Gods and Crowbars Ch. 02

"So, Commander," said Lynch, "let's just suppose that my client had not even gone to Point Hollow that day. What would your entrapment scheme have done then?"

"Objection, Your Honor." said Paulina.

"Your Honor," said Lynch, "I'm trying to establish that Commander Troy's actions were entrapment and attempted to alter how my client would normally act."

"The Objection as to form is sustained." said Folsom. "Frame your questions properly, Mr. Lynch."

"Commander," said Lynch, "hypothetically speaking----"

"I don't answer hypothetical questions." I said loudly, interrupting the lawyer. "I'll answer to what actually happened to the best of my knowledge, but I will not speculate nor play hypothetical games."

"Permission to treat the witness as hostile, Your Honor." said Lynch. This meant he could ask leading questions, and have more latitude in the form of his questions.

"Prosecution?" asked the judge.

"The Defense is already treating the witness in a hostile manner, Your Honor." said Paulina, making the packed Courtroom erupt in laughter. Paulina continued: "This is the worst witness to play games with, Your Honor, but I won't object."

"Very well." said Folsom, trying not to smile. "Permission granted to treat this witness as hostile."

"Commander Troy," thundered Lynch, "isn't it true that you lured my client to Point Hollow to trap him into a discretion?"

"No." I said. "I had a warrant to execute a sting operation, which was successful."

"But didn't you pose in front of a mirror, to make it look like you were standing in a window?

"That was part of the sting." I said.

"And it could've been anyone that actually shot at you, couldn't it? Even one of your own Officers who was tired of your abusive treatment of him or her?"

"That's a hypothetical, which I won't give the sanction of replying to." I said, not falling for the trap. "In actuality, the videos at the scene clearly show the defendant making the shot."

"And all those video cameras at the scene..." said Lynch. "They were there to entrap my client, as well?"

"They were documenting the sting we were conducting under the Court-issued warrant." I said. "And showing the same pattern that was used in the murder of Scrawny Haskins."

"Commander," growled Lynch, "did you have information leaked that would lead my client to come to Point Hollow?"

"No." I said.

"Then who did?"

"I don't accept the premise of your question, that anyone at all leaked anything." I replied, again avoiding a trap.

"So, Commander," said Lynch, trying a new tack. "Do you acknowledge that you tried to have my client fired from the Town & County Police Force?"

"I stated that yesterday." I said.

"Objection, Your Honor!" shouted Paulina. "That was covered yesterday. Defense counsel is attempting to re-hash old information, and in doing so is deliberately wasting time."

"Sustained." said Folsom. "Cover new ground, Counselor."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

2:00pm, Wednesday, April 12th. The SPS van pulled up to the strip mall. Two men got out and went into one of the stores. It was an empty store.

Watching outside were Ferrell and his 'hired hand', a young man sent by Mr. C. to 'assist' Ferrell in his new operations... and to keep watch over Ferrell, and to keep Ferrell out of harm's way.

"Anyone else in that office?" asked Ferrell. The young man was using a device that could resolve infrared heat signatures. The two men from the SPS truck were clearly visible.

"There's no one else in there." said the young man.

"All right, pull up." said Ferrell. The other man drove the car down the parking lot and parked next to the truck. Ferrell got out and hurried into the front door. The other man followed.

"All right, we've got the goods in the truck." said the tall blonde man when he saw the two men come in. "You got the green?" By 'green', he meant green dollar bills.

"Yeah." said Ferrell. "In the briefcase in the trunk of the car. The lock numbers are 7-8-9. So do we drive each other's vehicles out of here?"

"Or we unload the stuff out of the truck, then you take your car around and load it into the trunk." said the tall blonde man.

"That'll work better." said Ferrell. "Okay, let's get going--- what the fuck?!?!?"

They poured out of the back room and out of the back of the truck and through the front door. The four men found themselves surrounded by four persons in all black, wearing black full head masks. Three of them were men, and one was obviously a woman. They were heavily armed with M-4 'assault rifles'.

"No one moves, no one gets hurt." hissed the tallest man, who was broad-shouldered and looked like a powerful specimen of a man. "Okay, you two," he said, pointing to the blonde man and his associate, "get the fuck out of here. Now." The two men did not walk but ran out of the front door and away from there.

The tall man and one of his associates, who was more slender but was muscular and in excellent shape, disarmed Ferrell and his associate as the third man, who was a bit more portly, and the woman covered the rogue former Agent. They manacled the other man's hands behind his back with handcuffs and forced him to sit down, then tied up his legs at his ankles. They then handcuffed Ferrell's hands in front of his belly.

"Richard Ferrell... Richarrrd Ferreelllll..." hissed the woman, coming up and looking into Ferrell's very scared eyes, his mustaches drooping. "We've been waiting for this moment for a long, long time. Okay, guys... do it!"

The portly man and the more slender man grabbed Ferrell and picked him up off the floor, his face and belly upwards towards the ceiling. The more powerful man came up to them, to Ferrell's left side and helped them lift him up some more. Then, as they dropped him, the powerful man thrust his knee up as hard as he could... right into Ferrell's back.

*WHAM!*

"AAAUUUUGGHH!" yelled Ferrell as the man's knee slammed into his lower backbone. Ferrell fell to the floor, feeling the sharp pain from the blow. The masked men picked him up again, and dropped him again. This time, the powerful man's knee blow did the job:

*SNAP!!*

"AAAAUGHHH!" screamed Ferrell as he again fell hard to the floor. He was crying and screaming, gasping in sheer pain. The woman came up behind him as he lay on his side, unable to move his legs. She felt for what she wanted to feel, and found it.

"AAAUGH!" Ferrell screamed again as she pressed into the damaged area of his back. She nodded at her masked companions.

"That was for Tanya Perlman." she whispered. "Now this is all just a bad dream, and you'd better not remember it, or I'll come back and cut your fucking balls off." With that, the four masked persons fled out the back door.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Whoaaaa..." said the C.I. as he and his associate drove up in an SPS truck. "There's a truck already there. I don't like this."

"I'm calling our contact." said the other man. "We're aborting this mission..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Corporal Kirkpatrick and Sr. Patrolman Hicks were the first TCPD Officers to arrive at the scene. Entering the store in the manner of clearing it, they saw a man tied up hand and foot, and Dick Ferrell lying on the ground, crying in pain, unable to move his legs.

Then came Detective Roy McGhillie and Lieutenant Wes 'Coldiron' Masters. "Call an ambulance." said Masters.

"We already did, sir." said Hicks. "We also read them both their rights while videotaping the scene."

"Good job." said Masters.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

At 4:45pm, H.J. Lynch turned to the judge and said "No more questions, Your Honor. But we reserve the right to recall this witness." This meant I could not sit in and watch the trial, as I might be recalled as a witness.

"Agreed." said Judge Folsom. "Prosecution, redirect." Paulina asked me a few questions to clarify a few points, then said she had no more questions.

"You may step down, Commander," said Judge Folsom, "but be prepared to return at any time if you are recalled."

"Yes, Your Honor." I said. I struggled to stand up, but managed to walk out of the Courtroom walking steadily and evenly, hearing the Judge say the proceedings were adjourned until the next morning...

Part 10 - Served Right

6:50am, Thursday, April 13th. There was an air of excitement in MCD as everyone from Major Crimes and Vice gathered to watch Bettina's broadcast, including me, Your Iron Crowbar, and SBI Lt. Tanya Perlman, both of us sitting in wheelchairs. FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone was there, along with Special Agent Martin Nash. Only Cindy was not there: she would be testifying when the trial of Leonard 'Sergeant' Sharples resumed.

I'd gotten an ovation of applause when I came in. But the Chief was not pleased at all when I came in, wearing a red golf/polo shirt with a Police Commander badge embroidered over the heart, and khaki pants and my badge on my belt, but not my gun; I was not yet re-qualified with it.

"You had better not be trying to return to doo-ty, Commanderrrr." growled Chief Moynahan. "You are supposed to be rest-ing, or be on call for that Fat Boy's trial."

"Yes sir." I said. "But this one is big, and I want to be around friends and family for it."

"Heh heh heh heh." laughed the Chief, and then the humor vanished. "Do not try my patience by trying to do anything resembling Police work, Commanderrrr. Or I might just beat you down myself, Police Boxing Matches style." I laughed at that, then promised the Chief I wouldn't do any real work.

And then... the moment arrived...

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded reporterette at 7:00am, from in front of University Hospital. "Channel Two News has learned that wanted former SBI Agent Richard Ferrell has been captured by the Town & County Police Force!"

A huge cheer erupted in the room, followed by high-fives and more cheering. We were recording the broadcast, and put the DVR into play to hear all of Bettina's words:

"Police found Agent Ferrell and another man, who has been identified as Benny Brighton, a University student, in a strip mall office space yesterday. According to Police reports, Brighton admitted that he and Ferrell were engaging in a drug buy when four masked persons attacked them. Agent Ferrell suffered a broken back in the attack and was rushed to University Hospital. Roll tape."

Bettina then had Dr. Morgan on tape, being interviewed: "Yes, Mr. Ferrell suffered a broken back. We operated to repair the damage, but we believe that Mr. Ferrell is paralyzed from the waist down, and will never walk again."

The room had gone silent, and, appropriately, it was Tanya Perlman's voice that cut through it:

"Serves the bastard right." she said coldly.

Everyone heartily agreed and the noise started up again. Tanya and I fist-bumped.

I looked over to the door of MCD, the one nearest Vice and the front of the Headquarters building. Teresa Croyle was standing in the doorway, silently watching. Our eyes locked for a second, and I gave her a barely perceptible nod, which she returned.

It would never be spoken out loud that Teresa had been the woman leading that raid upon the most very unfortunate Ferrell, that Teddy Franklin and Micah Rudistan had been the assistants helping my nephew Todd Burke drive his knee into Ferrell's back and snap his spine. Tanya and my mother were 'properly' avenged... and most important of all, so was Jeanine Burke.

Bettina went on: "Commander Donald Troy was in Court, testifying in the Leonard Sharples case, when this attack happened. He issued a statement congratulating his Vice Squad for arresting Ferrell. Captain Cindy Ross was also at the Courthouse at the time of the attack, and she re-iterated the Commander's praise for her Vice unit."

"Glad I have an alibi, the way Bettina's talking." I said out loud. "You'd think she's accusing me of doing it."

"God, how the Press just loves you, Commander." said Tanya, her voice both teasing and sarcastic.

"Glad I have an alibi, too." said Jack Muscone quietly, a bit too quietly. He just happened to have been addressing a University class on Criminal Justice procedures at the time, at the invitation of the School and of University President Dr. Sidney P. Wellman, at the 'suggestion' of Dr. Laura Fredricson...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Congratulations poured into Headquarters from all over the State. The Governor personally called Police Chief Moynahan to congratulate him, and the Governor also made a statement before the press congratulating us that was broadcast all over the State. Jack Muscone went in and congratulated everyone in Vice with a handshake and his personal thanks.

Before the Chief kicked me out to go back home, Jack, Tanya and I talked in my office.

"Nash was here, interviewing this Benny Brighton guy with your Vice people." said Muscone. "Brighton looks to be one of those 'useful idiots' that Ferrell would use, but there's something off about him. He's not a University student, like Bettina claimed he was. He's not even from this State; he's from California."

"Word I have is that he was singing like a canary last night." I said. "He has given us corroboration that Ferrell supplied Jerry Saint with the drugs that killed Lena Hill and Kate Noll. He gave us names of the people that dragged Metrosexual Kevin to his death, but he said he didn't go on that himself. He also says he does not know why they did that to Kevin, but I get the idea he's singing so the same thing won't happen to him. He had no clue about Jeanine Burke, who she was, and ditto that for Michael Burke."

"Well," said Muscone, "keep an extra copy of the confession tapes. Les Craig is going to a Federal Judge to get Federal custody of Ferrell."

"And Franklin Washington is trying to stop it." I said.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Cin-dee!"

My daughter Carole was very happy to see her cousin Cindy. It was 4:30pm when the Green Crowbar came up to the Mountain Nest. After Cindy talked with Carole and Jim, and played with Buddy and Bowser, she came and sat down next to me on the sofa as I sat in the rocking chair.

"Yes, I'm done, for now." said Cindy to me. "You missed some fun today. Lynch wanted me to be subject to recall, and Paulina objected, asking why Lynch wasn't done with me completely. Lynch was stammering and hemming and hawing, and didn't have a real good answer. Judge Folsom did grant the recall request, but it was funny to watch."

"So, what do you think?" I asked.

"As far as I can tell, all I did was corroborate what you testified to." Cindy said. "Lynch tried to work me on the Hamilton County crime scene, but it wasn't all that much. I think he's starting to realize defeat. You must've torn him up good."

"I hope so." I said. "How did the Jury look?"

"Interested, while Paulina questioned me." said Cindy. "A little bored when Lynch tried stuff. Paulina objected to him covering old ground twice, and the Jury seemed tired of his antics."

"Good." I said. "We haven't seen the Defense's case yet, but the Prosecution sounds good so far. And by the way, we have a very happy Police Department after capturing Ferrell."

"I heard he met with great misfortune." said Cindy. "Can't say I'm sorry to hear that."

"Karma." I replied simply.

Part 11 - BFFs Forever

Friday, April 14th. Edward and Stephanie Steele and their daughter Selena were bringing their newly adopted daughter Marie to the Mountain Nest, to meet Carole and of course the redoubtable Bowser. My mother, Laura and I were waiting for them. When we told Carole that the little girl Bowser had saved was coming to visit, Carole surprised us by being very happy about it.

So when the doorbell rang and Laura answered, little blonde-haired Marie led the procession inside, and was met in the hallway by Carole.

"Hi." said my daughter importantly, the perfect little three-year-old hostess. "I'm Carole."

"I'm Murr-EE." said her guest proudly.

"Here, Bowser!" Carole called out. "Bowser, this is Marie." she said as Bowser came bounding up. He sniffed at Marie and seemed to recognize her, as his face looked up in wonder at her.

"Hello, Bowser." said Marie, petting Bowser on the head. "Thank you for saving me." All the adults ooh-ed and ahh-ed. Bowser sat down and let Marie pet him some more, and Carole joined in.

"Bowser is a good dog." said Carole, in the form of a quotation. Bowser wagged his tail mightily.

"He's my he-ro!" said Marie.

"My daddy is my hero." said Carole, which drew more 'ooh's and 'aah's, and melted her daddy's heart, of course.

"Mine, too." said Selena to the 'big kids' in the room. The Steeles agreed.

"We're having a tea ceremony for Bowser." said Carole. "Come on!" The little girls hurried into the den, where Carole's little table and two chairs were set up. A third place was also set. All the adults just stood and watched, or sat down and watched in the case of the guy with the bad back.

And the teapot had real tea in it. Carole poured for Marie and herself. "Bowser is going to have dog biscuits. He's not supposed to have people food, my daddy says."

"O-kay!" said Marie. "Here's a biscuit, Bowser!"

As Bowser sat down at his place between the girls, they fed him pieces of dog biscuits, which he very much liked.

"They are just so cute!" said Stephanie Steele. Everyone had sat down and was watching, now. Little Jim was in Selena's lap; he seemed to like the beautiful woman. Buddy was in my lap as I sat in the rocking chair.

"It is so much fun having a little sister." said Selena. "She's just a joy, always happy. She loves drawing and coloring."

"Hey Marie!" said Carole, having heard that, "let's draw some pictures!"

"Yeah!" agreed Marie happily. The girls went to fetch paper and crayons, and soon were hard at work, drawing pictures. Bowser supervised.

"Wow, Marie is good." I said. Marie had drawn pictures of Carole and Bowser, and while childish, they were actually very good, and what I'd expect a much older child to draw.

"Yes," said Selena, "she has a lot of talent with drawing and coloring. We're encouraging her to draw and paint with watercolors, and she goes at it for hours."

"Hey Daddy!" Carole called out. "I'm going to write a story, and Marie is going to do the illus... illuuuu... er, the pictures for it." These are three-year-olds, I reminded myself.

"I can't wait to see it and read it." I said encouragingly.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"How's your back, Don?" asked Edward Steele as he and I sat in the living room after dinner.

"Good." I said. "I'm pretty slow now, but with more rehab I should return to almost normal."

"Good." said Steele. "We were concerned about you. I'll tell you, I don't get it. Thomas P. Cook and Kelly Carnes are fighting like hell to keep you from getting another Purple Order. Why do they hate you so much, Don? After all you've accomplished for this Town & County. Why the hate?"

"Hate comes from fear." I said. "They obviously have something to fear."

"Well, I'll tell you this." said Edward. "John Colby and I are quietly looking into Cook's finances with that Pine Valley project. We'd really like to bust his ass down, especially after what he pulled with the Community Center."

"If you find anything actionable, let me know." I said.

"Oh, we will." said Edward. "And there's another thing I want to bring to your attention. J.P. Goldman and I are not always on the same side as Reginald B.F. Lewis politically, but we're pretty good friends and have dinners together with our wives from time to time. Stephanie and I were having dinner with Reginald and his wife a couple of nights ago, and he told me that someone is beginning to try to stir up some stuff in the majority black districts on the Southside of Town and the County."