The Nuclear Option Ch. 03

I did not care to play their games, so Callie rounded up the kids and took them down County Road 2 to the farm road that went into Coltrane County, the road Britt Maxwell and I had gone down in the 'Murdered Football Player' case. The military had been culpably slow in guarding the farm roads, which on the one hand bothered me but on the other hand relieved me. General McFarland might not have evacuated the Town, but I sure as hell evacuated my and my loved ones's kids.

And Laura only found out when she left the Old Mill for Police Headquarters, filled in by Sheriff Griswold. I suspected that was the real reason I was in danger of being relegated to the couch to sleep upon...

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

The rest of the day consisted of continuing to answer questions about what had happened, writing up my after-action reports for the Army, the FBI (which I copied to the SBI), and the TCPD. And then I skimmed through the duty logs and Police reports of the past two days, seeing if there was something trying to fall through the cracks.

At 5:30pm, as the sun was lowering towards the western horizon, there was a knock on my door. It was Captain Teresa Croyle. I had her come in and sit down.

"How's Sheri Smith?" I asked.

"Grieving." said Teresa. "But she's holding up as well as she can. Cindy had Captain Thompson call about funeral arrangements. The Office of Secure Transport said they were doing nothing about it. Thompson called the Army, and they will handle arrangements for hero veterans like they normally do. With your permission, sir, I'd like to go help with the arrangements in her hometown."

"Where does she live?" I asked.

"Nebraska." Teresa said. "Kearney, Nebraska."

"You can go to the funeral." I said. "Let the Army and her friends and family make the arrangements."

Teresa paused, then said "I will, sir. And I think I need to be here for the next few days. This thing with DFACS is going to get ugly, if I don't miss my guess, and I'm going to need to be here for Cindy."

"And you rarely miss your guesses." I said. "But I think we'll be able to resolve Betsy's situation for the best."

"Sir, I'm more worried about the Press aspects of this." said Teresa. "Bettina and Amber are being relentless in their hatred."

"They keep it up," I said, "and Cindy will be the least of their problems. We'll talk about that... later. For now, let's go home to our kids..."

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

The kids were in bed, and Bowser was in his basket at the foot of Carole's bed, lightly sleeping but on guard as always. Laura and I were in the greatroom, sitting on the sofa against the wall, sipping some 30-year-old Highland Park single malt Scotch. Good stuff. Expensive, but this was a proper occasion for it.

"Tough day at the office today?" Laura said. I chuckled at her understated sense of humor.

"I didn't sleep so well last night." I replied, having not slept at all, really. "And this morning's rush hour was... the bomb." Laura chuckled herself.

"In spite of the fact that you literally walked into a truck full of criminals and a nuclear bomb," Laura said, "you did a magnificent job. With the crisis, with busting Carl Just..." After a pause, she said "Like Carole said, you saved the world."

"Thanks." I said. "And I got the feeling that Carole was more aware of the seriousness of that crisis than most five-year-olds should be. That's one reason she objects to us going to 'meetings'... she thinks she's trying to protect us from the dangers."

"Yeah." Laura said. "And speaking of those dangers, I'll ask again: why did you let General McFarland know so much about how much you know about the Establishment Elitists?"

"Couldn't be helped." I said. "Just was one of them, and it was an integral part of why he committed treason like he did. And yes, there's another reason. U.S. Senator Samuel Russell is one of the linchpins of the Establishment, and I'm really hoping that when I get the opportunity to take him down, they'll cut him loose and let me crush him. I haven't forgotten Larry Wheeler." (Author's note: 'Whistleblower'.)

"Ahhhhh." Laura said. "Finally, we get to the core of the matter. You're after Russell. And you're hoping that when you go after him, McFarland will tell everyone else to let you have Russell, while the rest keep their heads down."

"Yeah." I said. "One day, Russell will slip, and when he does... I will be there." I took a swig of my Scotch in the moment of intense silence.

Yes, that was one reason. But there were others. First, despite his play-acting, I knew it was General McFarland that brought in The Geek, to watch over me, and that he did it because in revealing what I knew about the Elites, he realized I bore watching. And in doing so, he made the mistake of letting me see my Enemy face to face. A mistake, the General made. Pay for it, he absolutely will.

But that was not the only reason. And that other reason is that I was not in control of the situation. A four-star general was. And while I was aware of who he was, and the power he commanded, I knew that he could not resolve the situation. But I could... with help. The help of someone who had amassed considerable power herself. A woman I'd slept with for eight years. And so, despite my wife's warnings about her ex-husband's friend McFarland, I had to choose to trust my ex-wife over my wife. And I did.

Yes.

Despite her own racial feelings that matched Just's feelings, Melina cared more about saving our Town & County, saving her family, saving Todd and saving her sister Laura. She was able to help, and she told me how she could help, once I found the nuke. I found it; she neutralized it. But to even get that chance, we had to get General McFarland to let us do what we did, and without tipping off General Just. And we did.

"So..." I said as I finished my well-earned drink, "am I relegated to the couch?"

"You ought to be." Laura said. "But I'm in a... forgiving... mood tonight. Let's go to bed..." We got up and went up the stairs, hand-in-hand...

Part 19 - Holding Court

Sunday, March 10th. The Usual Suspects were at The Cabin, and Paulina brought Tasha over to share the brunch that Molly and I cooked up, 'assisted' by Carole and Marie. Somewhat to my surprise, Cindy, Callie, and Betsy were not there.

We had the television on in the front room, as Paulina suggested we watch. I should've realized she was up to something as KFXU's Sunday morning show came on. Catrina Pierce and Meredith Peller were hosting in the studio, and their guest was the Reverend Steven Ikea, leader of and spokesman for the State Right to Life Committee (SRLC).

"The Department of Family and Children's Services absolutely should reconsider their decisions and take Betsy Von Telsing out of that home." Ikea was saying, his voice haughty and obnoxious, wearing his clerical collar. "To put a baby into a home of a lesbian, living with a porn actress, was just inexcusable of DFACS. God meant for children to be raised in two-parent families, with a father and a mother, not raised by a lesbian in a dangerous job and a porn actress."

"Times have changed in this country, Reverend." Meredith said, connoting just a bit of disdain for the Reverend Ikea. "Parents of all orientations are adopting children."

"God's Word triumphs over the filthy ways of persons living in sin." said Ikea. "And babies should not be subjected to such sin."

"Aren't you discriminating against lesbians with your comments?" said Catrina Pierce. I realized that she was just baiting Ikea, which was embarrassingly easy to do.

"Do I not have the Rights of Free Speech and Religious Expression?" replied Ikea. "Our Constitutional rights are being suppressed, trampled upon in the name of Political Correctness. And the State Right to Life Committee will have our rights honored and our voices heard as we file suit in Court to force DFACS to remove that child from the harmful influences into which she has been placed..."

Then an interview with State House Minority Leader Wilson Hammonds was shown. "I will be introducing legislation to remove that child from that home so that she can be put into foster care, and we will open investigations of DFACS for allowing this egregious incident to occur in the first place. That child should not have been placed in a home with so unfit a mother and her lesbian lover in it."

It got worse. We turned over to KXTC, where Bettina Wurtzburg and Amber Harris were hosting their pre-recorded Sunday morning program. Their guest was failed candidate for Mayor, Eldrick X. Weaver.

"Cindy Ross is not fit to be a mother." said Weaver. "She is a racist, and she and white people like her are the reason that cops are hated by blacks. She carries a crowbar, the very symbol in this County of abusive Police brutality against People of Color. I just don't understand how a little baby could be put into that abusive, racist, dangerous environment, and I demand DFACS remove that child from that home, and put her into foster care far, far away from here."

"And in announcement sure to please Mr. Weaver." said Bettina. "KXTC has re-hired trusted reporter Lester Holder as our Civil Rights reporter. Lester is very respected in the minority communities, and will bring fresh insights into the plight of minorities and women in the face of white nationalism and Police brutality..."

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

"My God, what is that about?" asked ADA Paulina Patterson, herself a woman of mixed race. "After what bastard called my daughter?"

"It's a shot at me, and at Cindy." I said. "A slap in our faces. But it also protects Bettina and Amber; Penis Holder takes the racial arrows while Bettina and Amber can concentrate on other things... like taking Betsy from Cindy."

"I got word from people I know at the Courthouse." Paulina said. "These so-called 'social justice' groups are going to file the lawsuits first thing tomorrow morning. The State Right to Life Committee, the Committee of Concerned Citizens, the Committee for Police Accountability. Several Legislators are going to join Wilson Hammonds in his demands to take Betsy away from Cindy and to investigate DFACS. What the Media has left out is that Hammonds wants to use this to investigate 'The Vision' and Dr. Eckhart."

"That must be the next level of their orchestrated attacks." I said. "They'll try this first, then they'll go after Cindy's father. Can't have anyone doing millions of people a lot of good, and telling the Government that neither he nor they need the Government, eh?"

"What are we going to do?" asked Molly. "Cindy is a good person and is going to be a wonderful mother for Betsy."

And then a voice seemed to explode behind us, saying "Whatever else happens, the first thing we must do is make sure Betsy is not 'disappeared' into the foster care system." We turned to see that the voice was Laura's. She was standing right behind me, and it made my back hurt to have to twist around to look up at her.

"Don," Laura said, "go put on a suit and tie. Molly, Paulina, if you wouldn't mind taking care of the kids for a few minutes, I'd appreciate it."

"And while we're gone, perhaps you wouldn't mind making a phone call for me, Paulina?" I asked...

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

I pulled my Police SUV into the area of the Courthouse Complex parking lot that said 'Authorized Vehicles Only', and parked. Laura and I went into the entrance that served this gated-off parking lot and along the hallway to the main atrium entrance area. Laura was carrying a thin briefcase that I knew must contain papers of some kind.

There were two Deputies at the entrance, which had baggage and people-check devices like the airports have, to check for weapons. As a duly deputized Agent of the Law and Officer of the Court, I was of course permitted to have my service weapon as well as my crowbar.

We were allowed into a seemingly innocuous side door, which led down a hallway. On one side were doors that entered the Courtrooms from the back, near the Judge's benches. On the other side were doors to the Judge's Chambers.

We went into the anteroom of the Chambers of Judge Rodney K. Watts. A young man, his clerical aide, was there, and admitted us into the Judge's Chambers. Watts rose from his chair behind his desk.

"Dr. Fredricson, Commander Troy," he said, "thank you for coming by."

"Thank you for seeing us, Your Honor." Laura said as we sat down at Watts's invitation in chairs in front of his desk. He'd had a hardback chair put in place for me, knowing that I had a bad back, and I was grateful for it.

"You called about the Betsy Ross adoption, Dr. Fredricson." said Watts. "I'm not really supposed to discuss it, but it was assigned to me... actually I asked for it to make sure that idiot Nance didn't try to screw it up... and it's going smoothly. Obviously Commander Ross has passed every possible background check, and it's helped that she's been given a Top Secret clearance. The biological mother, Betty Morelli, is in prison, and she forfeited her rights to Betsy when she gave custody of the girl to her parents."

"The only holdup," continued the Judge, "is that we don't know who the biological father is, and we have to give a reasonable time for a search to find the father. We're not actively searching, just giving time for the father to come forward a make a claim or yield his rights and allow the adoption."

"What about these lawsuits that these groups are planning to file?" asked Laura. "Could they derail the process?"

"For the most part, they have no legal standing." said Watts. "However, if they finagle their way into Nance's Courtroom, he could try some stunts like issuing a stay on the adoption process to give time to hear the case. Then Commander Ross would have to file a petition to wrap those cases into the adoption, which would at least get them into my Court where I can slam the door on their fingers. But all that will take time, and could delay the adoption."

"The other problem," Judge Watts said, "as Dr. Fredricson asked when she called me earlier today, is if people in the State Legislature or the Executive branch of our State Government put enough pressure on DFACS to come in to the picture. They do have legal standing, and could actually come and take the child while all the legal wrangling is being worked through."

"I see." said Laura. She opened her briefcase and took out some papers. "I'm here to solve the problem of the identity of the biological father. Here's the proof." She handed the papers to Watts, who took them, opened the file folder, put his reading glasses on his face, and examined them.

"Oh my." he said, looking first at Laura and then at me over the tops of his reading glasses. He then handed the papers to me. They were DNA tests, and they proved the identity of the father of Betsy with a certainty of one in three billion... which meant that there were two people on earth that could be the father, and Your Iron Crowbar was one of them.

"That 'Days of Promise' soap opera has nothing on you, Commander." Watts said as he leaned back in his chair, his face showing how stunned he was at this turn of events. "How long have you known this?"

I spoke up. "I didn't know until Cindy had already been awarded foster parenthood of Betsy. Of course, being a Detective, once I saw her, and especially next to her sister Carole, it was pretty obvious. But I still didn't know for sure until just now; this is the first I've seen of the DNA proof."

"I didn't show my husband this proof until now." said Laura. "And I never said anything to Cindy, so I don't know if she even knows."

"I haven't said anything to her, either." I said.

"I have a paper here," Laura said, producing the paper, "that our lawyer drew up. Once Don signs it, it will yield custody of Betsy to Cindy, who is his first cousin. It also claws back his rights if the adoption is denied or if DFACS attempts to take the baby away. He can then claim Betsy himself, to keep her from falling into the foster care system."

"And I will certainly do that." I said. "So now that you have this, Your Honor, let me ask if this course of action is possible..."

Part 20 - Full Press Court

5:25pm, Sunday, March 10th. Bettina Wurtzburg, Amber Harris, Keith Madden, and four cameramen with videocameras and extremely good and sensitive sound equipment came into the warehouse in the southwestern part of Town, just a bit south of the BigAgraFoods and Kestrel Motors locations. The smell of herbicides and fertilizers wafted into the reporters's noses. Bettina shuddered as she looked around.

The main entrance was on the west side, and was brightly lit with the lowering sun outside. There was also an entrance to the north, that had a walkway leading to a paved alley between buildings.

"Okay," said Amber to the others. "You guys hide behind those pallets. Scott, you go up onto that balcony and film from up there." They took off to secrete themselves at their posts.

"What's going on?" asked cub reporter Keith Madden.

"We got a call, purporting to be from a DFACS employee in the City." said Bettina. "A girl said she had proof that P. Harvey Eckhart paid over $200,000 in bribes to secure Betsy for his daughter Cindy. The number traced back to Coltrane County, though... to The Vision."

"Wow, how easy can it get?" said Madden.

"Yeah, exactly." said Bettina. "Of course it's some kind of trap. Maybe by Eckhart, but we're hoping that this is a set-up by the Iron Crowbar. We're going to turn the tables on him. Big time."

"He's as clumsy as he is stupid." said Amber Harris, her voice full of venomous hatred.

"The girl said to come here, to this warehouse, at 5:30pm." said Bettina. "We've been watching the place as well as the Police Station for an hour, and seen nothing. No drones, no cop cars, nothing. So it may be on the up-and-up, which will be great if we can barbecue that bitch and her nutjob father. If not, and if Ross or Troy show up, we'll get a ton of video."

"We may get assaulted, or worse." said Madden. He didn't notice Bettina shudder again at those words. Amber seemed less concerned.

"Our cameramen are armed." said Amber. "And again, we're taping and transmitting what we tape to the vans hidden outside. Keith, you need to hide, as well. Watch carefully, remember everything you see and hear. Your testimony in Court will be excellent."

"Yes ma'am." said the cub reporter, realizing that this was far more than 'normal' investigative journalism.

A moment later, the west side door opened and a shadow appeared, the brilliant light of the sun behind her framing her. She stepped inside, and the reporters saw that it was indeed Cindy Ross. She was wearing civilian clothes, all dark green, and was carrying a green object in her hand, made of solid iron.

"Hello, Commander Cindy Ross." Bettina said, making sure the cameras and audio equipment got the full name. "You hardly look like a DFACS employee."

"Why are you doing this?" Cindy said, her voice low and menacing as she clutched the crowbar with both hands. "Why are you trying to take my daughter from me? Why are you trying to destroy my life?"

"We're just telling the People what they have the right to know." Amber Harris said, her voice cynical, and deliberately baiting in nature.

"Bull shit." Cindy said. The reporters saw that the platinum blonde's ice-blue eyes were blazing with anger... and purpose. "There's no good purpose to destroying a baby's life, trying to have her taken out of a loving home and delivered to a foster system with God-knows-who the parents might be."

"At least they won't be lesbians." said Amber. "And they'll be people who waited in line instead of jumping it with bribes."