15. I can’t win this one, can I? #4
“That seems simple enough to me. Gorgons aren’t protected by most of the human laws.
They’re considered second-rate citizens and have very specific ways they have to behave.
They’re executed if they don’t follow those rules,” I replied.
“But if there are sufficient gorgons mass petrifying people, those laws would go second to the recovery of petrified citizens. However, if the infection rate is as high as what Audrey was hoping for, Morrison would be in a position to eliminate most Manhattan law enforcement, yourself included, as the grade of gorgons produced would not qualify to serve in any policing roles. The plan falls apart because of your rating and base genetics, which Audrey didn’t know about. ”
“Right, because all of my official documentation lists human as my primary species, which is true.”
“I’m listed as a cindercorn. Why is that allowed but gorgons aren’t?”
“Probably for the same reason centaurs are allowed. Centaurs with the appropriate magical rating can serve as police chiefs, as they are not considered to be unfairly matched to humans. Gorgons have a lot of dangerous defenses, and despite their sometimes human behaviors and appearances, they are not humans. Centaurs look human enough despite their bodies being that of animals—and genetically, they are usually a majority of human genetics. Gorgons have no human genetics unless you’re a mix like I am. ”
Oh. Huh. “Gorgons really don’t have human genetics?”
“They don’t have any human genetics. They just resemble humans.
And yes, I will be having Beauty and Sylvester DNA tested.
We don’t know if being live birthed changed their genetics.
They’ll have legal protections if they have any human DNA instead of pure gorgon.
It’s not much extra protection, but even a single percent will make trafficking them a felony. ”
“It’s not a felony to traffic gorgons?”
“No. It’s a borderline misdemeanor. If someone were to be found guilty of three charges of trafficking a gorgon, then it would classify as a felony. Should the gorgon be a mix with any human genetics, it is treated as human trafficking, which is a felony.”
I scowled, and I couldn’t help but wonder if men like Morrison had been responsible for those shitty laws. “That absolutely fucking disgusts me.”
“I know, I know. It’s not fair. We have to pick our battles, Bailey.
So, what we call the flame game in our precinct is a fairly simple concept to understand but rather difficult to execute.
We typically work this angle with large-scale operations against crime lords and gangs.
The idea is to make a multi-pronged attack to burn the culprits out.
Stage one is to discredit the group in the eyes of the public.
This gives law enforcement more room to work, as it’s easier to do our job when the public isn’t upset with us.
In the case of Morrison, we need to thoroughly discredit him.
Once we have connections established to 120 Wall Street and his various other ploys, that phase of the flame game will be remarkably simple.
The next phase is to burn his current operations and discredit him through his past operations—and make certain those plans are thoroughly burned.
Once again, this has to be done in such a way that the public sympathizes with law enforcement.
Morrison was not disliked in his home turf, so we will need to work the Hamptons fairly hard, especially if we end up saddled with helping to handle Long Island in addition to Manhattan. ”
“That’s too much work, Sam. Nobody can handle that much jurisdiction sanely.” Quinn could barely handle his work with Manhattan as it was.
“Well, I’m glad you’re able to see that with such clarity.
What it would really mean is that instead of Manhattan, Long Island, and Staten Island working with independent chiefs, we’d ultimately work more jointly, in that the established chiefs would have connected jurisdiction.
It’s something we’ve talked about for a while but haven’t implemented.
Losing Morrison would put us short some chiefs, and this would let us better work the whole territory.
That way, we could get a chopper to take us to anywhere in the general New York City and surrounding areas without having to do the dance we do now.
If we burn Morrison sufficiently, we might be able to get that passed.
Commissioner Dowry has been discussing it with the other commissioners to see if it’s plausible.
We’d probably become the voice for most of the New York City region.
They like having me handle public announcements. ”
“Well, your ridiculous sexiness has something to do with that. Plus when you talk, it usually makes sense. Or maybe it doesn’t make sense, but you’re talking, so who cares if it makes sense? You have to be careful about that smile though, sir. That smile incinerates panties. Mine, for the record.”
He grinned at me. “I’m aware.”
Evil, evil gorgon-incubus doohickey. “Please tell me one of the phases of the flame game is to burn Morrison literally.”
“Ideally, for my peace of mind, yes. It depends on if he violates his restraining order. If he does, you absolutely are within your rights to burn him. I’d also be within my rights to deal with him.
However, I would likely go with petrification and allow the flame game to play out to its full extent. ”
“But he might do more harm if he lives.”
“Bailey, I give his lifespan no longer than a week if he’s sent to prison.
He’s responsible for the deaths of children.
There is an angelic confirmation of sexual assault of a minor.
While the worst of the worst end up in prison rather than out doing community service, they have limits.
That? That crosses their lines. The instant he’s put into general holding, he’ll be dealt with.
If he happens to be put in the same prison with those he’s put away?
It won’t end well for him. Frankly, it would be more merciful if you used your biggest fire on him. That leads to the next job.”
“Wait, there’s more?”
“We do our best to set it up where nobody wants to try that sort of scheme again.”
For fuck’s sake. “You seriously think someone might copycat him?”
“Audrey and Morrison couldn’t have been working alone.
That bed and breakfast is good evidence of that.
Whoever was running that place was aware of it.
I suspect whoever ran the place we’re going to next was also aware of it, depending on what we find.
For all I know, Audrey really could have just been heading up there for a tryst. But after seeing the other place? I doubt it.”
I did, too. “Do you think the CDC is looking into the previous owners of that bed and breakfast?”
“Oh, I know they are. They were already working on the investigation at the site. Having a liaison there was not a mistake. The FBI is getting involved, too.”
“Because the incidents crossed state lines?”
“It’s being flagged a terrorism event.”
“Terrorism?”
“Gorgons may not be humans, but they’re sentients, and while the law often does not favor them, the species lines were blurred, and this rabies outbreak is terrorizing gorgons.
So, it’s the FBI’s jurisdiction, and they’re working with the CDC.
They’ll work with us, too. This is the kind of case everyone wants closed as quickly as possible.
They know people are dying, and if it goes unchecked, more people are going to die.
I suspect they’ll focus on the infected feeder mice to start with, while the interior staff does the groundwork on the bed and breakfast. Ideally, we’ll direct the CDC over.
Fortunately, it’s easy to prove I wasn’t involved with any of these. ”
“You worked seven days a week most weeks of the year.” I’d guessed that much from looking over his papers and receipts. “You couldn’t have been involved because you were in Manhattan working all of the time.”