Film Noir Ch. 02

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is now listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

Part 8 - Dinner, and Revenge, are Served

The dame had set me up. She didn't even want the case solved; she just wanted a patsy to be taken down in her place, and I was the one chosen to be served up as the blue plate special.

I did not like the the way this story was shaping up, so I decided to write a new ending, with my crowbar as co-author...

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

"She took the Fifth!" Les Craig was exclaiming. "She took the fucking Fifth!"

We were in an office conference room near the FBI offices. Laura had had Cindy re-strap my girdle onto me as tightly as she could, to help hold my back in place. FBI Agents had taken the bullet out of the girdle; it was a flattened round disc with very sharp edges; it had not expanded.

"Are you okay, Don?" asked the DepDirector, seeing me sitting in a chair, mentally fighting the pain. I would be losing, except that Laura injected a painkiller right into the area. I was afraid she was going to inject me with a sedative, but I think she knew I had to be awake for this one.

"I've felt better, sir." I said.

"So what now?" asked the DepDirector.

"Are they going to let her go?" I asked.

"They better not!" exclaimed Cindy.

"There's nothing we can hold her on." said Les Craig. "All of this was for nothing. Nothing!"

"Why did she take the Fifth?" asked Muscone. "Why the charade?"

"Him." Cindy said, pointing at me. "Look at him. Alive by the Grace of God, sitting there in debilitating pain, being chased across two States all night long. They were after Don."

"I think you're right, Ms. Ross." said the DepDirector. "This is obviously some sort of attempt to kill the Iron Crowbar."

"Why this way?" asked Les Craig. "They could set up assassination attempts a dozen other ways."

"To make it look like Mrs. Morelli was the target and I just got in the way." I said. "Any other way, and Cerone and Molinari take it out on the perps, in this case Jerry Morelli... who just lost his frickin' shirt when the Pine Valley project was shut down." (Author's note: 'Environmental Hazards'.)

"And why do you think they're after you, and not Mrs. Morelli?" snarled Les Craig.

"She took the Fifth." I replied.

"Les, head on back to the FBI Offices." said the DepDirector. "Take all your guys, and write up a good after-action report. I'm going to have to answer a lot of questions about why the Iron Crowbar got shot."

"Yes sir." said Craig. He and his minions stalked off.

"Well, what now?" asked the DepDirector.

"We finish the job." I said. "Jack, is the transmitter Cindy put in Mrs. Morelli's purse working?"

"Like a charm." said Muscone. Cindy had put the bug in the purse while I was fucking Betty. Yeah, I was doing that for 'King and Country'... well, and for the intense pleasure of fucking that beautiful woman.

"All right, let's do this." I said.

"Cindy," said Laura, "if Don passes out, break this whole thing off and get him to the hospital."

"NO problem with that." Cindy replied, looking at me with as much determination as Laura was.

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

Mrs. Morelli was picked up by a limousine in front of the Cannon Building. Other cars were discreetly following, making sure she was not followed, and eyes were watching the Federal Building. It did not matter; the Black Beauty slipped out of the parking deck going west, the other way.

"Going south, towards Westphalia." Cindy said. "Think she's going back to Midtown?"

"No." I said. "They've got a safehouse south of Westphalia, not far from that quarry I mentioned this morning."

"How are you holding up?" Cindy asked.

"Good enough to finish this." I said. "Let's do it."

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

"I did everything you wanted me to." Betty Morelli said to her husband Jerry as they sat at the large table with Morelli's men, eating a late breakfast or early lunch. They were in a large house in a gated neighborhood south of Westphalia. The house actually belonged to Orrin B. Taggart, who was one of Morelli's backers in the attempt to kill the Iron Crowbar.

"How did they get around our people?" asked Jerry. "I've spent a ton of money buying cops for two years, and they can't even stop a stupid green car. We had other assets... well, those didn't help much, either. What happened, Betty?"

"The Iron Crowbar was well ahead of your guys." said Betty. "He had some slick gadgets, too."

"Betty..." said Jerry, trying to hold on to his temper, "I told you that if he was getting past our people, to do something, to escape, to run down the road, to find a way to contact me. Did you guys stop for the night? Couldn't you have snuck out then?" Betty said nothing. Jerry was growing angrier.

"There is no way to escape me," came a voice from the doorway of the room, "when I want to catch you."

The men all went for their guns, but the *ratta-tatta* of machine gun fire over their heads stopped them. Cindy was holding the M4, and was eager to use it again. I 'approached the bench', i.e. the table.

"So, Morelli," I said loudly, "thought you could entice the Iron Crowbar, and indeed the FBI, with the charms of your beautiful wife, eh?"

"What do you want, you prick?" growled Morelli, his eyes staring daggers of fire at me.

"I want you to listen to some news." I said, then as I got to the edge of the table I yelled: "The feast is over, time now for the famine!" Ipulled the tablecloth hard. Dishes and food went everywhere.

"The day of Jerry Morelli in this State... is ovah!" I shouted at Morelli. "You're a failure, Jerry! You can't even keep your wife satisfied!"

"You son of a bitch." said Morelli. "I'm gonna twist your cap around then feed you your balls!"

"Promises, promises." I said. "I'm not kidding, Jerry. Once word of this gets out, Taggart is going to hang you out to dry. And you're owing some serious people some serious money after the Pine Valley failure, so sorry. I'm afraid that Mrs. Morelli is about to become destitute, as well as unsatisfied in bed."

I turned to go. As we made it to the door, Cindy called out "He's right, you know. The Iron Crowbar threw a better fuck into your wife that you ever did, from what I was seeing. You're just a pathetic piece of little-dicked shit, Jerry!"

"Why you..." Morelli gasped out, giving his wife a dirty look as he was getting up.

With that, I threw smoke grenades to cover our exit. And you better believe we were running like hell to get to the Black Beauty. The driver door and left rear door were open, and we quickly scrambled in, me in the back seat. Cindy put 'er in gear and we were off. The gunfire of the pursuing criminals was late, and inaccurate.

"Get them! Get those pricks! I want their asses dead! NOW!!" yelled Morelli. The criminals sped to their cars, which had powerful engines, and took off in pursuit.

"Get in, bitch!" Morelli yelled, forcing his wife into one of the cars, then getting in himself...

Part 9 - Revenge of the Crowbars

"Okay, they're behind us." I said. "Drive to the quarry."

"You do realize we'll be trapped in there." Cindy said.

"Have faith, Ms. Ross." I said. "Do it!" Cindy took the turn to the road to the quarry, committing us completely to our course of action.

"Dammit, why won't this car move?" Cindy growled. She was flooring it, but the car just would not gain speed. The pursuers were hot on our backs.

We drove straight into the quarry, the rock walls in a circle high above us. "Go to where that little pink flag is, circle around to it!" I said. Cindy did so.

"They're going to the edges up top!" Cindy said. "They can fire down into us!"

"I'm counting on them to do so." I said. "Stop at the pink flag!"

Cindy did so. I got out and practically rolled onto the ground. Feeling what I expected to find, I said "Help me with this."

It was a metal slab, the size of a household door. Cindy and I lifted it up, revealing a foxhole about four feet deep. We scrambled inside and lowered the door down onto us.

"Get down." I ordered Cindy, then I lay down over her, protecting her.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!*

The ground shook violently. "What the hell is going on?" Cindy asked.

"They're firing rockets into the car." I yelled as another explosion rocked us.. "Military grade rockets. We knew Morelli had them; now we've found them."

"Looks like they've found us, too!" Cindy yelled back.

*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*

Dust fell into our chamber and the metal door above us rattled. We could feel the heat of the air from the explosions outside.

Finally, the barrage stopped. After several moments of quiet, we heard a voice: "You guys can come out now."

"Jack?" asked Cindy as I sat up and let her up from under me. Indeed, it was Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone that came into sight as Cindy pushed the metal door up. Hands from above helped move it out of the way.

"Did you get them?" I asked wearily.

"We sure did." said Muscone. "Taped the whole thing from several different angles, including drones. Attempted murder for all of them."

Cindy scrambled out of the hole and looked around. A burnt-out shell of a car was on the other side of the hole from where it had started; the missiles had pushed it 25 feet sideways. What was left of it was still burning and smoldering.

"Ohhhhh, my poor Black Beauty." Cindy said sadly as she looked at the carnage. "There's nothing left of it."

Jack Muscone and several FBI Agents pretty much pulled me out of the hole. "Your father will have to rebuild." I said.

"That is not going to be able to be rebuilt." said Cindy forlornly. "And I don't know if they can start from scratch again."

"Well then," I said, fighting the increasing pain in my back, "we'll just have to use this other car." I pointed to the entrance of the quarry. Coming towards us was the Black Beauty!

Driving the car was a brightly smiling Dr. P. Harvey Eckhart, founder and great leader of 'The Vision' self-help empire, builder of the Black Beauty, and Cindy's father.

"Ah my young friends, will you be needing a ride?" he asked as he parked by us. Two other, much newer cars came up also, with some of Dr. Eckhart's acolytes from 'The Vision'.

"What?... How?" Cindy stammered, then saw my grin.

"They switched cars at Morelli's place while you and I were inside goading them." I said. "That burnt out car was barely a shell with an ordinary motor; that's why you couldn't get any power out of it. If you'd outrun them in the real Black Beauty, we could not have set this trap for Morelli."

"It's bad enough that you don't tell me your plans." said Cindy in mock anger. "But my own father, too?"

"Ah my dear," said Eckhart brightly, "your cousin did want to tell you. It was other planners that persuaded him not to."

"Why are you involved in this, Father?" asked Cindy.

"Because the fool Morelli was behind that despicable attempt to murder your young cousin Carole and her mother." said Eckhart. "Fortunately, guardian angels stopped him before even my people could get there."

"Who are those guardian angels?" I asked.

"I don't know, I honestly don't know." said Eckhart. "But they are very good, whoever they are. Anyway, I must be going, my dear,... before your FBI friends remember that they want to arrest me."

"No way we can do that right now, with the Iron Crowbar ready to beat us down if we try." said Jack Muscone. "And on behalf of the FBI, I thank you for your tremendous help."

"It was my pleasure." said Eckhart. "And I know young Donald was having more fun with those toys than a Police Commander should be allowed to have." I grinned in spite of the pain in my back.

With that, Eckhart hugged Cindy, who warmly returned his hug, and he got into one of the cars with his acolytes. We waved goodbye to them as they drove out of sight...

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

Some moments later, we drove up to where the FBI was processing the criminals. I got out of the car, seeing the Morellis, handcuffed, standing next to each other.

"Well, Mr. Morelli," I said, "looks like you have failed yet again. You might can save yourself if you talk to Mr. Muscone about your associates and backers. And Mrs. Morelli, you really should consider actually doing that testifying you were promising us."

"Go fuck yourself, Iron Crowbar." said Morelli. "I will find a way to make you pay, no matter what the cost or how long it takes."

"And while you're at it, Morelli, he'll be fucking your wife's brains out." Cindy said, goading Morelli, whose eyes flashed fire.

"Okay, enough of that." I said quietly to Cindy. "Don't give their lawyers loopholes."

As the FBI took the criminals away, and Cindy and I were walking to the Black Beauty with Muscone and Nash, it hit me.

"Cindy..." I said, "... get me to the hosp---" I felt myself falling, collapsing to the ground.

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

I'd solved the case, but since the dame was no longer my client, I felt no further need to explain things to her. She'd have to take her chances in life, while I tried to put together what was left of mine. And right now, a very strong drink sounded like a very good idea...

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

3:00pm, Monday, April 3d. I was sitting in a chair in the Emergency Room at University Hospital. Cindy had rushed me home, with a Police escort all the way. By the time we got home, I was conscious again, but moving my body was hard.

"We're going to take you into surgery right now." said Dr. Morgan. "Your vertebrae are holding on by a thread, and if there is any further damage you risk losing the ability to walk."

Also in the room was Cindy, Laura, Carole, my mom Phyllis, and Hospital Administrator Leonard Cordell (Admiral, USN (Ret.)). The looks on most of their faces was grim. Carole was looking around in an interested but uncomprehending manner.

"Well then, let's get it on with." I said. I signed the requisite forms, then hugged my mother and Cindy, and hugged and kissed Laura. Saying goodbye to Carole was the hardest; surgery is no joke, and I did not know if I was saying goodbye to my daughter for the last time.

"Bye, Carole." I said, hugging her tightly. "Take care of your mom, and your brothers and sister, and Bowser and Buddy."

"I will, Daddy." Carole said brightly as she hugged me. "See you on the other side!" Her words shocked me... where did a three-year-old come up with that phraseology?

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

I was placed on a gurney on my belly, about to be rolled into surgery. Just as I received an injection for nausea, which also acted as a sedative, Cindy came up to me.

"Les Craig." she whispered. "Clean or dirty?"

"Dirty." I whispered, fighting to stay awake. "He knew---" I didn't make it, I fell asleep, knowing that Cindy was going to be mad at me for keeping her in the dark again...

Part 10 - A Privilege To Bear

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" I heard the television say as I woke up. It was Tuesday, April 4th. The light in the window to the outside was pinkish and getting brighter. It was 7:00am, of course, as Bettina said "Channel Two News is bringing you continuing coverage of the arrest of Southport mobster Jerry Morelli yesterday near Westphalia!"

Bettina went on, standing in front of the Federal Building on Courthouse Square: "Channel Two News has learned that FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone was responsible for the apprehension of Morelli and members of his crime family, catching Morelli in the act of attempting to murder Town & County Police Commander Donald Troy and Captain Cindy Ross. The FBI is not releasing details of the capture nor the attack on our TCPD Officers, but the Deputy Director of the FBI had this to say. Roll tape."

The tape rolled and the Deputy Director said "Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone and his team did an outstanding job of capturing Jerry Morelli after years of fruitless efforts to arrest him and bring charges against him. We also appreciate the help of Commander Donald Troy, who was wounded, and Captain Cindy Ross in bringing down this high-level and dangerous Mob figure."

Bettina came back: "Commander Troy was injured and taken into surgery, which doctors said was very successful, and that he will be back on full duty within a couple of weeks..."

The pain in my lower back was shooting up. I looked around the room and saw Captain Teresa Croyle sitting in a chair. She had been watching the news, as well.

"Good morning, Captain." I said. "How are your wounds healing?"

"Just fine, sir." said Teresa. "I've re-qualified with my gun, and am back on full duty. So you just relax and let your Angels run the Police Department for a while." I smiled and refrained from saying a biting reply.

"By the way, that morphine is there for pain." Teresa said. "Just press the button when the pain starts getting bad, and the morphine will take the pain away for a while."

"Yes." I said. "Do me a favor, please, and get the nurse or doctor in here."

Teresa did so, bringing in Dr. Morgan. "How are you feeling?" he said.

"Okay." I said. "Do me a favor and take that morphine away. I don't want any part of that."

"Don, you're going to be feeling some severe pain, not only from the surgery but just from your back healing up." said Dr. Morgan, whose face looked as surprised as Teresa's at my request.

"Please, take it away." I said. Dr. Morgan called in the beautiful black Nurse Jones, and had her remove the morphine and the pump that delivered it.

"Okay," said Dr. Morgan, "the surgery went well. I'll spare you the details, but the two affected vertebrae, which were the same ones damaged in your helicopter crash last year, were pinned back together, and an artificial lining put in as the original one between them was disintegrating. We'll test for spinal cord soundness later today, before your first rehab session."

"My first what?" I asked, stunned.

"Oh yes, rehab starts now." said Dr. Morgan. "No sitting for weeks in bed. You'll take your first walk today, obviously a very short one, then start some exercise and more movement over the next several days. It might be a week, but knowing you, Commander Troy, you'll be getting out of the hospital in as little as three days."

"That's right." said a beautiful voice. It was my wife Laura, who had just walked in. "But don't rush it, darling. You've got a long healing process ahead of you. So what's this business about having your morphine taken away?"

"I don't need it." I said. "The pain will help me concentrate on the healing."

"Sounds like something you did not learn from this psychiatrist." Laura said. "And I'll bring it back if I think you're taking on too much."

"That's why I love you." I said. "But don't bring it back."

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

Laura and Dr. Morgan had left, and Todd had come in. "Hi, Uncle Don." he said jovially. "I warned you about trying all that kinky stuff like wearing girdles.." I chuckled, then the pain reminded me that I wasn't healed yet.

"I don't care what anyone says," I said, "wearing a girdle works fine for me."