The Cut
They had started with twenty-eight candidates. They were down to twelve. And they had to cut two more.
At daybreak, the cadre convened in Yuri’s hotel room. Armed with dossiers and raw scores, they began the task of sifting the wheat from the chaff—and the moles from the cops.
Anyone could attend SRT selection. There was no way to bar any qualified deputy from turning up. Not without attracting onerous lawsuits. Not until now.
With the physical component of the tryouts complete, the next stage of the pipeline was psychological assessment and evaluation. The cadre had to make a collective judgment call on whether they wanted a candidate on the team. Which meant they could cook up any number of excuses to drop someone.
Or this case, two someones.
Arthur Burns and George Traynor. Their fitness scores were among the highest of the cohort. They tied for the second and third spots in the pistol, shotgun and rifle tests. Peer evaluations were uniformly positive across the board. Anywhere else in Nova Babylonia and they would be a shoo-in for any police tactical unit. Except for one minor detail.
They were both worshipers of the New Gods.
Traynor was a member of the Singularity Network. An ordinary user, but he had the Mindgem implant that connected him to the rest of the Network. Through that implant, every Sinner could share thoughts, emotions, sensations, memories.
Burns belonged to the Guild of the Maker. Not just a lay member, but a proctor, one who assisted the ordained priests in their duties and maintained discipline and good order within the chapter.
There was no way in hell they would be allowed to join the SRT. The only question was how to drop them.
“They don’t have tac experience,” Kayla offered.
“Not good enough,” James said. “Only one guy in the cohort has tac experience. A lateral transfer from Babylon PD. If that’s the only criteria we have to work with, we’ll have to drop everyone else.”
“Time in service?”
“Eight years for Burns, ten for Traynor,” Yuri said. “Can’t drop them for that either.”
“How about disciplinary record? Burns had two excessive force complaints filed against him.”
James rubbed his chin. “Unsubstantiated, but still…”
“The other candidates have clean records,” Yuri said. “Except Traynor. Citizens have filed complaints against him for religious discrimination, specifically against the Guild. Those have been substantiated, but he got off with a slap on the wrist.”
“SRT is supposed to protect and serve everyone,” James said, deadpan. “We can’t have someone with a record like that on the team.”
“Indeed,” Yuri said. “I don’t know about Burns though. Unsubstantiated excessive force complaints aren’t enough to sink someone. Not anymore.”
“Not unless you happen to be from the STS,” Kayla said.
The cadre exchanged a dark chuckle. It was the reality of policing in an age of gods and monsters. What was excessive force for a civilian was merely the minimum needed to put down a rampaging Husk—or an Elect pretending to be a Husk.
“What else can we work with?” James asked.
“That’s the thing,” Kayla said, her lips twisting into a frown. “Excessive force complaints aside, there is nothing we can use to nail him with.”
“We could just drop him. There’s no need to explain ourselves to anyone, even if they ask,” Yuri said.
“That opens us to claims of religious discrimination in the future,” James said.
“Sooner or later, that’s going to happen anyway,” Yuri said. “Once word gets out that the New Gods can’t put their people in the SRT, the lawyers will come calling. We saw that in the STS.”
“Yeah, but the federal government has the firepower to keep lawyers at bay. MISD doesn’t,” James replied.
“A legal campaign is going to be inevitable,” Kayla said. “One that could shut down the SRT. Again.”
“We need to stand up a core of operators before that happens. We can’t afford to have lawyers shut down the team before it even gets off the ground,” James said.
“That leaves us with one option,” Yuri said. “Interview.”
The cadre scheduled interviews over the following week. Burns, naturally, was the first up.
Their chosen battlespace was the MISD HQ conference room. They’d turned the air conditioner down by five degrees. Balmy for Babylon, chilly for Moreno. James sat at the head of the table. Yuri and Kayla flanked him. All three were dressed in their cadre uniform, black shirt, khaki pants, assault boots. They were outsiders—but they were also gatekeepers.
Burns reported for the interview at the appointed time. Tall and musclebound, his bronzed skin contrasted beautifully against his spotless green uniform. His leather shoes gleamed mirror bright. A neatly trimmed strip of dark hair hung above his lip. It was all the facial hair he sported.
“Good morning sirs, ma’am,” Burns said.
“Morning,” James said. “Take a seat.”
James gestured at the furthest chair. With robotic precision, Burns descended on the chair, his spine ramrod-straight, his back to the door.
“Corporal Arthur Burns,” James said slowly. “Eight years in MISD. Six years in patrol, two years in gangs and narcotics. Excellent fitness reports, high test scores, expert marksmanship. Not bad. Not bad at all.”
“Thank you, sir.”
The cadre was setting the stage for the interview to come. Cold temperature, disadvantageous sitting arrangement, brusque formality, display of background knowledge, they were pressuring Burns without laying a finger on him. Without doing anything a lawyer could use against them.
“Tell us why you want to join the SRT,” James said.
“I joined the department to protect and serve. After eight years working the beat, I’m ready for a new challenge.”
“Challenge,” Yuri said. “Interesting choice of words. What kind of challenges do you think SRT will face?”
“SRT will run against the baddest of the bad guys in Moreno. I’ve tangled with a few of them. Biker gangs, drug crews, and now we have street gangs from Babylon setting up shop in Saint Lucille. I’m ready to do my part to get them off our streets.
“Not only that, SRT also support supports search and rescue operations in Moreno. Folks get lost in the swamps every now and then. When that happens, SRT mobilizes to help find them. I’d like to pitch in as well.”
“What do you feel you bring to the team?” Kayla asked.
“I’ve served eight years on the department, as mentioned,” Burns said. “I’ve walked the beat in pretty much every town in every corner of the island, plus the city. I know community leaders, I know the lay of the land, I know who’s who on the streets. I also spend my downtime hiking, hunting and fishing out in the woods. I can bring that ground knowledge to the team.”
“What can you do with that knowledge?” James prodded.
“SRT handles complex situations. Sometimes they will require talking to local stakeholders. I can help smooth things over. When executing warrants, I can share what I know about the area or persons of interest. And of course, when we’re out in the backcountry, I can pass on my fieldcraft and tracking skills to the team.”
“What have you done to prepare yourself to be a part of the team?” Yuri asked.
“I’ve been training hard for the past year. Above and beyond my regular duties, I’ve been working out, hitting the range, boning up on critical skills. I also took private courses in combatives and firearms skills on the mainland.”
“That effort paid off.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“What I am asking, however, is what you’ve done to prepare yourself for being part of the team. To handle the responsibilities and the sacrifices that come with it.”
“Oh. Well. I’m not sure I understand the question.”
“SRT is a collateral assignment, above and beyond your regular duties. Are you ready for that kind of workload?”
Burns nodded.
“Yes sir. My supervisor is aware of my intention to join SRT. I have a good handle on my caseload. I’ve blocked out regular training time. Being part of SRT is going to be tough, but I’m confident I can handle it.”
“Are you married?” James asked.
“Yes sir. Two daughters.”
“SRT is going to require extra dedication. You will be on call 24/7. The call may come only an hour or two after you knock off. It may come when you’re with the wife and kids. It may come in the middle of your sleep cycle. When the call comes, you have to go. How are you and your family going to deal with it?”
“Well, sir, I work gangs. Calls come in at all hours. The wife is aware of that. The girls, too. They’re used to me showing up and leaving for work at strange times.”
“They’re fine with that?” Yuri asked.
“I won’t lie, it was tough for the first year. The girls need attention. The wife has a day job too. We hire a babysitter sometimes, but, well, we gotta raise our kids, you know? Fortunately, we’ve worked out a system. The Guild has been good to us, too.”
“The Guild of the Maker?”
“Yes sir.”
Burns lifted his chin, staring into Yuri’s eyes, a naked and unspoken challenge.
Yuri had killed more Guild operatives than he cared to count. Burns knew that too. He wasn’t going to give the cadre a reason to disqualify him on the spot. And now, he was testing them, to see if they would betray any sign of religious discrimination.
“The Guild helps you raise your children?” Kayla asked.
“Yes ma’am. They run a childcare program, plus youth enrichment activities. Helps to keep the girls occupied when I’m not around.”
“You don’t sound like a family man,” Yuri said.
Fire flashed in Burns’ eyes.
“Family is everything to me. The job takes me away from them longer than I like, but I’m doing this because of my family. To support them and to protect them.”
“They understand the sacrifices you have to make?” James asked.
“Yes. My wife complains about it, but… they understand.”
James nodded slowly, as though deep in thought.
“Tell us why you are the best candidate for the team,” James said.
“Police work is my life. The day after I graduated from college, I applied for MISD. I wanted to give back to the community. Ever since I earned the badge, I’ve been helping good people and putting away bad guys. My record, my reports and my tryout scores speak for themselves. I believe I can contribute to the success of the team.”
“Your dossier says you have two excessive force complaints,” Yuri said.
“Both were unsubstantiated.”
“Tell us about those incidents.”
“The first time was a drug bust at a biker bar. The second was a warrant service on a gang enforcer. Both times, the suspects resisted arrest. We’d piled on them, three or four deputies, but they fought us off. They couldn’t go down. I had to pull my baton and perform multiple limb strikes before they decided to comply.
“I only struck their quads and biceps, per department policy. Didn’t matter to them. The second they lawyered up, they filed their complaints. That’s what bad guys do all the time. They always try to find loopholes to squirm their way free. But, as I said, Internal Affairs determined that the complaints were unsubstantiated.”
There wasn’t anything here Yuri could use to nail him with. He glanced at Kayla. She led the next line of questioning.
“As a member of SRT, you’re going to encounter a diverse range of citizens. Most of them will simply be having the worst days of their lives. Some are going to need persuasion before they’ll do the right thing. A few will be out-and-out psychos. The job will require you to treat everyone fairly.”
“Yes ma’am.”
“You said you are a member of the Guild. Will that influence how you treat others?”
Burns smiled.
At Yuri.
“Ma’am, the Guild teaches that all beings are creations of the Maker. Inside every human is a divine spark, forged by the Maker himself. Thus, we must treat all people equally, and equally well.”
Yuri exhaled.
The New Gods were demons disguised as deities. They had stolen ancient teachings to dress up their foul doctrines. This teaching he knew especially well, plagiarized from his faith and perverted to suit an archdemon.
All the same, he allowed Burns’ words to pass through him, leaving no trace behind. His heart remained calm, his mind as clear as still water.
“Does this extend to followers of other gods? Such as the Singularity Network?” Kayla probed.
“The Singularity Network don’t worship gods. They aim to create their own. It’s right there in their dogma. But to answer your question, yes. Everyone is worthy of respect, even if they happen to worship other gods.”
Though Burns was speaking to Kayla, his eyes were squarely on Yuri’s. Yuri held his gaze with total neutrality, neither shying away nor offering a challenge.
“You are also a proctor in the Guild,” James said. “If you have to choose between the Guild and police work, which do you choose?”
“I don’t have to choose,” Burns said. “My duties as a proctor are fully aligned with my duties as a deputy. The Guild understands my position and is very accommodating. They understand that my duty to protect and serve comes first, and that in serving others, I also serve the Maker.”
“In other words, if you’re in the middle of an important Guild event and you get a call, you’ll drop everything and roll out. Is that right?”
“Yes sir. The Guild will understand.”
“Very good. We’re now going to walk through a couple of scenarios with you. There are no right or wrong answers, so long as they are within policy. We just want to see how you think.”
“Yes sir.”
“Here’s the first scenario. You are on solo patrol late at night when you receive a call. Deputy down, deputy needs help. You rush to the scene.
“You arrive at a construction site surrounded by a chain-link fence. Behind the fence, you see a man standing over a fallen deputy. The man is kicking the deputy in the face. The deputy has his hands up and is trying to defend himself.
“You are the only deputy at the scene. Additional backup is ten minutes away. There is no one else around you.
“What do you do?”
“I draw my weapon, illuminate him with my light, and order him to stop,” Burns replied.
“The suspect laughs at you and says, ‘What are you going to do? Shoot me?’ Then he stomps the fallen deputy in the head. The deputy goes limp. What do you do next?”
“I shoot him.”
Silence fell across the room.
“Just like that?” Yuri asked.
“Just like that,” Burns said evenly.
“You’re not going to try a lower level of force?”
“Pepper spray is just going to slime the suspect and the deputy. Not a good idea in a fight. I don’t have backup, so if an electroshock weapon fails, we’ll be in trouble.”
“You went straight to guns. You didn’t even think about trying to close in on the suspect.”
“There’s no time to climb the fence or find an entrance. I have to stop the threat immediately.”
“Why?”
“Stomping someone in the head could kill him.”
An accusatory tone crept into Yuri’s voice.
“He was unarmed. You shot him anyway.”
Burns smiled.
“He posed a deadly force threat. Shooting him is within policy. Sir.”
Yuri smiled back, a blooded gunfighter acknowledging a man prepared to kill.
“The suspect is later discovered to be part of the Guild of the Maker. How will that affect you?” James asked.
“It’s sure going to be awkward at Guild meetings for a while, but I’m confident it’s the right decision. Fighting cops is not something the Guild advocates.”
Yuri’s smile turned unpleasant.
“You don’t say,” Yuri said.
Burns bared his teeth.
“You sound like you have some negative experiences with the Guild.”
“You know who we are. You know the experiences we’ve had. I find it hard to square your statement with that.”
“Why don’t you just drop me right now, then? Sir.”
Kayla cut in.
“Are you volunteering to give up your spot to someone else?”
“Are you planning to just drop me anyway, ma’am?”
“Only if you give us a reason to,” James said. “So far… you haven’t.”
Burns blinked.
“Well. That’s more than what I expected.”
“We’re not done with the interview yet.”
“Alright. Hit me with the next question.”
“Here’s the second scenario. You are on a patrol downtown when a call comes in. Active shooting at the shard of the Singularity Network. Multiple suspects with body armor and long guns. You rush to the scene—”
“Hold on,” Burns interrupted. “That’s a terrorist attack?”
“Is it? As a member of SRT, you’re expected to respond to that incident and figure out what’s going on.”
“Ah, I see. Let’s hear the rest of the scenario.”
“You arrive at the main entrance. As you exit your vehicle, you hear gunshots inside the building. At least two automatic weapons. You also hear civilians screaming for help. What do you do?”
“I… I park my vehicle at the edge of the hot zone, call in what I hear, and request for backup.”
“Dispatch acknowledges your request. A woman bursts out the front doors. She appears unarmed.”
“I tell her to come to me and take cover.”
“She runs to you. More shots ring out. A window shatters. She goes down.”
“I look for the shooter.”
“There’s no movement at the broken window. Or any other window.”
Burns sucked down a breath.
“I run for the civilian.”
“A sniper opens up on you. By some miracle, he misses. Barely.”
“I shoot back. Then I drag the woman to the car.”
“The sniper doesn’t fire on you two. You are now safely behind the car. What next?”
“I call for an ambulance. Then I begin first aid.”
“You hear more gunshots inside the building. What you do?”
“How badly is she hurt?”
“She took a rifle-caliber round to the chest. Blood is bubbling from her mouth. She is gasping and wheezing, and has difficulty breathing.” James paused. “Oh, yes, she also has a third eye. The eye given to Superusers of the Singularity Network.”
“She’s a TBC?”
“Is she?” Yuri questioned. “Not all Superusers are TBCs.”
“Doesn’t matter, I guess. I begin treatment. I apply a chest seal and bandage the wound the best I can.”
“As you work, you hear more sirens. More gunfire too.”
“I direct backup to seal off the streets and continue applying first aid.”
“You complete treatment. SRT arrives. The team leader orders an immediate entry. What do you do?”
“I gear up, join the stack, and follow them in.”
James nodded.
“Alright. That’s the end of the scenario.”
Burns blinked. “Just like that?”
“You really wouldn’t want to walk us through a blow-by-blow takedown of the shard, do you?” Kayla asked gently.
Burns chuckled. “I guess not. It’ll be long and boring.”
“Exactly.”
“That brings us to the end of the interview. Thank you for your time,” James said.
“Thank you,” Burns said.
“You are free to go. If you make the cut, we’ll let you know by next week.”
Ever so slightly, Burns sagged in relief. He stood. He thanked everyone. He left.
The second the door closed behind him, Yuri turned to James and Kayla.
“His response to the first scenario displays an eagerness to use lethal force,” Yuri said.
“While it’s the textbook answer, he jumped to it immediately,” Kayla mused. “That’s not something most people will do.”
“I remember during my own interview, I kept trying to find ways to avoid using lethal force,” James said.
“Me too,” Kayla agreed.
Yuri didn’t have the heart to tell them that his response during his own interview was exactly like Burns’.
“His answers imply underlying aggression,” Yuri said.
“But his answers to the second scenario indicate a lack of aggression,” James said.
“He was more concerned with saving the woman than saving the lives of everyone inside the structure,” Kayla said.
“And in doing so, he allowed the shooters to continue killing people,” Yuri said.
“You’d think someone as aggressive as him would gear up and take the fight to the bad guys. He wouldn’t wait for backup,” James said.
“Immediate action rapid deployment is the textbook tactic for situations like this,” Yuri added. “MISD should know that. Anyone who wants to serve on SRT has to know that.”
“But he didn’t. Or he knew, but he chose not to act,” James said.
“Perhaps he was too afraid for his own safety,” Yuri said dryly.
“And perhaps the scene of the shooting, the shard of the Singularity Network, influenced his decision-making process too,” Kayla added.
“The SRT has to engage threats proactively and aggressively. In an active shooting, there is no time to waste. They have to end the threat immediately. At the very least, they could delay the shooter long enough for backup to arrive. That’s the purpose of IARD. The candidate chose not to do it,” James said.
“He is aggressive. Just not when unknown attackers are shooting up a house of worship belonging to a rival god,” Yuri said.
“Cops have to treat everyone fairly,” Kayla said. “We can’t have that in the SRT.”
“I wouldn’t want someone like that in my team,” James said.
“Neither would I,” Yuri said.
“We are all agreed in dropping George Burns for lack of aggression and objectivity?” James asked.
“Agreed,” Kayla said.
“Agreed,” Yuri said.
“There’s that then.” James stretched his arms over his head. “A pity we had to drop such a promising candidate, but what can we do. We need the best in the SRT, and he wasn’t.”
Yuri smirked. Kayla chuckled darkly. Not even the most cunning shyster in Babylon could argue against that line of reasoning.
“So much for Corporal Burns,” Yuri said. “Send in the next candidate.”
He would pass, of course. All the other candidates would pass, barring some exceptional screw-up in the interview. With so few men left, other than Burns, they couldn’t afford to turn down anyone else without an overriding reason.
Yuri hoped they hadn’t made a mistake. But even if they had, all they could do was to work with what they had.
The rest was in the hands of God.
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