The Wolf and The Moon Ch. 02

I said "And her bravery is matched only by the goodness of her heart. It was here, in this town, where she learned not only her family heritage on her mother's side, but that she was heiress to an unimaginable fortune. Without hesitation, she used that fortune to create a Trust. The proceeds are being used to find cures for rare diseases, especially those that afflict children. Lives are being saved because of Teresa's generosity, and her great heart."

Me: "The best of this town, of its spirit, is with Teresa now. There's that saying that 'you can take the girl out of the town, but you can't take the town out of the girl'. But I'll just tell you now... you ain't getting her back, at least not if I can help it."

There was laughter at that, then I concluded: "As for me, I am honored to have been thought of along with Teresa, and I am proud to be included on this tribute to her greatness. We've seen the growth and development of this town, and the spirit of its citizens, from Region Champions in Women's Track and Field, to those serving as First Responders, to the hardworking people who can see a bright future, just as this statue shows Teresa looking over the horizon for the bright future that is to come. Thank you, and God bless you."

As the strong round of applause died down, it was once again Teresa's turn. She came up to the microphone and said "I -told- you he would know what to say!" Laughter and applause ensued.

Teresa began: "I am honored that you have thought of me with this statue. I'm even happier that you included the Iron Crowbar, and it is only right that you did. And that's because everything I have been able to do, whether to be a Police Officer protecting and serving our fellow Citizens, or to create the Trust that is saving lives... is because of Donald Troy."

Teresa: "It's appropriate that the statue has him with his coat behind my back... because Don Troy has always had my back, even when I did not deserve it... especially when I did not deserve it. It is not an exaggeration that he has saved my life many times over, both literally and figuratively. He not only saved my Police career, he has taken me with him on his meteoric rise to become the greatest Detective any of us have ever known. He is the kindest, wisest, and bravest man I have ever known, and it is truly an honor to be able to work for and with him."

More applause, then Teresa said: "As my husband said, it was Don Troy that found my maternal family relations, and subsequently the inheritance that is now supporting the medical research that is curing children and giving all of us hope. I now have a family, my mother's sister and her kin... and my own family.

Teresa: "My husband is Don Troy's nephew, and I'm grateful to Todd for all he's done for the town I left in my childhood and never expected to see again. But because of these Troys, I have hope, you have hope, we all have hope for great futures."

More applause, then Teresa finished up: "I appreciate the honor you have done in naming the Public Safety Complex after my father. I have always had great respect for his service to our Nation, his heroism in combat, and I do not forget that he took care of his people and did not leave them behind. So, thank you for this, and God bless you all."

Next up, the Mayor brought up Henrique Fallon, who uncovered three small statues on the table on the platform. The statues were identical to the one of Teresa and me, but the bases were trapezoids of wood, not unlike Heisman Trophy bases.

After announcing that one of the smaller trophies was for Teresa and the other for me, and having us come up to receive them, Henrique Fallon held up a framed drawing. I realized it was the drawing Carole had given Todd on my birthday, and now everything fell into place.

Henrique Fallon was saying "This sculpture was the design of Mademoiselle Marie Steele, and I have given her full co-design credit for it. This is a Marie Steele design, and I hope to collaborate with her to create many more brilliant designs."

As Marie came up, everyone was amazed that the designer was just under nine years old. She tried to lift the miniature statue, but it was too heavy. "Carole! Come help me!" she yelled. Carole came up and together the girls hoisted up the trophy, but moving with it was difficult. Todd rescued them and took temporary possession of it.

The statue would not be defaced, but a strange tradition developed. Teens would sneak in and paint the crowbar in their own school colors, or red, white, and blue for the Fourth of July. The local school would come back and paint their own colors on it again. That crowbar would rarely be red again...

Part 9 - The Voyage Home

4:00pm, Sunday, April After a ton of photos were taken, we went by The Gasthaus and changed into civilian clothes suitable for air travel. We were transported to the Municipal Airport.

One of the BOW Enterprises planes was staying behind, and because of this, Pilot Dave would be joined by Pilot Clint in the cockpit of our aircraft. Ergo, Teresa would be sitting in the passenger cabin with us. Clarissa Belvedere Esterson invited those who had flown on the second BOW plane to fly with her and my mother Phyllis to Town & County Airport. Jack Muscone's Government plane was also returning to TCA.

When we got to the airport, we went to the terminal, where we were met by TSA officials. We were told that we and our luggage would have to go through an 'enhanced' check. For an airport like this, it meant our luggage would have to be checked in, and would be taken into the restricted area and thoroughly searched. Also, all of our persons would have to be wanded and frisked, and possibly strip-searched behind the curtain setup.

Things threatened to get bad when I saw that there were no female TSA Officers, only males, and they wanted to put their hands on Carole, Marie, and Tasha's bodies to search them. I demanded they get a female TSA Agent or Law Enforcement Officer to search the girls, and it was about to become a standoff. Then one of them got a phone call, and after taking it, they backed off.

The call had come from FBI Special Agent In Charge Jack Muscone. His wife Tanya Muscone had called him about the situation. Some minutes later, the local county Sheriff, Teresa's and our Chief's friend, came to the airport. She personally searched all the women in the group, with Teresa observing the searches of the tender-aged girls.

Once we were passed, we were restricted to the gate room. I'd asked what was going on, and the TSA people refused to say. The local Sheriff said they told her they were on elevated alert, but would not say what the threat was nor anything else.

Some minutes later, Tanya got a phone call. She listened, asked some questions, then listened some more. After hanging up, she wheeled up to us. "That was Jack." she said. "They won't let anyone else use their cellphones, but they can't stop him on account of him being an FBI SAC."

Tanya: "General Alexander McFarland was whisked away by the Secret Service. They didn't even let him hug his daughter goodbye; they just put him on his plane and took off. And then a Secret Service Agent attached himself to Alison, and told her that someone called in and said there was a bomb on one of our planes."

Tanya: "She told Jack, who fronted the TSA about it. They are really being assholes, but Jack began bullying them and they finally admitted to what was happening. The bottom line is that all the planes have to be searched and cleared, as well as all of us and our luggage..."

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

As we waited, Father Romano came to me and asked if he could speak to me privately. We went to the far corner of the terminal room. "I was here all this past week." he said. "I was researching Teresa's Christmas plane flight. Everyone was very helpful, and I got a lot of statements and other data."

Father Romano: "What I need to tell you, Commander, is that I am making a package of all the data I've obtained. I'm sending one copy of everything to the Vatican, and I want to give you another one that you can forward to them after Teresa dies."

Father Romano: "I hope that it will be a very, very long time before she departs this earth, and I hope I will be long gone to my own final reward when her death occurs. If you are alive, or perhaps Carole or one of your other children can do it if you've passed, I'd like you to send the extra data packet to the Vatican."

"Sure, but why?" I asked.

Father Romano said "The process of someone being canonized takes five years from the time of the blessed candidate's death. It involves verifying that the candidate performed a miracle, as well as completed good works and other criteria. I believe the plane flight Teresa flew became a genuine miracle when she achieved it after being lost on radar."

"Oh, wowww..." I whispered.

"Yes sir." said Father Romano. "I am hoping that Teresa will be canonized into sainthood..."

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

I get it. The TSA had a job to do. And I should have seen the signs that something was up; the heightened security surrounding the US Army Chief of Staff was our first cluuuue that all was not normal.

Still, they treated us as criminals, and tried to bully us around. And it took several hours to be able to load the planes and take off. The sun had already set, and with the time zone changes, we'd be getting back home late. I hoped the kids would get some sleep on the plane, but you get one guess who did not want to try to sleep, and that guess had better be 'Carole Diana Troy'.

She was sitting in the aisle seat that faced the rear of the plane. Teresa was in the window seat next to her. On the other side of the small table (think 'ironing board' in size), I sat in the window seat and Sheriff Griswold sat next to me.

"It was a good day." growled Sheriff Griswold. "We surprised Crowbar, and honored both him and you, Teresa. And I know of your history with your father, but he was a real hero and a great man. He deserved having the Public Safety Complex named after him."

"Yes sir, I know." Teresa said. "And I've come to really respect what he did, in Viet Nam, and as Sheriff. But..."

"Bu-ut?" I said, coaxing her to let it out.

"I've just never been able to get over what he said to me the night Alexis died." Teresa said with a sigh. (Author's note: 'Teresa's Christmas Story'.) "I've come to understand his pain, his anguish, during the years he raised me and Alexis. And I've forgiven most of it, or put it into a compartment of the mind, never to be revisited. But that night... well, I just can't get past it, no matter how hard I've tried."

"It is what it is." Carole said. As we all looked at her, she said "Don't you see? That -had- to happen. It made you what you are. You had to endure the pain, but it led to everything good you have today, and all the good you're doing with the Hos-pi-tul. And for saving me and Diane, too. Don't regret it, don't fight it, but don't make it more than it is, either.. It is what it is."

"It was my karma." Teresa said. Carole nodded vigorously in agreement.

Teresa then said: "Well, there's one thing I'll never regret. I will always be very, very glad I was able to save you." She wrapped Carole in a hug.

"Meeeeeee, too." Carole said, hugging Teresa back.

"Me, three." I said, feeling considerable emotion inside me. And the Sheriff's mustaches were quivering with emotion, as well. A moment later, I heard the notes of the instrumental 'The Wolf and the Moon', which was emanating from Carole's iPhone...

Part 10 - Epilogue - The Wolf and The Moon

The moon was just rising in the east, over the Cemetery, giving some colorless light to the empty grassy lawn of the county square. The two solitary figures were standing in front of the statue of The Iron Wolf and The Iron Crowbar. They looked up and watched as the executive plane that had just taken off climbed into the sky as it headed east, carrying its precious cargo back to the Town & County.

Looking back at the statue, the woman said "Ah, I never thought that young girl in my classroom would become what she has become."

"She is her father's daughter." the man said. "At least you got to see her grow up. I didn't have the opportunity."

"Not in life." the woman said. "But you started the chain of events that led her on her inexorable path. And you helped guide the Iron Crowbar to the truth."

Looking up at the statue, the man said "The Iron Crowbar. As brave as the Captain, and a kinder heart. It has been my honor to help both men, just as you taught the Captain's daughter and helped guide the Iron Crowbar to the truth about her."

Then he turned and looked behind him, and saw the tall man approaching. The rising moon behind him caused his face to be shrouded in utter blackness, but its light reflected strongly off his bald head.

"De oppresso liber, Captain." he said as he crisply saluted, stating the motto of his beloved Green Berets.

"Airborne." the Captain said, returning the salute. "Hello, Sergeant Wilkins. Hello, Mildred. It's good to see you again, as well."

"And you, Sheriff." Mildred said. "We were just admiring the statue of your daughter. She has become a great woman, a daughter you can be justly proud of."

"I am... well, I want to be." said the Captain. "But she achieved in spite of me, not because of me. I said an ugly thing... a horrible thing... to her. And I never got the chance to say I was sorry, nor to take it back. I caused her great pain..."

"It is what it is." said Wilkins. "Don't you see? It had to be that way. It hurt her, but it made her what she has become. All those children's lives being saved, the line of the great Iron Crowbars preserved... it started that night, that Christmas Eve night."

"Yes, you're right." said the Captain as the Moon rose higher behind him, seeming to grow larger and larger, bathing them in its Light. "Still, if only there could have been another way."

Mildred said "But she has achieved her Destiny. She has completed her missions."

"And now it's all up to young Carole Troy." Wilkins said.

"True." said the Captain as the Moon filled the night sky, it's Light seeming to swirl. "And speaking of missions... that is why I'm here. Your missions are also completed. I'm here to take you Home."

"Ah yes." said Mildred. "It will be good to get back Home." They all turned and took one last look at the statue as the Light of the Moon descended upon them...

Finis.