Beethoven Virus Ch. 02

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"Cameron and Donovan beat the shit out of this thing, sir." said Myron Milton after the Sheriff, Chief, and I went into the I.T. Room, with Mary Milton in tow. Donovan Wakefield had re-donned his cap and mask.

"It was all Cameron." Donovan said.

I quickly said "So is the virus destroyed?"

Cameron Wakefield said "Yes sir. Once we got the core back, the virus started revealing itself and its weaknesses trying to get the core back. We started sequencing antidote code------"

Mary interjected: "It's the code equivalent of sequencing DNA or RNA strains to combat viruses and other illnesses. Oh, sorry, Cameron."

"No, that's a good analogy." Cameron said. "And yes, once we were able to sequence the code blocks without being attacked, we started destroying the virus codes."

Myron said "And we have code on jump drives that we can use to disinfect all the equipment in the Hospital. Anything that is not physically damaged, that is. I'm going to call Marty Steen and his techs as well as our TCPD techs to get some overtime getting that done overnight... if you approve that overtime, sir."

"Consider it approoooved." said the Chief most very agreeably.

"Good job." I said. "But that overtime will not apply to Lieutenant Mary Milton, who is going home to get some sleep."

"Sir, I'm all keyed up." said Mary. "I can keep going..."

I held up my hand. "You will be sleeping for two, Lieutenant." I replied. "You can go home and rest, or I'll have my wife admit you into the Hospital for 24 hours bedrest, cuffed to the bed, if necessary... and eating Hospital food."

"I'm on my way!" Mary said. "Nite, guys! Great working with you!" She hugged Cameron and Donovan, then hugged her husband and high-fived me as she went to the door.

"Whoooo is this young man in the mask?" asked the Chief.

"A damn good friend to us, sir." I said. "And let's say no more for now. Donovan, I'll come get you in a second. There's someone I need you to meet." I was saying that as I was making a text...

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

I went across the hall to the command post in the breakroom, followed by the Sheriff, Police Chief, and Chief Deputy Sheriff. The Deputy Police Chief were there.

"Have a seat, everyone, and I'll get you up to speed." Tanya said. I sat down, suddenly realizing that I was tired. It had been a long day, and I'd been full of nervous energy. Now, the adrenaline rush was starting to wear off.

Tanya said "Jack and Dwight went to the Federal Building for a videoconference with Homeland Security, probably over the nationwide alert that has gone out to all hospitals about this virus attack."

"I think University Hospital was specifically targeted." I replied. "But better safe than sorry."

Tanya continued: "The Press is acting weird... even for them. Bettina's been reporting that the transplant on Tommy Hillman is being done in violation of the law and without BigBenefitInsurance's approval. She was talking about the virus all morning, that we couldn't handle it, and that we needed to bring the Feds in. Then all that went away, and she started whining about the surgery and the insurance issues."

Tanya: "The Governor called, and I briefed her on the situation. But that was two hours ago. I should probably update her."

"Yes, do that." I said. "And Tanya... you did an outstanding job today, coordinating the Public Relations."

"Awww." Tanya said, happy to be complimented. "But it was Captain Thompson that did a great job beating down the Press------"

"Modesty is a human trait, Commander Muscone." growled Sheriff Griswold. "I will not excuse it. You did a wonderful job today..."

Part 10 - Cleanup on Aisle 5

As Donovan Wakefield and I got in the elevator and began ascending to the upper floors, I said "I really appreciate your help today. And as part payment, I'm going to introduce you to one of the very few Federal Agents that you can trust, and that can help you."

"Your wife?" Donovan asked. I nodded.

The elevator opened and we went down the hall to the section where the doctors's offices were. Laura maintained a small office at the Hospital, and she was inside when I knocked on the door.

"Hello, Donovan." Laura said as we went inside. "It's been a minute."

"Hello ma'am." Donovan said. "Yes, it has."

"Darling," Laura said to me, "is there something you need to do while I talk to Donovan here?"

I thought of something. "Why, yes. Yes there is." I said. I turned to Donovan and said "I probably won't see you again for a while, if ever. Thanks for everything." I extended my hand and Donovan shook it. I left the office, texting Teresa to meet me at my Police SUV...

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

Teresa and I arrived at Police Headquarters. Instead of parking in my normal place, I drove around to the parade grounds and the gym door entrance. The door opened to reveal Lieutenant Micah Rudistan, who was escorting Amelia Sedgwick, her hands cuffed in front of her. He opened the right rear door and Amelia climbed into the backseat.

"Did you see U.S. Attorney John Jones?" I asked as we pulled out on Riverside Drive going north, both Teresa and I warily watching the traffic around us in all directions.

"Yes." Amelia said. "He gave me a plea deal that gives me probation and leaves me in State custody, provided that I answer questions and testify if necessary."

"Good." I said as I turned right on North Street, headed east to University Avenue, and south until we got to the Hospital, parking in the E.R. area. "We gotta avoid the God-cursed Press." I said.

We escorted Amelia into the Hospital and up to one of the wings on the south side, stopping in front of one of the rooms. I uncuffed Amelia's hands, then opened the door and let her inside.

"Bobby!" Amelia said as she walked up to her little brother's bed. "How are you doing?"

"Hi Amelia. I'm okay." said Bobby. "I got to fly on a helicopter today. How did you get me into the program? I thought they'd rejected me."

"That was a misunderstanding." said Teresa. "And I apologize for it. But we're here now, and we're going to help you get well." She was apologizing in the Japanese fashion, as well as giving Amelia some cover. That's my Iron Wolf, I thought to myself...

"Yeah." Amelia said as she caressed her brother's forehead. Then she said what had to be said: "Listen, Bobby, I'm going to have to be away for a while. You let the doctor's help you, and I'll visit you and call you when I can, okay?"

"Did you do something wrong to get me into the Hospital?" Bobby asked astutely.

I stepped in: "Yes, she colored outside the lines. But she did it to help you, because she loves you very much. And she did us a big favor, too. So we're going to help you, and help her too."

After giving them some time to talk, Teresa and I re-cuffed Amelia and took her back down to my Police SUV. I drove onto University Avenue and turned right, but at the next turn I whipped the vehicle around into the southbound lane. There were no vehicles following us.

I turned left onto a small street that went south of Fraternity Row. Near the end of the road, near the Mountain Finger upon which The Cabin was perched to the north, I pulled into what looked like an old Holiday Inn, which was surrounded by a high fence.

"This is the halfway house for prisoners that need treatment at the Hospital." I said. "It also can house prisoners with close family in the Hospital. You're going to be ankle-monitored and confined to your quarters. You also need to be very careful, as the Swamp Frogs might try to come after you. But maybe not. You'll be taken to see your brother every so often. And if anything happens, for good or bad, we'll let you know."

"Thank you." said Amelia. "And thank you for helping my brother. What happens to me... doesn't matter. As long as he gets help."

"Nonsense." I said. "You can still be a valuable member of Society, and all the other clichés. And your brother is going to need your support while he goes through his treatment."

TCSD Deputy Sheriffs came out and got Amelia and the paperwork Teresa handed them. They escorted her inside.

As we were driving back to Police Headquarters, Teresa said with a gleam in her eye: "There's still time to make it to the Council Meeting."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear you say that." I said with a grin. "And I've got a ton of paperwork to catch up on."

Teresa asked "What was the big favor you told Bobby that Amelia did for us?"

I said "If it had not been for her, Cerberus and Charrington would still be out there... and a massive threat to America and the World. But Cameron and Donovan Wakefield, and two of the most indispensable Police Officers on our Police Force, cracked it in just a few hours, and neutralized it completely."

I continued: "The importance of that cannot be overstated. The threat of Brendan Chapel and Matthew Willis having those programs was literally an existential threat to the Constitution. Now, Chapel will have to start over, from scratch. And we'll be fighting him every step of the way."

"That was something I thought of earlier today." said Teresa. "Brendan Chapel has tried to steal my inheritance twice now. We know he was behind the attempt to steal the Lost Greuze. And he was muscling in and taking his cuts from the City PD drug operation." (Author's note: 'Centuries'; 'Send In The Clowns'; 'Who Watches The Watchers'.)

Teresa: "Don, that guy is getting out of control. I don't know what we can do, if anything. But something's gotta be done, before he starts killing people."

"Oh, we're past the point of him starting to kill people." I said. "And yes, we need to do something about him. And I'm going to..."

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

I arrived at the Mountain Nest at about 10:00pm. Laura and Stephanie Steele were talking in the greatroom while Carole and Marie and Jim were playing Uno with a deck of (you guessed it) Uno cards.

"Wow, Ed's not back from the Council meeting?" I asked as I came inside.

"No." said Stephanie. "He texted me and said they were unexpectedly going into Executive Session. So... I heard you had a busy day at the Hospital today."

As I sat down next to Laura on the far-side sofa, I said "Yes, but nothing compared to what this wonderful doctor did."

"I just helped two wonderful doctors perform a transplant with stone knives." Laura said.

"Modesty is a human trait, Mommy." Carole said as they played cards. "Grandpa Grizz will not excuse it."

Laura looked a little shocked at that. I tried hard to not laugh, and I lost. I began laughing, then laughed so hard that tears came to my eyes. Stephanie laughed, but not nearly as much. Carole had a little grin on her little face; she'd gotten one over on me.

We heard the doorbell ring, followed by Edward R. Steele coming in the front door. I got up and we shook hands. Marie had gotten up and run over to hug his legs.

"Rough one?" I asked.

"Yes." said Edward. "Let's talk in private for a minute."

We went to the 'Puter Room, and sat down in the chairs. Edward began: "It was ugly from the get-go. As soon as the session started, Kelly Carnes said 'I call Donald Troy to the podium, to answer our questions regarding the illegal contract he made with Commander Croyle'. J.P. Goldman and I immediately made points of order: me, because the contract was not illegal, and J.P., because Kelly Carnes cannot just call someone like a witness at a trial. The Mayor accepted our points of order."

Edward: "It immediately went to hell in a handbasket. Kelly Carnes started yelling, and I mean yelling, that it was the third week in a row that you had disregarded her orders to appear before the Council. J.P. stood up and just started yelling, and I mean yelling, that Carnes had no power nor right to order anyone to do anything. Carnes stood up and yelled that you are answerable to the Council, and that as a Council Member she had every right to order you to appear."

Edward: "It got to where they were just yelling and screaming personal insults at each other. The Mayor was tapping his gavel, trying to get order, and they both just ignored him. Ian McGhillie, who was sitting next to the Mayor, just said to him to let them have at it. Ian told me later that as the great Rush Limbaugh said: when the Enemy is in the process of destroying herself, don't stop her."

Edward: "Finally, Susan Weston stood up and made a motion to go into Executive Session, which was approved by unanimous consent. So we went upstairs, and it just got worse. Daniel Allgood had the Sergeant-At-Arms in there, so it didn't get physical, but it was verbally a free-for-all."

Edward: "Susan Weston finally got in a word, and she said that she agreed with Kelly Carnes that you should have appeared before the Council when you were asked to. J.P. yelled that Kelly Carnes didn't 'ask', but 'ordered' you to appear, and she does not have that authority nor right. He added that you're not appearing in order to make that point."

Edward: "I intervened with a point of information, and said you were dealing with the virus crisis at University Hospital. Carnes yelled that that didn't matter, that obeying her her order to appear was your top priority, above all else. She just would not come off that; apparently she truly believes she the right to force you to appear."

I said "No, she knows the truth. But she's trying to change that truth by creating a precedent: if she can force me now, she can force me at any time in the future. And that's the main reason I've refused to appear, the virus crisis notwithstanding."

Edward: "True. Anyway, Edgar Silas made a motion to refer you to the D.A. for criminal prosecution for not appearing. That was defeated 3-7, as Malinda Adams and Susan Weston both pointed out that you hadn't been subpoenaed, and that Kelly Carnes had no legal power to force you to appear. The looks Carnes and Silas gave them was pure hatred."

Edward: "So Sheila Sorrells made a motion to subpoena you to appear before the Council. It was defeated on a purely Party-line vote, 5-6. In casting the tiebreaking vote, Mayor Allgood said he would rather work with you to appear voluntarily than try to force a crisis that might end up in the Council being sued. He said he would talk to you and the Sheriff about it."

Edward: "And then J.P. Goldman made a motion to censure Kelly Carnes, for falsely claiming that she could compel you to appear. Dagmar Schoen's arm about popped off her shoulder, so hard and fast did she raise it to second the motion. And the motion passed, 6-5, again along strict Party lines. Daniel said as he cast the tiebreaking vote that he was doing so because Kelly Carnes was a total asshole that needed to be put in her place, which did not go over well with her nor the other Dems. But so be it."

"Good." I said. "That will help."

Edward: "Look Don, I know this is a bunch of political theater. But I've never seen anything like this. Susan Weston? She was a Police Officer, a cop!"

"A Police Captain, no less." I added.

Edward: "Yes! And Sheila Sorrells? I've known her a long time; she's always been a decent person. But now? She's supporting Carnes's off-the-charts radical behavior! And Malinda Adams has always been a feminist, what the great Rush Limbaugh would call a 'feminazi'. But otherwise she was reasonable about things. Now? It doesn't matter what the issue is, they're abandoning all reason and toeing the Party line, no matter how wrong, how radical, or how violent it becomes..."

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

After Edward and Stephanie took Marie home, Laura and I had no trouble a'tall getting Carole and Jim to bed. I took the dogs out, standing outside the backdoor while they went to do their business. They knew that meant I did not want them to dawdle, and they came back pretty quickly.

Afterwards, I poured Laura a glass of wine and myself a dram of Old Pulteney single malt Scotch, and brought the drinks over and sat down beside her.

"You did do a wonderful job today, your modestly notwithstanding." I said.

"Thank you." Laura said. "And you did an incredible job yourself."

"This is not being modest." I replied. "I really didn't do all that much. Tanya and Captain Thompson handled the Press and the Governor very well, Lieutenant DeLong had the Uniformed Officers in the right places at the right times and covered things very well. Teresa handled the Hinton brothers beautifully, and she stayed with Tommy's parents while you were operating on him."

Laura replied: "Yes, but you kept the Pharmacy from crumbling into chaos, then pretty much went around being the glue that held everything together. And I am not fooled: you called Cameron Wakefield in, and got him to call his brother Donovan in, leading to defeating the worst virus in the history of ransomware."

"I did not have Cameron call in Donovan. That was Cameron acting on his own initiative." I said. "But speaking of Donovan, what are you doing for him? At least what you can tell me..."

Laura said "As you know, he and some others were part of the Charrington team that Dwayne Matheson was part of and then quit." (Author's note: 'Price No Object'.) "Donovan and a couple of others saw what was going on, and stole as much of the code as they could, then left BigCommo."

Laura: "They made contact with me, and I helped them get new identities, sort of an unofficial Witness Protection program. Donovan exposed himself today, and he understands that... and fully to his credit, he said 'the 'needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few, or the one'. I'm helping him hide again, and soon his group of programmers will be back together------ er, and that's pretty much it."

"Hmmm." I said, understanding why she'd cut herself off like she just did. "Sounds like someone is creating a New Guardians of Justice. Amirite?"

"Darling," Laura said with authority, "don't ask questions *I* don't want you to know the answer to..."

Part 11 - The Party Never Stops

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, March 31st, from the Anchor Desk in the KXTC studios. "Commander Troy snubs the Town & County Council for the third straight week!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "Police Commander Donald Troy did not appear at last night's meeting of the Town & County Council, despite being ordered to appear and answer questions regarding a questionable and possibly illegal contract he made with Lieutenant Commander Teresa Croyle that would allow her to be on duty as an SBI Reservist while also being a TCPD Officer."

Bettina: "Eyewitnesses at the Council meeting told Channel Two News that acrimonious exchanges between Councilwoman Kelly Carnes, who ordered Commander Troy to appear, and right-wing extremist J.P. Goldman, resulted in the Council going into Executive Session. Sources tell Channel Two News that the closed-door meeting was just as bitterly acrimonious as the public meeting, and no substantial business was completed by the Council."

Bettina: "Inspector General James 'Curly' Goodwin has not issued a formal ruling on Mrs. Carnes complaint against Commander Troy, and sources tell Channel Two News that Mayor Daniel Allgood requested that the I.G. delay any ruling on the two complaints against Commander Troy until the Mayor can confer with Commander Troy and also with the County Sheriff."

Bettina: "And now let's go to trusted reporter Carl Lemay, for a report on the final day of the State Legislature's session for this year. Carl!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the handsome black reporter in his expensive, well-fitting suit, reporting from the helipad on top of the State Capitol Office Building, with the gold-domed Capitol building glowing in the beginnings of the sunrise behind him. "It is the last day of this year's session, and while a new Budget and concurrent SBI bill were passed, very little else has been achieved, making this one of the least accomplished Legislative sessions of all time."