Power of Love Ch. 03

This story is part of an ongoing series. The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.

Feedback and constructive criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.

This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racism, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.

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Dedicated to Laura Branigan. Beautiful lady. Amazing voice. Gone too soon.

Part 15 - The Wedding of the Century Redux (continued)

"Very good, Iron Crowbar." said Mort Springer. "You really are as good as they say you are. I'm impressed."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Muscone.

"Are you kidding?" said Springer. "Most of the TCPD, all of its top leadership, and a lot of the FBI and its leadership, gathered together in one place. How could we resist that opportunity?"

"They'll notice we're gone." I said. "They'll disperse."

"We'll see about that." said Springer. He then came over and sat down to my left. There wasn't a lot of seating room. "Getting rid of all of you will help the next phase of our plans. You got to Westboro's gold before we could find it, but there's more for us out there, like you wouldn't believe."

Why does killing an entire wedding party help you find any more gold stashes?" I asked.

"It's not gold." said Springer. "But... we need to know what you know about that, and about your Operations Commander's sister's death. You probably don't know anything, but I believe in being thorough."

With that, he brought out a small wallet from his jacket pocket, and extracted a syringe full of a clear, dark blue liquid. "Ah, I see you recognize this. It's the same drug you injected into Trent Ridge. Yes, we found pieces of his body soaking in sulfuric acid in Coltrane County. Not a damn thing to prove you did it... not that it matters now... but there was enough of him left to identify, and to determine what killed him."

He stabbed the needle into my back, just below the neckline of my shirt, and began injecting the liquid.

"Aaaugh!" I gasped as I felt pain begin to start up. Then I said "Do me one favor?"

"What?" said Springer, stopping the injection.

"Inject the rest of it in my lower back. Right over where I was injured." I said.

"You're nuts." said Springer. "It'll only make your back hurt worse. But here goes." He injected the liquid into my back, just over the girdle, until the syringe was empty.

"Thank you." I said. And then, with a movement faster than he could react to, my hands came around from behind my back. My left hand grabbed the syringe and as my other hand grabbed his neck, and I stabbed him in the eye with the syringe!

"AAAUUGH!" Springer screamed. I was already up and moving around him, wrapping my arm around his neck. With a violent twist, I snapped Mort Springer's neck, then dropped his body to the floor.

I rushed up to the cockpit. William Drew was only beginning to realize what was going on, and it was too late for him. I grabbed him by the neck, snapped it, then pulled his body out of the pilot's seat and dropped it to the floor.

The plane had begun diving, but I knew enough to be able to level it out. Then I engaged the auto-pilot, and went back to the cargo cabin and used the bobby pin I'd used to get out of my own handcuffs to free Muscone.

"You just carry bobby pins as a matter of course?" asked Muscone.

"One in my holster, one in my belt in back, and one in my belt under the buckle." I replied. "Saved our asses when I was cuffed to that nuke, too." (Author's note: 'The Nuclear Option', Ch. 03.)

"Don, you just eliminated two highly trained Navy SEALs without breaking a sweat." said Muscone. "And what was that drug he injected you with?"

"That... was aspirin." I said. I took a small pillbox out of my jacket pocket, selected one (red pill or blue pill? you make the call), and swallowed it.

"Now what?" Muscone asked. "It could be rigged to blow if we get too low, like that helicopter Westboro made you fly." (Author's note: 'A Tiny Slip', Ch. 02.)

"I doubt it, but you may be right." I said. "They wanted the plane to explode either on contact with the ground, or very close over it."

"Here, put these on over your suit." I said, handing Jack a pair of coveralls with the cargo company's logo on it. "I suspect they were going to wear them, in case they were caught after jumping out of this plane."

I put the other coveralls on, then went over and took one of the parachutes and helped Muscone into it, then checked to make sure it was correct.

"Once you're out of the plane, you pull this handle here..." I said, pointing at the handle over the strap over his chest. "... and the chute will deploy. If it doesn't, pull this handle on the reserve. If they both fail, don't worry about it... you'll only have about two seconds left."

"Very reassuring." said Muscone.

"Your correct answer is "All okay, Jumpmaster!" I said. I then put the other parachute onto my own back, feeling some pain at the places where I'd been injected with the blue liquid.

I sat in the pilot's seat. "We're headed southeast." I said. "Ah, there's the State Line River up ahead. I'll follow it north, and we'll jump out near BOW Enterprises."

"What about the plane?" asked Muscone.

"I'm going to take the autopilot off before I jump." I said. "It should crash into empty farm fields. These bastards apparently have a homing device secreted at the wedding site, that the plane would home in on. I've disconnected it at this end, but just to be sure, I'm going to point the plane the other way."

"When did you learn to fly a plane?" Muscone said. "Is it like flying a helicopter?"

"The gauges are similar." I said. "But the controls are not. But I did some training on an Xbox simulator, and I'm going to take plane flying lessons... if we survive this..."

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

1:15pm, Saturday, March 28th. Laura parked her Mercedes-Benz in the VIP parking area, and she and Paulina Patterson got out of the front seats. Carole and Tasha poured themselves out of the back seats. Golf carts drove up to drive them to the wedding area.

"Mommy," said Carole as she saw her father's Police SUV parked close to the BOW Enterprises main building, "where's Daddy?"

"He's probably with the Groom, Mr. Muscone." said Laura. "He's the Best Man, remember?"

"Yes ma'am, I remember." said Carole. "Mommy, can you check and make sure Daddy's all right?"

"I'm sure he's fine, Carole." Laura said. "And he's very busy right now. Being the Best Man means he has to check to make sure everything is okay."

They arrived just outside the area with the seats, which were in the same place as Todd and Teresa's wedding. (Author's note: 'Soap Opera', Ch. 04.) The Police Honor Guard was there, ready to make an arch of swords for the wedding party. With one exception, they were the only Uniformed Officers at the wedding area; Security was further out of the way, and at the entrances.

"Mommy," said Carole, "will you call Daddy and make sure he's okay?"

"For Goodness sake, Carole." Laura said, trying to hide her exasperation. "No, we're going to leave your daddy alone, and we're going to sit down----"

"Hi everyone." said Cindy Ross, coming up to the four ladies. "Carole, everything okay?"

Carole said "Aunt Cindy, can you check on my daddy and make sure he's okay?" Cindy saw Laura's look of 'disapproval'.

"Sure, I'll check on him." Cindy said diplomatically. "Why don't you have a seat with your mom? Marie's already here with her parents, too." She pointed at the Steele's, hoping that would distract Carole.

Cindy also was feeling a vibe, though she thought it was just Carole's concern. But she kept her word and went to check on Don. At the Groom's tent, there was a sign on the door that said 'Back In A Minute'. There was a man inside, dressed in a BOW Enterprises security uniform.

"They went to have some pictures taken, ma'am." said the security man in answer to Cindy's query of their location. "I'm not sure where."

"Thanks." Cindy said. She went to the tent where the bridesmaids were.

"Everything okay?" Teresa asked, seeing Cindy's 'purposeful' look.

"Don and Jack are not in the Groom's tent." Cindy said. "And Carole is having a vibe about it, which means I'm having a vibe about it."

Teresa got her cellphone out of her purse and dialed a number. "Hi, Lieutenant Rudistan." she said. "Listen, I need you to get in touch with the security detail. Find Commander Troy and Jack Muscone. They're not in the Groom's tent. I want to know where they are, inside, outside, going to the potty, wherever." She then hung up and said "Rudistan will call me back..."

Meanwhile, Carole was constantly looking over the back of her chair at the tents at the top of the hill. Laura said "Carole, you said you would behave if I brought you to the wedding. Now sit up straight in your chair, looking forward, not behind you."

"I'm worried about Daddy." Carole said, her voice beginning to break. Then she looked up at her mother and said "You don't believe me, do you?"

"It's not that I don't believe you, Carole," Laura replied trying not to show the anger she was feeling, "but there are a lot of Police Officers here, and we're safe. And your dad is busy. Whatever you're feeling, it's probably just your daddy being nervous."

"Daddy never gets nervous." Carole said, looking back at the tents. Despite herself, it was Laura that was beginning to feel nervous...

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

I managed to turn the plane in a northerly direction and the State Line River was below me to my left. I put the plane on autopilot, noting that the transponder was off, as was the radio.

I went to the door and opened it, then guided Jack to it. "STAND! IN THE DOOR!" I commanded. I saw BOW Enterprises coming up in the distance. "GO!"

Jack froze.

It was a Jumpmaster's dream. I raised my leg, then kicked Jack right in his ass, and booted him out of the plane!

I turned and raced to the cockpit, took the autopilot off, then pushed the controls forward. The plane began to dive. I rushed for the door, which was already at an angle, and jumped out as hard as I could, hoping I'd get far enough away from the tail. I looked up and saw it go over and past me, then I pulled the ripcord...

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

Cindy Ross was coming down the aisle to where Laura and Carole were, along with Tasha, Paulina, the Steeles and Marie. She said "Laura, can I speak to you for a second in back?"

"Don't worry." said Carole. She then pointed at the sky and said "There's Daddy, being a Para-troooper." Cindy and Laura looked up, and saw two rectangular parachutes descending to the earth, one lower than the other, with humans in coveralls beneath them...

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

Ah, the exhilaration of a parachute jump! I thought to myself as I looked around. I saw Jack's deployed chute well below me, then saw it billow out as Jack landed. I'd never jumped with a civilian parachute, but it was easy enough to figure out. As I neared the ground, I put my feet and knees together and pulled the risers down, and the parachute braked my horizontal motion. I landed and began stumbling as I ran. I finally tumbled, and I was glad for the coveralls I had on; they kept my tuxedo clean.

I gathered the chute, then looked up. I was only 150 feet from the wedding site! People were coming towards me, led by TCPD Officers. They got to Jack first, then Rudistan came up to me.

"Nice day for a parachute jump, sir!" Rudistan said with great joviality. "And just in time. The wedding is about to start---."

*BOOM!*

To our north a huge fireball rolled upwards to the sky. The plane had crashed, and the explosives had gone off.

"Rudistan," I said, "radio in and have the TCPD check out that plane crash. There are two dead men inside it already. I just hope the plane landed in a farm field, and not on the Hammondsville Highway or the bridge."

"Or BigPharmaCorp." said Rudistan. He had his Police radio, and began radioing instructions.

Meanwhile, I was walking up to the tents when Cindy Ross appeared in front of me. Her ice blue eyes were shooting cold fire. And I couldn't resist:

"That's eighteen jumps." I said with a smile as I handed her my bundle of parachute material. I am not permitted to print Cindy's reply here, but I did learn some new 'Canadian' words...

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

Laura met us at the Groom's tent. She checked out Jack, who had no damage. I began taking my jacket then shirt off. "I need you to drain these bumps." I said.

"How did you get those?" Laura asked.

"The perp injected a drug into me." I said. "It didn't work as he thought it would, and I took an antidote pill I always carry. The poison has congealed around the injection points."

"I'll have to get my medical kit--- oh, hello Carole." Laura said as Carole brought up her mother's medical bag. My daughter had gotten Paulina to take her to the Mercedes to retrieve it.

"All right, lie down." Laura said, having me lie down on my side on the parachute that Jack just jumped with, which made a clean sheet to lie on (parachutes are awesome). She used a device I'd seen on 'Dr. Pimple Popper' to make a round incision that usually takes a skin sample. Carole was watching with great interest.

"AACH!" I gasped in pain, then felt the pressure go away as the congealed liquid began draining out. Laura poked and prodded to get as much of it out as she could, then she did the one over my lower back. To my surprise I felt no pain at all.

"That's because the nerves around your injured spine don't work all that great anymore." Laura said. "The good news is, your chronic back pain might be less than it used to be."

"Silver lining." I said. "Silver lining."

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

Explanations would have to wait. Laura bandaged my wounds and I dressed again. I checked to make sure the Bride was ready.

"Don, what are you crazy people doing out there?" Tanya asked, looking amazing in her white wedding dress, the lower part wrapped around her legs.

"Long story." I said. "Let's just get you married right now. Oh, you ladies look lovely." Indeed, the women were wearing pale blue dresses, and they looked lovely.

"And I didn't even get to see you parachuting in," Tanya said, "because I can't see the Groom before the wedding."

"I'm sure someone videoed it." I said, glancing towards Cindy.

"Not me." Cindy said acidly. "I am not encouraging nor enabling your batshit-crazy Airborne behavior." But yes, a number of people had videoed the two jumpers coming in, as well as the plane descending to the ground.

"Get the Groom in place, Crowbar." said the Sheriff. "And I hope you have the rings."

"Oh no!" I said, and everyone went still, looking shocked. Then I pulled them out of my jacket pocket. "All good!" I announced. Everyone began breathing again...

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

We were a little late. At 2:15pm Jack Muscone and I took our places at the front, next to Police Chaplain Alberto Romano, who was wearing his black vestments and his exquisite rosary and Cross. 'Ave Maria' began playing through the speakers.

Jack and I watched as his daughters Tiffany and Jennifer walked under the Police arch of swords and down the aisle, strewing rose petals. Tanya's son Peter D. Feeley walked down the aisle with a white satin pillow, upon which sat the Bride and Groom's wedding rings. He took his place next to me.

Then the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen began walking under the arch and down the aisle. Mary Mahoney Milton was first, her hair and makeup as 'normal' as I'd ever seen it, and a tattoo on her ribs visible; it was the first time I'd seen that. Then Ted Crenshaw came down. Teresa came down, and winked at us as she got to the front, then Ashton Cardigan, then Cindy Ross, who still was 'not amused' that I'd completed my eighteenth parachute jump (heh heh heh heh). Julius Jefferson came next.

Then Christina Cho as Maid of Honor came under the arch of swords. She looked very lovely in her blue dress, her hair falling around her head and face in gentle curls. Yowza, I thought to myself.

"Everyone," announced Father Romano, "please remain seated. Again, please remain seated."

The music changed to 'Here Comes The Bride', the arch of swords crossed with a clang, and Tanya appeared underneath it, holding her bouquet of flowers, with Sheriff Griswold 'pushing' her wheelchair. The Sheriff was the only person besides the Honor Guard wearing his uniform, as Tanya had requested him to do, and it was the right call on her part.

I glanced at Jack, who was mesmerized at the sight of his Bride rolling down the aisle. The Bridesmaids all had looks of awe on their lovely faces, and Tanya's cheeks were rosy with perkiness... and happiness...

Part 16 - The Power of Love

After the vows were exchanged, the rings put on, the Groom kissing the Bride, and everyone walking (or driving) back out, with me escorting the Maid of Honor Christina Cho, people began heading to the big reception tent. The Wedding Party took requisite photographs, then went inside the reception tent for the traditional dances and cake-cutting.

Neither Jack nor Tanya had living parents, so Tanya and Jack 'danced', which consisted of holding hands and swaying. Tanya then 'danced' with her son Pete, and Jack danced with each of his daughters.

"Ladies and gentlemen," said Tanya, who'd obtained a microphone, "I have asked my friend Teresa to sing a special song from me to my new husband as we dance." Teresa came up and took the mike, and Tanya was beaming as Teresa went off to one side in the dimming lights, and began singing Laura Branigan's song Power of Love. It started out simply enough:

"I hold on to your body
And feel each move you make
Your voice is warm and tender now
A love that I could not forsake..."

The late, great Laura Branigan had nothing on Teresa as she hit it out of the park:

"'Cause I'm your laaaa-dyyyyyy
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'll do all that I can"

Everyone in the audience began clapping as Teresa hit the high note perfectly, her voice strong. She continued singing as everyone watched the very happy Bride and Groom holding hands and swaying in the center of the tent.

I put my arm around Laura, and she put her arm around me as we swayed. I saw other couples, including Edward and Stephanie Steele also getting close and joining hands or arms. And I saw Carole put her arm through Pete Feeley's and hold on. Hmmm...

Then Teresa finished it off, pouring her heart and soul into the power of her voice in this, her gift for her friends:

"I'm your la-dyyyyyyy
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'll do all that I can
We're heading for something!
Somewhere I've never been!
Sometimes I am frightened but I'm ready to learn
About the power of loooooove"

Everyone applauded once it was over. Teresa came over and hugged Tanya for a long moment, and there were tears in both ladies's eyes. Then Teresa hugged Jack before going over to stand next to her own husband Todd, who put his arm around her and grinned his brilliant grin.

And then Tanya, with her eyes sparking and a wicked look on her face, asked the Best Man and Maid of Honor to dance together. So Christina Cho and I danced together, and I could see in her dark eyes that she was enjoying it... and so was I...