Little Red Haired Girl Ch. 01

"These guys are sadists." said Derrick, meaning it humorously. "And they expect miracles."

"The Iron Crowbar says that he does not believe in miracles, he relies upon them." Tanya said. "So... get up there so I can report to him that you are meeting his miracle expectations."

Derrick was helped out of his wheelchair at the end of the parallel bars. He held onto them for support, braced by the therapists on either side. Then he began trying to walk forward. He stumbled after the first step.

*Whirrrrrrrr*

Tanya had extricated herself from the wires and exercise bike, pulled herself into her wheelchair, and was riding to the other end of the parallel bars. "Come on, Derrick!" she ordered.

"I... I can't." said Derrick. He tried to take another step.

"Don't tell me what you can't do! Show me what you can do!" Tanya all but yelled, and in her most authoritarian voice. "And come over here and tell me that to my face! You guys... don't help him! Let him go!"

"He might fall." said one of the young therapists.

"Yes, he might." said Tanya. "And then he can pick himself up off the floor... like he did all those times on the football field. No excuses, Derrick! Get over here!"

Her words had a mesmerizing effect on Waters. With a look that was either anger or determination, he began slowly walking towards Tanya, his legs herky-jerky like the Iron Crowbar's had been after his fight with the Slender Man.

After three steps, Derrick lost control and tumbled to the floor. The therapists rushed over to help, but he waved them away. He crawled on his arms over to the nearest pole holding up the parallel bar, and used his upper body strength to pull himself up. Only then did he allow the therapists came over with his wheelchair, and help him into it.

"Good!" Tanya said. "You took three steps. I'll bet that's three more than you took yesterday. And you got your own ass off the floor. That's an even bigger deal. But it's only the start."

"Yes, ma'am." said Derrick.

"I'll be reporting your progress to the Iron Crowbar." Tanya continued. "He will be expecting me to tell him that you took four steps on Friday, when you and I will be here next."

No one else was saying a word. Derrick just looked over at Tanya and said "Yes ma'am."

That is what 'Coach Perlman' wanted to hear...

Part 6 - (Much) Lower Expectations

When I entered Laura's office (with permission), I saw Callie Carrington sitting on one of Laura's two sofas (the one with its back to the windows). Callie was holding Betsy, and Jim was sitting next to her, drawing something. Laura was at her desk.

"Hi Daddy!" Jim said. "I'm drawing a picture for Callie."

"My boyfriend is giving me gifts of drawings of houses." Callie said with a smile.

"Sounds like he is reading your and Cindy's minds." I said. "Hi Betsy!" Betsy smiled brightly and reached out to me. I took her into my arms and sat down on the other sofa. Laura got up and came over and sat down beside me.

"Yes, Cindy and I are thinking about buying a house, or maybe even building one on the hillside, like Teresa and Todd did." Callie said.

"Not too many lots still available, are there?" I asked.

"The lot next to Daniel and Melina Allgood's house, to their southeast, is possibly available." said Callie. "Cindy is going to see about buying an option on it."

"Cool beans." I said. "Betsy, do you want to live on the mountain?" Betsy just looked up at me and smiled, probably not quite understanding what was being said, other than her name.

"Callie, would you take the kids to the back room?" Laura said. Callie did so, and I knew she'd stay with them while Laura and I talked. Once the door closed, Laura said "It must be Company business, and important. When else do you ask me for formal appointments?"

"Well, it is important," I said, "and it may or may not be Company business. Jack Muscone showed me a photo taken in Turpin Heights, south of Southport. Obviously he came to me so that I will tell him, the FBI, and the DEA what's going on, since they appear to be too lazy to figure it out themselves."

Laura peered at me as I took out my Police iPhone and showed her the photo of the three perps in the bar. As she looked at it, she said "The guy in the middle is named Paco. He is a really bad dude: he's exceptional in the martial arts, and has killed people using them."

"He can't sign up for the Police Boxing Matches, then." I said. "You recognize the others?"

"I don't have a clue about that guy whose fashion statement is so far behind that it might come back into vogue soon." Laura replied. "That woman looks a lot like Tomoko Shimono, but she's dead."

"And that's ostensibly why Muscone brought me this photo." I said. "He said the FBI recognition software came up as Shimono immediately. I would still consider it a coincidence... but at your birthday hen party at Rita's last November, Cindy and Teresa both saw a woman that looked exactly like Shimono, at least they both thought so. That woman was going to a BDSM party at Rita's at the same time your party was going on. And this photo here was taken at a BDSM club in Turpin Heights. And the original Tomoko Shimono frequented BDSM clubs, as well."

"And while we confirmed the dead woman's DNA from the Coltrane County collective matched that of someone in the CIA database," Laura said, "we never positively identified that CIA person as being Shimono. So maybe it wasn't?"

"Or maybe it was," I said, "and this woman just looks like the original Shimono. Anyway, I thought I'd touch base with you about confirming if that CIA database match really was Shimono. With the bad CIA Director gone now, maybe you have a contact that can do that?"

"Tell you what." Laura said. "Give me a little time to work on it. I might can get that answer just by directly asking, though there are still a lot of Swamp Frogs in the Company."

"You can take the CIA out of the Swamp, but you can't get the Swamp out of the CIA, eh?" I said jokingly.

"Very funny." Laura said. She did not sound amused.

"Well," I said, "Washington, D.C., really was built on a swamp. And apparently they still work hard to keep it that way... especially in the Capitol Hill area..."

"You know the joke was really bad when you have to explain it, don't you?" Laura said.

"O-kayyyyyy." I said. "Tough audience today. I'll go back to the day job, since that sidebar as a comedian is not working out."

"Thank goodness for small favors." Laura replied cattily, needling me hard. "By the way, any word on what's going on in the State Legislature? Any progress on passing a Budget? No one on this Campus, from the University President on down, is hearing a word."

"Neither am I." I said. "I admit I'm trying to avoid all that, and I'm busy with local politics and my own job, but I'm hearing nothing. Cindy's best source, Priya Ajmani, quit working for Katherine Woodburn after that DFACS incident regarding Betsy, and Cerone and Molinari haven't said anything to me." I felt more than saw that Laura's mood had become gloomy at hearing that...

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

2:00pm, Wednesday, February 13th. The leadership of both Houses of the State Legislature met with Lieutenant Governor Sharon Marshall at the State Capitol. Democrats present were House Speaker Isaac Jacobson (D), House Ways & Means Chairman Elijah McKinney (D), House Majority Whip Hoyt Stenson (D), Senate Minority Leader Jimmy Cerone (D), Senate Minority Whip Katherine Woodburn (D), Senate Budget Committee ranking minority member Richard Langdon (D), and House Minority Leader Wilson Hammonds (R)... well, he might as well be a Democrat.

Other Republicans at the conference were House Minority Whip William C. 'Billy' Williams (R), Senate Majority Leader Moe Molinari (R), Senate Majority Whip Sean Stockton (R), Senate Budget Committee Chairman Cain Mitchell (R), and Minority Ways & Means Committee member Rep. Johnny Perdue (L)... Perdue was technically a Republican but in reality very Libertarian in his political views.

As the Media came in to shoot photos and videos of shiny happy politicians holding hands, Lieutenant Governor Marshall quipped "Okay, there are thirteen at dinner, here. Who wants to leave the table first?" Everyone laughed, remembering the old adage that when 13 are seated at dinner, whoever gets up and leaves the table first will be the first to die. Dame Agatha Christie even wrote an excellent novel based upon it.

After the Media and all aides left, Lt. Governor Marshall said "I know the actual deadline is March 31st. But I want to gently push everyone to get this thing essentially done by February 28th. We really need to get the ball rolling, here, and I can't believe we can't get something done, as imperfect as it will inevitably be."

"That's easy enough." Katherine Woodburn said jovially. "Just give me what I want, and we'll be done!" Everyone laughed, mostly politely, but at least they laughed.

"I'm good with that." Wilson Hammonds said, being serious. "As long as Jared doesn't get a damn thing on Immigration." The humor in the room vanished.

"If I may." said Moe Molinari, who was recognized to speak. "I first want to offer my condolences to Senator Woodburn on the loss of her home by a terrible fire." There was agreement with the sentiments, then Molinari continued: "Fortunately, no one was injured. Second, in the past we have come to agreement on bills by either having smaller groups work out something, or being led through the process by someone with no legislative skin in the game."

"I don't think Commander Troy is going to ride in on his white steed and save us by waving his red crowbar." said Katherine Woodburn. "Not this time. He's already busy rewriting our Town & County's Charter."

"Why in the hell did they pick him to do that?" snarled Wilson Hammonds.

"Because he gets things done, Mr. Hammonds." said Molinari. "And I guess they thought he wasn't very busy, seeing as the drug trade in this State was wiped out, at least temporarily, by that massive bust in his County."

"He gave his daughter credit for starting that ball rolling." said House Speaker Jacobson. "Maybe we should ask her to be our mediator on the Budget." There was no laughter, as if everyone had taken him seriously.

"Lord have mercy." said Rep. Hoyt Stenson, who was more elderly than most of the others in the room, and actually carried the air of a distinguished politician from a day when politicians actually were more distinguished... like during the time of the American Revolution(!). "That child may end up being as good as her father, if not better. Let's not help make that happen. One Iron Crowbar is bad enough."

"You got that right." said Katherine.

"I don't consider the Iron Crowbar to be unbiased." said Wilson Hammonds. "He and his Sheriff are friends of Val Jared, and might try to give Jared something on Immigration."

"Dammit, Hammonds." Elijah McKinney said, though quietly and not angrily. "The Governor is not going to get anything on Immigration, anyway. There's no way anything he wants will get through the House."

"If you don't give the Governor something," said Sean Stockton, "he'll veto the Budget bill. And there's not enough support in the State Senate to override the veto."

"Come on." said Hammonds. "You really think Jared is going to torpedo the State like that? Or his Party? Over his racist immigration policies?"

"Enforcing immigration law is not racist, Hammonds." said Johnny Perdue. "But to answer your question: yes, the Governor will veto it... and blame you and the Establishment Republican Party for it."

"He'd do that to his own Party?" snorted Cain Mitchell. "He must really want to get impeached... and convicted. Which is what will happen if he doesn't sign whatever we ultimately pass."

"And if you believe that," said Sharon Mitchell, "then I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. I'll just say this, and then we need to move on: whatever we in this room think, it's ultimately the People of this State who will be affected by this, and will be voting on their representation. Both Parties have internal polling that shows what the Media will never report publicly: that more than enough people support Jared's immigration policies to make anyone, any Republican at least, overturning his veto or voting to impeach or convict him be at extreme risk in the next Election. You keep throwing out the mantra that a Jared veto will harm the Republican Party, but that is nothing compared to the damage the Party will suffer if you don't support him on impeachment."

"Err," said Elijah McKinney, "would you like us Democrats to step outside while you hold your Republican caucus meeting?" The other Democrats in the room laughed.

"Like I said," said Sharon Marshall, "after my diatribe, we need to move on. I apologize for boring you with the truth." There was no laughter; everyone, Republican and Democrat, knew Marshall had indeed committed a 'Random Act of Speaking the Truth'.

Katherine spoke up in the silence: "Mr. Molinari, what is your proposal for a smaller group? Yourself and Mr. Cerone?"

"We've led group discussions in the past." said Molinari. "But we need others, to get a consensus Budget bill that won't be dead on arrival when it gets to the House Ways & Means Committee and the Senate Budget Committee. Mr. Cerone and I can agree on where to eat for lunch. We're not even going to try to speak for all the Legislative caucuses." Cerone nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Here's one thing we can do." said Elijah McKinney. "Those of us in here now that are on the Budget and Ways & Means Committees... me, Mr. Perdue, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Langdon... can follow Mr. Cerone and Molinari's example by getting together for lunch and get our own ideas hashed out."

"It's just lunch, anyway." said Cain Mitchell.

"I'm still on that Committee." said Wilson Hammonds. "Am I invited?"

"You need to form your own group." said McKinney. "One that will stroke your ego about not giving the Governor anything. The rest of us have work to do, trying to reach a Budget bill that we can pass."

"Anyone else want to form an ad hoc committee?" asked the Lieutenant Governor, mostly to keep a red-faced, furious Hammonds from saying anything more.

"If anyone is interested in working with me on ideas for a stronger SBI Narcotics Task Force," said Katherine, "and discussing something in exchange for it, like reasonable Immigration initiatives, contact me."

"I'll be doing so." said Sharon Marshall.

"Won't matter." said Wilson Hammonds. "Nothing on Immigration gets through. Ya hear me? Nothing! Val Jared will not get even a crumb on Immigration!"

"Don't be so sure." said Johnny Perdue. "Your intransigence on the issue is not even the majority Republican opinion anymore."

"There's plenty of Democrat support for Hammonds's and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's positions on Immigration, though." said Richard Langdon. "Even so, I'll contact you, Ms. Woodburn. No harm talking."

"Yes, exactly!" said Sharon Marshall. "We need to be talking, rather than going to opposite corners and painting our crowbars red."

"Okay, then." said Elijah McKinney. "Who wants to get up and leave first?"

"Katherine Woodburn should." snarled Wilson Hammonds. "After all, she's dead anyway, after calling DFACS to have them remove Don Troy's cousin's child from her."

The room went silent, the double enormity of bringing that up, not to mention the implication of what the Iron Crowbar might do, hitting everyone. It was a faux pas of the worst kind. Katherine Woodburn stared at Hammonds in sheer fury.

"Yes." she said coldly. "Just to make a point, I'll be first to get up and leave. But you are the dead man, Hammonds. Politically speaking, anyway." With that, she got up, collected her things, and left the room. Her example was quickly followed by the others, who showed eagerness to get away from Wilson Hammonds...

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

4:00pm, Wednesday, February 13th. Having called Sharon Marshall and having made a request, Katherine Woodburn went over to Marshall's office in the State Capitol. Marshall's assistant admitted Katherine into the chamber.

Woodburn was still feeling the fury she'd felt at Wilson Hammonds for his remark about her trying to have Betsy removed from Cindy Ross's home. Not only had that failed, and not only had Senator Cerone given her a lecture about going too far, a lecture only he could give, she was now feeling the pushback from it from others. Priya Ajmani had quit as her Press Secretary, both surprising and deeply saddening Katherine: after all, who knew Priya had a moral bone in her body to be upset about that? And Katherine knew that some of her Legislative support had peeled off, not only due to the DFACS incident, but because the Iron Crowbar had given an iron example of the lack of necessity of the SBI-NTF.

They don't know how to play the Game properly, thought Katherine to herself. The Iron Crowbar does not play by the rules; therefore, she also would play by different rules when dealing with him. She believed it when Troy had said he did not set fire to her home, nor trashed her office. She also knew that Cerone had saved her life by interceding with the Iron Crowbar on her behalf.

Yes, the Iron Crowbar plays the Game well, she though to herself. Even the great Consultant of Crime did not play the Game well enough to survive Commander Donald Troy. And Wilson Hammonds? A child of this Game, a child to be both instructed and punished when he failed to meet the standard. That punishment, she thought to herself, begins now...

Waiting for Katherine was the Lieutenant Governor, Sharon Marshall... and the Governor of the State, Valnius Jared. Senator Cerone had intervened with the Iron Crowbar on her behalf; she had now asked Marshal to intervene with the Governor on her behalf.

"You wanted to meet me, Senator?" Jared asked, not getting up from the side table, but extending his hand in invitation for her to sit down.

"Yes, Governor." said Katherine, sitting down. "I have an offer for you. We cannot get you all you want on Immigration, no matter what. But I can offer you a couple of things... enough that you'll be able to go out, look the Press in the eye, and tell them that you rammed a crowbar up Wilson Hammonds's sorry ass."

"Go ahead." said Jared. "I'm listening. And I'm interested..."

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

After work, I went up to Todd and Teresa's new home. Teresa has told me that Todd wanted to talk to me about something. We sat on the deck over the portico. Teresa brought out some hot chocolate for us all, and it was very tasty.

"So what's up?" I asked after a couple of moments of chit-chat about the nice view of the Town.

"I think we told you that when we visited my hometown and I was offered the Police Chief job there, Todd looked into some business opportunities." said Teresa. (Author's note: 'Home For The Holidays', Ch. 01-02.)

I nodded, and Todd said "I'd been in touch with the CEO of the Midwest & Pacific Railroad. He had some of his people go out and do some checking on the old railroad lines that led to the passes through the mountains. They really liked what they saw, so they bought options to buy a couple of the lines. And then I bought some options on some land near one of those railroad beds for a possible BOW Enterprises facility. We've also talked to some other businesses, like Zion Dynamics Technologies."

"Sounds like a good deal for that area." I said. "So what happened?"

Todd said "Someone tried to go in and undercut them and buy out those lines. It's in Federal Court now. The Midwest & Pacific should prevail, but guess who the railroad fucking with them is?"