No Way Out Ch. 05

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

I asked Cindy to come onto the back deck with me, and we sat in front of the fire in the fire pot. I extended a gift-wrapped box to her, and opened it.

"Wow, Canadian Whisky." Cindy said. "Special Reserve. This is great, but it's not cheap. So what do I owe the honor?"

"You pretty much put the bathrooms and walls back together in there." I said. "And it's also to celebrate how you totally destroyed the Feds when they came after you. I'm sorry you had to endure that on my account, but from what Molly told me, you totally crushed their spirit."

Cindy chuckled as she opened the whisky bottle and poured a healthy shot into the two glasses that came with the bottle. We clinked glasses and said 'Salud' and downed our shots.

"Mmm, good stuff." Cindy said. "So why didn't you let me kill Amber? That's two reporters that totally deserved to die that I've been prevented from killing."

"The main reason I didn't let you wax her, though she very much deserved it," I replied, "is because 'they' would've blamed me for it, and I need a break from the drama."

"I get that." Cindy said. "But if she doesn't drop the shit about Betty's baby, I'll go back and finish her off, no matter what."

"I wouldn't blame you if you did." I said. "And you don't need my permission. Do what you think is best. And by the way, I would've understood if you'd thrown me under the bus on the whole thing, to stop it from hurting you... and your family."

"No way I was going to betray you like that." Cindy said. "That's what they really wanted, more than anything. And I happen to know that Amber wasn't going to stop. If I'd betrayed you, they'd have used it to go after Betty's child, to get more proof. So it worked out better like it happened."

"That is Green Crowbar thinking, there." I said. We clinked our drink glasses again, and finished the drinks off as we watched the fire in the fire pot in silence...

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

The women were in the greatroom, fluttering like parakeets. The Sheriff and I were in the front room, talking quietly.

"Obviously you knew they were coming, Crowbar." said the Sheriff. "The only thing you didn't anticipate was that nutjob Halsey trying to kill Bowser and Carole."

"Oh, I suspected that might be a possibility." I said. "That's why Teresa was there, and armored-up. What I didn't expect was my daughter anticipating Halsey, and rushing away from her mother to protect our K-9 Police Officer."

"But this ol' Klingon believes you saw all of this in advance. And you did, eh?" the Sheriff persisted. "Even the forged document?"

"We were fortunate that it was such a poor forgery, Sheriff." I said. "Very fortunate..."

Indeed, it was fortunate. It was damning when the Swamp Frogs came out with that document. It was enough to generate Media chants about my guilt, and worse, it got the FBI warrants to invade and destroy my home, and to arrest me if they could find me. So a forged document appeared to help the FBI. But that document was not forged by the Swamp Frogs. It was forged by me, Your Iron Crowbar.

Yes.

Of course I knew I'd never signed such documentation taking 'custody' of Betty Morelli from the Feds, but I also knew they might try to gin up a 'Fake News' document. And I also knew that 'The Geek' was behind the forged IDs and documents that had allowed previous jailbreaks and unauthorized entries. (Author's note: 'Shipping And Handling', Ch. 01.) And having kept track of The Geek since his arrest, especially since no one else was nor was telling me what The Geek was up to, I knew where to look for that forged document, and voila! there it was.

Their forgery had been good enough to succeed in their plans. So I changed the edition of the form to the current one, that wasn't in existence at that time. And I affixed my signature made with my left hand, and the words 'James D. Troy', which I'd never signed a document with in my entire life.

And it worked. The document was found to be a forgery. What, was the FBI going to come out and say 'Wait! That's not OUR forgery! That's not the forgery WE made!'? No, I blew up that try in their faces.

And yes, it was obvious what they were planning, all along. I'd always known that the one thing they could provably hold against me was having sex with Betty Morelli during that trip, and they could prove it because Betsy was definitely my daughter by Betty, and both Carole and Laura knew it... Laura because she'd had DNA tests done, and Carole because... well, she's Carole. Of course, Laura could never be compelled to testify against me.

Amber Harris's maneuver to get into the same prison as Betty Morelli (Author's note: 'Vox Populi Vox Dei', Ch. 01, 04 ) had not fooled me, and apparently it had not fooled someone else. Betty had died at a critical moment in their plans, and her death was not by my hand nor at my direction. And while many on the outside might have thought Betty was killed because she could exonerate me, a few of us knew better... including Teresa and Cindy herself.

So, that left the question of which of the three women would have Betty killed. Laura certainly had the wherewithal and resources, but so did Cindy, through her father, and Teresa, through both her husband and Clan Troy resources. So I still did not know which of them it was. And I had no plans of finding out.

And then the party just wouldn't stop. They went after Cindy.

No, I never advised the Green Crowbar on anything. Everything she did was on her own, and she figured it out brilliantly, in a way worthy of an Iron Crowbar. She'd anticipated they'd have immunity ready for her, eager to force her to betray me, her blood kin. And their house of cards collapsed even harder than Lego City when she told them she took the Fifth because she had had sex with Betty.

Sooooo, once the FBI threat was eliminated, though nearly at too great a cost, I had to worry about the State case. That was far more difficult to overcome, and Amber Harris was gunning to get around the adoption laws and expose Betsy as Betty's baby. Once that happened, it would take but one DNA test, and it was all over for me. And that was why the Swamp Frogs took the time to lay a case to accuse Judge Rodney K. Watts of bribery charges; after all, he was the one who had signed off on the adoption and sealed the file.

There was only one way to be completely protected from the State charges, and stop Amber's obsession with revealing Betsy's parentage. And that was to be pardoned by the Governor. I did not say nor suggest anything to Sheriff Griswold, but he was an outstanding Detective in his day, and still was to this day. He figured it out easily enough, though via realizing that Britt Maxwell also needed protection.

Sheriff Griswold convinced the Governor to pardon me, which I understand was easily done, as the Governor was exhausted by the relentless political attacks and battles. I 'reluctantly' accepted the pardon, knowing that it would hurt my reputation but would save my career as a Police Officer, stop the attacks on Cindy and Betsy, and end the witch hunt in its tracks. And so it goes...

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

"Will the Governor survive?" I asked the Sheriff as I came out of the reverie.

"We thought he'd have a lot more Republican support." said Griswold. "The State House vote rattled him and a lot of his advisors. And worse, the ones that voted for him, meaning against the Articles of Impeachment, are being attacked more by other Republicans than by Democrats."

"That's just Wilson Hammonds, isn't it?" I asked.

"He's been the most vocal, but by no means the only one." said Griswold. "The good news is that we now are seeing who is going to be loyal to State A.G. Karl Handel and who will support Sharon Marshall for the Republican nomination."

Griswold continued: "But the problem is in the State Senate. As you know, there are 36 Senators. 20 are Republican, 16 are Democrats, and they need 24 for conviction. They'll have the sixteen Democrats, so they need 8 Republicans to vote to convict. But of the 20 Republicans, only 10 are solidly pro-Jared Conservatives, leaving 10 that either will or might vote to convict. Sean Stockton is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he's already said he's in favor of Impeachment."

"Well," I said bleakly, "it might help if Sharon Marshall becomes Governor, and gets a headstart on her campaign as an incumbent."

"Except for one thing, Crowbar." said the Sheriff. "They're planning something. They're planning to do something that will severely damage all of the Republicans, and give the Democrats solid control of both Houses of the State Legislature as well as the Governorship. And I might not be nearly as great a Detective as you are, Crowbar, but this old Klingon Advisor can tell that they went after you to either get rid of you, or diminish you greatly, so you can't help him. Which they did."

"Well, they didn't get rid of me." I said as Betsy waddled over to us, followed by the redoubtable Bowser.

"No, but they did damage you, and make no mistake about it." said the Chief "The filthy Press will forever be reminding us that you took the Fifth and took that pardon, though those were necessary things to do."

"Yeah, they got me good, there." I agreed as Betsy indicated she wanted me to pick her up, which I did, sitting her down on my right thigh. She found the embroidered TCPD logo on my red shirt to be very interesting to look at and touch.

Sheriff Griswold said: "And your career to this point has been stellar, and almost everyone in Law Enforcement and out of it have a great amount of respect for you. This incident has and will cause you to lose some of that respect, and you're going to just have to bear the consequences of that, including not being able to help Val through this."

I nodded. Then Betsy looked up at me and giggled as I kissed her on her little forehead. Then she looked at the Sheriff and laughed out loud as he made a real crazy face and his mustaches twitched merrily.

"So, Crowbar," growled the Sheriff, "the Betty Morelli case got you a broken back, your home destroyed, and lasting repercussions. Any regrets?"

I looked down at Betsy, then looked squarely into the Sheriff's eyes as I replied:

"No sir. Not a single one."

Part 25 - Epilogue

Decades in the future...

The Joint House-Senate Committee was in session, wrapping up their case. For six weeks, U.S. Senator Ian McDonald Troy had been laying out the case against FBI Director Brien Coney, carefully and methodically presenting the details and proof of Coney's crimes and corruption that had deeply stained the FBI.

The Swamp Frogs had worked tirelessly to stop Senator Troy. They had threatened him and his family, whom he'd sent home to the Town & County. Attempts to kill his family had been detected and thwarted by Town & County Police Commander Donald David Troy, the Third Iron Crowbar, and his methods of dealing with the perps were ways that his grandfather would have most heartily approved.

Senator Troy had had allies, as well... his brother, CIA Director General James David Troy, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General David Marsden. They'd provided Senator Troy with data that was damning to Brien Coney.

And the Chairwoman of this Joint House-Senate Committee was U.S. Senator Susan Haskins Marsden, wife of General David Marsden. Threats by Coney and his cronies had failed to faze Senator Marsden; after all, she was one of Crowbar's Crew... and Coney could not have known that Susie Haskins had fearlessly stood up to the Slender Man. (Author's note: 'Return of the Slender Man', Ch. 02.) Compared to the Slender Man, Brien Coney was insignificant.

Those in the know would've marveled at how Senator Ian McDonald Troy had so methodically put together his unbreakable case, all the while avoiding and stopping threats to himself and his family. It was an effort eerily similar to the way his father had so completely defeated the Consultant of Crime over half a century before. While Ian's sister and brothers got credit for their great minds, Ian Troy had also inherited strong mental abilities from his father, and had used those powers to finish his life's work of bringing a very evil Swamp Frog and the organization he'd corrupted to Justice.

"At Emerald Ridge," Ian Troy was saying as he summarized his 'prosecution', "James Seaver's ten year old son was shot dead in the back at long range. The family dog was shot dead at long range. As they converged on the Seaver home, they shot dead James's wife standing in the doorway. She was armed... with a ten-month-old baby."

"As Seaver and his teenaged daughter lay huddled on the floor, being fired upon by FBI snipers," continued Ian Troy, "and with his wife lying dead in front of him, the FBI Agents constantly yelled taunts, such as 'What's your wife cooking for dinner?'. It took another team of Federal Agents arriving to prevent that FBI team from murdering Seaver, his daughter, and his baby."

"Afterwards," continued Troy, "Brien Coney, who personally ordered and oversaw the Emerald Ridge assault on the Seaver home, congratulated the FBI team, authorizing them bonus pay, and awarding them medals for the alleged 'valor' of gunning down a helpless family on their own property."

Ian Troy: "As the Emerald Ridge scandal began coming out, thanks largely to the efforts of Reed Hudson III and his radio show, Brien Coney, who had become FBI Director, attempted to use the power of his office to cover up the crimes. He had the IRS harass Mr. Hudson repeatedly, until Mr. Hudson's successful lawsuit exposed what was happening."

Ian Troy: "And when CIA Director James D. Troy legally provided data proving Coney's personal complicity in all this, FBI Director Coney tried to falsely charge him with crimes. FBI Director Coney personally signed FISA warrants to obtain telephone records of CIA Director Troy as well as Chairman of the JCS General Marsden's records. These FISA warrants were illegal, obtained with false documents under illegal conditions, utilized 'unmasking' techniques that were also illegal, and were used to persecute good, law-abiding Americans. Coney also unmasked active CIA Officers, resulting in them very nearly being killed."

Ian Troy: "In conclusion, the FBI has become lawless and corrupt under the Directorship of Brien Coney. He should stand trial for his crimes, and I have faith that he will. But first, he must be impeached and convicted, and since the President won't fire him, it is up to this Congress to impeach and convict FBI Director Brien Coney."

"Thank you, Senator." said the Chairwoman, Senator Susan Haskins Marsden. "Before the vote, I wish to close with these comments recognizing the work of Senator Ian Troy in bringing these crimes to light. Senator Troy has worked tirelessly for years to bring the deep corruption within the FBI to our attention, and to bring Justice on behalf of all the American People to the corrupt elements of the FBI."

Susie: "The Senator and his family were repeatedly threatened with physical harm, and one attack attempting to murder his family back home was detected and defeated by Senator Troy's nephew, Town & County Police Commander Donald David Troy... the Iron Crowbar. But through all of it, Senator Troy did not waver, and he has exposed FBI Director Coney's perfidy, upon which we shall be taking the vote to send our findings to the House for Impeachment."

Susie: "And I will break protocol by directly addressing Senator Troy, with whom I grew up in our Town & County. Senator Troy, your father, the original Iron Crowbar, is said to also have been the original Guardian of Justice. I believe that he would be very proud of you and what you have accomplished in rooting out this corruption on behalf of our Nation. Senator... like your father before you, you are truly a Guardian of Justice."

The chamber burst into a tremendous and sustained round of applause, which quickly turned into a standing ovation by the vast majority of those in the room. Ian Troy humbly acknowledged the ovation, no one knowing that the tears in his eyes were because of the memory of his father, and an act of destruction that had put him on an inexorable path to this moment...

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

U.S. Senator Ian Troy went back to his office, which had a desk at the far end and a conference table extending forward in front of it. He saw the pictures of his family, and the one of him with his father on the day he was first sworn in as a U.S. Congressman caught his eye.

He heard a noise and looked up. FBI Director Brien Coney, who was very tall with curly dark hair and a slender build, was coming down the length of the conference table, his dark eyes blazing with inexorable purpose, and a .38 caliber revolver in his hand.

"You son of a bitch!" Coney hissed. "Did you really think I would let an insignificant piece of shit like you bring me down?"

"It's a done deal, Coney." goaded Ian. "A done deal."

"I'll tell you what's a 'done deal'." said Coney, raising his weapon and pointing it at Ian. "Your death."

*WHAM!*

In less time than it takes to read this, Coney's face was slammed into the conference table, and a hand had extracted his firearm, which clattered to the floor. Stunned, he felt himself being turned around, and two bunched fists grabbing his neck, choking him.

"You fucking bastard!" hissed General James D. Troy as he choked Coney, having subdued the dirty FBI Director with the Aikido he'd never forgotten.

"Go ahead, kill me." gasped Coney. "Or are you too gutless, too much a coward like your brother over there?"

"Let me tell you something, shithead." snarled Jim, his crimson face redder than his red hair as choked Coney harder. "My father was the Iron Crowbar. My sister was the Iron Crowbar... still is, but I digress. My son is the current Iron Crowbar. That red crowbar somehow looped around me, but make no mistake... their blood is my blood, and the Spirit of that Crowbar is the fire in my own soul!"

Jim: "And if you ever... EVER!... attempt to hurt my brother, his family, or any of my family again... then your dead body will be found floating down the Potomac River, with a crowbar shoved all the way up your faggot ass. Do you understand?... I said DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Coney did not reply; he was passing out. Jim let him go, and he gasped for breath. Jim shoved him to the floor.

"Get out!" the CIA Director ordered the FBI Director. "Move!" When Coney tried to get up, Jim rushed up and kicked him hard in the ass, making Coney stumble back down.

"Men walk." said Jim. "You are not a man. You will crawl out of this office. Now move!" Coney was forced to crawl to the door. As it opened and he tried to get up, Jim kicked him in the ass as hard as he could, making Coney sprawl onto the floor again.

"Well," said Susan Haskins Marsden, coming inside, "I guess things are under control."

"Except my temper." Jim replied. He went over and confiscated the firearm as Susie walked down the other side of the conference table.

"You okay?" Jim asked Ian. "You've got your armor on, don't you?"

"Standard Iron Crowbar issue," said Ian, "in the lining of my jacket and under my shirt. Too bad my tummy's too big for a 'girdle'."

Jim chuckled as he came up to the desk. He saw the shattered brown and beige rail car in its plexiglass box on the desk. "I remember that day, too." he said. "Did you ever find the note Dad left you in it?"

"How'd you know about that?" asked Ian as he opened the plexiglass box.

"Carole told me." Jim said. "No telling how she knew. Did she tell you?"

"No." said Ian. "When I was elected to Congress, I brought this with me. When I put it on my desk, I noticed the slip of paper protruding out the side. It was at exactly the right time. After I read it, I just put it back under the train." As he spoke, he'd carefully raised the train car and picked up the folded piece of paper underneath. He handed it to Jim, who carefully unfolded it.