criminals. The real story inside has to be very different.”

 

“I expect that. If this takes longer than a couple of weeks, I'll probably have to turn to a network for protection. I doubt there will be another option. Even if I gain Gideon's trust, I'll have to stick it out long enough to get the answers we need.” Berkley frowned at that thought. “If I'm in a network, there's a greater risk of encountering someone who knows who I am. The more contact I have with inmates, the more chances there are.”

 

“Don't take any unnecessary chances, Sir,” Ryo said. “Zale's putting together a couple of wires for your cell. The guy's a genius with that stuff.” He smiled since he knew the added security the items would give to the commissioner. “He's wiring your bag. There will be wire microphones, complete with a method of sending information, in two of the seams; that will broadcast what it hears to a recorder in the warden's office. It should be able to pick up everything in your cell as well as the neighboring cells and hallway.”

 

“If he confesses to anything or gives us information, we'll have it on tape,” Berkley said; the appreciation of the backup to his own memory was clearly heard in his voice.

 

“Well, we'll have it on a DVD. The receiver will be hooked up to a computer and everything will be encoded as an MP3 and recorded to a DVD. Each DVD should give us a week's worth of audio. The system is sound activated; so, you won't have to turn it on and off. That should mean less chance of Gideon discovering it and avoid the possibility that he catches you turning on a recorder.” Ryo thought about the other items Zale was putting into Berkley's bag of tricks.

 

“I'm glad for the backup. If something happens in or around the cell, would the warden hear it? Or is the system silent, just straight recording.” Berkley frowned as he thought about that idea a little more. “If you can hear it, there might be the possibility of the insider hearing it.”

 

Ryo shook his head. “No, it's a direct to disc setup. Zale already thought about the possibility of something being overheard. The system is encrypted so a person can't even pull up the audio and listen to it without entering the correct code. The system will use a 128-bit encryption. That will also guarantee its validity in court. Someone can't tamper with the audio without the code.”

 

“What about battery backup?” J.J. asked. “They could circumvent the code just by unplugging everything.”

 

“That's a possibility. The computer and receiver will be housed in a box that has some battery backup. I'm not sure how long the batteries would last if they were unplugged; but, Zale assures me the system will do the job. I plan on checking it every day and will be able to compare the record time with the information you give to J.J.,” Ryo explained, nodding to the commissioner.

 

“That should provide a failsafe,” Berkley agreed.

 

“Some other items you'll have will include a panic alarm,” Ryo began as he dug into the pocket of his suit coat. “In this medical alert bracelet.” He held up the innocuous looking item. “Schmidt's file mentioned that he had diet-controlled diabetes and wore a medical alert bracelet.” He stood up and motioned for Dee to stand as well, then slid into the booth so he was next to the commissioner. “The panic alarm is wired into the links, here,” He explained as he pointed out the almost invisible wire. “The raised alert symbol is the button. You have to push it completely down and hold it for at least twenty seconds. So, if you bump it accidentally, it won't send out a false alarm. At night, you'll just need to make sure you don't lay on it.” That last was said with a lopsided grin.

 

“Ingenious,” Berkley said admiringly as he took the bracelet. “Is it hooked up now?” Ryo nodded in answer. “Call the station and let them know I'm going to test it. If it works at this range, it shouldn't have any problems with the prison.”

 

“Okay, give me a minute.” Ryo dialed the direct line to the electronics lab and asked for Zale. “Zale, Ryo MacLean here. I'm with the commissioner and we're going to test the panic alarm. Are you near the receivers?” He paused as he listened to the young man's footsteps. “Good. We're testing it now.”

 

Berkley pressed and held the panic button for a count of thirty and released it. The men all looked at Ryo expectantly and laughed as the detective almost dropped the phone as the alarms sounded loud and clear.

 

“I guess they work,” Ryo said with a red-tinged face. “Thanks, Zale.” He hung up the phone and smiled.

 

“We should be getting back to the precinct. I'm still got a lot of reading to finish before morning,” Berkley said quietly. Even with the panic alarm, he wasn't feeling any more confident about the assignment. He could only hope everything went better than he could hope; so, he was out quickly.

 

“Hey, you never did say what you could offer those networks so they'll protect you,” Dee said as he stood.

 

“Maybe I can act as a bodyguard or something. I'm not offering my body.” Berkley frowned as he thought about Dee's question. Privately, he admitted that he didn't have much to offer behind bars. He wasn't a criminal; so, he couldn't offer links to outside organizations. He didn't think his brain would enough to guarantee protection; although, he knew he could do legal research for appeals.

 

“If you need something, just mention you've got friends on the outside who can bring in cigarettes. That should buy you some degree of protection. If you're inside for any length of time, we'll need to find a way for you to get into one of the networks. Cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, money, and sex are the best buy ins,” Dee admitted.

 

“How do you know so much?” Berkley asked.

 

“I grew up with a lot of guys who are now behind bars. I was lucky. I had people who cared enough to steer me in the right direction.” Dee's words reflected his appreciation for everything the people from his childhood did for him. “They helped me become the man I am today.”

 

“They did a good job,” Berkley said quietly as he held the door for his detectives.

 

“Thanks.” Dee frowned as the bad feeling from earlier passed over him again. “I really don't like this.”

 

The others didn't notice the concerned look he gave the commissioner and even if they had, they couldn't have imagined the reason behind it. The group said their good nights with J.J. promising to be there in the morning to see everyone off. He wouldn't go in until the day after Berkley's arrival. It would provide a period where the commissioner could settle in and hopefully belay any suspicion since most people in Sing Sing didn't have daily visits from their attorneys; even if, they were heading to trial.

 

By the time the original trio climbed into Berkley's Mercedes, Dee wore his normal expression and had managed to bury the dark premonition. He knew it wouldn't help to mention it; there was nothing they could do.

 

“This afternoon, I was thrilled that I'd get to arrest you, even rough you up. Now, all I want to do is tell you not to go; that we'll find another way to get the information.” Dee caught Ryo's eyes as he glanced back. His partner's expression was quizzical, showing that he wanted to know what Dee was thinking. “You wouldn't believe me if I told you,” Dee admitted silently as he looked away first.

 

At the precinct, Berkley returned to the conference room and his stacks of reading material. Ryo went to the electronics lab to get more information on the various pieces of equipment that would keep the commissioner safe. Dee went to the office he shared with Ryo and picked up the legal pad his boss had given him earlier. He pulled up several legal research sites and began searching for Gideon's juvenile cases and any information that might allow for greater insight into the man Berkley needed to befriend.