Committee of Truth and Security

Astrid Wang

T + 60 minutes

HQ of DCPD

The entire Dovefeather City Police Department had become a pot of heated mess. After learning that Xavier had controlled a few officers' children, everyone lost their calm. With a few simple threats, Xavier paralyzed the top section of the command chain.

Although Xavier announced that her daughter would be left alone, Chief Wang could not wager her security on the words of a criminal. With the eyes now removed from the sky, and with phone and Internet cables cut and cell towers jammed, there was no way to ascertain anything Xavier said.

Sixty minutes. A full hour since the shooters had entered Pacifica. For a mass shooting, this was intolerably long. With the lack of casualties and the attrition tactics, Wang was sure that Xavier was aiming for a mass hostage situation. It would only get worse, as the students were getting rounded up at the Free Speech Square.

Earlier drone footage had captured ten armed hostiles. Chief Wang estimated the actual number to be double. Twenty hostiles, spread across the 419 acres of Pacifica Academy. If these hostiles couldn't be taken down simultaneously, then any one remaining could open fire on unarmed students and faculties.

"Contact the Chancellor on emergency line," Chief Wang shouted to the communications officer. "Request emergency access to military satellites."

"That has already been granted," a voice responded behind Chief Wang. The entire station silenced as everyone turned to look at the man. He was in his forties, but in perfect physical condition. It wasn't the long crescent scar across his left face that caught everyone's attention, but the icy blue eyes behind it.

He was Fabien Aigle, director of the Committee of Truth and Security.

"Executive order from the Chancellor. The CTS has been assigned to work with DCPD."

Shit. The CTS had become involved. Chief Wang sighed. This had become much, much more complicated.

The Committee of Truth and Security was the alter ego of the police department. Every citizen knew about it, but nobody spoke of it. A quick history lesson here. Initially in our great nation, morality was protected by three major branches. The Congress writes the law. The police apprehends criminals who broke those laws. They turn them to the Courts of Justice, to be judged and rehabilitated.

However, this system had many flaws, as people of your society would certainly understand. The criminals knew the law inside out, so they took advantage of the loopholes without being punished. The wealthy were able to afford lawyers that bested the state prosecutors. In some instances, there were crimes so heinous that no rehabilitation could do enough justice.

So the Committee of Truth and Security was created. Nobody knew how many CTS agents there were. They could be the baker, the street cleaner, the firefighter, or the neighbor. They lurked in the shadows, assessing the morality of every person they came across. When a criminal was smart enough to bury evidence, the CTS agents would plant just the right bit of fingerprints for the police to find out. When a gang leader was acquitted because they got others to do the dirty work, the CTS agents would "vanish" them into their own holding facilities, or sometimes the cemetery. For the worst criminals, like the terrorists and rapists and pedophiles and mass murderers, the CTS would use a combination of extortion, enhanced interrogation, and double crossing, sometimes even holding their family members hostage if necessary. These methods were undoubtedly controversial but also undoubtedly efficient.

As for Fabien Aigle, he was the director of CTS. To most outsiders, he was as dangerous a man as CTS an instrument. Chief Wang would have felt that too, if it wasn't for the fact that she knew him personally.

This hasn't been the first time that Wang worked with Fabien Aigle. It all began fifteen years ago, back when she was still at the bottom of the food chain, back when Aigle was nowhere near a director. However, the difference was that Wang never intended to rise so high, while Aigle had always planned to lead the Committee of Truth and Security.

"Alright, skip the formalities Fabien, what do you want?" said Wang.

The officers whispered among themselves with awe, that their Chief had just addressed Director Aigle on first name basis.

"I want to know what DCPD has done and will be doing. The whole picture."

"And why is that necessary to CTS's assistance in this operation?"

"As you know, Astrid, Pacifica Academy contains many high level hostages. Children of key officials of our nation. This isn't just a school. This is a leverage that could be exploited to overturn our nation and everything we stand for. Besides, this is a challenging case that I'm very personally interested in as well."

Chief Wang considered for a moment.

"Alright, the CTS can help, but on the condition that I remain in command of this operation, and the case rests under the jurisdiction of DCPD. I want no debate over this."

"Of course, I will try my best. But you know, if you face anyone difficult in the command chain and need to give them a little push, I'm always here."

"Cut the bullshit Fabien. Knowing your track record, there's no way I'm letting you making the decisions on a rescue operation."

"Come on, the last time we did a rescue operation together, it turned out pretty well."

"You call that well?" Wang hissed, trying not to make the other officers hear her. "Your men shot up propane tank and killed three hostages."

"Three hostages out of over a hundred, that's above 97% retention rate. I'd give myself an A+," Aigle chuckled. "Besides, they had a bomb about to go off in twenty minutes, and there wasn't any other way into the building."

"That doesn't make it better. Killing the hostages was your choice. The blood was on your hands."

"Doing nothing would also be a choice. And that choice of inaction would make everyone get killed by the bomb. You gotta make sacrifices sometimes."

"Not that kind of sacrifice. Remember how all the media pointed their spears at the police department for that. I had to take the blame for your shit."

"Only for three hours. Then I got my men silencing the media and wiping the Internet. I even gave all the credit to the police department. It was a fair deal I'd say."

"Ugh, damn it Fabien," Wang groaned in frustration. She could never beat Fabien Aigle in an argument. "Whatever you say, I'm not letting you take operation control this time. If you're bringing your men in, you tell them to listen to me."

"Alright, alright. Knowing you, there's nothing that can change your mind once it's set," Aigle laughed.

Chief Wang frowned at the remark. She refused to admit its accuracy.

An officer rushed over, "Squad Alpha, Bravo, Charlie in position."

"So Astrid, wanna enlighten me on your masterplan?" Director Aigle pointed on the screen, on which sits a map of Pacifica terrain.

"Pacifica Academy sits on the top of a mountain. There are three ways for major transport to enter Pacifica…"

Let me add a few more details to Chief Wang's explanation, in case the files on Pacifica were lost by the time you are reading this. Two roads spiral around the mountain, like two dragons encircling a jade sphere. The first one is Equality Road, used for passenger vehicles. The second one is Transparency Drive, used for transport vehicles.

While Pacifica's terrain is mostly mountainous, some miracle of nature sculpted an area of flatland on the mountainside, which was converted into a short airstrip for small private aircrafts. As I said, it wasn't unusual for VVIPs to visit Pacifica from halfway across the globe. Of course, foreign visitors had still been allegedly nonexistent, though rumors say they would land unregistered planes in the dead of the night.

"So you have squad Alpha and Bravo covering Equality Road and Transparency Drive, and squad Charlie taking over the airfield, am I right?"

"Yes," Chief Wang pointed at the map. "This narrows down their only escape means to choppers. The airspace is beyond the jurisdiction of DCPD, but the CTS can get the military…"

"Consider it done."

"Pull up the most recent imagery from reconnaissance satellites."

An office nearby hit a few keys, and a huge bird eye view picture of Pacifica appeared on screen.

"Shit," Chief Wang muttered. Not much can be seen, which is understandable, given most people are in hideouts. The imagery will be updated again in fifteen minutes, but Wang could not hope for much.

"Well Astrid, seems like your satellite plan isn't working,"

"Got any better idea Fabien?"

"Have you considered a chopper?"

"We don't know about their aerial detection technology, but they made it clear that they would pull the trigger if they see any aircrafts."

"We will push the blame onto the military. Say it's out of our control. They won't expect negotiators to override military decisions."

The officers nearby seemed alarmed at Director Aigle's proposal.

"I know you like to gamble. But you're really gonna bet the lives of eight hundred kids on rationalizing with this madman?" Wang rebuked.

"Well Astrid, you tell me how you're gonna launch a rescue operation without any intel." Aigle was starting to get impatient.

"We don't launch it for now. We wait for Xavier to make his demands first. Look at all the announcements he's been making. He's a control freak. We play along with his game."

"So you're saying we do nothing. We keep waiting in the dark. Until all the students get rounded up in the Free Speech Square in the next few hours. Then we listen to whatever information Xavier is willing to broadcast over his livestream channel?" Aigle sneered.

"As far as I know, reading criminals have been my job for the past two decades. Trust me on this. This guy Xavier, he isn't some random criminal you can deceive or intimidate. He is all gentle for now, but the moment you deviate from his script, he will retaliate hard."

"Have it your way. So no rescue operation. Then what about the negotiation? Has he given his demands yet?"

"Not yet. He said he will announce it in one or two hours."

"One or two hours? Has the DCPD exerted any pressure?"

"No. We weren't given a chance."

"So it has been sixty minutes since Pacifica got taken over, and there's no rescue plan, no negotiation plan, not even an analysis of what they might want?" Aigle was getting visibly aggressive.

"Listen Fabien. I'm only gonna say this once. Many officers here, including me, all have our kids at Pacifica. I want my child out more than anything. Them too."

"Yeah Astrid, now you are bringing in the other officers. Let's talk about your officers. Tell me, for twenty men armed to the teeth with assault rifles and grenades, to get transported all the way up the mountains of Pacifica, how big of a scene would that make? To have cut telephone lines, jammed cell towers, and blocked Internet all simultaneously, how much preparation would that take? All those unregistered arms, illicit monetary transactions, and procurement of suspicious technology happening right under the noses of your police department."

"What are you suggesting? What great feats have the CTS achieved to stride over and doubt the competence of DCPD."

"This is not a question of competence. This is — "

"Are you questioning our loyalty?" Lieutenant Wright interrupted. "With all due respect sir, you are in no place to assume corruption in our department."

"Officer, watch your mouth." Aigle turned and glared at Wright. His countenance changed the aggression of a leader to the full wrath of a god of war. Wright immediately silenced and shrank back.

Chief Wang stepped in front of Lieutenant Wright, facing Aigle. Aigle, at the sight of Wang, reverted to his original anger, now seeming much gentler in comparison.

"You may have your suspicions Fabien," said Wang, this time in serious and controlled anger. "But you talk about this with me in private. I'm not letting you throw unfounded accusations against my men, who have fought alongside me for years."

Lieutenant Wright glanced at Chief Wang, then at Director Aigle, then back at Chief Wang, and he quickly retreated back to the other officers.

Fabien Aigle took a deep breath and stepped back. "Alright. I'll have it your way."

Chief Wang returned to discussing the situation with professionalism, but now she had an extra layer of caution in her mind. Director Aigle had expressed suspicion against the DCPD. He suspected there to be moles inside the DCPD who were supporting Xavier. Aigle claimed he had come here to resolve the hostage crisis, but another unspoken intention could very well be to investigate the Dovefeather City Police Department.