Calm Before The Storm Ch. 02

"I'm sorry." said Cindy.

"Do not be, Child." said Mrs. Veasley affectionately. "At first, it was hard. I was awarded the Purple Heart... and was medically discharged from the Army. I became very depressed, and thought of ending my life. But fortunately, your father, Dr. Eckhart, had set up several recovery homes for our returning veterans, a couple which are still in operation today. Much like what Mr. Trump did at his Maralago Resort in Florida for our veterans." Cindy nodded in understanding.

"While I was at Dr. Eckhart's facility, I could see that his young associates were very happy as they assisted us in our physical as well as emotional recoveries, so I knew that this was a special group of people within an special organization. And then one day, Dr. Eckhart himself came to visit.

"After one five-minute conversation, I knew I had a purpose to live. And I wanted to be one of his volunteers, as well as learn from him. And so I've worked with the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and I've studied with him at his facility in Coltrane County."

"The funny thing is," said Mrs. Veasley thoughtfully, "is that it was as if he singled me out among all the people there to talk to, that he came specifically to see me."

"He did." said Cindy. "He told me." Catching herself, she said "And please don't tell him I told you."

"Yes, Child, we shall keep that one between us." said Mrs. Veasley.

"Well, such an uplifting story." said Mrs. Williams. "I've heard both good and bad things about Dr. Eckhart, but stories like that make me inclined to believe the good."

"I would say that the best of him is right here with us, in his daughter and her accomplishments." said the Widow Jones. Only Cindy caught the slightest bit of acerbity in her voice...

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

After dinner, we basically separated into two groups, the men in the study and the women in the living room. I handed Mr. Steele and Mr. Goldman real cigars with blue ribbons in celebration of my new son. I'd secretly given Selena one so she could enjoy it later; she and Melina were women that liked a good cigar. Laura liked them too, but rarely indulged.

As we sipped the very fine cognac Mr. Steele had poured us, he got right down to the point of the discussion.

"I am sure, Don," Steele said, "that you have noticed that Stephanie is not Selena's birth mother."

"I thought that was likely." I replied. "I originally thought she was adopted, but I can see that she is definitely your daughter."

"Yes, that is correct." said Steele. "I thought it might be a good idea to share with you the entire story. Not only do you deserve to know, having saved my daughter from that atrocious woman, but it might be helpful to you going forward."

I leaned forward, paying attention, but also breathing a bit harder. I was putting myself 'into the zone', a mental zone of heightened alertness and readiness. This was something I'd learned from my Aikido teacher years before, and it was something P. Harvey Eckhart taught at his Enlightenment Camp.

"Don, J.P. and I both know that you and your wife have what some would call an 'open' marriage." said Edward Steele. "Stephanie and I had something very similar. She didn't travel all that often, but when she did it was for stretches at a time, and we both knew that we were not going to remain celibate in the prime of our lives."

"I understand." I said.

"As I said at dinner," Steele said, "I was down in Texas a good bit. I was also up here a good bit; J.P. here and I met while I was in college, and we became very good friends. He financed several of my development projects, and in turn I made his bank a lot of money. He's also like a second father to Selena, and I daresay he influenced Selena's decisions to major in Finance and become a Bank executive herself."

Steele went on: "While I was up here, I met a woman one evening at a bar. She was very lovely, she said she was recently divorced, and she was lonely. Her name was Alice, which is Selena's middle name. Alice came to my apartment with me that night, and we began an affair. For the next two weeks while I was up here, she stayed with me."

"To make a long story short," said Steele (too late), "I went down to Texas, and two months later Alice shows up at my doorstep. Pregnant. She said she knew I was married, but she was leaving this Town, and her past life, behind. She only asked that I help set her up so that she could continue her life hidden from her ex. She said that under his false veneer he showed the Public, he was a deeply evil man inside, and she feared him. She was trembling even as she spoke of him."

"Did she tell you his name?" I asked.

"No, she never did." Edward said. "And I never asked. Anyway, I set her up in a house, got her a job in a Title Deed company I'd created down there. I think most people thought she was my wife."

"Anyway," he went on, "she had the baby, but she began hemorrhaging... and she died with Selena in her arms. Of course I rightfully claimed Selena as my daughter, which she was. And I told Stephanie. She may be telling your wife right now that she had some issue that meant she could not have children, so she considered Selena a blessing and has been Selena's mother ever since."

"Just one moment, sir." I said. I got up, taking out my bug-detection device, and scanned the room. I found no bugs.

"Sorry about that, sir, but I'm paranoid and wanted to make sure we're not being heard." I said.

"You're not paranoid." said J.P. Goldman. "Selena and I sweep our banks' offices for bugs once a week, and our houses as well. Edward does the same."

"Oh yes." said Edward. "You see, Don... we know what you're going through, what you're trying to do, what you're trying to destroy. When Chief Griswold hired you, he secretly told us that you were our only hope of saving this Town. He was right."

"Yes, son." said J.P. Goldman. "I didn't get to be what and who I am without knowing some things. I could see what Harold Malone was doing. I thought about leaving, especially after my wife passed on, but I knew that if I did that, Malone and his racist gang would gain control of the other banks in the area, and this Town would become as deeply infected as your home town of Apple Grove is right now."

I must've looked startled when I heard that, as both older men nodded. "Oh yes, we're aware. I don't know what you're going to do to solve that one, but at least you defeated Malone here. And Edward and I wanted you to know we have your back, Don. Not just because you saved Selena, though that showed us you alone are capable of defeating what is infecting our Town, but because we know you will save us all."

"Do you know who the Mastermind behind all of this is?" I asked.

"Not for sure." said Goldman. "We thought Henry Wargrave was the man, and to an extent he was. But even his death last summer has not stopped the creeping malevolence."

"There are several forces at work here." I said. "One is the race group that Malone was part of. They're national, and they are indeed insidious, and I'm working with the FBI to kick them to the kerb. But there's another entity, a Spider that has spun a huge web, ensnaring this Town as Sheriff Spaulding has ensnared Apple Grove. This Spider is the Enemy we must destroy to liberate our home here."

"Do you know who he is?" asked Steele."

"Not enough to tell you." I said, lying through my teeth. "And it would be better if you don't know. Once he found out you knew, he'd kill your families, and then I'd find your dead bodies hung up at Ebenezer & King Food Industries like we found those two guys all those months ago. I'd rather have you having my back on the Town & County Council."

"We understand." said Steele. "We'll help you any way we can. With us and Colby and Schoen, you have a firm block on the Council. Cook, Adams, and Carnes are solidly against you. McGhillie is generally on your side, as his son is one of your police officers, but he and Westboro are the swing votes."

I nodded. "I appreciate it. And I am going to need that help, when the days get very dark for me. By the way, do you remember Mr. Harkins, of the Second National Bank?" I noticed the two men make eye contact with each other briefly.

"Yes, I knew him pretty well, before he disappeared." said Goldman.

"I knew him, though not all that well." said Steele. "Why?"

"Well, you mentioned that if J.P. Goldman Bank left Town, the Bad Boys would corrupt another one. I think that's what they were trying to do with Harkins, but he bugged out. I hope he's safe and alive, wherever he is. If you ever find out anything about him, please let me know. If he's still alive, he might be the only direct human witness to this Spider, that could put the bastard away forever."

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

Driving home from the Heritage Cloisters to the Mountain Nest, I was silent. Laura noticed.

"Stephanie explained to me, and Selena," my wife said, "about how Selena came to be conceived and then adopted. Selena had known the story, but not all the details."

"Yes, they told me the same story." I said, my voice seemingly far away.

"And it's affected you." said Laura. "So share with your psychiatrist."

"I will, when we get home." I said. We drove in silence the rest of the way.

As we came into the den, my mom looked up at me over the book she was reading. "It must have been a very interesting evening." Phyllis said knowingly.

"Mom, can you stay here with the kids for a minute, while Laura and I take the dog out?"

"Uh, certainly, son." my mother said, her brow furrowing a bit. She'd expected me to tell her as well as Laura, but I collected the dog (easy enough, he was sitting right there looking up at me) and my wife and I went out back.

We sat down on the patio love seat as Bowser went to do his business. "Okay, I guess it's safe enough out here, and this has to stay just between you and me."

"Sure." said Laura. "What is it? I've rarely seen you so affected."

"This one is a doozy." I replied. "You remember how I first reacted when I saw Dr. Steele at the Wellman's reception?"

"Yes." Laura said.

"When I saw that," I said, "I realized that Stephanie Steele was not Selena's birth mother, but Edward Steele was her birth father. Ergo, either Mr. Steele was previously married, or had had an affair which produced Selena. I happen to know the biographies of all of our esteemed Town & County Council members, and I knew that the Steeles were married before Selena made her way into the world. So at that time, I realized that whoever Selena's birth mother was... had to be at least part of the reason Angela Harlan went after Selena."

"I'm following you." said Laura.

"So... tonight Mr. Steele told me his side of the story, of the divorcée with whom he had an affair, who gave birth to Selena. This woman died in childbirth, and Edward Steele raised Selena."

"Yes, Stephanie told us that." Laura said. "She also told us that she and Edward had an honest, open relationship, like you and I have, and that she treasures Selena as her daughter as much as any mother ever could. They were both emotional for a few minutes, there."

"Yes." I replied. "So, what I've connected... is that this woman that Steele had an affair with, whom he claims he didn't know who she was or is, must've had a tie-in with a man so full of hatred that he wanted that child, Selena, to be humiliated, imprisoned, and put to death. By doing that, he would inflict death upon the child of the woman who'd spurned him, and would cause great pain to the Steele's, especially Edward. And do I even need to say who that monstrously evil person is?"

"No, you do not." Laura replied. "Did you tell either Mr. Steele or Mr. Goldman?"

"No." I said. "If they don't know, then it's best they don't know... nor that Selena finds out until that bastard is sitting in my jails... and then I will take great pleasure letting both her and him know the truth..."

Part 8 - Orange Order, Inner Circle

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" yelled the lovely reporterette from outside University Hospital at 7:00am, Thursday, December 3d. "Channel Two News has learned that University Hospital is seriously upgrading their security measures, after learning of potential threats!"

Bettina went on: "Sources tell Channel Two News that the Town & County Police Department learned of the possibility of thieves stealing drugs, tissues, donated organs, and even live babies from Hospitals. The Maternity Ward is now highly secure, and new procedures for the handling of prescription drugs as well as tissues and organs has been implemented. Neither the Hospital nor the TCPD would comment on what those security measures are."

"In other news," said Bettina, "Channel Two News has learned that there will be a press conference this afternoon to announce that Coach Ted Thrasher has been hired as the Bulldogs's new head coach! Coach Thrasher will continue as Defensive Coordinator of the Wildcats in the Conference Title game, but there has been no announcement if he'll be asked to stay on for the National Title game if the Wildcats win..."

"You got poached, buddy." I heard a voice behind me. It was my favorite Bulldog, one Captain Cindy Ross (Laura doesn't count; she just works there). Cindy was pouring coffee, and I made her re-fill my mug, as well.

"Yes, yes we did." I said. "Not hard to understand why, either. Coach Thrasher will make the Bulldogs' football program a lot better."

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

At the morning 'Angels' meeting in my office, I said "I am not even supposed to tell you this, but Captain Ross and I will go to lunch and not return until the end of the day, if at all."

"As Joseph Stalin said," said Tanya Perlman in the form of a quotation: "It's not who votes, but who counts the votes that matters."

"Very true." I said with a grin. "But I can assure you the count will be accurate and correct with the Voters' wishes. Anyway, we're not to be called unless something absolutely catastrophic happens. Put out the word that voting ends at noon today. Captain Ross and I will be picking up the ballot boxes of today's votes, if any, from the Precincts."

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

At 9:30am, the Special Advisor to the Police Commander on Data and Information Systems, that being one Mary Mahoney Milton, came to my office.

"Sir," she said as she sat down at my invitation, "Miltie and I have come across some data transactions that we thought you should know about." She handed me a printout of some data.

"Hmmm, so Detective Nash and Lt. Perlman have both been accessing what we have on my dear sister Elizabeth." I said as I perused the data.

"Yes sir." said Mary. "That in itself is not suspicious; after all, we just had a case where your sister's name came up. What interested me is that they accessed the data from their homes, not from here at Headquarters. When I showed it to Miltie, he saw something, and he followed it up." She handed me another piece of paper.

"By the way," she said. "Miltie and I can go into their computers and see what they've been up to with that data, if you want us to."

"Oh." I said, looking at the data on the paper. "Well, nothing I didn't know already. Tell you what, just let me know what they access, and don't fuck with their computers. Thanks for bringing me this."

I then grinned slyly. "By the way, it's going to be fun seeing you and Myron in standard uniform tomorrow."

"Ah, my one day I have to conform. But it's for a good cause." said Goth Girl Mary. "So who's going to be inducted?"

"I have no idea." I said. "Voting doesn't end until noon. Got your ballot in?"

"You betcha." Mary replied.

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

Just before noon, Cindy and I left Headquarters. We had picked up the ballot box from my assistant Helena, maintaining two-man control. We also gave Helena a bouquet of roses for keeping the ballot boxes for us. She'd gone by each Precinct every day and collected ballots, and kept them all in her lockbox in her desk. A lot of work for the Cause, and I'd vote her into the Orange Order if she were an actual police officer.

We went to all the Precincts, collecting the remaining boxes. Of course there were a number of ballots; like everyone else, police officers seem to wait until the last minute to do important things. We took the time at each place to do a walk-through inspection... to put a little fear of Crowbars into the Precinct leaders. Then we headed for the Orange Order meeting place.

"Where do we meet?" Cindy asked.

"City Hall." I said. "So that the votes may be counted by the most powerful person in this County... which ain't us."

We went to City Hall, parking in the basement parking lot area. Going up to the 2nd floor, we went to the office of Mrs. Peabody, the Intendent. She led us to a meeting room nearby, in which 24 chairs were in a circle. Most of the Orange Order members were already present, among them Sergeant Rudistan, Sr. Patrolmen Morton and Hicks, Sergeant Janice Holloway, Captain Della Harlow, Corporal Ronnie Kirkpatrick, Sergeant Charles, Sergeant Briscoe... and no party would be complete without Chief Emeritus Griswold.

"There they are!" Griswold growled happily. "Give these guys crowbars and they think they can walk in any old time."

"The fact we have crowbars is why we're the Guardians of the Ballot Boxes." I replied sonorously. "How are you doing, Chief?"

"Wonderful!" growled the Chief. "I always love seeing all you young whippersnappers. Okay, it's time to count the votes. Mrs. Peabody, would you do the honors?"

What I had not known was that Mrs. Peabody and Corporal Kirkpatrick actually counted the ballots as we watched. The Orange Order medal is an official TCPD Police Medal, and she would make out the certifications for those to be inducted. The Council would rubber-stamp the awards at their next meeting.

The process was laborious. Each police officer in the TCPD had been given one ballot. On it was a stub with a number. The number was assigned to the police officer. When the ballots were turned in, that stub had to be attached and was checked against the list, ensuring each officer voted only once.

No one said anything. I was a bit surprised how tense everyone was in anticipation of seeing who would join our ranks. For me, I spent my time admiring Mrs. Peabody's luscious MILF body as she bent over the table, remembering how fine that ass of hers felt pressed against my groin during those times I fucked her from the rear. I then had to work to keep from getting a huge boner, and thus embarrassing myself.

"Okay, here are the results." said Mrs. Peabody. First, the members of the Inner Circle came over and examined the results. The Inner Circle was like the Board of Directors within the Orange Order, and handled all the 'stuff' that was needed to be done on the Order's behalf. Captain Harlow, Corporal Kirkpatrick, and Chief Emeritus Griswold were Inner Circle members.

The Inner Circle had its own medal, which replaced the Orange Order medal; recipients did not wear both at the same time. The Orange Order drape (and ribbon) was an orange field with lime green edges and a white stripe between the green and orange. The Inner Circle medal and ribbon were the same, except that a lime green stripe went right down the middle of the drape, that green stripe bordered in white. The Orange Order medal had a green colored lantern hanging from the drape by its handle; the Inner Circle medal had an orange lantern so hanging.

"Okay, everyone," said Corporal Kirkpatrick, "here are the results. He named the two names. Everyone nodded.

"Do we accept these Officers as members of our Order?" asked Kirkpatrick. "All who agree, raise your hand." Every hand was raised.