Smoke on the Water Ch. 03

Cindy Ross was present, and announced that with her retirement and future move to the Sheriff's Department, a new Inner Circle member should be named.

Speaker of the House... er, Orange Order, Micah Rudistan had everyone put a name on a Post-it note, and he and The Intendant, Mrs. Adele Peabody, tallied the votes.

"Would the Members please form a circle, Inner Circle members to the outside." Rudistan said. We did so. Ever mischievous, Rudistan had Your Iron Crowbar take the orange lantern to be bestowed upon the new Inner Circle member. I went into the middle of the ring and walked through three complete circles per custom, and then stopped... in front of Captain Damien Thompson. He accepted the appointment as the group applauded.

Then we all sat and waited as Rudistan and Mrs. Peabody tallied the votes. The Inner Circle was called up to confirm, and we found that we had a dilemma.

"We have one nearly unanimous vote." Rudistan said. "Then there are two others, and they're very close, literally four votes apart."

"Easy Button." I said. "With Inga going to New York, we can induct a third person." So let it be written, so let it be done...

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

Friday, December 4th. It was one of the most exciting days of the year for the Police Force. Per longstanding custom and tradition, every Officer from the Chief to the newest Rookie wore the standard dark blue uniform with dark blue necktie. Only nametags and ranks differentiated us in any way; no metal-bordered ribbons were worn.

And in a more recent tradition, I took my orange crowbar out of my safe and carried it instead of the red one. Likewise, Cindy Ross, who had come in wearing her standard uniform with her 'Retired' badge, and beginning to look like a beach ball what with her pregnancy, also carried an orange crowbar.

And though technically it was incorrect because he was currently Sheriff, Sheriff Griswold also came in wearing his Police Uniform with his 'Retired' badge. But no one, not even Your Iron Crowbar, was going to tell the Sheriff he was wrong, not even in the original Klingon.

It was a semi-holiday for most Officers. Auxiliary volunteers would be manning the Duty Desks and radio dispatch stations beginning at shift change at 4:00pm, with only a few regular Officers on call in the case of trouble.

But it was nothing like that for the Leadership. Teresa and I had made lists and checked them twice, made contingencies, and worked the Intel Branch to find out what, if anything, was going on on the Southside, particularly along MLK Jr. Drive.

"T-Square has made a point to tell the Press through his lawyers that they cannot park nor loiter on his properties, including the Jasmine club, like they did last year." Paulina had told us. "If they do, the TCPD has carte blanche to go in and arrest the bastards for trespassing."

"And we certainly will take advantage of that invitation." I said to Teresa and the Chief as we met later that morning. "We'll start flying drones around at sunset, and see if anyone is massing along the route.

Teresa said "We'll have security on standby, and the Governor has sent us a company of State Patrol volunteers to help. But if the Antifa thugs mass, block us off, and attack us, they won't get to us in time."

"What's this 'we' and 'us' about, Kemo Sabe?" I said. "You're assigned to Headquarters. You are not coming with us."

"Then you are not going with them." Teresa replied. "I'll chain you to your desk this Christmas season if you even try to go without me, Crowbar-sama!." I got the hint: this was a Clan Crowbar matter more than a Police matter.

"Heh heh heh heh." chuckled the Chief. "Now you know how I feel sometimes, Mr. Crowbarrrr..." An orange crowbar was waved in several general directions...

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

But before we could walk, we had selections to make. At 3:30pm, the members of the Orange Order gathered in Classroom 'J'. We put our Orange Order ribbons on over our right pocket flap, where TCPD ribbons were supposed to go. Then we planned our route after the candidates had been spotted and their locations known.

As the Inner Circle candidate, Damien Thompson led the 'rope line', and six of us went with him. We went the short distance to the gymnasium, where the vast majority of the Uniformed Officers had gathered. All chatter instantly ceased as we came in; you coulda heard a pin drop.

I guided Damien Thompson around the boxing ring that was still set up. Then, as we headed back towards the door we suddenly stopped. I stepped to the side and said "Officer Buchannan, would you please come with us?"

The gym erupted into cheers as Officer Kevin Buchannan was guided to the line behind Captain Thompson. He looked amazed, even dazed, as he took his place. We walked out of the gym as the Officers continued to applaud Buchannan.

We went down the north side hallway, whose outer side was the booking hallway through which arrested suspects were brought, then down the east side where the main auditorium was and where front doors were, then along the southside hall. The MCD and Vice rooms were to the right.

All of the Detectives had gathered in MCD and were chattering like parakeets when we stopped in the hallway. Teresa Croyle and Teddy Parker went into the room and all chatter ceased as Teresa went up to one of the desks.

"Detective Perry, would you please come with us?" she said. Everyone applauded as J.J. 'Ice Cube' Perry followed her to the door. It was him that had received the nearly-unanimous vote, and was possibly the most deserving induction into the Orange Order that we'd ever had.

I was standing in the doorway as Teresa took Perry out into the hallway and put him in line behind Buchannan. It looked like Teddy Parker was also about to walk out, but then he suddenly turned and stood before one of the desks...

To be continued.