Jupiter Rising Ch. 01

"What the fuck are you talking about, you fucking dyke?" Amber yelled, trying to goad Cindy into physical violence. Cindy did not take the bait... yet.

"Stop your shit. You know what I'm talking about." said Cindy. "And I don't care if it's you or your racist proxy Penis Holder talking about it on the air. If anyone at KXTC says another word about that baby on the air, I'm going to kill you."

"Making threats?" Amber goaded. "Some cop you are!"

"You should think about it, Amber." Cindy said quietly. "That's right: I'm a cop, authorized to carry and use a gun. And I'm a cop that can pull you over any time, or go into your home without a warrant because you're on probation, and send you back to prison and put your kids into DFACS... or I can just stop the shit permanently and just blow your fucking head off. This is your last warning, bitch. And if you don't think I'll do it, you just try me."

With that, Cindy shoved Amber into the car door one last time, then called Hicks over. "Write her a warning for the speeding and FFI, then she can go." Hicks wrote out the warning, which Amber took, crumpled into a ball, and threw it onto the car floor in front of the shotgun seat, then scratched off as she got back on the road.

"Some people just don't learn, ma'am." Hicks said to Cindy as they watched Amber leave.

"You got that right." Cindy replied. "Thanks for your help on that."

"No problem, ma'am." said Hicks. "And if you need more 'help' with that bitch, just let me know..."

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

Amber Harris rushed into the KXTC offices. She went to her desk and checked the tape recorders that had been in her purse and on her person. Both recorded through Hicks's correct stop, but became staticky with a droning hum when Cindy had come up.

She went to the office of Burt West. He was in there with Bettina Wurtzburg and Lester Holt. "Ah, come in Amber." he said.

"Did you get the recording from my phone?" Amber asked as she came in, shut the door, and sat down at the table with the others.

"Yes." said Burt West. "At least through the first part of the stop. Then it became all static, with an intermittent hum, as if the Slender Man had walked up to you."

"We have got to find a way to get around their jamming devices." said Bettina.

"Ross threatened to break out my car windows, then when I opened the door she pulled me out of the car, then slammed me against it." Amber said bitterly. "We should subpoena Hicks's dashcam----"

"It wasn't on, or at least that's what they're saying." said Lester Holder. "We've already sent an Open Records Act request for it. Commander Ross personally responded to it, saying Hicks's dashcam wasn't on, nor was the Officer-cam on his body, and she wasn't wearing one."

"That's bullshit!" Amber said hotly. "We need to----"

"Amber... Amber!" said Burt West, finally getting her to stop talking and to pay attention. "Look, you're right, that was pure abuse, and a demonstration of the sheer Power of Police that Jasmine Nix warned us about in her album. But Ross is going to get away with it. You start up any crap with them, and they'll use that stop, or gin up another one, to go to Court and revoke your parole. You'll be in prison for three years, and you know Donald Troy is dirty enough to get your kids put in DFACS."

Amber's face fell at West's words. Then Bettina said "Why did they stop you, Amber? By that I mean, what really happened?"

"Ross threatened me." Amber said. "She said she would kill me if anyone at KXTC brought up Betty Morelli's baby on the air again. She called you 'Penis Holder', Lester, and said that if you or anyone else brought up Betty's baby again, she would come kill me." Everyone looked around the room at each other for a second.

"Just shows we're getting to her." said Holder. "We need to ramp it up even more."

"No!" Amber spat. "Are you kidding? That bitch wasn't playing games! She meant it; I could tell. She will come after me if any of you keep it up!"

"But we've got to keep up the rhetoric against Donald Troy!" exclaimed Lester Holder. "And the way to do that is to attack his children on the air!"

"That almost got you killed, Lester!" Amber yelled back. "And what, are you trying to get me killed now?"

"I'm sure it's not that bad---" tried Burt West.

"You weren't there, Burt!" Amber yelled at her boss. "You didn't see the look in that bitch's eyes. She meant it! And if it's true that her adopted daughter is Betty's baby, she would kill me to protect her daughter. That's what those bastard Troys DO! Look at what happened to John Hardwood, and to that ATF Agent Halsey!"

"We have got to get Donald Troy!" countered Lester Holder, emotion in his voice. "We've got the bastard on the ropes; we have to finish him off!"

"By getting me killed?" Amber fired back. "Really?"

"Burt," said Bettina diplomatically, "we do need to consider the threats to us in all this. Why don't we discuss our plan of action going forward later?"

"All right, all right." said West, pretending to concede. "Amber, go get started on our six o'clock story about Jared's impeachment trial. Lester, check with our Fed contacts and see if we can gin up anything on that civil rights lawsuit against the TCPD. Y'all go ahead." Amber and Penis Holder acted upon their dismissal and left the room, a decided chill between them... at least by Amber towards Holder.

After the door closed, Bettina said "Amber really is scared. I could see it in her eyes. Maybe we should scale back, at least about Morelli's child."

"Lester was right about one thing, though." said West. "They are counting on us, KXTC, to do our part to destroy Donald Troy, and quickly. The Feds did their part; they almost got Troy charged with sex crimes. And damn the idiot that made such a bad forgery!"

"Yeah, that was a 'bad Buddha' on that." Bettina said forlornly. "But Troy is damaged goods."

"Not badly enough, though." said Burt West. "Bettina, you and I know that this is not about getting Jared. The primaries are in May, and the General Election in November will be here before you know it. And for our plans to ensure that Democrats win, no matter what, to succeed... we can't have that asshole Troy around. Look what he did when they tried to turn the Mayoral election for Weaver. He actually went and put someone in jail for it, rather than just letting it go. For what we have planned, especially in November, we have got to destroy Donald Troy."

"I hear you." said Bettina. "But is it worth getting Amber killed? I tend to agree with her that that dyke Ross isn't playing around. And Ross's fiancée is a CIA operative with that bitch Fredricson. Either one would kill Amber with nary a blink of the eye."

Burt West said "In the battle for power, real political power, there will be casualties. Winning that battle means more than Amber Harris's life. Destroying Donald Troy is more important than Amber and her children, or Penis Holder's life."

"Burt!" chided Bettina. "You're calling him 'Penis Holder', too?" Apparently what West had said about the (lack of) value of Amber's life didn't bother Bettina, but the offensive nickname did.

"That's all that faggot is, a penis holder." replied West. "The only reason I have that racist son of a bitch working for us is because he agitates Troy and the TCPD so much."

"As the TV show says, 'Point Taken'." Bettina said.

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

I was meeting with Captain Tanya Perlman, Lieutenant Jerome Davis, and Lieutenant Micah Rudistan in my office at 2:00pm, Monday, February 3rd.

"Okay," I said, "who are the partners in MCD?" Tanya indicated to Jerome to answer.

"Now that Warner is back," said Lt. Davis, "she's with Washington again. Coleman and Newman were partners in Vice, and are doing well together in MCD, so I'm keeping them as a team, and that leaves Rodriguez with Parker, which seems to be working well."

"I agree." I said. Tanya nodded vigorously in agreement.

"And I didn't suggest these partnerships due to this," said Davis, "but it pairs two white persons with two black persons, and one white person with a Hispanic person, and men and women as partners."

Tanya added "And the DOJ can't say we made these pairings just for Affirmative Action reasons. Coleman and Newman were already partners in Vice, so having them as partners in MCD is only natural. And Joanne and Theo were partners before she took maternity leave, so it makes sense they remain that way."

"True," I said, "but I'm not worrying about that. I am wondering why we haven't heard anything from the US DOJ. Neither has Mayor Allgood."

"That's easy, sir." said Rudistan jovially. "It's not time yet. The Primaries are in May, and the General Election is in November. We'll be hearing from the DOJ in April or so."

I did a double take and stared at Rudistan. "That is damn good thinking, Rudistan. Here, hold this." I handed him the red crowbar across the desk.

"Oh my God." Tanya said with a huge grin. "Rudistan with all that power? That's scary."

"No ma'am." said Rudistan jovially as he tapped the crowbar in the palm of his hand. "Our newest Auxiliary Detective will whip my butt if I try anything."

"Yes, yes she will." I said. "But that was good thinking on your part about the timing, Rudistan. So... tell me about Vice and your partnering ideas there."

"Yes sir." said Rudistan. "Statler and Waldorf are a good team, so I want to keep them together. Hardy and Drew came into Vice together, so I'm giving them the chance to keep working together. So we've got 'Ice Cube' Perry, Grubby Paul, and Joan Laurer. Perry stays undercover, so Paul and Laurer as a team is what's left."

"You good with that, Captain?" I asked, seeing in Tanya's face that she wasn't so good with it.

"Ewwwww, I'm... 'okay' with that." said Tanya. "Grubby Paul was a great undercover guy, until he got 'outed'. And I'm concerned that 'Ice Cube' is getting to that point where he'll become known. They would be a good partnership. Joan Laurer is a great prospect; she reminds me of Teresa Croyle when Teresa was in Vice, but without the bad attitude. Joan is going to be truly great, if she's developed properly. But putting her with Grubby Paul, who just doesn't get his paperwork done, and isn't all that orthodox nor out front... that could set her back."

I replied "Grubby has some good qualities, though. He's really good at stakeouts, at finding the right place to be, what to watch out for, what dangers are possible. He's good at getting potential sting deals started, and negotiating them. No, he's not Croyle nor Laurer when it comes to leading an armed raid, but that's not what I want him doing. And Grubby Paul is pretty good with motivating his fellow Officers; it was he that started the 'team effort' reply to a compliment, and instilling team values in the unit."

I continued: "So I'm good with letting Laurer work with Grubby Paul, and learning from him. But you're right: it won't last forever, and Laurer is too good a Detective and a leader to be held back for very long at all." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Everyone nodded, then Rudistan said "Uh oh, I better be careful! She could end up being my replacement!"

I said "I'm thinking more in terms of your successor Mr. Rudistan. Perhaps when you become Operations Commander, one day. And Laurer could compete with you, Mr. Davis, for Captain of Detectives." My Detectives looked shocked.

"And where am I going, sir?" Tanya asked, grinning but with an underlying seriousness to her voice.

"Deputy Chief." I said. "And Commander Croyle will be the Police Commander."

"And Deputy Chief Ross?" asked Tanya.

"She'll either be the Chief of Staff for the Sheriff," I replied, "or she'll retire and run her father's self-help empire after he retires or, perish forbid, passes away"

"And where will you be, sir?" asked a shocked Jerome Davis.

"I'll have to take one for the team and become Police Chief when Chief Moynahan retires or, perish forbid, passes away." I said. "I will be forced to sit behind a desk and be miserable while you guys have all the fun."

"Sir," said Tanya, "by that time, you'll be enjoying sitting back like Sheriff Griswold, twiddling your thumbs, and watching these young Detectives at work... especially the new one you just swore in this morning."

"Touché." I said with a grin. Rudistan handed Tanya the red crowbar, and my current Captain of Detectives cackled with glee.

"So the bottom line, here," I said, "is that we need to find Laurer a partner, and a good one."

"Yes sir." said Tanya...

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

"We have a cranky six-year-old on our hands." I said to Laura after making some observations.

"We have a sleepy six-year-old on our hands." Laura replied. "She stayed up late last night, got up before dawn to escort little Pete to his father's graveside, then the awards ceremonies, then a full day at school that included races around the gym at recess. I'm surprised she's made it to this point."

Our guests this evening were Cindy, Callie, and Betsy, who had spent her time in a lovefest with Buddy and Bowser. That had irritated Carole, who said "Bowser is my dog!" until Daddy intervened and strongly advised sharing the canine love.

Carole had fought to stay awake through dinner, and did not respond well to Jim's taunts about several things, culminating when she overturned her glass of water and Jim teased her hard about it. She turned to me and said "Can I start making arrests now that I'm a Police Officer?"

"On what charge?" I replied.

"Disturbing the Peace." Carole replied. "And being an irritating younger brother."

"I don't think that last one is a crime." I said. "And thank goodness it's not, or my big sister Elizabeth would've put me in jail and thrown away the key." Jim laughed uproariously at that, then turned to begin flirting with Callie, which he'd been doing all evening. He was his father's son about things like that, for sure.

"So when are y'all going to set a date?" I asked Cindy and Callie. "Before Jim gets to legal age?" Jim laughed at that, though I don't think he understood the full import of the joke.

"We've been talking about that." said Cindy. "My father is in Malaysia, and is due back in April or May, when the weather here gets better. And we're staying out of the way of Tanya and Jack's wedding. That's gonna be huge."

"Wedding of the Century, part deux." I said.

"I heard Tanya asked Teresa to sing at the wedding." said Callie. "I hope Teresa will. She has an incredible voice."

"And she showed it, and shocked the world at the Christmas Eve rally." I said. Everyone nodded vigorously in agreement. Carole nodded off, then jerked back awake.

After supper, Laura would normally have the kids bring plates to the sink for washing, but I intervened to help Carole, who had lost the strength to carry plates. We then went to the greatroom, where Jim was telling Callie about building Lincoln Log structures as he worked with said Lincoln Logs on the floor. Betsy was continuing to administer pettings to two most very tolerant dogs, and Carole was reading a book.

Some moments later, Betsy waddled over to Cindy and pointed back at Carole, who was lying prone on the floor. I checked to see, and found that Carole had fallen sound asleep.

"I'm awake!" Carole yelled as I turned her over to pick her up.

"Not for long, Fussbudget." I said as I picked her up and rose to a standing position. "Time for you to go to bed. It's been a long day for us Police Officers."

I carried Carole upstairs, and Laura got her ready for bed. When Laura came downstairs, she said "She didn't get her pajamas all the way on when she fell asleep on the bed. I think we may have overdone it this time."

"True." I said. "But sometimes it's worth it. She'll remember seeing Saturn and Jupiter forever. And the ceremonies, too."

"She was so cute this morning at the ceremonies." Cindy said. "I don't think I've ever seen her happier than when you put that Badge around her neck, Don. But why did she want to go to Pete Feeley's grave site?"

"I didn't understand that, either." said Laura. "And Carole snuck around me by asking Teresa to take her, and Carole was awake and dressed when Teresa arrived. Don, any ideas on that?"

"Uh... I got the feeling she was the one that got Pete to go, and was accompanying him." I replied. "Now why..."

I didn't finish the sentence. I went into a reverie.

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

After taking the dogs out, I went upstairs to let Bowser into Carole's room, whereupon he got into his basket and settled down. Carole was sleeping very soundly and did not stir as I adjusted the covers over her. Yes, she'd overdone it today... we'd overdone it for her, too. But the experiences were worth it, I knew.

As I looked at my firstborn child, sleeping peacefully, I remembered the moments at Pete's father's graveside. I knew that teaching little Pete to become a good Police Officer was not my only task in life. I had the duty, and the privilege, of teaching my daughter to be a great Police Officer... and the next Iron Crowbar...

Part 4 - No Crimes Committed

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, February 5th. "In the face of devastating evidence of deeply unpopular Governor Val Jared's guilt, his supporters use hysterics, lies, and threats of violence to try to save him!"

Bettina began: "As State House Managers lay out their overwhelming case for convicting Jared in the State Senate, his supporters are becoming increasingly hysterical and militant in their dishonest defenses of him. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Republican William C. 'Billy' Williams (R - Town & County), one of the Defense Managers, saying "Governor Jared has committed no crime! He has done nothing wrong! All he has done is disagree with the Socialist, crime-coddling agenda of the Democrats!"

Then State Rep. Johnny Perdue was shown, saying "No, Governor Jared will not resign. We are not capitulating to these false charges, we are fighting them all the way." That was apparently what Bettina thought was 'threats of violence'...

Back to Bettina live: "State Rep. Tasheeka Harris of Midtown, who is leading the State House Managers's prosecution of Governor Jared, has built an ironclad, devastating case that proves Governor Jared is a racist, a misogynist, and has abused the power of the Office of the Governor. Experts say that only Republicans voting along Party lines can save the corrupt Republican Governor."

Bettina: "The State House also is preparing a subpoena for Town & County Police Commander Donald Troy, to compel him to testify in the Impeachment trial about Jared allegedly asking Troy to use the Power of Police to harass two women that made credible claims of sexual harassment by Jared, and also about Jared's pardon of Donald Troy. The Managers also want to know who adopted Betty Morelli's baby, so that they can have DNA tests run to determine if Donald Troy is the father of Morelli's baby."

Bettina: "State Attorney General Karl Handel, who is running for Governor against Lieutenant Governor and Jared crony Sharon Marshall, said he believes that Donald Troy can be subpoenaed again and compelled to testify, and that the previous Immunity agreement will not cover the new testimony."

Bettina: "And in State news that affects our County, Judge Harry R. Nance has agreed to hear an appeal by Gwen Munson, attorney for convicted murderer Peter Blassingame. What is unusual is that Munson has demanded her client be present at the hearing, so that he can testify. Arrangements are being made by Federal Marshals to transport Peter Blassingame to our Town & County for the hearing..."