Book 2 - Part 4: Binding Evil - Chapter Seven

Tuesday – September 4th

Captain Todd’s Office – 8:01 a.m.

“Baker, Manning, you both know the Mayor, Brian Larson.” Turning to the Mayor he said, “They are two of my very best.”

“Yes, I know. I have read their service records. Impressive.

“But what I have discussed with Todd here, is far more impressive.

“Monday, September 24th, at 11:00 a.m. sharp; there is going to be a political fundraiser at the Montie Arena. I’m sure you have already been briefed on this.”

“We have,” stated Baker. “Senator Warren Samuels is running for a third term and is touring the state.”

“Correct. But there has been an unexpected wrench thrown into the mix. There will be added security as the FBI and Secret Service will be in town as well.”

Manning, who was semi-reclining in a plush leather chair, suddenly became erect.

“Oh-my-mother-of-heaven. That would mean the president’s coming here.”

“Correct again. All I am asking of you and your team, as well as the rest of the Twenty-Second, is to keep the outer perimeters clear, and let the big boys handle the rest. Basically, I want an area of five to seven blocks swept constantly until the President leaves.

“He’s expected to make a brief speech and put his full support for Samuels. As it stands, he’s only supposed to be in Montie no longer than thirty minutes. His plane arrives at 10:30 and he’s scheduled to leave at 11:10.

“From here, he goes to Albany, Buffalo, New York City, then further north into Providence and Boston, but my concern is here, and only here.

“I am instructing you to implement a course of action that will both assure me and the FBI and the Secret Service, that, well, putting it bluntly; that we have our shit together,

“I hope I have made things clear. You have until the fourteenth to submit the scope of our protection that I can fax to Washington. I trust that will give you ample time.”

Baker nodded that she understood.

“In our meeting this morning, I’ll address this to my team, but I’m sure we can implement something acceptable, even if it means overtime for everyone, no matter the shift. I might even come up with something even more formidable than even they could think up.”

“Good enough, then.” Mayor Larson stood, shook hands with everyone and left Captain Todd’s office.

“Do you think you can pull this off without a hitch, Baker?”

“Captain, if my team and I can’t, personally, no one can. It will either be in the frying pan cooking like crazy, or in the fire burned to a crisp.”

Rim Road Pass – 10:18 a.m.

11 miles from Montie

Both Ronald and Alexandria set up practice targets from varying distances. The furthest being 4,000 yards away, and the nearest, 1,500 yards, with two other targets in between.

The first hour was spent assembling their weapons, loading, and placing the stationery lay tracks to get more stability to the weapons range and accuracy. The most compelling designed added to this rather unique rifle, was the site. It was a side mail with a dial arm and zoom lens. The site was ten inches around. The dial would focus to within cross hairs, and the zoom could magnify the target up to fifty times its size based on distance.

The only thing it couldn’t account for was mother nature. Rain and wind.

Both brought one hundred rounds each and had twenty targets disbursed randomly from 4,000, 3,000, 2,500, and then 1,500 yards. Two hundred spent cartridges lay in disarray at their feet.

They both checked all their targets. At the long range, Alexandria didn’t fare so well. Ronald: nineteen, Alexandria: thirteen. She showed modest improvement the further they checked, and Ronald was almost certain she would excel at the lower level. He was correct.

Both he and Alexandria were a perfect twenty.

This was something they would do every day until they would take up their final stationery point the day the American president made his appearance.

They would, or rather, he would, have but two opportunities before the president was rushed inside the building and back outside to a waiting bulletproof car. Twelve seconds going in. Eight seconds coming out. He opted for the eight seconds.

He enjoyed Alexandria’s company, but business was business.

West Park Sports & Rehab Clinic – 6:05 p.m.

Baker, once again, sat in her car in the parking lot, waiting for Stevie to emerge from this therapy session.

Since school started, she had changes made to their free time which wasn’t a problem. Mrs. Peterson wasn’t bothered a bit with change.

She remembered her saying, “Lieutenant Baker, it just does my heart good to see the progress he’s making. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day he doesn’t try out for track and field, or maybe football. Stevie is a determined young man.”

How well she knew.

Her eyes went to the front doors where Stevie stepped out into a semi-lit evening. His crutches underneath him, as he made his way down two sets of four steps.

When he came to the second set; he stopped, waved at her, and then pitched the crutches to the side and walked the rest of the way to the car.

He was halfway when Baker jumped from the driver seat and started toward him. All he said to her was, “Don’t help me, mom.”

She backed off to as Stevie walked the remaining fifty feet unaided by human hands and metal crutches.

Baker couldn’t help herself. She smiled, as she watched a boy fast becoming a man.

Oh, and the crutches; Baker retrieved them and put them in the back seat of the car and would later put them in her storage area. Neither her, Ed, and especially Stevie, would look at them again, or at least they hoped they wouldn’t.

The two had a nice quiet dinner together. Ed would have joined them, but he was at the station house filling out paperwork on an arrest he made an hour before. A speeder in a Honda Civic, with Florida tags, headed north, with 60 kilos of that wacky tabacky, as Ed put it.

The rest of the night was just her and Stevie, watching an Adam Sandler movie and munching popcorn before she heard the faint sound of Stevie’s breathing change.

He fell asleep against her arm.

She didn’t move him, and before long, she was in slumber land right along with him.

Wednesday – September 5th

The Squad Room – 8:36 a.m.

“Now that you all know what’s going to happen come the twenty-fourth, I want as many viable options as possible and suggestions on how we will operate this thing when the president shows. So I need ideas for you, by the tenth.

“More than likely nothing will happen, but when I think back in the last two years alone; any damn thing could come up to put a wrench in the works. And I don’t want that to happen.

“By the tenth, suggestions made, except it or not; I will begin to set a plan in motion for all of this; but start brainstorming, guys.

“Now, I know this is two days after the wedding,” and she looked at Ed, “but I’ve decided to put the wedding on hold until the following Saturday, the twenty-ninth.” She looked dead serious, and Ed nodded and smiled, meaning it was fine with him.

“Oh, and for all you beer-drinking, cowboy-loving, god’s-gift-to-women guys; the reception and food will be at Benny’s Pub. So, bring your lady friend or wife, boyfriend, or husband. Just try to be on your best behavior if you can remember how.”

Someone from the rear said, “Oh yeah, there you go already. Just ruin all our fun, why don’t you.”

That brought on a few laughs.

“Anyway guys, it’s our day to shine, with or without the president’s recognition on Monday the twenty-fourth.

“If I see any of you guys on the twenty-fifth, which means we still have our jobs. Now, get out there and be safe, and keep our streets safe.”

As everyone left the room, Ed looked at her and said, “Glad you mentioned that date. I was going to ask if you wanted to up it a week because of what’s coming.”

“Figured you might,” she smiled.

“Something else, too.”

“And what would that be?”

“Come next summer, I’m quitting the force. I’m going to go after that piece of paper that says I will be a lawyer. I have enough in savings, stocks, and other mutual funds, plus I’ll get a portion of my pension. If we end up with a cash-flow problem, I can always sell a few shares here and there along the way.”

“Ed, do me a favor?”

“What?”

“Just shut up and don’t worry about it. But as to money, have you forgotten? Mark left Stevie and I well off, and since you’ll soon be a part of this family, don’t worry about finances. I’m sure we will manage fine with things.

“I had a thought just now.”

“Uh-oh. What thought, Jan?”

“I could write a book and call it ‘The Cop and the Lawyer.’ I arrest, you defend. Two different blue suits clash in a courtroom, and at night, in the bedroom; then they really clash.” Baker’s grin widened.

“Uh, you might want to keep that one undercover and out of sight.”

“Undercover, certainly, but I’ll never let you out of my sight.” She winked, grabbed him quickly below the belt, released him and turned to walk out the door, when her cell phone rang.

Ed was almost directly behind her when she stopped and said, “Baker.”

Hello, sweet Janis, it is wonderful to hear your voice again. I promise not to keep you long. I wanted to express my deepest regrets. I heard what happened with your ex-husband and your son. As to the other trash that died, who cares. I do hope your son is managing well.

“He isn’t your concern, Eddie. Wait, I forgot, you like it when I call you Freddy, right? Are you in town? Watching me again? Why the call?”

My, my, my, sweet Janis, Janis, Janis; stalling for time to trace this call won’t do you any good. Besides, I’m not anywhere even remotely close to you. Try Central Europe, my dear. And I’m really making a name for myself here; or I should say the authorities and the media are. They have given me a name from an old television show, but without the s on the end. they call me the Dark Shadow. You should keep up with foreign affairs more. sweet Janis I now have over eighty-three body counts that have gone straight to hell, sweet Janis. And when I decide to return; you will join them.

“News flash, Fredrick. I know something about you I shouldn’t.”

Interesting, and exactly what would that be, sweet Janis?

“Though you have aged since your parents died, and though we have nothing on file to determine exactly what you look like; you may not want to ever remove what makeup is on your face right now. I know that you and your brother, Peter, were identical twins.”

What? WHAT! You, you bitch! How did you find that out? Oh, I will so fuck you up when I come back. And you know what? I think I’ll do all three of you! First, that cocksucker, Manning. I know that puke has been doing you! You can watch me carve his ass to pieces.

Then, your kid! Cut off his other fucking leg, so he’ll be the right size to bounce across a room before I cut off his head and put it in you fucking lap! Do you hear me? DO YOU!

“Loud and clear, Fredrick. I’ll be waiting. Oh, Ed says hello and he misses you terribly. And remember, Eddie-Freddy-Fredrick-Dark Shadow, or whatever the hell you call yourself; you touch my son, you shallow mindless-pit of a human being, and I will blow your fucking ass to another world.”

That’s my girl. Violence and anger; fits you well. And violence will be your end. Enjoy your life while you can sweet Janis. I’ll be back to take it all away from you.

One last thing, sweet Janis. When you do get to see the real me, it will be one more surprise you will have never seen coming.

He hung up.

Baker immediately dialed up her phone provider and told the operator to patch her into 1961-APN. It’s a security police code to trace the last three incoming calls.

A live operator came on and said, “I will be able to have that information for you within two to three minutes. Please hold.”

The operator lied. She was back within a minute.

The last three calls did her no good. Two calls came from Ed’s cell phone. The last call, from Fredrick, came from a street phone in Brussels.

Technology these days is incredible.

Even though Baker put up a good front on the phone, she still pressed herself against Ed.

She was scared. Not just for herself, but for the two men she loved most in the world.

The Second Call – 12:45 p.m.

“Baker.”

“Hi, mom. Guess what?”

“Hi, Bub. I give already. What’s what?”

“I made it on the basketball team.”

“You, you what?”

“I’m part of the team. I keep track of the individual player scores, and Coach says he’s going to teach me certain play calls, so it’s like I’ll be either the offensive or defensive coordinator.”

“Well, look at you. Not even a full week and you’re already in like gold.”

Baker squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. In like gold, was one of Mark’s sayings when he would land a big contract for the firm, he used to work for in Montie. If Stevie caught on, he didn’t let on.

“Nah. More like brass, but it’s all good. See you this afternoon. Love you, mom.”

“Love you, bub.”

Lord knows she wants him to grow into a fine man, but sometimes she feels he’s growing too fast for her to keep up with.

She glanced up and said, “You know, Mark, I think we created a tornado and not a son.”