Deliver Us From Evil Ch. 01

Mary said "The SRIC has collected the reported stolen car tags from all over our state and the adjoining counties in our north and west border States. They have entered that data into the Federal Kaleidoscope system and the equivalent State system. If a camera gets a reading on any of those tags in our area, we'll be alerted."

Tanya: "That's good, but are you talking directly to the FBI about any of this? If the gang is crossing State Lines, the FBI can really help coordinate---"

"WHAT PART... of 'I told them not to' did you not understand a moment ago?" I thundered at Tanya as my eyes shot gray fire practically through her. Tanya looked totally shocked for an instant, but that shock was quickly turning to anger.

"Eeeeeasy, Mister Crowbarrrr." drawled the Chief. "In God we trust, ladies and gentlemen. In Derrick B. Harland, we do not. Izzz here anything else you neeeed, Captain Michaels?"

"I can talk to them later about the details, Chief." Claire said diplomatically. The Chief ended the meeting as quickly as he possibly could, and got up and left. I followed him out the door as quickly as my aching back would allow me to move...

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

*Whirrrrrrrrrrr*

Deputy Chief Tanya P. Muscone drove her wheelchair into my office right behind me at a high rate of speed, forcing my door shut by driving the wheelchair in a tight circle and catching and throwing the door closed in a deft move. I admitted silently to myself that I was impressed by the maneuver. I sat down in my chair as she parked on the dime on the floor in front of the desk.

"I thought we were past a lot of that crap." Tanya said. "Why are you freezing out the FBI again, especially Jack's local team?"

"Because I don't like them spying on me." I said levelly. (Author's note: 'Break-In', Ch. 04.)

Tanya said "At that time, you jumped my case because I brought it up in front of others, instead of alone and in private. We are alone and in private now. And you still haven't said what that was all about. What gives?"

I said "Again, I don't like them spying on me."

"That's not all it is." Tanya said, letting her not-sparkling eyes bore into mine. Her wheelchair-bound status notwithstanding, Lady Ironside was fearlessly standing right up to the Iron Crowbar. I had to admire my Angel for that much, I thought to myself.

I said "A lot of it really is what's going on in Washington. The FBI has become a totally corrupt organization, literally acting as political enforcement for one political Party against the other. And before you say anything: no, I don't think a lot of field agents are part of the corruption, and definitely not Jack and his Team. Having said that, the less I have to deal with them about our professional business, the happier I am... especially about the Louella Hopper thingy, which you should never ask me about again. I'll tell you when I'm ready to... and when I can."

"You don't have to." Tanya said. "Teresa told me and Cindy that it's about Catholic priest molestations. And don't get pissed at her. She told us so we can help protect you when they start trying to kill you. And no, I didn't say a word about it to Jack, and I'm not going to. You, I can outrun in this thing. Teresa, I can't."

I whimpered a slight laugh, not really mollified about any of this...

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

6:00pm, Tuesday, June 29th. The Council meeting would not begin until 7:30pm, but Teresa had been called down to City Hall by Cindy a half hour before, and Teresa in turn had called me. I hurried down.

The front door of City Hall faces east, onto Courthouse Square. After going through the metal detectors just past the atrium, one was well inside, and had to walk back east along the hallway in front of the Council Chamber that was north of the entrance (i.e. right side of City Hall). Halfway down, windows to the outside were in the walls, revealing the front portico from the side. Going on around, there was the far end entrance to the Council Chamber.

That front hallway was flooded with blue-shirted and red-shirted Citizens, mostly young in age. The blue-shirted people's blue t-shirts said 'CELEBRATE THE FOURTH!' with an American Flag in sparkling colors in the middle. The red t-shirts was the standard outline of someone planting a pennant on a hill, the logo of the 'Antifa' movement used by black 'Social Justice' groups.

The groups were yelling at each other, and some of the epithets were pretty ugly. Deputies and Police Officers were trying to get between the groups and maintain some semblance of order, but they were intermingled, and no one was yielding.

"They won't separate because they're competing for seats, sir." Teresa said as I came up.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do." As I gave Teresa some instructions, a very young, skinny black man who had been having a verbal philosophical exchange of values with blue-shirted Katina Jones decided to make it physical. He grabbed at her and pulled her shirt to him as he raised his other arm and closed his fist to punch her in the face.

*GRAB!*

As he was whirled around, his wrist being painfully twisted, he found himself looking right at Your Iron Crowbar. "Better be sure." I growled as he was about to attack me. "I hit one hell of a lot harder than she does."

"I'M NOT RESISTING!" the young man yelled loudly.

"HANDS UP! DON'T SHOOT! HANDS UP! DON'T SHOOT! HANDS UP! DON'T SHOOT! HANDS UP! DON'T SHOOT! " the red shirted protesters began yelling in unison.

*TWEEEET!*

My Police whistle's blast cut through the noise, and silence was instantaneous. Having shoved the guy into the custody of two Deputies, I yelled before they could start up again: "NOW HEAR THIS!"

Still speaking loudly, I yelled "I appreciate you wearing t-shirts showing me who you are! Each side will get half the seats in the auditorium! The blue shirts will enter through this door, and the red shirts on the far-side door, after I open them all! Now separate!"

"Why should we give up our place in line?!" yelled one young black woman that I did not recognize. "These racist Whites will just take all the places!" The red shirts started chanting again. I blasted my whistle again.

"BECAUSE I SAID SO!" I yelled. "I said you would get half the seats, and that is what you may expect to get! Now MOVE!"

"You heard the Iron Crowbar!" called out a voice. Former Council Member Reginald B.F. Lewis, wearing a red t-shirt that had the words 'Black Voices Raised' in white, was coming down the hallway. "He's doing us right. Now let's go."

Lewis had realized that I was going to give his fellow red-shirts half the seats, as long as they behaved; ergo, he stepped in to help calm things down. He and I nodded to each other as he passed by me. Only very begrudgingly did the red-shirted people go down the hallway to the other entrance, but they did go as they were persuaded by Lewis.

Once the groups were separated, and there were Officers and Deputies to stay between them and keep the peace, Teresa and I went into the Council Chamber. I had a roll of pink streamer tape, like crime scene tape. Teresa went along the aisle behind the top row of chairs while I went to the floor of the Chamber. At the halfway point, I called out "Catch!" and threw the roll of streamer tape. It unrolled as it flew up, and Teresa made an excellent catch. She threw it back downhill, and we proceeded to mark the middle column of chairs with the tape, which would provide a buffer between the groups.

"Think it'll work?" Teresa asked as we stood on the floor and examined our handiwork.

"Yeah." I said. "As long as you and I are here to enforce it."

Teresa said "Hard to believe Reginald B.F. Lewis helped us out, there."

"Naw, not really." I said. "Reginald has figured it out. He'll get more done for his people by working with me than working against me." Then I added: "But I'm not fooled. He wants something, and I suspect I know what it is..."

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

"Freedom's just another word
for nothing left to lose."
--- Janis Joplin

7:30pm. The Council members filed into the Chamber from the side door behind the long, curved bench. They were greeted by the sight of nearly 300 people, all red on one side and all blue on the other.

Mayor Daniel Allgood gaveled the session into order, then said "I guess it's appropriate to have red and blue in the Chamber today. Would everyone please rise as we cite the Pledge of Allegiance---"

"Objection!" yelled Councilwoman Kelly Carnes (D). "Saying that Pledge is offensive to those in our audience that are immigrants, or who do not wish to express allegiance to a country that supports White Nationalist racism! And for many People of Color, 'Freedom' is just another word for nothing left to lose!" The red-shirted people in the audience burst into loud applause.

Mayor Allgood tapped his gavel until he had order. "Object all you want, Carnes." he said. "This is the United States of America, and you're in it. Everyone please rise." The Republican Council Members, Democrat Members Susan Weston and Sheila Sorrells, and all the blue-shirted people in the audience stood and recited the Pledge. Not one person in a red shirt stood; they all remained seated, perhaps out of peer pressure for some...

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

10:30pm, Tuesday, June 29th. Professor Stephanie Steele had 'telescope time' at the Observatory overnight, and Marie was spending the night with my family at the Mountain Nest. I was going to drop Teresa off at her home anyway, so Edward R. Steele followed me up to The Cabin. Molly, Ross, and Ian were already asleep, so Edward and I went onto the back deck.

"I'm glad you were there." Edward said as we sat down with bottled waters. "It might've gotten bad if you hadn't been."

I said "Once Teresa and I separated the sides, and gave them equal seating, everyone seemed to calm down. I thought it went fairly well, at least as far as the audience was concerned."

Edward said "True, but my God! the hatred that Carnes and the Democrats showed for the Pledge, then the festivities for the Fourth! Why the outrage?"

I said "It's the Left's next strategy. 'Patriotism equals Racism'. Respect the Flag, you're a racist. Respect Constitutional rights, you're a White Nationalist that wants to violently overthrow the Government. July 4th? A Holiday celebrating white slave owners. That's the Left's next campaign to destroy this country."

Edward said "I see what you're saying. But it won't happen this year. It's too bad we couldn't get the fireworks display moved to Saturday, but we are contractually obligated."

Indeed, the Council Democrats had wanted to cancel the contract and the fireworks show, but Councilman J.P. Goldman (R) delighted in pointing out that the County would have to pay the full contractually-agreed-upon price, plus an additional amount for ordnance disposal.

Then Malinda Adams and Kelly Carnes wanted to move the Triathlon race back to Sunday morning. Though neither said it out loud, both women were anti-religious and wanted to have the race on Sunday morning just to fuck over the churches. Mayor Allgood declined to call for a vote until he was sure it would not be 5-5, so he wouldn't have to break the tie either way. So arguments raged for nearly two hours before the other eight Council Members agreed to leave things the way they were, and defeated the Adams-Carnes bill.

In present time on the back deck of The Cabin, I said "Sooooo... you bought the property next to where Cindy is going to build her house?"

Edward said "I bought an option on it, and I'll buy it and start building a house when we're sure the legal issues with the Climate Fraudsters are behind us. She's already cleared the trees, and the views over Lake Reservoir and south of there are amazing... as good as this view from here."

I said "Nothing beats this view, but I'm biased about that. Anyhoo, you can tell me it's none of my business, but I'm curious why you're moving, and what your plans for your Council seat are."

Edward grinned as he said "Ah yes, gotta give the Chess Master time to put his pieces in place." I chuckled as a red crowbar was waved in his general direction. Then he said "I'm sure you can guess the reason why."

I said "That's what I wanted to ask you about... is this business about suing over the makeup of the Council for real?"

"And a whole lot more." Edward said. "Have you talked to Myrtle L. James lately?"

I said "Not since that debacle of Laura being put through the ringer of being offered the University Presidency post, accepting it, then Mrs. James's Trustees voting her down."

"Ahhh, I understand." Edward said. "Well, there's a lot going on, and some of it is like dominos falling. Don't tell anyone this, Don, but since Reginald B.F. Lewis left the Council, he and I have somewhat resumed the friendship we had before things got so ugly on the Council. We've had some lunches and some discussions about what's going on."

I said "Before you say more, is it genuine friendship, or is he playing you?"

Edward looked shocked for a second, then thought about it and said "Well, I guess he could be playing me, but I don't get that sense. Anyway, he's let me know that Eldrick X. Weaver, Edgar Silas, Stacy Jacobs, and other so-called civil rights leaders do plan to sue over perceived unequal representation on the Council."

Edgar: "What they can't agree on amongst themselves is which of two ways to go about it. One way is to demand equal districts without regard to the Town City Limit lines, like the Town & County Assembly is. The other is to maintain the separate Town and County lines, but all the districts must be equal population, which means that the Town will get more Council seats than the outside County will."

Edgar: "The more popular side amongst the Black Community is maintaining separate lines, and having more Town representation, probably because that will likely give them more People of Color on the Council. The other way is preferred by moderate Democrats that are White and Hispanic. Hispanics would benefit most from ignoring the Town and County separation."

I said "And the subsequent issue is that per the original Merger Agreement as well as the current Charter, which you and I helped write, if the Town and County lines are no longer used, that automatically triggers a plebiscite vote to re-separate the Town and County completely. That's a very gray area if the Town & County lines are still respected but the Council composition is changed."

"We don't think it's a gray area." said Edward. "And (air quotes) 'we' include me, Mrs. James, John Colby, Dagmar Schoen, and Sheriff Griswold. If they try to change it at all, we believe the plebiscite vote must be held... and we hope to have your support on that position."

I said "Well, it's going to get even deeper. The State Legislature has to have something to fight about, and since it's not a (air quotes) 'Budget necessary' year, there's going to be that push to streamline the counties. We may be rolled into one county with Nextdoor County and Coltrane County. If that happens, then the Town and County will be re-separated by the State Legislature, and they'll have separate governing bodies. I might add that the Town & County Assembly will go away, being unneeded."

Edward said "The Assembly is likely to be disbanded anyway, especially if the new Council is equal districts without regard to the Town City Limit lines. Anyhoo, upon your advice I sold those options on land in various parts of the County, and only have the one from Cindy for building my personal home. And I want to be outside of the Town Limits if and when they separate. My question is... what are you going to do if and when they re-separate the Police Forces?..."

Part 3 - Independence Days

8:30am, Saturday, July 3d. I was at the starting point for the Town & County Triathlon near the end of Reservoir Road. The race would begin at 9:00am, and entrants were checking in. I had picked up Sheriff Griswold at his house, and Cindy had driven down from the House on the Hill, the one with the safe room, where she, Callie, and their kids were living. (Author's note: 'Safe Room' for more on that house.)

"You really can't see from here at the end of the road where my house will be when I build it." Cindy said. "Once it's done, I think we'll be able to see the Sheriff's house from my back deck, but the angle really is more out over the lake to the other side, and on past into Nextdoor County."

"And you can see Russia from your house." I quipped, remembering a 'Saturday Night Live' smear of a Conservative politician.

"It's gonna be great when you're done." barked the Sheriff. "We may even use it as the counseling post more than Crowbar's back deck."

"Tasha and the cats will have objections to that." I said. "And it'll be a beautiful view, no doubt... but my view overlooks our Town, and nothing is better than that."

"I'm happy with a lake to catch fish out of. That's 'view' enough for me." growled the Sheriff.

The official Town & County Police Team came up to us: Detectives Joan Laurer and Lisa Monroe. Joan had won the Race the year before, with Daniel Patrick as her partner. This year, Lisa felt she had trained well enough to race, and Joan was partnering with her; while SWAT Team members (and Rangers) Daniel Patrick and Robert Kalsu were a team.

And there had been some friction over who would be sponsored by the TCPD as our official Team in the race. Your 2x Police Boxing Matches Champion Iron Crowbar settled it by giving the current (and 2x) Police Boxing Matches Champion the nod. When Kalsu had asked 'What about us, sir?', I'd replied 'Win the Police Boxing Matches next time'. Another 2x Police Boxing Matches Champion, The Iron Wolf, heartily agreed with my decision.

Patrick and Kalsu were not happy about that, but they got the hint, and got the U.S. Army Recruiting Center to sponsor them. Jerome Davis and Micah Rudistan were running for the U.S. Navy Recruiting Center.

A moment later Sr. Detective Joanne Cummings Warner came up with her race partner... her husband and Hospital Administrator Seth Warner. "Since Joan got the TCPD sponsorship, Seth and I got the University Hospital Cancer Center sponsorship." Joanne said happily.

"And I was happy to give them that one." said Teresa Croyle as she came up to us with her husband Todd Burke. Like myself and Our Sheriff, Teresa was in uniform.

"Who's racing for BOW Enterprises?" I asked Todd.

My nephew replied: "One of our security guards, David Jay, and one of our chemists, who is from Kenya and once made their Olympic Team, Absku Waitimu."

"My God, he'll crush the marathon run." I said.

"Yes," Todd said, "but he's not all that great as a swimmer. I told them both to have fun and that there was no dishonor in any result except quitting."

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

As the race got started, Teresa, the Sheriff, and I piled into my Police SUV and went over the hill past The Cabin. "Let's go look at Cindy's properties." Teresa suggested. So instead of turning down the road that went by University Memorial Stadium and into Town, I kept going straight along the ridgeline, then turned onto the newly paved road just past the parking lot at Promontory Point, and parked in what would become Cindy's driveway.

"Wow, that is a great view." said the Sheriff as we looked around.

"It'll be even better from the back deck, which will be raised above the ground like Don's deck is." Teresa said. Then they both noticed that I was not looking at the view, but walking around and looking closely at the ground, as if well trained by Bowser and Buddy.

"What is it, Crowbar?" the Sheriff asked.