Chapter 20 Quebec
Quebec
Early the next morning, the team received a message from Shepherd to hold position and dial in for a video meeting at zero seven thirty.
They all assumed the Digital Team had found something that warranted a briefing before they drove north.
They were correct. Both Smith and Garcia were in Shepherd’s office when they connected to Shepherd’s meeting room.
Garcia had worked all night to narrow down the location of the house and property where the camping trip had taken place the previous summer.
“The problem is in the limitations of geotagging when there are few cell towers to triangulate against or if the photo is taken in a metal building or under heavy tree canopies, the ability to rely on a satellite for location services fail,” Garcia said.
“Those were the issues that limited our ability to nail down the location on the pics taken by Oliveira’s phone with the deleted Facebook pics. ”
“We have the exact location the pics Elly took while canoeing, as they were in the open and the satellite geotagging worked as it should, but we believe they were downstream from the actual property. From what you relayed that Gabby Struck said, they were at a private residence, not a campground, so that sign that was captured in that one photo was probably not right where they stayed,” Smith added.
“I identified two large parcels of land upstream from where the river pics were taken belonging to someone in his forties or fifties with the name David,” Garcia said.
“I’ll push the file through to you after this meeting.
The first is David Greenwalt. He’s got a record of domestic abuse and a couple of DUIs from twenty years ago.
He’s been clean since then. He’s forty-four years old and fits the profile of a prepper, maybe even a militia member.
He’s pretty far off the grid with no social media presence.
The second property is owned by Craig David, and I really hope he’s not the guy.
He’s forty years old but looks a lot older.
He has an extensive record of B and E, assault and battery, and weapons charges, and they’re all recent.
This guy’s bad news and has been for a long time.
He shouldn’t even be walking the streets, not sure why he is. ”
“Does he fit the profile of this group, Garcia?” Burke asked.
“Yes, and some of his record could be from the vigilante-style training the militia does,” Garcia answered.
“Or he could have found a home with the militia to be able to engage in the behavior he prefers, where it’s considered acceptable,” Shepherd chimed in.
“We’ve reached out to the FBI, who have the other members of the Wisconsin and Minnesota militias in custody, to see if anyone can positively ID either of these men. ”
“So far we have no identifiable overlap between either of these two men and the targets we’ve looked into from Lansing or the university,” Smith said.
“What did you get on Elly’s brother, Eddy?” Wilson asked.
“Edgar Forsander is no choirboy,” Garcia said.
“He’s thirty-four years old, the oldest of the three siblings, and he’s had a few run-ins with the Detroit PD, which could be in relation to the militia’s vigilante training.
He’s had arrests for possession of drugs, an illegal weapons charge, and assault and battery charges.
He too has had nothing stick. Most charges have been dismissed or reduced.
He has no social media presence and a practically nonexistent digital footprint.
Not even a cell phone in his name. Probably carries a burner. His whereabouts are unknown.”
“He has a vehicle?” Tessman asked.
“Yes, a 2018 Chevy Suburban,” Garcia said. “It’ll all be in the file.”
Burke had to chuckle. Garcia sounded offended as though Tessman doubted the file would be complete. “That confirms the vehicle Gabby said they rode in to get to the campground property over the summer.”
“I don’t like the idea of either of these guys being around these young college girls,” Tessman said.
“It makes sense that a prepper or militia group would try to recruit college girls,” Garcia said.
“Most of them are survivalists that truly believe society is going to fall apart or there will be a near extinction event. Given that, they need young, healthy women to breed with to keep the human race going.”
“I’m sure the college girls would think that’s totally gross,” Burke said with a laugh.
“Gabby referred to this David guy as creepy. So that begs the question as to why Zoe bought into it more than her friend did and would walk away from her life for the group. I still think something else, something unrelated or loosely related, happened in Zoe’s life that drove her off the grid and most likely to hide out with this group. ”
“I agree,” Shepherd said. “This group would want its members to be active in their normal lives, earning money and actively recruiting more members. In Zoe’s case, leaving school served no purpose to the group.”
“I don’t think we’re going to know what that was until we find Zoe,” Wilson said. “Garcia, which David do you think is more likely to be the one we’re looking for based on your review?”
Garcia frowned. “I honestly don’t know. They both fit the profile. If you run the two pictures by the Struck girl, she should be able to identify him.”
Burke looked at his watch. “She takes her last final this morning, not sure what time. If it starts at zero eight hundred, we won’t make it to her dorm before she leaves for class.”
“Run the pictures by her before you move on the targets. I’d rather you go after the right person than waste time with the wrong one, even if it means we delay in getting to the target if you can’t get positive ID until after her final exam is over,” Shepherd said.
Burke and Tessman both stood. “We’ll head there now and try to get that ID before she leaves the dorm.”
They drove over the posted speed limit and pulled into the parking lot beside the dorm at five minutes to eight. They weren’t surprised when there was no answer at Gabby’s door. The hallway was vacant. Tessman picked the lock, and the two men went inside to wait for Gabby.
At ten fifteen they heard a key in the lock, and the door opened.
Gabby startled at the sight of the two men sitting on Zoe’s bed. She closed the door, a glare of both fear and anger directed at them. “How dare you let yourself into my room?”
“Easy, Gabby, we need one more thing,” Burke said.
“It’s important.” He rose and pulled his phone from his pocket.
“I have two pictures to show you. Let me know if either of these men is David from the camp up near Lake Isabella.” He brought the file up and showed her the first picture of Craig David.
“He looks familiar. I think he was there, but that’s not David.”
Burke showed her the second picture, the picture of David Greenwalt.
“Yes, that’s him,” Gabby said.
Tessman dialed Wilson. “We have positive ID on Greenwalt.”
“Thank you, Gabby,” Burke said. “Your friend is in trouble if she’s with them. Both of those guys have extensive police records. You have good instincts and were smart to follow them last summer. We’re going to find Zoe. I promise you.”
“Frisco would never do anything to hurt Zoe. I know he wouldn’t,” Gabby said.
“I’m sure he thinks he’s helping her,” Burke said. “Please don’t notify anyone that you identified David to us. Leave with your mom and have a nice Christmas. And thank you for your help, Gabby.”
The men left and drove north towards Lake Isabella.
“Wilson contacted HQ, and Smith is pulling everything he can on Greenwalt’s house. He’ll forward anything he finds to us before we arrive onsite,” Tessman said.
“At least it’s Greenwalt and not Craig David,” Burke said. “I feel a little better that’s probably who Zoe’s been hiding out with.”
“From his rap sheet, he appears to be the lesser of the two evils,” Tessman said. “We’ll soon see what he is in real life.”
The file arrived, and Tessman read off all that was in it as Burke drove. The last time the house had been listed for sale was fifteen years ago. The room list and the size of the rooms led Smith to model the possible layout of the home. That would help.
About a mile from the address, they rendezvoused with Wilson and Rogers. Just as they were about to call into Ops, Burke’s phone rang an incoming call from Smith.
“Hey, Smith, what do you have for us?” Burke asked, answering his phone with it on speaker. He assumed Smith had found something else regarding the home or Greenwalt.
“A body,” Smith said.
“Oh, you shouldn’t have,” Burke teased. “And here I didn’t get you anything.”
Wilson, Rogers, and Tessman chuckled.
“In Richmond, a body showed up that fits the description of the one your girl saw being choked out.”
Burke wanted to correct him. She wasn’t his girl. “COD?”
“Manual strangulation,” Smith reported.
“Do they have an ID on him?”
“No, listed as a John Doe,” Smith said. “Hispanic male, mid-thirties, wearing a gray skull cap, a blue and gray flannel coat, and blue jeans. Black, longer hair, unshaven, and a large spiderweb tattoo on his left hand. Coroner noted it’s a prison tat.”
“Where was the body found?” Burke asked.
“Behind a dumpster, about three miles from your girl’s place,” Smith said.
“She’s not my girl,” Burke corrected him.
Both Wilson and Tessman flashed him smirks that called bullshit on that claim.
“Can you get me a picture of the Vic to run by her?” Burke asked.
“I anticipated the request. Where should I send it?” Smith asked.
“My phone,” Burke answered. “Thanks, Smith. We’re getting ready to go on comms and go into the target house.”
“Roger that, we’ll be online during your Op,” Smith said.
Burke disconnected the call.
“Do you need to call her?” Wilson asked.
“You’re not going to show her the pic until you’re with her, right?” Tessman asked. “If it’s him, from what you’ve said, she’s not going to take it well.”