Tuesday, 26 December 2000
The members of evidence response spend a quiet day with their respective
families. Jane takes the opportunity to warn Richard Faber Jnr about
"Al Brickman" and Lillian Winter, but Richard doesn't
take her warnings seriously.
In the evening Senior Special Agent Charles 'Chuck' Johnson - the
latest agent to suffer a distinct drop in his life expectancy thanks
to Eisenstein - arrives. Chuck will join the mid-west team. He is
quickly bundled into a psyche review.
Artemis is distracted by more campaign donations. MacDonald Douglas
promise him $750,000. Artemis is too tired to talk to Boeing. Besides
the Discovery Channel is showing Artemis Black: Twenty-First Century
Genius. It is revealed that Black's likeness will soon be gracing
the 50¢ stamp in a series that includes Jung and Freud.
Wednesday, 27 December 2000
The families and friends depart Beverley Hills in the morning leaving
the three evidence response teams the only occupants of the house.
Jane is eager to get everyone together to discuss the Apache Joe
case. Black is distracted by Boeing who promise him $1m and to manage
his campaign headquarters. This is all getting very suspicious.
He is then cornered by Emily Ashamiko who wants to spend $5.5m on
three supercomputers to crack the computer code found in Summers's
book. Chuck thinks it is a waste of money until he is told they
would be based in Wichita and he would be in charge of them. Artemis
says he will consider the matter.
The eighteen members of evidence response gather in one of the
large meeting rooms. Artemis begins by laying down some new ground
rules now that he is in charge. He wants more cooperation between
the teams, and more details of cases shared. It is revealed that
Ashamiko and Yates broken into the mid-west HQ and went through
the files. Mulholland states a recent problem with doppelgangers
and advises regular blood tests. Artemis consents to monthly blood-tests
of all agents.
Jane takes the opportunity to appeal for help in restoring Josh
to the flesh. Yates thinks he has a contact that might be able to
help, but won't tell Jane because he doesn't trust her. It is also
revealed that Josh's little finger has been stolen by Rock Mulholland's
son, Arnold. He is told to return it.
Jane now takes the floor and explains case S73 in exacting detail,
including how dangerous Apache Joe himself will be. She realises
that this is the moment she has been building toward for eight years
and is conscious that they cannot afford to screw up his apprehension.
She has divided evidence response into nine pairs, each watching
one of the potential victims.
Jane's plan is tweaked slightly. Hazel and Lydia Abner from Temple
are house-sitting for the Dales in Round Rock. Also Artemis and
Jane are probably too high profile for surveillance. They need help.
Jane contacts Mike Colefield and Walter Crondheim who both agree
to help.
Crondheim also has information for them. He has been looking into
Artemis Black's background an has discovered and account held by
Strutt and Parker in Boston. They have been instructed to commence
share purchases in his name - $23m worth of shares to be exact.
It seems like a plan to blackmail him.
The plan to catch Apache Joe is settled. The teams will rendezvous
in Texas on 30 December where they will split up and follow their
designated mark. They will use electronic bugging devices. Jane
and Artemis will remain in a hotel in Temple to act as back-up,
the others will be assigned as follows:
The eight-strong east coast team will head to Eagle Pass where
they will watch the four potential victims there: Maria Holmes,
Liane Holmes, Suzie Vincent and Rebecca Vincent. Walter Crondheim
and Todd O'Connell will watch Hazel Abner in Round Rock. Bruce Campbell-Robson
and Mike Colefield will accompany them, but keep an eye on her sister,
Lydia.
In Temple Dominic Rocaan and Bradley Ecks will watch Lydia Holmes.
Philip McKraken and Alex Drake will watch Hannah Webber. Benedict
Oaxaca and Chuck Johnson will watch Melanie Deeson.
After the meeting Jane tells Artemis what Crondheim found out.
Artemis asks the east coast team to look into Strutt and Parker
as it is their area. Artemis schemes how he can turn this to his
advantage. He then receives a call from Jake Timms at Fox TV. It
seems the Dark Files have been green-lighted.
Saturday, 30 December 2000
The teams meet up in Temple. Twenty agents in the same place at
the same time. They quickly depart and take their places as the
hunt for Apache Joe races toward its conclusion. Jane is extremely
nervous. She is desperate to bring this man down.
Monday, 1 January 2001
New Year's Day
Late in the evening in Temple, McKraken and Drake are patrolling
the street outside the home of Hannah Webber when McKraken sees
something. A shadowy figure is lurking by the side of the road.
Drake cannot see him, McKraken quickly loses sight of him. It is
as though he is partially invisible. The pair report this into Jane
and Artemis.
Suddenly the back window of the car explodes as the figure fires
on the agents with a silenced weapon. McKraken is hit in the head
and killed instantly. Drake reacts quickly and throws the car into
reverse, knocking over the attacker. He is shot and wounded and
speeds away. He calls for back up and the rest of the agents respond.
Artemis and Jane are first on the scene. They can't see the assailant
who shoots at the car from an alleyway injuring them both. Artemis
tries to run him over but he leaps out of the way. Jane races from
the car toward this attacker. She shoots but it has no effect as
he is wearing body armour. He also wears a shawl that obscures his
appearance. Jane sees his face and realises that this is Apache
Joe.
The other agents arrive quickly and crash all their cars into one
another. They pile out and aim their guns at the assailant. However,
they cannot get a clear shot because Jane is in the way. Benedict
shoots anyway and injures Apache Joe. Chuck shoots and hits Jane
in the arm.
Apache Joe is inhumanly fast. He reminds Jane of McKraken pumped
up on the jade amulet. But Jane is more skilful than he is, and
deflects his attacks against her, unfortunately she doesn't seem
to be able to make much of an impression because of his armour.
Apache Joe shoots out at the other agents wounding them.
Seeing how Apache Joe moves Benedict tries to "activate"
the latent powers that he believes exposure to the green mineral
has given him. After giving himself a hernia he suddenly explodes
into super-speed, but his attacks against Apache Joe are effortlessly
batted aside. He picks up a gun and shoots at their foe, and hits
Jane in the shoulder. Badly wounded he retreats and calls an ambulance.
Jane kicks through the armour and injures her foe. She believes
that given enough time she can beat him. Then he fires again, injuring
he companions. Dominic orders Jane back. The other agents now have
assault rifles trained on Apache Joe. If she backs away, she knows
they will take him down. But she wants to take him down. Reluctantly
she leaps backwards and Artemis Black fires.
Apache Joe is brought to his knees by the assault, but he is still
conscious. He fires wildly. Artemis is hit badly. He is dying, and
only Jane can save him. But Apache Joe is there in front of her.
One well-placed kick and she can finish this forever. Jane's indecision
is momentary. She turns away and calls upon Bradley to finish the
job. She doesn't even watch as Agent Ecks riddles her nemesis with
holes.
Jane reaches Artemis and stabilises his wounds. Only when she ministered
to the other agents does she see the twisted remains on the street
before her. He seems smaller that she remembers. Less threatening.
After nearly ten years Apache Joe has been stopped. So where does
Jane go from here?
Mid-West Campaign Index
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