The Color of Rage

Chapter 3

Chapter 3Words like police and cops had gained derogatory connotations as some segments of the law enforcement community became too powerful with their positions. They would use excessive force when arresting someone and unethical means when investigating crimes. The communities they were supposed to serve became aware of those travesties and there were powerful political battles between the police and their constituencies. In the end, law enforcement became Security and newer, more humane means were found to control criminal activity. To show the transition, even the older police stations gained newer appearances.

Jayanta entered through the tall glass doors of the city security building. She walked to the staff desk. Since she had finished her errands earlier than expected, she thought she’d stop by and talk to whoever was in charge of the riot investigations.

The security woman at the desk checked her list.

“That would be Captain D’Verna. She’s in suite number twenty on the fifth floor,” she told Jayanta.

Jayanta thanked her and walked swiftly to the lift. This might be easier than she expected. Ramona D’Verna had been a good friend since they’d worked together a few years ago.

Captain D’Verna was busy scrolling through pages of reports on her computer.

“Hi, Jayanta,” she greeted her friend. “What brings you here this afternoon?”

“I understand you had some problems in the northeastern districts last night.” Jayanta slipped into the chair beside Ramona’s desk.

“We sure did!” Ramona moaned as she sat back in her big brown leather chair. “We got them settled down but it was tense for a while. Where’d you hear about it?”

“I heard a couple of my students discussing it this morning and, of course, I couldn’t keep my nose out of it.” Jayanta laughed. “You know how I am. I always have to know everything.”

“I always said you should be in the forensics division. You always have to get to the root of everything. Someone like you is wasted in a teaching job.” Ramona chuckled.

Jayanta shook her head and gave a light laugh. “I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help.”

“I’m not sure where to begin,” Ramona sighed. “That wasn’t the first such riot, you know.”

“There’s been more?”

“There were a couple last week, though not as violent. There was even a report of a rape. We have the young man still in detention. The girl did an overnight at the Medi-Center. We got a lot of evidence.” Ramona sighed again. “I just wish we could find out what’s happening. No one seems to know why there was so much violence.”

“Was there a lot of damage?” Jayanta asked.

“Quite a bit. Last night, there was a house set on fire and a few vehicles smashed.”

“How many kids were involved?”

“See this one interview?” Ramona spun her monitor around. She pressed the down button and page after page appeared. There was text of the interview, a list of charges, personal info for each, comments from the arresting officer and a full photo video that showed the perp with a three hundred and sixty degree view. She pressed another button and the tally popped up with the names in alphabetical order. There were one hundred and fifty-seven. “These are all the kids we’ve interviewed, both nights. We asked and asked, but no one seems to know what sparked the violence or why he or she was angry. Or even where they got the discs a lot of them had.”

“How do they not know where they got the discs?” Jayanta asked.

“I wish I could read minds,” Ramona said. “They all had them and no one, not even one, was willing to give up the source.”

“Can I read the reports?” Jayanta asked.

“I don’t see why not. Maybe we need new eyes. I’m sure we’re missing something.” Ramona slid her keyboard across her desk to Jayanta.

Jayanta scrolled through the reports, scanning them quickly. All of the reports said just about the same thing: The students didn’t know where they’d gotten the discs and they couldn’t remember why they were angry, why they were at the gathering, or even where they were before that. Jayanta thought for a moment.

“There are no identification marks on the discs?” she asked.

“Not that we could find. One of the officers tried to listen to one of them and got so angry, he broke the machine. He had to be put in restraints. That’s when we figured it was the discs that caused all this rioting.”

“What did you do with them?” Jayanta asked.

Ramona pointed to a steel case in the corner of her office. “They’re all right there. There are one hundred and fifty seven of them. They’re locked in that box but they probably should be locked up in the safe. I just haven’t gotten around to it. I have to log them into the system before I do.”

“Has the commissioner said what’s going to happen to them?” Jayanta asked.

“Not yet,” Ramona said as she sat forward to work at her desk again.

“How can I get one?” Jayanta asked.

“What do you want one of those for? I think they should all be destroyed.”

“My sister is the head of the Acoustic Therapy department at the Medi-Center. I’d love to show her one. I bet she could identify a lot from it.”

“I don’t dare let anyone listen to one of them. I wish I could give them all to you but I don’t want anyone to go through that.”

“I bet there are ways that Kai could analyze them without listening or letting them affect her. She’s been talking about a new machine she’s working on that will analyze sound visually, silently.”

Ramona looked at her, her eyes wide.

“Really? No one has to listen to it?”

“No. The machine analyzes it all and it shows on a monitor. You just have to know how to read the sound waves.”

Ramona sat back in thought.

“And Kai can identify a lot of things by how the sound is used and what vibrations are there,” Jayanta added, hoping to persuade the Captain.

Ramona sat forward again and circled her mouth with her forefinger. After a few second’s thought, she took a deep breath. “I shouldn’t do this, but we have no way of finding where they came from. If you went through standard department procedures, you could get a disc, but it would probably take moontides before anyone was willing to sign off on it.”

Jayanta waited while Ramona composed her thoughts.

“If I give you one,” Ramona finally said, “it will have to be back here as soon as possible; at least by the end of this week. Let your sister analyze it and have her send me the results. Don’t tell anyone I let one out of this office.”

“I promise, Ramona. I just feel that there’s more to this than kids being destructive.”

Ramona nodded.

“Can I ask another favor?” Jayanta asked.

“As long as it isn’t illegal,” Ramona replied.

“If there is a call about riots again, let me go with you?”

“Why in heaven’s name would you want to do that?”

“I have the feeling that there’s something I may be able to see that you don’t.”

Ramona thought about it. “It’d be on the spur of the moment. I can call you but there wouldn’t be time to wait for you. These things happen pretty quickly.”

“I understand. I can get there by myself if I know where it is. I’d just like to be there. There must be something I can do to help.”

“Well, I won’t turn you down. We can always use more help. Do you have a vest?”

“A steel-mesh bullet-proof vest? I’m sure I have one someplace. I’ll just have to look for it. They were standard issue when I was working for the security patrols.”

“Check one out anyway before you leave. Then you’ll be sure you have it. Check yourself out a riot helmet, too. Let me give you a ticket for the equipment room. They’ll want to know why you need it.”

“Thanks, Ramona,” Jayanta smiled. “I appreciate it.”

“Just as long as you don’t get in the way,” Ramona said as she signed a slip for Jayanta to get the riot gear. “I’m only doing this because we need all the help we can get. Hopefully, these riots won’t escalate.”