Long Cool Woman Ch. 02

As I disconnected, I said to the State Patrol Officers. "Okay guys, I'm taking charge of this, and the FBI is on its way. This is a Federal Agent's car, and I don't know if this is what it looks like, or if we've stepped on someone's toes doing a Federal mission." The State Troopers all nodded.

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

An hour later, two black Escalades with flashing embedded red and blue lights came up to us at a high rate of speed, and stopped with a squeal of brakes. Out of one car popped FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone and CIA Agent Willingham. Out of the other car popped FBI Agent Tim Jenkins and none other than Town & County Police Deputy Chief Cindy Ross.

"Nice day for a ride in the country, wouldn't you say?" I said jovially as they came up.

"Not really." said Muscone sourly, his attitude being hint to me. "What's going on?"

"State Patrol found this vehicle abandoned at this spot, and I just happened to come up to it on my way home from Westphalia." I said.

"Westphalia?!" exclaimed Willingham. "Why would you be anywhere near here, then?"

"I went to Pottsville and was taking State 40 home, and heard the State Patrol chatter on the radio---"

"This is exactly what I was talking about, Troy!" Willingham all but shouted. "I told you to stay out of this!"

"Hey buddy, let me say it again!" I said angrily. "The State Patrol found the vehicle abandoned. I came up on them investigating it. It's not like I was looking to find it!"

"For Christ's sake." Willingham muttered. "Okay, I need for whoever is in charge with the State Patrol to stay, and the Federal Agents here. The rest of you need to go. Now! Especially you, Troy!"

"I heard that." said Cindy, who was standing next to me. "And so did you, Don. Can I drive?"

"Sure." I said. We walked back to the Black Beauty, got in, and drove away.

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

"I get it. You saw the blue dots on the screen, went to check it out." said Cindy as she began taking the Black Beauty to high speeds, speeds I did not care to drive myself. "So why is that CIA guy blowing a gasket?"

"How much do you know about this?" I asked. "What did Tim Jenkins tell you?"

"He said Willingham was with the CIA," Cindy replied, "and that he and Laura are working together on something, but he didn't tell me specifically what. So what is this about? At least what can you tell me?"

"Just between us and the crowbars," I said, "Laura went on an undercover fact-finding mission within MegaTech Industries. I don't know for sure, but I believe she went to their Palmyra County office building. As to that car, the State Patrol ran the car tag, and it belongs to a 'Donna Prince' of our Town & County. But the address is the old Post Office, just across the street from the backside of the Federal Building on Courthouse Square."

"And with your matchless knowledge of the Town & County, you recognized that." Cindy said.

"Yes," I said, "and what's more, when I called the phone number, Lindy Linares answered. Most people in the world would have no idea of that, but..."

"...since you've slept with her, you know her voice." Cindy replied. Upon seeing me cut my eyes at her, she said: "Okay, just messing with ya. What I can tell you is that I won't reveal my source, but he told me on the way down there that 'Donna Prince' was the undercover name given to Laura's assistant."

"Ohhhh." I said. "Okay, so that's why Willingham blew a gasket. What happened there was that at the initial meeting we had to discuss the undercover mission, Willingham made a point to tell me to stay out of it. And I would have, if I hadn't've just happened to come by."

"In the Black Beauty. With the monitor that shows where LEOs are congregating on the highway." Cindy finished. "Another pure coincidence."

"Sometimes they do happen." I said.

"Think they'll pull Laura out of her mission?" Cindy asked.

"I don't know." I said. "I try not to worry, and to let the Federal people do their jobs. But if she's in danger, I hope they get her out of there..."

Part 11 - Celebrity Status

Kara Zorn was in her 40s, had a full head of black hair, and full lips... a little too full. Still she very nicely filled out the fairly clingy blue dress she was wearing, and the white high heel pumps made her legs look even more shapely than they already were. A small entourage orbited her as she was escorted from her limo to the door of the office building.

In the atrium, a huge crowd began applauding and cheering as she came inside. She was led through the throng, stopping to shake hands with the employees in wheelchairs, with photos being taken of that. Then she was herded into the elevator going to the sixth floor.

Dr. Mark Wages was fawning on Kara as they walked down the hall towards the cubicles near Laura's small office. Laura was in her office when the frenzy started coming by.

"And this is Dr. Lauren Washington, of Homeland Security." said Wages as Laura stood up.

"Very nice to meet you, Doctor." said Kara, shaking Laura's hand vigorously. "I hope they're taking good care of all your needs."

"Oh, they are." Laura replied. "You have an excellent group of people here."

"Wonderful!" said Kara. "So you're from Texas? I was an Army Brat, and my father was at Fort Sam Houston for a few years."

"Yes, I am." said Laura. "The Lubbock area."

"Ah, very nice." Kara said. "Please do come down to the rally in the auditorium. Our employees have so much energy. It's very exciting."

"Wouldn't miss it." Laura said. The entourage moved on by, almost flowing like water, and then was gone. Laura did not notice that two young Asian women had been watching her.

"Is that her?" one of them asked.

"Yes, it is." said the other. "Text Elliot Sanders's aide and our boss..."

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

5:15pm, Tuesday, June 18th. The meeting in the FBI's plexiglass 'cube' in the Federal Building off Courthouse Square was very tense.

"Fingerprints match Donna Leslie." said Jack Muscone. "They also came back as Donna Prince, so the backstop was done very well. There were no other fingerprints on the inside nor outside of the car."

"No camera coverage right at that part of the highway." said Lindy Linares. "And no witnesses called in anything to any 9-1-1s. Just that one 9-1-1 call that said the car had a flat tire. The phone used to call it in was a burner."

"So why was Donald Troy there?" asked CIA Officer Cal Willingham.

"You seem fixated on that." replied Jack Muscone.

"I told the bastard to stay out of this mission." said Willingham. "And I told him that in front of all of you. And he didn't listen."

"You know," said Jack Muscone, "I'm getting sick and tired of your shit, Willingham. You don't seem to get it that Donald Troy took the route that would get him home from Pottsville, where over a dozen cops saw him drop off Pottsville Detective O'Brady. It is absolutely natural that he might be right there at that right time, and innocently so. So what is your fucking problem?!"

"My problem is that I have a missing CIA Agent, and another whose cover may be blown!" snarled Willingham. "And now I have to decide if we should contact her and pull her out of there, and maybe lose our chance to bag one of the biggest Chinese agents out there, and her pipeline as well!"

"That's not your call to make, knucklehead." said EAD Owen Lange in his scratchy voice. "This is our mission, not yours. You're just a guest here; don't forget that."

"Oh yeah?" replied Willingham. "Truth is, it's not your mission, and it won't be decided here. It'll be decided in Washington."

"And how long are they going to be sitting on their asses before we get a decision from them?" replied Julius Jefferson. "Time's a'wasting. If we're going to pull Dr. Fredricson out of there, we need to do it now. Before sundown."

"Again, it's not your call to make." said Willingham. "And I'll tell you one more thing: I didn't know Dr. Fredricson and Don Troy were married until yesterday. If I had known, I would've kicked his redheaded stepchild ass out of the meeting before it even started. His security access to this mission is cut off, which means not a single one of you in this room had better say one word about any of this to him... especially if our decision is to keep Dr. Fredricson in place."

"He's an FBI Consultant, not a CIA consultant." replied Lange. "And it's not your decision on what I tell him. If you don't like that, Willingham, we'll cut off our cooperation with the Company right now, and I'll pull Dr. Fredricson out of there---"

Just then there was a knock on the outer room door, followed by Mindy peeking in. "Officer Willingham? There's a phone call for you in the other room. From Langley." By that she meant the super-secure plexiglass cube room in the more secret and secure areas. Willingham got up and left the room to make the call.

"So should we say anything to Don?" Lindy asked.

"We could." said Muscone. "But he's got a Town Council meeting he has to attend. I'll talk to him after that's over. And I say that fully believing that the decision has already been made to keep Laura in place, undercover. I just hope she doesn't end up like David Lang did..."

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

"Oh, wasn't that just incredible?" Margaret Mason gushed as people were streaming back to their desks after the rally in the main auditorium.

"Very exhilarating!" said Dr. Wages enthusiastically. "What did you think, Dr. Washington?"

"She's a very eloquent speaker." Laura said. "I've never been one for the rah-rah stuff, though."

"Neither am I." said David Carlson. "But for Kara Zorn, it's genuine. If it had been Elliot Sanders, it would be forced, and artificial."

"Sanders is a man of great vision." said Wages. "Kara Zorn may be the cheerleader, but Sanders is the man I'd follow through hell to help him achieve the greatness that MegaTech Industries has become."

The group split up at the receptionist desk in front of Dr. Wages's office. Laura went back to her small office and took her computer out of her bag. As she did, her cellphone chimed with a text. She read it, and felt a slight chill. It said "Donna Prince missing. Car found on University-Midtown Highway."

"Hey, I was wondering----" David Carlson said as he came to the door of her office, but stopped when he saw her give the 'one minute' sign while speed-dialing her cellphone. She sat there for a moment, obviously waiting for the ringing phone to be picked up. She disconnected and tried a second time.

"Everything all right?" David asked as she looked up at him.

"I guess so." Laura said. "I was calling my boss, but he's not answering and it's not going to voicemail, which is unusual."

"He may be in the Little CEO's room." said David humorously. "Oh, I just came by to ask if you wanted Italian or Greek food for dinner."

"I may have to take a raincheck." said Laura. "I've got something I have to do----"

"Yes, you both do." said Dr. Wages, who had come up behind David. "Kara Zorn is hosting a dinner for us tonight. She asked me to specifically invite you, Dr. Washington. She's very interested in your previous research."

"She's trying to recruit you to work for MegaTech, is what she's doing." said David conspiratorially.

"I won't deny that she is very interested in recruiting top talent to MegaTech Industries." said Dr. Wages. "Seven o'clock, at the Hyatt Hotel, both of you..."

Part 12 - Seeking Council

9:30pm, Tuesday, June 18th. The public meeting of the Town & County Council had been relatively quiet, but there seemed to be an inordinately large number of Press reporters in the seating area, Mayor Allgood noted.

"Okay, is there any more new business?" asked the Mayor.

"Yes." said Reginald B.F. Lewis. "The Board of Inquiry report has been submitted to the Council. Due to discussing personnel issues as well as the sensitive nature of the report, it requires that we go into Executive Session to discuss it and take action upon it. I move that we go into Executive Session at this time."

"I second the motion." said Kelly Carnes.

"Discussion?" asked the Mayor.

"We have invited Police Chief Moynahan, Commander Donald Troy, Deputy Chief Cindy Ross, and Captain of Operations Teresa Croyle to be at the meeting," said John Colby, "to discuss the issues involved in this incident and the Board of Inquiry's findings."

"Noted." said the Mayor. "Anything else?" There was nothing else, and the vote was 10-0 to go into Executive Session.

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

"What are all these Press cameras doing in the hall?" asked Daniel Allgood as they came out of the stairwell and into the 2d floor hallway.

"They're doing their jobs, Mr. Mayor." said Sheila Sorrells. "Is there any problem with that?"

"Yes." said the Mayor. "It's after hours, and City Hall is closed. They should not be here."

"They have every right to be here." said Kelly Carnes. "What are you trying to hide, Mr. Mayor?"

"Nothing." said Allgood. "What dirty tricks are you up to?"

"I resent your false insinuation." snarled Carnes.

"Don't let him bother you." Malinda Adams said to Carnes.

Everyone filed into the private Council Chamber, including the Sergeant-At-Arms, the Deputy assigned to the Council, and the Intendent, Mrs. Peabody. She informed the Council that the Police Officers were in the Sheriff's Office, and she would go get them when they were needed.

"All right, let's get started." said the Mayor as everyone settled into their seats. "We have the Board of Inquiry findings, including the consensus opinion and the dissent. Let's go around the horn. Ms. Sorrells?"

"I yield to Mr. Lewis." Sorrells said craftily.

"I have not recognized Mr. Lewis to speak---" said the Mayor.

"I don't need your recognition, Cracker!" yelled Reginald B.F. Lewis, rising to his feet. "You are not the Dictator of us! You are----"

*tap tap tap tap tap tap tap*

"You are out of order." said the Mayor as he tapped gavel.

"No, YOU are out of order!" shouted Lewis. "You can stop tapping that little gavel, Cracker, and shove it up your lily white ass! I'm going to have my say! You are an illegitimate Mayor! You are a racist! You cheated a black man out of his rightful win in the Mayoral race! And your racist attempts to silence the voices of those elected by minorities will not succeed! I demand you resign as Mayor immediately!----"

"Sergeant-At-Arms." said Daniel Allgood calmly. "Remove Lewis from this chamber and this meeting. He is out of order and has lost the right to be here and speak here."

The Sergeant-At-Arms moved towards Lewis, but Lewis pushed him back. "Get away from me, Cracker! I'm not going anywhere! This racist, illegitimate Mayor has no right to remove me!"

The Sergeant-At-Arms got on his radio. "I need backup in the private Council Chamber." he said.

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

The Press in the hallway could hear Lewis's loud voice through the heavy double doors, but couldn't really make out his words. But they knew what was going on, and they were prepared to record anything Commander Donald Troy did, especially if he tried to arrest Reginald B.F. Lewis again, and they couldn't wait to gin up accusations of racism against the Iron Crowbar----

"Ohhhh, nooooooo." Bettina whispered as she saw two TCPD Officers coming rapidly down the hallway. They turned the corner and went into the private Council Chamber. The Press tried to film what was going on inside, but the Sergeant-At-Arms closed the door in their faces, and more TCPD Officers, heavily armored, came out of the stairwell and forced the Press into the corner of the hallways, away from a direct view of the private Council Chamber.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Mayor?" asked the Police Captain... Captain Damien Thompson, who was black. With him was Sergeant DeLong, who also was black.

"Yes." said the Mayor. "Mr. Lewis has been ejected from this Council meeting, and has resisted being removed by the Sergeant-At-Arms."

"Reginald Lewis," said Captain Thompson, coming up to Lewis, "you are under arrest for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Come with me."

"You god-damned Uncle Tom!" gasped Lewis. "You go straight to Hell!" When Captain Thompson moved to physically remove Lewis, Lewis pushed him back.

"That's assaulting a Police Officer!" shouted Sgt. DeLong. He moved towards Lewis, and when Lewis tried to push him off, he executed a move that any Police Boxing Matches participant would be proud to make. Reginald B.F. Lewis was slammed to the floor, his arm pulled tightly behind him.

"Police brutality!" shouted Lewis, and DeLong cuffed him. "You're hurting me!"

"Police brutality!" shouted Kelly Carnes and Malinda Adams, creating as much chaos as possible. "Help! Police brutality! Excessive force!"

"Shut up, both of you!" snarled Daniel Allgood. "Or I'll have them arrest both of you, too."

"I'll take this asshole with me." said Captain Thompson as he physically pulled Lewis up off the floor. "DeLong, stay here in case the Mayor needs someone else to be removed."

"Yes sir." said DeLong.

"I've got it all on video." said Edward R. Steele.

"Thank you." said Captain Thompson. "We'll get it after the Council meeting is over. And we'll need all of your statements, which will be taken under oath."

The Press filmed Reginald B.F. Lewis being walked the other way down the hall by Captain Thompson. They attempted to follow, but at the other corner of the building the armored Police held them back, not letting them round the corner.

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

"You fucking Uncle Tom!" snarled Lewis as Thompson half-dragged him down the empty hallway. "You're a fucking traitor to your race! You'll pay for this!"

"Get in here." snarled Thompson, opening what turned out to be a storage closet and shoving Lewis inside.

"God damn you!---

*WHAM!*

"UUUHK!" gasped Lewis as Thompson threw a closed-fist haymaker into his belly. Thompson then violently threw Lewis into the wall, and grabbed Lewis by the jaw and neck in his powerful hand.

"You fucking piece of shit!" Thompson hissed into Lewis's face as he tightened his grip on Lewis's neck. "I worked my ass off for years to get where I am in the TCPD, and I didn't get there because of your fucking racist politics! I got there because I'm a damn good cop and did a damn good job! So if you ever call me an 'Uncle Tom' again, I'm going to twist your cap around and snap your neck in two! You feelin' me... 'brother'?!"

"Then do it, you fucking Uncle Tom!----"

*THUD!* Thompson threw another hard punch into Lewis's belly, making the older man bend over in pain, coughing and gasping. Then Thompson shoved Lewis against the wall again, drew his gun, and shoved the barrel into Lewis's mouth.

"I ain't playin' around, fucker." Thompson snarled. "What you're doing ain't helping blacks, it ain't helping nobody! Commander Troy is not the racist around here, YOU are! Now you better get your head out of your fucking ass, or somebody's gonna cap you. And it just might be me!"

Reginald B.F. Lewis's face was a mask of pure fear as he looked into the face of Captain Thompson, which showed total fury. He said no more as Thompson holstered his gun, grabbed Lewis's arm and went to the door. Thompson made sure no one else was in the hallway, then he brought Lewis out and roughly shoved him down the hallway to the elevator that went to the garage below...

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

"You are unbelievable!" Kelly Carnes was yelling at Daniel Allgood. "You're despicable!"

"Shut your mouth, Carnes." said John Colby in his deep baritone voice. "I'm getting tired of your antics, too----"