Elizabeth Warden hated traffic, but the beltway around the capital offered little relief on her daily commute to FBI headquarters. For more than four years she had been making this drive in from Woodbridge into downtown DC, more often than not trading driving duties with close friend and fellow agent Paula Tends.
“Yes, we’re on our way,” Paula announced into the phone, “we are just getting off of 395 in about five minutes.”
“Tell Carl a copy of the presentation is in his email,” Elizabeth added, “we’re ready for this.”
Paula passed the message along. Even though the meeting with the Child Trafficking Task Force was not for another two hours, the agency had been anticipating this meeting with various state’s attorneys-general for several months. Major inroads had been made into several rings of abusers, and this would be the first opportunity for the task force to announce the expansion of their efforts beyond the initial five states involved.
Elizabeth had earned a reputation for taking seemingly unrelated information and tying it together to develop an investigation. Although she was good at crunching the facts, she much preferred the field work of an agent, where she started. Paula had gone to the academy with her, and they had remained friends through the years, though Paula’s skills were more administrative and managerial.
“Do you think Carl will be promoted after this?” Paula asked.
“He should be,” Elizabeth responded, “this is some great work he has put together.”
“You mean YOU put together,” Paula teased. “There is no way on God’s green earth he could have pulled this off without you. And if it is a promotion for him, then it probably means a promotion for you.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Elizabeth mused. “I sure hope not,” she thought to herself. The idea of being tied to a desk for another four years did not sit well with her.
Her last promotion brought her to Washington in 2008. After serving in the field and working through the ranks in several different field offices, she found herself assigned TDY to the after-action group analyzing the raid and subsequent actions of law enforcement on the Yearning For Zion Ranch in El Dorado, Texas.
Previously, she had worked closely with local law enforcement in Utah and Colorado regarding the actions of Warren Jeffs. Her investigations, along with the work of others, succeeded in building a substantial body of evidence against the polygamist leader.
When she turned on the television in her hotel room in Flagstaff on April 3rd, 2008 and saw the beginnings of the raid on Jeff’s FLDS compound in Texas, something did not sit well with her. Though the FBI did not play a direct role in the raid, it was the investigative work she did that led to the reaction of Texas law enforcement to conduct the invasion of the YFZ Ranch. She felt that it was a just a bit too convenient that an anonymous call was made, and required the response of swat teams and armored personnel carriers.
“There was a systematic process going on to groom these young girls to become brides.” Those words that the Texas Child Protective Services spokesman read to the press sounded hauntingly familiar. They should. They were her words used in building the case against Jeffs.
Though Elizabeth recognized that abuse took place within the FLDS community, she also noted in her report that the evidence indicated that the abuse was limited to select individuals. She had conducted interviews and had conversations with literally dozens of families, both those involved with FLDS and former members. She had discovered that in the overwhelming majority of cases, families were happy, caring, and did well to provide for themselves, polygamy aside.
But the terms ‘child abuse’ and ‘polygamy’ had now been tied together by Texas law enforcement and the media on a national scale. Something had to be done, after all, for the sake of the children.
Weeks after the raid, Elizabeth found herself in Texas, working with several other agents to determine what went right and what went wrong in the whole raid, and the events that led up to it. The request for federal assistance came from the Texas Attorney General’s office, who found himself in a bind in an election year to respond to those who were critical of his response, or lack of it, to the raid.
Elizabeth had worked closely with Mark Taylor, an up and coming attorney in the AG’s office. Though often at odds with one another on the raid, there was a chemistry that developed that was as passionate after-hours as it was during the daylight defending each other’s agencies.
The report she offered was critical of Texas CPS, and the supporting agencies. Mark had read the report the night before she was to present it to the joint investigators. She wanted him to see it first. She knew the risk she was taking, because the evidence led to include even actions on the part of the AG’s office. The risk wasn’t in disclosing the report; she had fallen in love with this young lawyer from the hill country of Texas.
The argument they had at the hotel room were the last words they spoke to one another. Not a phone call. Not an email. She had read an article online a year ago that he was now living in Missouri, working in the state capital as a liaison between the Attorney General’s office and the Highway Patrol, the chief investigative arm of the state.
The report, though critical of Texas and how it handled the raid in question, was received well by her superiors in Washington. It wasn’t long after that she found herself promoted, and working with her best friend from the academy, Paula.
The new Child Trafficking Task Force was a coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies within a six-state area of the US. The hopes were to eventually use the information and strategies they learned to roll out a national task force. Elizabeth had applied her experience in dealing with polygamist communities in the west to child trafficking issues on an international scale. She was often asked by various state and local agencies to come and speak on the issue of child trafficking, and how they could implement changes to address the growing problem.
“Oh, shoot,” Paula complained, observing the parking garage’s electronic board as they pulled in, “we’re going to have to park on the open air level.”
“The forecast today is for snow this afternoon, too,” Elizabeth observed. “Maybe we can get out before the traffic gets too bad.”
After parking, they took the elevator down to the crossover level that led across the street to headquarters. After the standard security checks, they proceeded to the elevator back up to the sixth floor, where Carl was waiting for them as they stepped out.
“Thank God you’re here,” Carl said, “I can’t open the file.”
“Carl, how is it that we are always saving your behind?” Paula asked.
“Hey, I don’t know anything about computers. I am lucky to be able to turn one on. I’m a people person,” he explained with a smirk.
“Riiiiight,” Elizabeth said sarcastically. “Give me a minute to unload everything. We still have an hour, right?”
“Oh yeah, we’re good,” he said, “and the presentation room is all set up. Some of the people are already here, and the rest are on their way. We have the group with the Midwest Task Force here as well. It should be a lively session.”
“Okay, Carl. The REAL agents are here. Go and do whatever it is that supervisors do,” Paul joked, waving him off down the hall, “we’ll see you in an hour. Go eat a donut or something.”
“Oh, yeah. Donuts. I forgot…” he turned, “haven’t had my fix this morning,” and turning back to the women, “Hey, Liz!”
“Yeah?”
“There’s a guy waiting for you down in your office. He told me some stories about you. Good ones, too.”
“Who?” Elizabeth asked.
“He’s on the Midwest Task Force. Says it’s a surprise.” Carl explained.
“Who?” Elizabeth wondered to herself.
As Paula turned right into her office, she joked, “Now don’t be late!”
“Hey, I am not the one who HAD to stop at Starbuck’s this morning!” Elizabeth smiled as she turned left into her office.
The Oxygen cologne revealed the visitor to her senses before her heart even comprehended.
Mark Taylor was here.
Read chapter three HERE: http://www.biblicalfamilies.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3688
“Yes, we’re on our way,” Paula announced into the phone, “we are just getting off of 395 in about five minutes.”
“Tell Carl a copy of the presentation is in his email,” Elizabeth added, “we’re ready for this.”
Paula passed the message along. Even though the meeting with the Child Trafficking Task Force was not for another two hours, the agency had been anticipating this meeting with various state’s attorneys-general for several months. Major inroads had been made into several rings of abusers, and this would be the first opportunity for the task force to announce the expansion of their efforts beyond the initial five states involved.
Elizabeth had earned a reputation for taking seemingly unrelated information and tying it together to develop an investigation. Although she was good at crunching the facts, she much preferred the field work of an agent, where she started. Paula had gone to the academy with her, and they had remained friends through the years, though Paula’s skills were more administrative and managerial.
“Do you think Carl will be promoted after this?” Paula asked.
“He should be,” Elizabeth responded, “this is some great work he has put together.”
“You mean YOU put together,” Paula teased. “There is no way on God’s green earth he could have pulled this off without you. And if it is a promotion for him, then it probably means a promotion for you.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Elizabeth mused. “I sure hope not,” she thought to herself. The idea of being tied to a desk for another four years did not sit well with her.
Her last promotion brought her to Washington in 2008. After serving in the field and working through the ranks in several different field offices, she found herself assigned TDY to the after-action group analyzing the raid and subsequent actions of law enforcement on the Yearning For Zion Ranch in El Dorado, Texas.
Previously, she had worked closely with local law enforcement in Utah and Colorado regarding the actions of Warren Jeffs. Her investigations, along with the work of others, succeeded in building a substantial body of evidence against the polygamist leader.
When she turned on the television in her hotel room in Flagstaff on April 3rd, 2008 and saw the beginnings of the raid on Jeff’s FLDS compound in Texas, something did not sit well with her. Though the FBI did not play a direct role in the raid, it was the investigative work she did that led to the reaction of Texas law enforcement to conduct the invasion of the YFZ Ranch. She felt that it was a just a bit too convenient that an anonymous call was made, and required the response of swat teams and armored personnel carriers.
“There was a systematic process going on to groom these young girls to become brides.” Those words that the Texas Child Protective Services spokesman read to the press sounded hauntingly familiar. They should. They were her words used in building the case against Jeffs.
Though Elizabeth recognized that abuse took place within the FLDS community, she also noted in her report that the evidence indicated that the abuse was limited to select individuals. She had conducted interviews and had conversations with literally dozens of families, both those involved with FLDS and former members. She had discovered that in the overwhelming majority of cases, families were happy, caring, and did well to provide for themselves, polygamy aside.
But the terms ‘child abuse’ and ‘polygamy’ had now been tied together by Texas law enforcement and the media on a national scale. Something had to be done, after all, for the sake of the children.
Weeks after the raid, Elizabeth found herself in Texas, working with several other agents to determine what went right and what went wrong in the whole raid, and the events that led up to it. The request for federal assistance came from the Texas Attorney General’s office, who found himself in a bind in an election year to respond to those who were critical of his response, or lack of it, to the raid.
Elizabeth had worked closely with Mark Taylor, an up and coming attorney in the AG’s office. Though often at odds with one another on the raid, there was a chemistry that developed that was as passionate after-hours as it was during the daylight defending each other’s agencies.
The report she offered was critical of Texas CPS, and the supporting agencies. Mark had read the report the night before she was to present it to the joint investigators. She wanted him to see it first. She knew the risk she was taking, because the evidence led to include even actions on the part of the AG’s office. The risk wasn’t in disclosing the report; she had fallen in love with this young lawyer from the hill country of Texas.
The argument they had at the hotel room were the last words they spoke to one another. Not a phone call. Not an email. She had read an article online a year ago that he was now living in Missouri, working in the state capital as a liaison between the Attorney General’s office and the Highway Patrol, the chief investigative arm of the state.
The report, though critical of Texas and how it handled the raid in question, was received well by her superiors in Washington. It wasn’t long after that she found herself promoted, and working with her best friend from the academy, Paula.
The new Child Trafficking Task Force was a coalition of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies within a six-state area of the US. The hopes were to eventually use the information and strategies they learned to roll out a national task force. Elizabeth had applied her experience in dealing with polygamist communities in the west to child trafficking issues on an international scale. She was often asked by various state and local agencies to come and speak on the issue of child trafficking, and how they could implement changes to address the growing problem.
“Oh, shoot,” Paula complained, observing the parking garage’s electronic board as they pulled in, “we’re going to have to park on the open air level.”
“The forecast today is for snow this afternoon, too,” Elizabeth observed. “Maybe we can get out before the traffic gets too bad.”
After parking, they took the elevator down to the crossover level that led across the street to headquarters. After the standard security checks, they proceeded to the elevator back up to the sixth floor, where Carl was waiting for them as they stepped out.
“Thank God you’re here,” Carl said, “I can’t open the file.”
“Carl, how is it that we are always saving your behind?” Paula asked.
“Hey, I don’t know anything about computers. I am lucky to be able to turn one on. I’m a people person,” he explained with a smirk.
“Riiiiight,” Elizabeth said sarcastically. “Give me a minute to unload everything. We still have an hour, right?”
“Oh yeah, we’re good,” he said, “and the presentation room is all set up. Some of the people are already here, and the rest are on their way. We have the group with the Midwest Task Force here as well. It should be a lively session.”
“Okay, Carl. The REAL agents are here. Go and do whatever it is that supervisors do,” Paul joked, waving him off down the hall, “we’ll see you in an hour. Go eat a donut or something.”
“Oh, yeah. Donuts. I forgot…” he turned, “haven’t had my fix this morning,” and turning back to the women, “Hey, Liz!”
“Yeah?”
“There’s a guy waiting for you down in your office. He told me some stories about you. Good ones, too.”
“Who?” Elizabeth asked.
“He’s on the Midwest Task Force. Says it’s a surprise.” Carl explained.
“Who?” Elizabeth wondered to herself.
As Paula turned right into her office, she joked, “Now don’t be late!”
“Hey, I am not the one who HAD to stop at Starbuck’s this morning!” Elizabeth smiled as she turned left into her office.
The Oxygen cologne revealed the visitor to her senses before her heart even comprehended.
Mark Taylor was here.
Read chapter three HERE: http://www.biblicalfamilies.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=3688