Justice Ch. 06: The Gift of Freedom

"Now that we're all here, why don't we get started," Adrestia said. We all sat down and put our tea on the coffee table in the middle of the room. "Danni, I'm glad you could join us tonight. I understand you and Eli visited Judge Stone. What can you tell us?"

"I have a follow-up meeting set for tomorrow, online," Danni said. "He's gone through the videos you gave us, and he's pretty disgusted with what he saw. Unfortunately, none of them are admissible in court, which we already knew. But, he thinks there may be enough there that, if presented properly, could be seen as probable cause.

"I also made some discreet inquiries with the medical board, to see if there was something we could do along those lines. Unfortunately, I was informed nothing could be done for at least 45 days. Possibly 60 days. It seems they have a backlog of cases they're working through, and they just don't have the manpower," Danni added.

"And in 45 to 60 days, Edwin Skitz will be out of the country, his practice closed down," Cameron said. "And his victims... disposed of."

"Closed down?" Grandpa asked.

"Yes," Cameron said. "Ginger, Bill and I went through his brain feed. I tell ya, if you looked up 'Asshole' in the dictionary, you'd probably see this guy's face. A real piece of work. It seems that a number of insurance companies are starting to question his choice of treatments and medications. He's been thinking about closing the place down and retiring with his harem for a while. He's ramped things up a bit since we pulled James out of there."

"Harem?" Danni asked.

"Yes, he has several women he keeps," Cameron said. "Most of them married. He gets off on humiliating and cuckolding their husbands while they're trapped in bed, unable to do anything. He especially enjoys urinating on the poor trapped husbands after he has sex with their wives." Adrestia nodded her head at that bit of information.

"What do you mean, 'keeps?'" Danni asked.

"He has what you could call a 'stable' of sorts," Cameron said. "He keeps a few women for himself, like Eastland's wife, Tina. Then he farms them out to some of his friends for a while. Most of them end up making porn movies for almost nothing, while the rest end up on the streets. Almost all of them end up sold. Skitz doesn't really care what happens to them. He uses them, sells them and then moves on to the next batch of victims."

"And no one does anything?" I asked.

"No," Cameron says. "Skitz has a lot of friends in powerful places. And they cover for him. Mostly out of fear of what he might do to them. You might be interested to know, Danni, that some of them are on the state medical board."

"Well, that explains the lengthy delay," Danni said. "What about Judge Alfred Stone? Is he one of Dr. Skitz's friends?"

"He's donated to Skitz's charitable foundation, but so has most of the country club class in this area," Cameron said. "There's nothing to indicate any deeper ties. Thing is, Skitz is a real asshole, but he's a damn good doctor."

"I see," Danni said. "So, what does Skitz plan to do with his patients when he closes shop?"

"The actual patients -- the legitimate ones -- will get transferred to other facilities," Cameron said. "He has other plans for the men he has trapped there."

"Other plans?" Grandpa asked.

"He intends to kill them and cremate their bodies," Cameron said.

"And his staff?" Adrestia asked.

"He plans to give the legitimate staffers a good severance package and a recommendation," Cameron said. "The ones who work in his 'special' ward won't be treated so well. It would appear they know too much about what he's been doing."

"I'm surprised none of them have spoken out before now," I said.

"You have to understand that he has complete control over everything in that place," Cameron said. "And everyone. His control is so complete that he can order them to suck him off and they'll do it. On the spot. I've seen him do exactly that several times in his brain feed."

"How does he intend to deal with those staffers?" Danni asked.

"He's already started. From what I gathered in his brain feed, he's been slowly poisoning them for the last few weeks," Cameron said. "Putting compounds in their coffee and office water coolers. So far, none of them have caught on. Once he's dealt with the 'patients,' he'll finish the staffers off. Worse yet, they'll happily drink his brand of kool-aid."

"When does Skitz plan to do all this?" Max asked.

"I'd say a week. Perhaps sooner," Cameron said.

"Then we need to move, and fast," Adrestia said quietly. "Thank you, Cameron. You've done excellent work, as always."

"You're welcome," Cameron said.

"Do you happen to know where Skitz spends his time when he's not at the clinic?" Adrestia asked.

"Yes," Cameron said. "Most of the time, he's at his compound east of town. It's in a remote location. That's where he keeps his 'harem' and does most of his planning."

"Security?" Eli asked.

"Fifteen guards at his compound. Four at his clinic," Cameron said. "Two of those are out of commission now."

"Yes, we saw the report earlier," Max said with a smile.

"Here's what we'll do, then," Adrestia said. "Normally, Eli and I would handle this ourselves, but as the saying goes, many hands make for light work. I'll take care of the other patients. I can get in and out of that clinic without anyone knowing. I'll just have to do it quick."

"Will you be bringing them back here?" Max asked.

"Yes, temporarily," Adrestia said. "Eli, I'd like you to take Skitz and Mrs. Eastland into custody. Bring them to my courtroom if you would, please."

"Alright," Eli said.

"Cameron and Amos, I'd like the two of you to create a distraction while Eli takes them into custody. Draw out Skitz's security and take care of them, please," Adrestia said. She pulled out two rings from her pocket and handed one to Cameron and the other to me. "Use those to transport yourself to Skitz's compound. Just press the blue stone in the center."

"Danni, if you don't mind, I'd like you to stay here and work with James and the others when I bring them back. I'd like you to work up the mother of all class-action lawsuits against Skitz's clinic and his estate," Adrestia said.

"His estate?" Danni asked, confused.

"Yes," Adrestia said. "Trust me, he won't be able to appear in court himself."

"I... see," Danni said. "You know a class-action could take years to get resolved, if ever."

"I don't think that will be a problem," Adrestia said, glancing at Cameron. "Do you, Cameron?"

"No, it won't," Cameron said, winking at Danni. I looked at Cameron, then at Danni, confused. Adrestia turned to her husband.

"Max, I'd like you to accompany me to the clinic. The security there will need to be dealt with and the remaining staffers will need to understand that it's in their best interest to testify against Skitz," Adrestia said. "And I would appreciate the backup."

"Of course, dear," Max said, smiling.

"When are we going to do this?" Eli asked.

"I see no reason to procrastinate. Let's do it tonight. Is Skitz at his compound, Cameron?" she asked. Cameron's expression changed for a moment, and his eyes flashed.

"Yes, he's at his compound," Cameron said. "In fact, he's having a nice little orgy with his harem even as we speak."

"Perfect," Adrestia said.

"Speaking of which, what do we do with his harem?" Cameron asked.

"Put them to sleep," Adrestia said. "Not permanently, though. We'll let the locals deal with them. You can handle that, can't you?"

"Of course," Cameron said.

"Good," Adrestia said.

"Excuse me, but I'll need to run home and grab my Winchester first," I said. Adrestia nodded her head.

"That won't be a problem," she told me. "I'll show you how to use the ring so you can do that and meet Cameron at Skitz's estate."

"Don't ferget yer badge, pardner," Eli said.

"I won't, Grandpa," I said. The badge he gave me had protected me before when we rescued Danni and our son from a rebel army in Mexico.

"When we're finished, we'll meet back here. Now, if there's no questions, why don't we go check up on our client," Adrestia said. We all stood and followed Adrestia to the room where James was being cared for.

...

"That's it. Suck it all down like a good little whore," Edwin growled as he shot his seed into Tina's willing mouth. He had just pulled his cock out of Lisa's ass and unceremoniously crammed it into Tina's mouth after grabbing her by the back of her head. "Too bad your wimp of a husband couldn't be here to see you suck my dick after it's been in Lisa's ass. You love this, don't you?"

"Mmm," Tina moaned, unable to speak. She hated doing this at first and nearly got sick to her stomach the first few times he made her do it, but she managed to develop a taste for it after a few months. She especially liked doing it as her invalid husband watched from his hospital bed, unable to do anything about it.

Tina relished seeing the tears flow down James' face as he watched her suck and fuck Edwin to completion. She would often finish the session by smearing Edwin's ejaculate on her husband's face, ensuring he got a nice big glob right in his mouth.

It wasn't always like that, though. At first, she was horrified at the idea of cheating on her husband, but Edwin's seduction was masterful -- and complete. By now, she would do anything he asked her to do. And she had no regrets whatsoever.

After Edwin pulled his shit-covered dick out of Tina's mouth, he smeared it on her face, and she wiped it off with her fingers before sucking them clean. The big guard who stood in the corner snickered as he watched the action in front of him.

Suddenly, the temperature in the room dropped. They looked around, confused, as their breath formed a frozen mist in the air.

"What the fuck is going on?" Edwin growled as he rubbed his arms, trying to stay warm.

"Dunno, boss," the guard said as he shivered.

"Well don't just stand there, you moron! Find out what happened to the heat," Edwin barked. The guard headed for the thermostat, but the shadows in the room began to change and shift. As they stood, frozen, they saw a shadowy figure of a man form.

Chills ran up and down their spines as the figure coalesced. The square-jawed shadow man wore western-style clothing, with boots, spurs, and a beaten-up cowboy hat. They saw an old Texas Ranger badge on his shirt and a six-gun in a holster on his hip, and his eyes looked like orbs of fire.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Edwin asked.

"Name's Peace. Justice O. Peace," the man said. "And ah'm here ta take you in." Edwin stepped back as the shadow man moved forward. The guard, who stood frozen in place as the man formed, found his backbone. He pulled his pistol out and stepped forward, ready to shoot the intruder. But the shadowy figure beat him to the punch -- literally.

One hand quickly shot out and hit the guard across the face. The large man flew back and crashed against a rock wall before sliding to the floor unconscious, teeth and blood gushing from his mouth. The shadow man produced a long rope from somewhere and came for Edwin.

Before any of them could react, Justice wrapped Edwin and Tina in his rope and cinched it down tight, so neither of them could move. He picked them up with ease, slung them over his shoulder, then looked at Lisa, who was cowering in a corner, hoping the man wouldn't see her.

"Ah got no beef with you, young lady," Justice told her, his eyes flashing. "But if ah were you, I'd find another line of work. Good day," he said, tipping his hat. With that, he vanished from the room, leaving Lisa to wonder what it was she had just witnessed.

...

I met up with Cameron just outside the large main house as bright lights suddenly turned on, revealing our location. I saw several large men taking positions as they pulled out their firearms. Some of them looked to be armed with AR-15s as well as pistols.

"About time you got here," Cameron said. Just then, we heard gunfire, and I saw muzzle flashes. I saw several sparks in front of me and realized they were shooting at us, but my badge protected both of us. We quickly split up so as not to be open targets. I got into position and began cycling the action on my Winchester, aiming for the lights and the spots where I saw the muzzle flashes.

I saw a flash of light emanating from Cameron and heard shrieks of pain from the guards shooting at us. I continued cycling my Winchester, sending a hail of bullets toward the guards. There were more cries as my rounds hit their targets. Another flash from Cameron's eyes caused even more howls of pain. I couldn't help but wonder just who, or what, this Cameron Drake really was.

We moved closer to the front door, using whatever we could find for cover. When we realized no more shots were being fired, we carefully stepped out and looked around. I spin-cocked the Winchester, causing Cameron to look at me funny.

"What are you, the Rifleman or something?" he asked with a sly smile. I smiled back and shrugged my shoulders. We eased closer to the door and saw it open. We quickly ducked for cover, and that's when I saw him -- Grandpa Eli, with something slung over his shoulder. He stopped, put two fingers to his mouth and let loose with a loud bone-chilling whistle.

Suddenly, we saw a giant black horse appear out of nowhere. I had seen large horses before, but this was the most enormous creature I had ever seen. It had to be at least 30 hands tall -- roughly ten feet. I had never seen Grandpa ride this beast before.

As we watched, Grandpa tossed what he had over his shoulder onto the back of the horse before tying it down. Then he swung into the saddle with ease and looked at us with a grim smile.

"Damn, Grandpa," I said. "I've heard of being tall in the saddle, but this takes the cake."

"She's somethin' else, ain't she? Yeah, ah like ta take her out for a run ever' so often," he said as his eyes flashed.

"Is this for real?" Cameron asked.

"Sure is, son," Grandpa said. He pulled back on the reins, and the horse raised up on its hind legs. It gave a bloodcurdling neigh as it raised its head, its eyes flashing, its front hooves high in the air above our heads.

"Whoa," Cameron exclaimed. Grandpa smiled at that.

"Ah'd better get these two varmints to Adrestia's courtroom. See y'all back at the house," Grandpa said. He whirled the horse around and nudged its sides. "HEYAHH," he exclaimed. The horse took off and suddenly vanished from sight.

"Now, THAT's a horse," Cameron said. "Is he really your grandfather?"

"Yup," I said. "My great-great-great-great-grandfather. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War, then in the Texas Rangers. Rode with Captain Bill McDonald."

"That's way cool," Cameron said. "I met him once before but I never knew any of that. C'mon, let's put some people to sleep."

...

Adrestia looked around after she and Max materialized in the hospital room. She saw the gaunt man in his bed and struggled as she held back her emotions. This poor soul was in worse shape than James was when Adrestia liberated him from this hellhole. She looked at the IV in his arm and flipped through his chart.

She produced a ring from a pocket and slipped it on one of the man's fingers before dematerializing. She and Max visited the four other men in the same condition as the first, collecting their charts before placing a ring on their hands. After she saw the fifth man, she looked at her husband.

"I'm going back to the gallery. Be careful, my love. The nurses will be alerted as soon as these men disappear," she said as a tear fell down her face. Max took her in his arms.

"I know, sweetheart," he said. "I've got a handle on it. I'll be right behind you. It'll be alright." He looked her in the eyes and saw a mix of pain and anger. "Get justice for these men," he said. She nodded her head.

"I will, my love. Count on it," she said. They exchanged a quick kiss, and Max stepped back. Adrestia pressed the central stone on her ring and disappeared, along with the man in the bed. Max knew the others had disappeared as well. Then he heard the alarms as the loss of signal from all five rooms hit the nurse's station simultaneously.

He stood quietly, pulled his fedora over his eyes, and waited for the door to open. He saw a somewhat large woman in a nurse's uniform enter the room when it did. She saw the empty bed, then looked at Max, surprised.

"What are you doing in here? How did you get in here?" she asked.

"Go back to your station," Max said in his "command voice." The nurse obeyed quietly, feeling compelled to do as Max ordered. When Max went into the central part of the ward, he saw a security man step forward, putting a hand into his jacket to draw his pistol.

"FREEZE," Max ordered. The security man stopped in mid-stride. "SIT DOWN!" Everyone, including the security man, immediately obeyed. "Pull your gun, slowly, remove the magazine and toss them on the floor," Max told the guard, who instantly obeyed, not knowing why he felt the strange desire to do as he was told without question. Max turned his attention to the head nurse.

"Here's what you're going to do," he told the nurse. "After I leave, you're going to call 911. You are going to confess to what you have been doing here with these men -- kidnapping, illegal detention, everything. You will leave nothing out. You will also direct police to bring a team from forensics. Your boss has been slowly poisoning all of you. He intended to kill you." The nurse looked at him, shocked at what she was hearing.

"And most importantly," Max added, "you will say nothing of my existence. I was never here. Understand?"

"Yes, sir," the nurse said, nodding her head. Max pressed the central stone on his ring and disappeared. After he was gone, the nurse looked at her phone. She strangely felt the overwhelming urge to dial 911 and reached out with trembling hands.

...

"You made it," Adrestia said when Max appeared in their parlor. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his face. He hugged her back and returned her kisses.

"Of course I made it," Max said with a smile. "Where are the others?"

"Cameron and Amos are in the other room with Danni and the six men," she said. "Eli took Skitz and Tina to my courtroom. I'll be leaving in a minute to deal with them." They walked into the room and took in the six men lying in their hospital beds. Clara had just served them a bowl of chicken noodle soup and was busy checking their vitals.

"How are they?" Adrestia asked.

"Not good," Clara said. "It's a good thing you got them here when you did. Another day and they probably would've died."

"How's James?" Adrestia asked.

"He is responding well to treatment," Clara said. "Mrs. Jones has been talking to him since you left."

"Good," Adrestia said. "I need to go for a bit, but I'll be back soon."

"Very well," Clara said.

...

Edwin Skitz and Tina Eastland stood at one end of a long table. Several hooded figures sat on each side of the table, consulting their notes. The man who brought them to this place was seated at the table.

"ALL RISE!" a large man at the tall dais in front of them commanded. Tina and Edwin were already standing. The others stood on command and turned as two tall doors opened.

A woman wearing a long robe stepped through the doors and took her place behind a tall podium high above everyone else. She carried what looked like a double-edged sword in one hand. Tina and Edwin trembled as they watched the woman take her place behind the bench. A man stepped forward and took his place next to Tina and Edwin.

"BE SEATED," the man commanded after the doors closed with a loud bang. Tina and Edwin looked around but saw no seats were available for them. "Court is in session, the Honorable Judge Adrestia Rhamnousia presiding."