Consent of the Governed Ch. 03

"And they didn't just do that here." Seth said. "They do it every day, putting their lives and safety on the line to protect yours. So I'd like to ask that all Public Safety Department personnel, whether you were here that day or not, to stand up and be recognized."

Yeah, I had to stand up for that one, though knowing my own role had been very, very minor compared to some of the heroes that were here with us today. And Sheriff Griswold was hesitant to stand up, but Dr. Cordell got him back by ensuring that he stood up with us. I made a mental note to tell Our Sheriff that modesty was not a Klingon trait.

After we sat back down, Seth said "I have the honor of making two very special announcements today. First, we refurbished the non-denominational Chapel, and we are naming it after, and dedicating it to, a great Man of God who rushed into the carnage and rescued three infants, saving their lives. This man's heroism is well-known by the Police Force, and all of us at the Hospital will remember in perpetuity when we see that Chapel... the 'Chaplain Alberto Romano Hospital Chapel'! Father Romano, would you please come up?"

The standing ovation was long and loud as Chaplain Romano made his way up to the portico. "We have something for you, Father." Seth said, pointing to his left and our right. Carole and Marie had stood up, and were taking the cover off what we now saw was a painting. It was of Father Romano in his Police uniform with black shirt and clerical collar, easily recognizable. Seth said "We'd like to thank Miss Marie Steele for painting this for us."

"That is amazing!" said Father Romano as he stepped over to look at the painting, which would be framed and put on the wall at the entrance to the Chapel. "Marie, this is wonderful! You are truly blessed with a gift from God, and I hope you will keep using that gift."

"Thank you, Father. I will." Marie promised.

Seth said "We do have one more portrait by Marie Steele to present. This Hospital is extremely fortunate to have a doctor on Staff that has cared for women, their husbands, and their babies from pre-conception to well into childhood. Her dedication to duty and to our lives was shown when she went into the O.R. with a broken arm, to guide others in a difficult birth procedure. We almost lost her that day of the bombing, but by the Grace of God she is still with us today, caring for our children. Dr. Laura Fredricson, will you please come up?"

Laura was very surprised. I just said "Now you'll find out why Carole is here but didn't mention it." My wife looked at me, puzzled, then made her way up and stood by Seth at the podium as the audience loudly applauded.

"Out of Death, comes Life." said Hospital Administrator Seth Warner. "Out of the rubble of the attack upon us, University Hospital is emerging stronger, and better than ever. With the generous support of thousands upon thousands of donors, our goal of rebuilding the damaged wing by this date is very nearly completed." Everyone applauded.

"Ladies, would you reveal the painting, please?" Seth said. That painting was bigger and taller than Father Romano's, so T-Square helped Carole and Marie uncover it. The cloth fell away to reveal a painted portrait of Laura. Like the 'Unfinished Portrait' of FDR at the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, this painting was not finished around the edges, but the head and upper body was drawn and partially painted in, and was clearly Laura.

Seth said "Like the new building, it's not quite finished yet, but we have a little bit of time... and we don't want to take away from Marie's third grade studies." His point underscored that a seven-year-old had made these paintings, whose quality were such that adult artists would admire.

Seth: "And when the work is done, that portrait will be displayed at the entrance to the 'Dr. Laura W. Fredricson Maternity Ward and Neo-Natal Center'!" Laura looked utterly shocked; we had indeed kept the secret and had surprised her. Carole was now applauding most very vigorously, and she was not alone in doing so. The standing ovation was thunderous.

And that painting would never be finished. It was framed and put on the wall of the Maternity Ward's entrance just as it was at this moment. It seemed 'right' that way...

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

And then, this day of remembrance of the past and celebration of the future was marred. As the applause for Laura died down,, we heard chants begin behind us. I stood up and turned to look.

The front lawn between the Hospital and the road was long, nearly 100 yards from the Hospital to the road, University Avenue. A group of students with signs had crept up about half that distance. I could see that KXTC had a camera filming them, and Pat Stellum talking to one of them.

Then, the students started chanting, at first different, indiscriminate things, then "GO TO HELL, FREDRICSON! GO TO HELL!" started up. After some seconds of that, they started chanting in unison "KICK HER OUT! KICK HER OUT!"

The signs were the next clue that showed me whom they were talking about: my wife. Some of what was printed is too ugly to mention here in this family environment. I was infuriated; not only because of what they said, but that Carole had to read that trash about her mother.

And Hell hath no fury like an Iron Crowbar infuriated.

Some of the protesters started throwing things, mostly water bottles. And that was enough for me to have legitimate cause to attack the thugs.

Teresa had seen from the stage that the perps were coming, and had already called on the radio for Police reinforcements. But when she saw me take off, she ran off the stage and actually passed me as we rushed to attack the punks.

"I've got the Media." Cindy yelled as she ran behind me, her green crowbar in her hand. "Don't hold back on the rest of them!" I knew what she meant by that.

There were around fifty protesters. There were three of us... okay, four, including Cindy's baby. But armored Police reinforcements were pouring out of the Hospital. And other help arrived, as well.

When we began running at the slugs, T-Square said to his Regiment: "Go help the Iron Crowbar! Kick those bastards's asses!" The Regiment did not hesitate, they came running after us, despite being in suits and ties... and they were carrying black crowbars.

Meanwhile, Carole came up to T-Square and got in front of him. "Don't worry, T-Square." my daughter announced. "I've got your back while your guys have my daddy's back!"

"I believe you do." T-Square said, more than a little bit amazed.

It did not bother us that we were in our good uniforms with our Medals of Valor around our necks. We slammed into the agitators with everything we had. I was swinging for the fences with my red crowbar, and I was connecting. The punks ran from me, but some tried to attack Teresa. They would've done better against me. Teresa was going for knees, eyes, shoulders, and she was not taking prisoners. Injured agitators began littering the ground.

And then The Regiment hurled themselves into the fray, and I saw that they were very efficient in personal combat with black crowbars. They were hurting agitators, and had no qualms about it. Neither did I...

Meanwhile, Cindy had run up to the KXTC camera and Pat Stellum. I knew from her words that she had activated her bug-killer, and it successfully prevented what we were doing from being videoed. Cindy's first blow was to the camera, knocking the front lens off the rest of the camera. KXTC's Security men, four of them, rushed up to attack Cindy, and they learned the hard way exactly why she was a six-time Police Boxing Matches Champion. Like Teresa, she went for knees as well as delivering powerful crowbar blows to ribs, abdomens, and backs.

Seeing that Teresa and I were in danger if anyone knew what they were doing, or had firearms, the armored Police sprinted up to us and hurled themselves into the fight. They began knocking the college-aged agitators down and zip-tying their hands behind them. Other perps tried to flee... and ran right into the Police that had run around behind them. And the Good Guys made the Bad Pieces of Filth pay. In pain.

Not one slug escaped the dishonor of capture. "Take 'em to County Jail." I said to Kalsu. "Full booking, including felony Resisting Arrest..."

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

"I-urn Crow-bar!" *clap clap, clap clap clap!* "I-urn Crowbar!" *clap clap, clap clap clap!*

That was courtesy of Eastside Elementary third graders, who had enjoyed the spectacle very much. I waved to them as we walked back towards the front of the audience.

"Sorry about that, folks." I said loudly. "They will regret what they have done today... when they have to tell their mommas and their daddies that they've been kicked out of School.

As we settled back down, Seth Warner said "That concludes our ceremonies for today. I've been asked to have all the Medal of Valor recipients come up to the stage. Thank you for coming, everyone!"

As everyone got up and began talking, Alison McFarland came up to us on stage. "Can I get a picture of all seven of you at one time?" she asked. We arranged ourselves in a line by rank: Sheriff Griswold was in the place of honor to the right of the line (left of Alison facing us). I was to his left. Deputy Police Chief Cindy Ross was to my left, then Fire Marshal Roy Easley was next. Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle was to his left, then Paramedics Ellen Brooks and Kevin Randolph were at the left end.

As Alison took photos, people in the crowd saw what was taking place, and they began taking photos with their cellphones. And then a 'strangeness' happened.

"Where are you taking me, Carole?" asked Captain Tanya P. Muscone as Carole pushed Tanya in her wheelchair onto the stage with us, and right in front of us.

"Alison needs to take pictures of you and me with the M-O-V people." Carole said. For some strange reason, everyone looked at me.

"You heard the next Iron Crowbar." I said to Alison. "Say 'cheese', everyone." I was getting a vibe about what was going on. Cindy turned and peered at me, and I just shrugged my eyebrows at her as Tanya parked in front of us, between Cindy and Roy Easley, and Carole stood to her left, between Roy and Teresa. Alison took pictures.

After all that was done, Cindy and the Sheriff corralled me. "What was that about, Crowbar?" asked the Sheriff.

"I'm getting a vibe," Cindy said, "but I can't make out what it's about."

"Well," I said, "Alison did ask that all the MOV recipients come to the stage. And I suspect Carole didn't discern between 'present' and 'future' recipients." Cindy's eyes widened as she looked at me, understanding what I was saying. Our Sheriff's mustaches twitched most merrily.

"Carole," the Sheriff said to my daughter, "will I be here to see that?"

Carole's face turned sad and she looked down as she said "No, Grandpa Grizz. You'll be with Grandma Grizz and Charlie. But you'll be very happy."

The Sheriff patted Carole on the shoulder and said "Don't let that bother you, Carole. We'll all be there, someday. We'll all be there one day..."

Part 17 - Missing

2:00pm, Friday, October 16th. Teresa came in to report.

"We made 52 arrests." she said.

"Well, our guys made the arrests." I replied. "I won't speak for you, but I was not trying to arrest anyone."

"Neither was I, truth be told." said Teresa. "Anyway, KXTC is already calling them the 'Hospital 52', and Chase, Lynch, and Berry P.C. is filing paperwork to represent them in a class-action against the Police. Judge Rodney K. Watts has already set up the mobile Court at County Jail, and is processing them. Some students tried to give false names, and when we showed Judge Watts their real identities obtained through facial recognition, he denied those liars bail."

Teresa: "I've also notified the University of every arrested person's name that is a currently enrolled student. I'm hoping they'll be suspended and ultimately expelled, but Dr. Lionel Carmela has already filed a protest of that with the Ethics Board, demanding they be given due process of law before any other action is taken."

I said "I hate to admit it, but I fundamentally agree with that. Hopefully, those bastards will get prison time, and then expulsion will be a given."

"May I sit down?" Teresa asked.

"Oh... yeah!" I said, a bit surprised. "You don't really have to ask, you know."

Teresa sat down and said "Can I ask you a personal question, sir?" I nodded, and she asked: "You really went after those bastards today. I know, so did I, but I didn't need Cindy nor Carole's vibes to see that you really took that protest personally."

I nodded. "Well, you saw who the signs were saying some ugly things about... my wife, and in front of my daughters and my wife's friends and colleagues. But more than that, much more than that, I was thinking of those four premature babies that burned alive in the neo-natal center. We're remembering them, and those fucking punks showed up and started agitating?" I just shook my head.

*BUZZ!* *BUZZ!* *BUZZ!*

"Yes, Helena?" I said into the speaker of my landline phone.

"Sir," Helena said, "FBI SAC Clark Webster and Special Agent Tracy Stone are in the front lobby and have asked to see you."

"Have the Duty Desk Officer escort them to my office, then show them in.' I said. As that was being done, Teresa got up to go. "Sit down, on the sofa." I said. "If this is what I suspect it is, I want you in here listening to it." Teresa sat down on the sofa.

A moment later, Helena opened the door to admit the Federal Agents, then closed the door behind them. I had them sit down in the 'hot chairs', with SAC Webster in Teresa's normal spot, further away from the door. They politely refused my offer of coffee or water.

Special Agent In Charge Clark Webster was in charge of the FBI's Missing Persons Bureau for our region, and was based in the City. His position was my first clue to what this was about. And Special Agent Tracy Stone's presence showed a connection to the evil entity that she had made her personal prey, that being Dr. Lionel Carmela.

"Don't tell me, let me guess." I said. "Someone connected to Carmela and his so-called 'Politburo' has disappeared. Probably Tamara, who was my wife's student."

Webster looked totally shocked. Tracy Stone looked back at Teresa with a grin and said "You see that every day, don't you?"

"And I never get tired of it." Teresa replied.

"Dis someone tell you already, Commander?" SAC Webster asked.

"No." I replied. "But when the Missing Persons Special Agent in Charge for this region travels here, to my humble office, it's no great feat of deduction what the reason must be. And as Special Agent Stone here was recently a Campus Detective, it suggests University involvement. Q.E.D., eh?"

Clark Webster did not sound all that convinced as he said "Yeah, I guess so. But you're right. Tracy?"

Tracy Stone said "The Campus Police were called yesterday at 11:00am or so. One of Tamara's friends, Dana Stirewalt, reported that Tamara had not come home the night before, and her cellphone was going to voicemail. Tamara lives in an apartment near the Greek Houses, and it's technically on Campus property."

Tracy: "The Campus Police sent two Cadet Officers to her apartment, and her roommates repeated the story that she had not come home the night before, though she was expected to. Her room showed no evidence of her leaving on her own, as her books, clothes, and suitcases were all there."

Clark Webster took it up: "As you both know, the FBI generally doesn't take up a Missing Persons case before 24 hours are up, and after the locals have made an initial investigation, unless a potentially high-value target or their family goes missing. Campus Police Commissioner Briscoe called Special Agent Stone this morning, and she contacted my office, and I drove right over as soon as I was told."

"Did anyone call the TCPD and tell us about this?" I asked. I could see Teresa slightly shaking her head, letting me know that no one had called us that she knew of.

"Not that we know of." Clark Webster said. "And that's one reason why I came over personally, Commander. We know about the accusation by Dr. Carmela against your wife, and that Tamara was both her student and Dr. Carmela's. That may have been Commissioner Briscoe's reasoning for not informing the TCPD before informing us, thinking you would have to recuse yourself from investigating."

"And letting 24 hours go by," I said with asperity, "when we could've been helping find her, or ascertain her whereabouts all that time. So why are you guys here? More specifically, why aren't you talking to the Chief instead of me?"

"Sir," said Tracy Stone, "with respect to the Chief, we know that you're the one that has the best chance of successfully closing this case."

"But I still have to recuse myself." I said. "Okay. Let's take this to the Main Conference Room. Teresa, round up Captain Muscone and Lieutenant Davis. I'll go get the Chief..."

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

"I a-greeeee with the Iron Crowbar." Chief Moynahan said darkly. "Commissioner Briscoe, you should have notified us the minute you got the call yourself, even if it were the Sheriff or meeeeee."

We were in the Main Conference Room. Present were Chief Moynahan, me, Lt. Commander Croyle, Captain Muscone, Lieutenant Davis, Federal Agents Webster and Stone... and University Campus Police Commissioner and Provost Marshal Bob 'Brick' Briscoe, who had been called by SAC Webster and had quickly arrived.

"I take responsibility for that." Briscoe said. "I was really hoping that the girl would turn up and it would be nothing. And I also was concerned how that bastard Carmela would spin it to the Press, especially that bitch Wurtzburg and KXTC."

"And well-founded concerns those are." I said agreeably. "Chief, do you want me out of the room while y'all talk about this?"

"Hellll, no." replied the Chief. "Unless Mr. Webster does. This is officially the FBI's case now."

"Feel free to sit in and listen, Commander Troy." said Clark Webster. "We could use any advice you can give us."

"Captain Muscone," I said, "take charge of our part in this, if you don't mind."

"Thank you, sir." said Tanya. "Commissioner, Can you bring us up to speed on the Campus Police investigation? What y'all did before calling the FBI in?"

Briscoe: "The Campus Officers that went to her apartment had her roommates call around and see if she'd been seen. We also called Dana Stirewalt, who called in that Tamara was missing and asked her to call everyone she could think of. She said she already had, and no one had seen her since the night before."

Briscoe: "We got her class schedule. One class was Dr. Fredricson's, and Tamara had been kicked out of that class and failed out of Dr. Fredricson's graduate program, so there was no expectation of her seeing Tamara. Still, we called Tamara's classmates, who said they hadn't seen her, and that she'd been kicked out of that class. We also checked with her other professors, who'd heard nothing."

"Someone talk to Dr. Carmela?" I asked.

Briscoe checked the copies of his Officers's notes, and said "Yeah, looks like Coates called Carmela, and wrote here that Carmela said he hadn't seen Tamara in a couple of days. When Coates asked Dr. Carmela to call around and see if anyone had see Tamara, Carmela said 'That's your job, Punk.' and hung up the phone."

"Such a caring person." Teresa said sarcastically. Tracy Stone nodded vigorously in agreement.

Tanya said "So what has the FBI done, so far?"

Webster said "We're going to have my Agents go around Campus and interview and re-interview people. We're also using the tools available to us to try to ping Tamara's phone, and to get metadata on who she might have called or called her. That'll take a warrant, of course, which we are in the process of obtaining."