Moonlight Shadow Ch. 04

"Kinda the same." Cindy said, looking at her wristwatch. "I'm engaged to a porn star, after all. Some morals and example we're setting for our Police Force, eh?"

"Yeah." said Teresa. "That is something that's worrying me. Della Harlow has no problem at all attacking Chief Griswold through Commander Troy, as if Commander Troy is the one running. What's going to happen when it comes out that they have an open marriage?"

"You know," Cindy said, "For a while I was deathly afraid it would become known to the Police Force that I'm a lesbian. I thought it was destroy my career. And in a past time, it would have. But Don ripped through that like a katana through bamboo, and then I found out that Chief Griswold was supportive of me as a Police Officer and the rest didn't matter to him. And after that... I felt a freedom I'd never felt before. A freedom to be me, to achieve what I wanted despite what others thought..."

"In fairness," Teresa said, "you had helping hands. And as an example: blacks in the 1960s achieved great liberation and strides for equality. And while MLK Jr. was huge in that, even more huge was President John F. Kennedy and Attorney General Bobby Kennedy. They provided the backing of the power of the Federal Government. And you and I are where we are because of the Power of the Crowbar backing us up all the way."

Cindy nodded. "That's true, and I am nothing but grateful to Don for all he's done for me... including introducing me, so to speak, to my blood father."

"And freeing me from mine." Teresa said. That got her another look from her platinum blonde friend. Then Cindy looked at her wristwatch again.

"Something wrong?" Teresa asked.

"No." Cindy said. "Well... Callie was supposed to be here half an hour ago. I know she and Laura have been working some serious overtime lately, but she'd usually text me. Maybe I should call her."

"Give her a few more minutes." Teresa suggested. "Don's late getting here, too."


"And speaking of Don," Cindy said, "the Kennedy brothers were assassinated. I hope Don and Chief Griswold don't have that happen to them."

Teresa said "Don and I talked about that after he went to Dallas for that football game, and sent us that picture of the Texas School Book Depository. (Author's note: 'Hampered In His Plans', Ch. 01.) "Don thinks President Kennedy was assassinated because he was going to take us off the Federal Reserve system and kick the Federal Reserve Bank to the kerb."

"Wouldn't surprise me." said Cindy. "I always believed the CIA was behind it, because President Kennedy didn't sent the air support for the Bay of Pigs invasion. Did Don say anything about Robert Kennedy?"

"Not really." Teresa said. "He said Sirhan Sirhan may have been subjected to some kind of hypnosis, brainwashing. Not that Don would know anything about that."

"How he beat that, I still don't understand." said Cindy, remembering those horrific days. (Author's note: 'Dream Weaver'.)

"Beat what?" I asked as I came up. "Sorry I'm late. Masterson's fucking with us. Told me that he was close to getting May Cialis to make a statement, then he said it was a false alarm. Crying 'wolf', that guy is. He's pissing me off, but not as much as Krasney is pissing me off---"

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

"It's Callie!" Cindy cried out, considerable relief in her voice as she fished out her personal iPhone. "Hey, baby..."

"Cindy," Callie said on the other side, "just don't say anything and listen..."

"What's going on?" Cindy asked.

"JUST LISTEN!" Callie shouted into the phone. "Just don't talk and let me talk. I need you to come to Point Hollow."

"Why?" Cindy said.

"For the love of God, Cindy, just don't talk, don't ask questions!" Callie said harshly, almost desperately, and Cindy began to sense as well as hear the fear in Callie's voice. "Just come to Point Hollow. Please! Come alone, don't tell anyone you're coming. And Cindy... take the back roads. There's an accident on the Bypass. See you when you get here."

With that, the phone line went dead. As Cindy stood up to put the iPhone back in her pocket, I saw the look on her ruggedly pretty face: a look of fear.

"Cindy?" I asked. "What is it?"

"I... I've got to go." said Cindy. "I'll talk to y'all later." With that, she rushed for the door, and a moment later I saw her tearing out of the parking lot in her Police SUV.

"What was that about?" Teresa asked, totally stunned by her friend's actions.

"I dunno, but she didn't feel the need to call the Police about it." I quipped. "Well, she's not getting away that fast----"

*BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!* *BRING!*

It was my personal iPhone, and it was my wife calling.

"Hello, dear." I said. "Whassup?"

"Don!" Laura said almost too loudly. "Have you seen Callie lately?"

"Er, no." I said. Then I made the connection. "And Cindy just tore out of here. I'll start checking and call you back. And Laura... Point Hollow."

"Gotcha." Laura said, then disconnected.

"Point Hollow?" Teresa asked.

"Yeah." I said. "Call Headquarters. Get someone to trace Cindy's SUV locator. Dollar to doughnuts she's going to Point Hollow. Also..." Teresa nodded as I gave her more instructions.

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

Cindy was driving up the road to Point Hollow at a fast rate of speed, willing herself to hold on in spite of the fear she was feeling. The words Callie had spoken, about the 'accident on the Bypass', were codewords that Callie was in very serious danger, and couldn't speak openly on the phone.

She pulled over to the side of the road as she neared Point Hollow, and put on her outer armor to augment her inner armor. Then she drove on up the road.

The gate to the Point Hollow property was open. It wasn't supposed to be, unless Police patrols were on the property, and she saw no Police cruisers ahead of her. She drove up the driveway.

A couple of street lamps had been installed along the road and driveway, bathing the forbidding two-story house and front lawn in their bluish light. There were no lights on inside the house. There was no one in the front yard, and she couldn't see into the blackness of the copse of old trees. She felt the foreboding she always felt at this place. Don was right, she thought to herself; this place was possessed by the Damned.

"Callie!" she called out. No response. She began walking into the yard, then thought she heard something at the treeline.

"I'm over here." said Callie's voice. Walking towards it, she saw Callie step out from behind the nearest tree to the yard.

"Don't come any closer." Callie said. Cindy's eyes widened as she saw that Callie was wearing a leather vest. Squares of explosive plastique were attached and wired, and the blinkenlights of the detonator shone brightly where the vest was fastened together. It was a suicide vest, and Cindy's fiancée was wearing it...

To be continued.

What will happen next? How can Callie be saved? The exciting conclusion follows...