PART III - Chapter 32: THEY DON'T GIVE UP THEIR HEROES

Chapter 32

They Don’t Give Up Their Heroes
(Ó 2010)

 

The Last week of July 2001

In the early afternoon, David Todd was standing on the roof of the building that was located in the northwest suburbs from Chicago; the building that was the former distribution center used by Julian Chekov, “The General”, who’s true identity it was discovered, to be one Artemis Tate from New Orleans Louisiana, along with two members of the gang known as the Eight Ball Thugs. The heat of the afternoon was intensified for David slightly due to the black tar on the roof. David was looking to the low income housing just west of the building, to the spot where Julian’s Mercedes-Benz was parked and where Alexi was found unconscious next to it. David then would look down the street that went westward, to the spot where Yakov was found lying, also beaten and unconscious.

David then looked down to the rooftop itself, where the open skylight was. This is where they believed that the ‘Spinal Tapper’ would enter and leave the building. They discovered after their initial investigations that the domed Plexiglas was removed and replaced sometime in the past, most likely with a knife. It had been done so several times, always replaced, then secured with fresh duct tape. Upon entry, there was a metal rod ladder was attached to the cinder block wall inside the building that led down to the floor. It was in the two dark rooms that The General and his two cohorts had never entered.

David then turned completely around to look toward the east end of the empty parking lot to look across the main street to the tree line. He looked to the overpass that went over the main street that continued to the expressway some three miles away. He then looked back to the stark green trees that lined the Des Plaines River that the same street had an overpass that crossed over it. He thought then of all of the things that he has been researching since he and Noel spoke with Captain Jean-Luc Pontius of the French National Police some weeks prior; about the one man that they both have been suspicious of, Logan I. Morrow; about his history; and … about the country that he may now be living in … if he was still alive.

David then turned again to look to the west. He was deep in his thoughts from his day when he heard the sound of a car approaching from behind him. He looked over his left shoulder to see the car of his friend and partner, Noel Jaworski, as it made its way to the entranceway of the east side of the abandoned complex. He watched and followed the car as it came through the east gate and then parked out in the open area. Noel exited the car and waived to David up on the roof. David waived back and called out, “Come on up, the doors are all open!” Noel waved back to acknowledge him.

David waited for the short time it took for Noel to make his way through the building, then up the ladder and through the skylight. David then reached to grab his partners hand and help him up through the passageway of the skylight. Once up, David said, “Thanks for coming out Ski. You cover for me back in the office?”

“Yeah, I just told Dee Dee that you were out going over some old evidence.” Noel answered, “So, what’s up? You sounded a little strange on the phone when you called me, and it got even stranger when you told me to meet you here.”

“Yeah well, I’ve been going over some things one more time. I think I may have made a few discoveries … as well as coming to some conclusions.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, I hear that this whole complex is going to be razed soon. The ‘owner’ you could say,” David then made quote signs in the air, “is going to tear this whole thing down and sell the land. I guess old Pieter Chekov can no longer bear the site of the place where his son got blinded and neutered. Hell, I‘d probably do the same thing myself.” David then drew in a deep breath and said, “I went out to the old Divic house again this morning. It’s not that far from here.”

Noel had an expression of confusion come to his face, “What were you doing there again Dave? Jeez man, you must have been there a thousand times.”

“Yeah … I know. I got a call from the realtor; she finally sold the place after all this time. Someone got it for quite a bargain I understand, considering the reputation that it has.” David said, “She didn’t make what she wanted to with the sale, but she’s just happy to be finally rid of it. She let me come out there one more time before the new owners move in; it may be a bit hard to go there again after they move in.”

“Well, did you find anything … this time? We’ve only gone over that place a hundred times.”

“I think that well … maybe I just might of.” David then let out a sigh, “Well, I spent most of the morning walking through the forest preserve. Walked straight through it to Deerfield Road, and then back to the house again. Then I went around to the front of the house and … again … walked the road that leads from the house to the main road where you enter from, and I …again … walked to Deerfield Road that the back forest preserve comes out of. I was just about to turn back down that road to walk the entire length back … when I looked again to the sidewalk across Deerfield. You know … that sidewalk that begins there.”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah … and then something comes to me, and I took out the road map I had and I found Deerfield Road on it and looked at both directions.”

“You find something?” Noel asked.

“I just may of.” David then reach into his back pocket and produced that same map that he had just spoken of. “Look here, if you follow Deerfield Road going east, there is a METRA train station about three and a half, four miles east.”

“What? You think he drove to the train station somehow? Grabbed a cab … or a bus?” Noel asked sarcastically.

“No … I think he simply walked there.”

“Noel then looked surprised by what he just heard, “What? You think that the Tapper took out Divic, and instead of having a car waiting for him on the other side of the forest preserve, he just walked out of the forest and humped it four miles to the train station … in that cold … and simply went on his way?”

“Precisely … and now I’m even more suspicious that the Tapper could be this Morrow guy.”

“Morrow? Morrow never owned a car. How the hell could he possibly get anywhere? Especially way the hell out here? I mean I know he is the closest thing we got, he has motive and all, especially after talking to his old boss and such, he does have the motive and everything, but … how could he have pulled all of this shit off?”

David then turned and looked to the west where the apartment buildings, “I’ve been going over all the things everybody has said, Pontius, the Garafino woman … you.”

“Me?”

“Yes, what you said when Pontius told us that Morrow was in the French Foreign Legion, what you said, that you heard that those guys are bad asses.”

“Yeah, I said that. So?”

“So … I’ve been doing some research Ski; and you’re right. Those guys are bad asses, maybe even the baddest of the bad. Hell, most of them go into that Legion being bad. I read about the organization, if any guy … any guy … anywhere in the world does something wrong and is facing some hard time in prison or just some shit of any sort, he has a place to go where he can hide … and hide good. You can even change your name; give them any fucking name you want, that’s who you will be from then on.” David paused then turned to Noel, “But it’s far from easy. You pay a price being in that Legion. Living in some of the most God awful places on earth, real dangerous places. And you are not treated that well if you do not quickly fall into line. It‘s close to hell on earth, but to these guys … it beats the alternative of what faces them if they go back to their homes.” David paused again and turned and looked to the apartment buildings again. “However, there is a reward to all that shit. If you serve honorably, upon your discharge, you get a French passport. You’re automatically a citizen of France. It’s the French reward for doing its governments dirty work for the time you served. You get the citizenship and you keep the name you chose. You’re a whole new person, a whole new identity.”

“Holy shit.” Was all Noel could say.

“Holy shit indeed, that’s not all I learned. These Legionnaire guys? Well, they are always training … I mean always. Nothing is wasted by a Legionnaire, whether it’s bullets, food, water or even time.” David took a quick look around.  "Did you know that the French have a missile base in South America? French Guiana. It’s right there in the middle of the fucking Amazon forest. These Legionnaires … they protect that base. Not only are they on the base themselves, but they patrol in that forest. Not in shifts by certain hours … no … they are in that forest for months at a time. They live there and train there … right there ... in that fucking forest, with snakes and spiders the size of your hand. Sitting there in the bush in the middle of all of that. And their mission there is simple. If they come across you … and you are not supposed to be there … they just kill ya. Then … leave ya right there and let the forest take care of what’s left of you.” David then turned and looked to the east end of the parking lot, across the street, to the tree line. “If a guy can live in a place like that … well then … living in a forest preserve in northern Illinois is like a walk in the park.”

“What are ya getting at Dave?” Noel asked.

“I think I know how this all went down here.” David answered. “And … I think he may have just fooled us … a little.”

“How’s that.”

David then pointed to a small area of the barrier wall on the roof which was about eighteen inches in height. “Well, right there we assume that he got to the roof here with some sort of grappling hook and rope because of the marks it has left.” David then pointed to the skylight, “He then cut out the Plexiglas cover here with a knife to enter the building … how many times though we don’t know because he would replace and seal the cover with fresh new duct tape every time.”

Noel interceded, “You know, I’ve always had a thought about that.”

“What’s that?”

“Ever since he fucked up Percy, he’s left a little sign of himself. I don’t know … it sounds kinda crazy but, we’ve always thought that he’s been trying to say something to us.”

“And?”

Noel looked at David and said, “Maybe he’s been leaving these signs to tell us that … yeah … he’s a real human being after all. They’re only clues that he has been here though, nothing that can tell us about who he is.”

“I think that you just may be right about that Ski.” David agreed, he then continued, “Anyways, he came and went as he pleased, totally undetected of course. He’s done as he usually has done, just sat, watched and studied … waiting for the right moment. It finally came along … except … for the first time … something went wrong.”

“What was that?” Noel asked.

“Julian Chekov,” David answered, “he showed up here unannounced. We got that from The General’s men. They told us that they were not expecting Julian to come here that night, in fact Julian said that he was never going to come here at all.”

“Why do you think that Julian came here that night?”

David gave a slight smile, “Those two buddies of Julian’s, they haven’t spoke one word to us since this happened, it’s part of their culture to say nothing to the cops … even when we are looking for the guy who fucked up their beloved leader. But, they don’t have to say anything. Remember the blowtorch that was found in the room where Julian and The General were? It had a full butane canister. It also had Yakov’s fingerprints all over it, as well as Julian’s and that Alexi guy. I think Julian may have found out that The General was skimming or something. And we’ve learned a lot about the reputation of Julian Chekov. I think he came here to do a little medieval torture on The General, maybe even kill him; and it just so happened that Julian and the Tapper, quite by accident, crossed paths and both came to fuck up The General on the same night.”

“So you’re saying that it was just bad luck for Julian that night? That he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“Yep.” David answered; he then looked over to the apartment buildings, “The Tapper was probably here for some time waiting for The General and his two idiots. I think he was inside here before Julian and his two morons arrived, otherwise he would have spotted them. When the General arrived, the Tapper then came out of wherever it was he was hiding and took out Lester and Jackson, then went to confront The General. The General told us that he heard some strange sound coming from the open bay area; I think the Tapper did that to draw out The General. The General said that he was struck right as he came through that doorway, he was taken out in a few seconds, Tapper did his usual speech, only this time … unbeknownst to him and The General … Julian Chekov had entered the building. I think Chekov walked in during the attack on the General, and Julian thought he could fight the Tapper … and well … we all know how that turned out.

“However, if the Tapper has been watching this place for as long as he has, and has watched The General and his two cohorts for that period of time, he also has had to know that Julian Chekov was running this whole operation. Which means he has been watching Julian Chekov, and he knows that Julian Chekov does not go anywhere without his two goons.

“When the Tapper took out Julian, he had to know that the two goons were not to far away. From what little that we know from Julian, his men, as well as The General and his, this is what I think happened after Julian’s attack.” David then stepped over to the western edge of the rooftop, “He came back to the roof and began to scan the area,” David then pointed to the spot where Julian Chekov’s Mercedes-Benz was parked that evening, he either saw Julian’s car parked there or perhaps even Yakov walking in this direction. I think it was that he saw Yakov. Once Yakov entered the building the Tapper scaled back down. He knew that in a few seconds Yakov would find Julian, so he needed to take out Alexi.”

“Why?” Noel asked.

“Because the Tapper now had in his possession a large satchel of cash, it would have slowed him down. He left the satchel somewhere, so, once Yakov was inside, the Tapper quickly made his way to the car where Alexi was. He found that piece of brick, tossed it in the air and hit the hood of the car. This made Alexi exit the car. The Tapper was already then waiting for him in front of the car, when Alexi opened the door and placed his leg out, the Tapper came round and body slammed the car door causing it to hit Alexi leg. Then the Tapper begins to beat the shit out of Alexi, and he keeps on doing so … so that Yakov will see him when he comes out of the building. I believe that the Tapper kept pounding on Alexi knowing that Yakov was coming to help him.” David then pointed to the west gate, “He kept pounding on him right as Yakov went out the gate,” David then pointed to a spot mid way from the gate to where the Mercedes was parked, “and when he reached that point about there, the Tapper takes off running down that way.” David then pointed down the roadway that divided the apartment buildings. “He did it intentionally, to draw Yakov down there. The Tapper stopped two streets over, found a dark spot, waited for Yakov, and then took him out.”

Noel then said, “That sounds just about right, it could have happened just like you said.”

“Yeah I know,” David said, “but I think there’s more to it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think the Tapper not only drew Yakov down there to take him out … I think he did it for another reason.”

“What would that be?”

“To draw US down there.” David answered.

“Us?”

“Yeah … us … the police. Look what we all did that morning. We all went in that direction looking for a car or motorcycle, and we spent a lot of time asking all the people around there if they saw anything suspicious. Because while we were all over there,” David said pointing to the west, he then turned completely around and pointed to the east, where the thick lines of trees were in the forest preserve, “he doubled back, and went over there. He doubled back to retrieve that satchel of cash, the rope and grappling hook, plus whatever equipment he had. No rope or hooks have been found, and he escaped through that line of trees. You know what‘s in there Ski … about fifty yards in? The Des Plaines River, that‘s what.”

Noel looked to the trees, “Holy shit man. You think he hid there? Waiting for it all to blow over?”

“More than that Ski,” David answered, “I think he went to the river … and the forest … and kept right on going.”

“What are you saying man?”

“I’m saying this Ski,” David now stepped to the east side of the roof, “I’m saying that if it is this Morrow guy, then he has it in him to use those trees and that river to help get him anywhere he needed to go. Hell, he could have walked all the way back to his apartment if he chose to.

“Walked back … all the way to Chicago? Come on man! That’s gotta be over thirty miles!”

David looked back to his friend and partner, “I know how far it is, but I’m telling you, he has it in him to do it. Like I said, I’ve been doing some research. Another thing I found out about these Legionnaires, they can walk thirty … forty … fifty miles in a shot, and it doesn’t faze them a bit. They say that the most reliable mode of transportation for a Legionnaire is his own legs and feet. They can run just as far, shit man, running is religion to them. Those guys are capable of running double marathons. Walking … running … pain … it’s all second nature to them.” David then looked back to the tree line, “Yeah, he doubled back, got the cash, his gear and just slipped into those trees. I wouldn’t put it past him to just float down that river some how. We are so chauvinistic in our thinking … that we just naturally assumed that ‘The Tapper’ would have a car or motorcycle. Morrow would know that … and he used that to his advantage”

“You’re serious … aren’t you man.”

“Damn right.” David answered. “Think about it man, what did Pontius tell us? That Morrow was in the Legion for what … seventeen years? Seventeen fucking year’s man. Think about how he lived for all that time. Doing nothing everyday but training to learn how to fight, kill and go in combat. Jumping out of airplanes, living in the jungle, everyday non-stop. Hell, he’s even been in combat. I bet you learn how to become one dangerous bastard in all that time.”

Noel stood quiet for a moment then asked, “So what can we do now? I mean … if it is him … what can we do?”

“Well that just the thing man,” David answered, “we can’t do a fucking thing. First of all, we don’t even know if he’s alive. But second of all … if by chance he went back to France, there’s nothing we could do.”

“How do ya mean?”

“I heard it in that Pontius’s voice man.” said David, “You heard all the things he was saying, that was deliberate, and he was dropping some heavy hints.”

“Hints?”

“Yep Ski, you heard what he told us about Morrow, he’s a fucking war hero, he helped save the lives of French citizens in Africa, he also saved the lives of those French school children. Not only is he a war hero, he’s a Legionnaire, and I learned that the citizens of France really revere these Legionnaire guys, they have more honor and respect for these Legionnaires than they do their own military. Men from foreign countries who risk their lives and die doing all the dirty work for the government of France and helping to insure that the French can go on and live in their namby-pamby, artsy-fartsy lives. The French really appreciate that shit.” David then stepped to the ledge of the roof and looked again to the tree line, “Plus not only is he a war hero … he’s a police hero, going after some of the most dangerous fucks in Europe. Look what it cost him … they murdered his wife for Christ’s sake.”

Noel stood quietly then stepped up to David.

David looked at him, “There’s another thing I found out in all my research.”

“What’s that?”

I found out that France … well … they just don’t give up their citizens when it comes to these matters.” He looked at Noel more intently and said with some emphasis, “But most of all … France? Well … they don’t give up their heroes. If Morrow is alive? He could go on all the TV talk shows in France right now and I can gaur-an-damn-tee you that Bill Clinton and George W. Bush combined could not get them to give him up. Think about it man. You think the French would give up a man like Morrow because he fucked up two serial rapists, a wealthy child molester, a human trafficker, a bunch of low life gang bangers and a Russian mobster? Hell no.” David paused and let out a short laugh, “Hell … not even all of the political clout of the great and wonderful Dee Dee Stillwater herself could not get them to give him up.”

Noel then stepped back to the center of the rooftop and looked to the apartments on the south side of the complex. David stepped over and joined him. Noel looked to David and asked, “So … what now?”

David sighed and answered, “This may come as a shock to you … but I say we bury it … we bury him.”

“Bury him? Dave what are you saying?” Noel asked with a surprised tone. “Are you saying to like … cover it up?”

“Basically yes … besides … if it’s Morrow … he’s made it easy for us somewhat. He’s made it sound like he’s off’ed himself.” David then looked at the expression on his partners face. David then continued with a calm tone, “Come on Ski, we’ve sort of got a strange type of relationship with the Tapper. If the Tapper is Morrow, I mean … are you telling me that you have not developed some sort of sympathy for him? Look at what was taken from him … they fucking killed his wife.”

“I know Dave but …”

“But what?”

Noel fell silent for a second, and then said, “Were cops for Christ’s sake.”

“So is he.”

“We have a duty.”

“We have a duty yes,” David said and then became somewhat stern, “but I don’t have a duty to be used and manipulated by some shit bag politicians or their friends to cover the shit that they do, and to help hide all their corrupt shit.” David then turned away, “I’m tired of it man, really fucking tired of it all. The corrupt political bullshit in this town and county. This fucking bullshit task force is all about Dee Dee Stillwater and yes … Jorge Garcia … to cover their asses. I’m not going to do it any more. If something doesn’t come along soon man, to stop this shit that we are going through with that crazy bitch … well man … you are now going to be the first to know … I’m going to resign, take whatever pension I got and I’m moving Regina and the kids to Arizona, and I’m gonna start all over. If this shit doesn’t end by the beginning of next year … I’m gone.”

Noel saw the expression on David’s face, “You’re serious … aren’t you man?”

“You’re fucking “A” right I am.” David answered. “I’ve been thinking about it for a couple of weeks. The places that Regina and I look at the most down there are in Maricopa County. There’s this sheriff down there, a no nonsense, no bullshit type of guy. He can’t stand the politicians down there and the feelings from them are mutual. He’s my type of lawman, and I think I can get on his department if I contact him. I’m going to do so after Thanksgiving if this shit don’t end … and I mean it. I’m going to give it a little while longer, and then I’m going to talk to Regina about it. I think she’ll go along, she sees that I’m miserable. I didn’t become a cop to do this shit.” He looked at his friend and then added, “I’ll hate leaving you alone with this shit Ski, but I’m coming to the end of my rope. If it comes to a decision between Morrow, or some dip shit Chicago politicians, I’m going to side with Morrow.”

Noel looked back to his friend and asked, “How do you propose to do it, to bury this thing with Morrow?”

“Simple, we wait about another week or ten days, we have looked into it a little, so there is some record of that. I’ll just write in his file that I believe that because of the note he left behind, and that there is no knowledge of his whereabouts, that I believe that there may now be a possible suicide … and that I can not continue the investigation on him until his body, or whereabouts become known. Then bury his file with all the thousand others.”

Noel then stepped up to David and placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder. “What do you mean by all that ‘I’ bullshit? It’s ‘we’ man … we will bury it … together man.”

David then grabbed and embraced his friend and gave him a slap on his back, “Thanks man that means a lot.”

Noel then stepped back from David and said, “Never mind that man. If you think you’re going to leave me alone with that crazy fucking bitch and all the rest of those fuck heads, well you got another thing coming. I heard about that sheriff you’re talking about, if you contact him, you tell him you have a package deal for him … I’m going with ya.”

“You’d do that?”

“Shit yeah … Mari knows I’m miserable too. It won’t be California, but it will be close enough.”

“You got yourself a deal on that Ski.”

Noel looked around from the tree line to the apartments and then back again. “Shit man, do you really think that he could just simply hump it all the way back to the city without anybody noticing?”

“Yes, I’ve been reading a lot about the Legion, they are capable of anything.”

Noel then had a thought come to him, “Okay then Dave, what would happen if the worst case scenario would come along, and the French government became convinced to send Morrow back here. What then?”

David then smiled, “Well Ski, that’s where Morrow has another ace up his sleeve.”

“How’s that?”

“I read something real interesting about these Legionnaires. David answered, “The Legion … is not loyal to France. They basically are just employed by France. Legionnaires are only loyal to the Legion. They are only loyal to themselves. Even when you are discharged from the Legion, they are loyal to you. It’s like that saying here, ‘Once a Marine … Always a Marine,” … only with the Legion it goes further. If any ex-Legionnaire find himself in trouble … as Morrow may be right now … if he is alive … then that Legionnaire can contact the Legion at a special phone number or something like that. No matter where that Legionnaire is … they will come get you and take you back with them and they will hide you … forever if they have too. They will take you to one of their little remote bases in the places where even God forgot He made and keep you there. Like a said … we are never going to get him back.”

“Shit.”

“Yep.”

Noel asked, “What about Sherry Thornton? How’s she coming along?”

“It’s the typical potential Chicago political scandal. She’s working hard on it but there a lot of obstacles. Investigative reports like this can take years. But, if we decide to resign, then she is going to hear and receive a lot more from her ‘undisclosed sources,’ if you know what I mean.”

“This is a lot of fucking bullshit man.”
 

“Yeah I know Ski, but until something else comes along … we’re stuck in this shit.” David sighed. He then looked to the tree line and said again, “Until something else comes along.”