The Line

"Why do you think I would be interested? You should talk to Sheriff Matt Damon."

"Well, mayor, I know that the sheriff is also part of the problem, that is why I want to came to see you. I didn't want to go to the state police and then find out I had a couple of details wrong. So, I want to speak with you for a few minutes. Can I come over, so that I don't have to worry about a tapped telephone?"

"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. Do you know where I live?"

"Yes, I can be there in ten minutes, if that would be alright with you. I would prefer to have no outside lights because I don't want to be seen talking with you. After all, there have been a lot of killings recently and you never know who will be watching."

"O.k. I will, take what precautions I deem necessary to make sure you aren't harmed. Is that o.k. with you?"

Eight minutes later, there was a knock on the mayor's front door and a beautiful woman's voice saying, I'm here. The mayor went to the front door. As he opened it three large things came into the room. They looked like a gorilla sized creature of mixed black and brown fur with terrible fangs and claws..

One of them spoke, in that beautiful voice. "Hello mayor. I'll bet you weren't expecting us to visit tonight. We need your help, and we're sure that you will be very helpful, because if you aren't we will have to persuade you to be helpful." At that point the three guests held up hands with massive claws and bared their teeth, showing those terrible canine teeth..

The mayor fainted. When he woke up, he was sitting in the chair in his den. Facing him, behind a video camera, were three savage looking beasts.

"Are we comfortable, mayor?"

"Just what are you, and what do you want?"

"Well, mayor, first of all let me tell you that we can find you and reach you any day or night. You're only way to avoid us is to tell us what you know of the Lisk gang, and the Sheriff's dealings with the judge. We also expect that you will fill us in on what your part in all of this has been. If you don't voluntarily provide the information that we need, I'm sure that we can persuade you that it would be safer to be in jail than to be on the wrong side of us. Do you understand what I am saying?"

The answer was a timid, "yes".

"Now, before we start, I want you to call Bud Lisk and tell him that Luke Slovenski will be here at about ten this evening. Tell him that Luke is going to tell you all the details about Bud's gang. Do you understand?"

Again the answer was a timid, "yes".

The phone was dialed and then handed to mayor Talbot. He said exactly what he had been told to say. The heavily clawed hand resting on his shoulder helped him decide to do exactly what had been requested.

The taping session worked just like the session with the judge. Fortunately for him, the mayor knew nothing about the murders. However, he knew a lot about the city's cooked books.

It was about ten minutes before ten when the doorbell rang. The two Slovenski sisters had gone out the back door (taking the video equipment with them), leaving Luke to make sure that the mayor did what he was supposed to do. When the gang, all twenty of them, were squeezed into the mayor's living room, the mayor returned. The curtains in the living room had been purposefully left open. Also open was a front window that would allow the camera's microphone to pick up what was said.

The mayor told Bud's gang that Luke had figured out that they were the ones who beat his friends. He went on to say that Luke had some documentary evidence that would really put them away for a long time.

"So, mayor, where is he? We want to talk to him." There were several snickers around the room. They knew exactly what type of talking they had in mind. The mayor told them that Luke was in the other room, which was true.

When the mayor went back to where the monster had been hiding, he found Luke Slovenski there, instead.

"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"

"I'm Luke Slovenski. Didn't you tell Bud that I would be here tonight?"

The mayor looked very confused. He told Luke to follow him, and led him to the living room.

"Hi Bud, why did you guys beat my friends so badly? What had they done to you?"

"They were easier to find than you are. We wanted to beat you, but you are very hard to find and catch. But, now we have you right where we want you."

"Do you now? Let me tell you a few things I know that you should know about. First, I know that Chief Riley's kid is the one who was pulling the pistol out of his jacket when he was 'neutralized'. Second, the word has it that your gang was the group responsible for the break in at the armory, a while back. Third, it is widely suspected that you have been soaking merchants downtown for 'protection money'. How about those details?"

"You can't prove any of those things. We didn't leave any witnesses."

"But, you don't deny that you did them, do you?"

"Damn right we did them. But you aren't going to live long enough to tell anyone."

"Your group appears to be very effective. If you're sure that I won't ever be able to talk to anyone; maybe you can tell me a few things that I'm not sure of. Consider it sort of a last request. How about it?"

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Was it the explosives and incendiary devices that were stolen from the armory that were used to destroy the state police barracks and the police station?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Did you know that those attacks were going to happen?"

"No. My old man told me nothing about the police station. He also seemed surprised about the state police barracks."

"So, Bud, how are you going to kill me?"

"I think it will be easiest all around if we just shoot you." Turning to his gang he said, "What do you guys think of that idea?"

There no disagreements among those around the room.

"Say, Bud, are you going to shoot me in front of all of these witnesses? What if someone gets cold feet and decides to rat you out?"

Bud looked concerned for a minute. Then he grinned evilly. "I want two of you to take Luke into the bathroom, and one of you will shoot him. That way it will be one guys word against the other."

Two of Bud's hoods took Luke out of the room. Moments later they heard a shot followed by some screams and fighting sounds. In just a few moments after that Luke came back in supporting the weight of the two goons who had been sent to kill him.

"I'm not sure what happened. We fought a little, the gun went off putting a hole in the ceiling, and then somehow the gun, and your friends, got broken." Luke dropped the two moaning kids and tossed the semi automatic pistol over to Bud. It's barrel had been bent sideways.

Luke told everyone to stay put for a moment. Then he walked out of the room. It was then that the state police moved in.

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

The next day two disks were sent to John Hughes and Jack Frazier. One of the disks contained the confession of Mayor Talbot, the other contained the confrontation in Talbot's living room. A note was included. It suggested that the confessions be shown to Frank Lisk, and separately to sheriff Damon, with witnesses present.

The sheriff and Frank Lisk folded as soon as they saw that there were two confessions that both implicated them as being part of the crooked political scheming.

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

When the dust finally settled, Pete Slovenski invited Jack Frazier and John Hughes out to play a game of risk and share a pizza. They gladly agreed.

As the fun evening was winding down Jack Frazier made an unusual comment.

"You know, your suggestion to think about a Middle Ages solution was brilliant. I still don't believe in magic, but it is obvious that the judge, the mayor, and ex-deputy Smith think that they have seen something magical. They are all still waking up screaming at night even with some anti-psychotic drugs and good sedatives. We really appreciate your help Pete."

"I didn't do anything, guys. It must be some form of psychosis or something. After all, the kinds of things that the judge, mayor, and ex-deputy were talking about probably never existed. They probably only live in the imagination."

Pete smiled at them, and offered to invite them out for another game of risk, the following month.