Report #3270, Transcript Section #54
(Operation SANDMAN)
©2001 Shane Ivey

Keeper:
"Previously, on Operation: SANDMAN..."

Keeper:
If I recall correctly, Rogers and Lundquist were at the church, having just made the secretary cry.

Rogers:
:-)

Lundquist:
She had it comin

Keeper:
While Kelley and Knight managed to abduct Peppy the lowlife drug dealer and bring him to the safe-house.

Rogers:
The church got all weird on us as well

Keeper:
Rogers and Lundquist got on the phone to the safe-house after Rogers sensed some strange vibes in the church. Kelley and Keen grabbed their gear and started driving, leaving Knight to guard Peppy and the house.

Lundquist:
We're gonna misroute an ARCLIGHT sortie onto the church later.

Keeper:
So... Rogers and Lundquist: Are you doing anything in the time it takes Kelley and Keen to arrive?

Lundquist:
Keeping an eye on things... Who shows up, who leaves, does the roof explode, things like that.

Rogers:
Car is of course ready to drive off we don';t have to three point turn or anything

Keeper:
About ten minutes into your wait, a beat-up old sedan drives up at high speed and pulls to a quick stop in the church parking lot, right in front of your car.

Lundquist:
I note the license plate.

Keeper:
A man gets out - in his mid-thirties, black, clean-cut, looking angry - and walks toward you, glaring.

Keeper:
He yells as he walks: "What are you doing here? What are you doing at this place?!"

Lundquist:
Keeper, we're on the street, right?

Lundquist:
Not parked in the church lot.

Rogers:
Rogers looks around ready to drive off if he has to

Keeper:
You're in the church parking lot, ready to drive out.

Keeper:
(I thought.)

Lundquist:
We roll out and park on the street instead.

Lundquist:
(should have done that already)

Keeper:
The man steps away from your tires as you pull out, but he walks alongside your car, still yelling.

Lundquist:
I crack my window. "Step away from the car please, sir."

Keeper:
"Don't you 'SIR' me! I'm not in the way of your car. I want to know, WHY are you people here, bothering this church and that woman you just terrorized? Tell me that!"

Lundquist:
"Thank you, please stay back."

Keeper:
He keeps pace with the car as you park on the street. "Are you going to answer me? Tell me what's been done wrong in this place! Tell me why you're trying to bring misery to this church! TELL ME!"

Lundquist:
I step out of the car as soon as we're on the public street, instead of the lot.

Lundquist:
I look this punk in the eye and stare him down.

Lundquist:
"We're not terrorizing anybody. You must be mistaken.

Lundquist:
"We're not interested in the church. We're trying to stop the drug trade around here."

Keeper:
He stands his ground and glares. "I know for a FACT you people were just inside that church, HARASSING the young woman who works there... DRUG trade? Drug trade? If you're looking for the drug trade, I can tell you where to find it. NOT in THIS CHURCH!"

Rogers Gets out of the car and waits next to the drivers door

Lundquist:
"Really?" I take out a note pad. "We suspect that some law enforcement agents might be involved in illegal narcotics trade. We're looking for information on that. Do you know anything about it?"

Keeper:
"No, I don't know anything about it! Why don't you ask that cop who shot my friend, Carl Williams? Maybe HE can tell you something about that. Because nobody in this church is buying drugs from any police!"

Keeper:
Keen, you and Kelley pull around a corner, down the street from the church. You see Lundquist and Rogers standing next to their car, talking to an angry-looking man.

Keen:
ok we park at a distance and observer whats going on.

Keeper:
Kelley checks the mirrors, looks around outside. "Won't be any fun if we have to throw down in that church in broad daylight.."

Keen:
right, i'm sure that would draw lots of attention

Keen:
we keep our eyes open for anything suspicious

Keeper:
He shakes his head, smiling grimly as he watches the others ahead. "Then again, we've shot up a voodoo cult, a hospital, a farm, and an office building. Might as well add a church to the list."

Keen:
does everyone have mics/wires?

Keeper:
(I think so - that's standard operating procedure with this group.)

Rogers:
Yep ever since a strange encounter in a coffee shop

Keen:
ok, good so we can listen in on their conversation

Keeper:
Right. If Lundquist ever gets back and finishes it...

Keen:
what time of day is it

Rogers:
early evening around 6 I think

Keen:
ok

Keeper:
Right. Saturday, late afternoon/early evening. Still a couple hours until sunset.

Keeper:
Rogers, you spot Kelley and Keen's car down the street a couple of blocks.

Keeper:
It's pulled over, facing you and stopped.

Rogers:
"They may not know anything about it - but what about the people in their program you so sure of them? Could they be dealing out of the church?"

Keeper:
He looks at you like you're from another planet. "NO. Nobody is dealing anything out of this church. This is a house of GOD!"

Rogers:
"Yeah but used ny people who are fallible"

Keeper:
He shakes his head and holds a hand up. "Don't you deign to preach to me! I'm telling you, nobody in this church is involved in drugs, and you people are wasting your time if you're trying to catch dealers here. Now why don't you just move on?"

Rogers:
"Whats your name sir?"

Keeper:
"My name is Franklin Garoux, and I've not done any wrong here, either. Now just move on. Move on! There's enough pain in this church already!"

Rogers:
"This is a public highway and we are going about our business" "Get out of my face."

Rogers Indicates to Lundquiest to get in the car

Keeper:
He takes a step back, but doesn't leave. "I'm not in your way. You can leave whichever way you want. But I won't give up my right to be here, and to speak the truth to you who need it!"

Rogers:
"Your obstructing us in our duty by being in our face we could have you arrested."

Rogers:
(keeper can we be seen from the church?)

Rogers ducks his head into the car and say to his mike:

Keeper:
"Arrested? Go right ahead! Go on! You and I both know I'm not doing any wrong. Put me in jail! I've had enough. Death and drugs and cops doing more harm than anybody! Take me in, or go on your way! Go on!"

Keeper:
(Yeah, the church is behind an ordinary iron rail fence, you can see it clearly.)

Rogers:
"Kelly Keen I want to take this guy with us get ready to come grab him"

Rogers:
(that was so he couldn't hear Keeper)

Keeper:
He's too busy yelling to hear.

Rogers:
"Are you going to get out of my face?"

Keeper:
Keen, Kelley fires up the ignition and glances at you. "Want to do the honors?"

Rogers raises an arm and signals kelly and keen

Keen into the wireless, thats a copy Rogers

Keen:
yeah i'll strong arm him into the backseat

Keeper:
Rogers, Garoux is still on the sidewalk, about six feet away. "Well? Well?"

Keeper:
Kelley puts the car in drive and pulls forward at the green light, through the intersection and toward the church, going right around the slow, slow speed limit.

Rogers:
"Well your obstructing two federal agents in the performance of their duties so I am placing you under arrest - up against the car!" "Legs Spread arms on the roof - no sudden movements."

Keeper:
As he reaches the church, he pulls to the left, against the curb, right in front of Garoux and the other car.

Keen:
i hop out and run around to garoux

Keen:
i assume Rogers has him up on the car now

Keeper:
Garoux lifts his hands compliantly as Rogers gives the order, then he sees the other car pull up and Keen come out. His eyes widen. He turns and runs for it.

Keen:
i pursue, and given the chance i grapple him

Keeper:
He has a short lead, and he's moving desperately - he's still a few yards out of reach a few seconds later, when he reaches the corner and heads around it.

Keeper:
Rogers, what are you doing?

Rogers:
"Leave him run he's just not worth the effort - maybe next time"

Keen:
ok, i stop pursuit

Keeper:
OK... Garoux heads around the corner and out of sight.

Keen:
ok so we lost Garoux, now what

Keeper:
Good question. What do you guys do?

Rogers:
"Now its back to the bat cave but first things first - Kelly anywhere around here you can keep an eye on the church - got your equipment?"

Keen:
guess we dont what to enter the church and check out the basement?

Rogers:
"We're not going anywhere near that place yet - I want to interrogate our friend - I just want to be sure nothing is moved out of there"

Rogers:
"Or in there"

Keeper:
Kelley looks around. "We could set up somewhere around here, but it will take a while to get into position. Best to wait for nightfall."

Rogers:
"OK so back to base then lets go before we attract any more attention."

Keen:
ok

Keeper:
You pack up and drive off... twenty minutes later, you reach the safehouse.

Rogers:
"Lets get him into a nice safe room and get him searched first"

Rogers:
"Get his laces as well no suicides here" "Kelly scare the shit out of him"

Keeper:
Kelley shakes his head. "No need. We've still got the Versed. I doped him up before we left - he ought to be ready to talk by now. Ask him whatever you want."

Keen:
I ask him where he gets his DM from?

Keeper:
Peppy - early 20s, short and wiry, black with dark skin and unkempt hair - looks up a little blearily. "What you say?"

Keen:
who are you getting your Dreaming Man from

Keeper:
"Aw, man, you don't want to know 'bout all that... Get it from the Three C's, you know, but that don't come from ME. That's just between us, you know, off the record, I ain't havin' any of them crazy motherfuckers come after me, sayin' Peppy brought the cops around, cuz EVERYbody knows if you want the DM, you get the 3C, you know..."

Keeper:
His bleary chatter trails off.

Keen:
who do they get it from?

Keen:
i look at kelly, "he out cold or what"

Keeper:
Kelley shakes his head. "Just a little twitchy. He'll be all right."

Keeper:
Peppy looks up, a little confused. "Say... Don't I get my lawyer in here?"