Second Chance:

[RunAndGun]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

[Ozarks Lady]

Yeaaaaa Grand's back and of course Second Chance too. LOL

Very good and still exciting.
Thank you

[eeyore]

Thanks Grand,

The story is very good, hope the move goes/went well.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 44



“Nothing good out of Nashville,” said Anderson as he plopped down in the chair across from Mitch.

“How so?” asked Mitch.

“The Governor got another call from New York. This one wasn’t as pleasant,” said Anderson as he went on to explain what happened.

“That’s not good,” observed Mitch when Anderson finished.

“Not at all. But rest assured, Cindy isn’t moving from here until everyone is happy with the outcome,” said Anderson.

“And Cindy’s interests are being protected?” asked Mitch.

“Absolutely,” said Anderson.

“And the press angle?” asked Mitch.

“Still being kept quiet. Remember that similar situation out in California some time back?” asked Anderson.

“Vaguely,” said Mitch.

“Well, long story short, similar situation. Girl ran away from her parents and was hidden by another family member. However, California found her, but did the investigation internally. Last thing I knew was the girl was kept away from her family. But in this case, I believe New York is planning on sending her back to her family and who cares about the consequences,” said Anderson.

“Which is unacceptable?” asked Mitch.

“Which is unacceptable,” repeated Anderson.

“And that’s a good thing. I’m having a hard time keeping Charlie from heading out and doing a little head hunting,” said Mitch.

“He chomping at the bit to take care of business himself?” asked Anderson.

“Sort of. This is the first family he’s ever had more or less. He had a family, but his wife and child died during childbirth. Cindy has given him a second look on what a father should be,” said Mitch.

“And I happened to notice he got married suddenly?” asked Anderson.

“You know the real story, right?” asked Mitch.

“I can only guess,” said Anderson.

“Erica is helping out in that situation,” said Mitch.

“I wouldn’t mind having her help out,” laughed Anderson.

“Come again?” asked Mitch.

“She’s a pretty lady and has a good career. Charlie’s a lucky dude,” said Anderson.

“Yeah, she’s been after him for a while. But Charlie never seemed to pay her any attention until recently,” said Mitch.

“Playing hard to get?” asked Anderson.

“No, just wasn’t into the dating scene, but got back into it,” said Mitch.

“You know though, more than a few folks would have the idea Charlie was some sort of pervert for taking in a pretty young girl like that,” said Anderson.

“I figure they will, but Charlie’s not that kind of guy. He’s an old fashioned gentleman and prefers his women a little more mature,” said Mitch.

“A doctor’s pretty mature,” laughed Anderson.

“That she is. She’s good for him as well. My old friend has come back,” said Mitch.

“You think Cindy had anything to do with that?” asked Anderson.

“Maybe. Sometimes little things in life will provide the spark to get on with your life,” said Mitch as Anderson’s cell phone rang. He spoke for several moments until his eyebrows rose and he motioned to Mitch for something to write on. Mitch handed over a piece of paper and a pen while Anderson wrote down the information. After sliding the piece of paper back across the table, Mitch raised his eyebrows as well.

“Let me call Charlie,” said Mitch as he grabbed at his cell phone. He tried both the house and his cell, but didn’t get an answer on either. “I can’t get an answer at his place.”

“You might want to head out and make sure the place is ready to go,” said Anderson. “They want to see Cindy and Charlie at the home.”

“Okay, you know how to get there?” asked Mitch.

“I’m pretty sure I do,” said Anderson.

“If you have a hard time, just grab one of the deputies to ride shotgun with you,” said Mitch as he departed to go and alert Charlie.

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

Charlie and Cindy were out working in the yard when Mitch drove up in his cruiser. Charlie hadn’t planned on a visit from his friend that day, but it was Mitch and he typically had a good reason for coming over.

“Hope your house is clean bud,” said Mitch by way of greeting.

“How come?” asked Charlie.

“You’re about to receive visitors,” said Mitch as two more vehicles were seen coming up the driveway. “I only found out about fifteen minutes ago. I tried calling, but you didn’t answer.”

“I forgot my cell phone inside this morning,” said Charlie. “What kind of visitors?”

“The political kind,” said Mitch as the cars pulled up to a stop and the occupants got out. Charlie was fairly stunned to see the Governor of Tennessee getting out of the vehicle and walking his way. The Governor didn’t look like himself right then as he was dressed in a pair of jeans and a short sleeve button up shirt. He looked like a fairly ordinary guy right then.

“Mister Gray?” asked the Governor.

“Yes sir,” said Charlie, wishing he were somewhat clean for this meeting.

“Pleasure to meet you,” said the Governor as he put on his best camera smile and shook his hand. “And you must be Miss Grant.”

“I am,” said Cindy, not recognizing the man.

“Cindy, this is the Governor of the State,” said Charlie.

“Oh! Pleased!” said Cindy as she took his hand.

“And is Doctor Chase around?” asked the Governor.

“No sir, she’s at work today,” said Charlie. “Want to have a seat sir?”

“Nice day out today, let’s head to your porch if that’s okay,” said the Governor, looking over the farm.

“Sorry we aren’t cleaner. We didn’t get much of a notice you were coming,” said Charlie.

“Not a problem. I’m intruding on your home here and I should thank you for taking the time to see me,” said the Governor.

“You certainly aren’t intruding,” said Charlie and wondered why the Governor was showing up at his doorstep.

“Nice place you have here,” observed the Governor.

“It’s a simple life,” said Charlie.

“Not quite what I was expecting to see from a bestselling author,” laughed the Governor.

“I don’t have to change my ways just because I have money,” said Charlie as they walked up to the porch. “Would you like anything to drink?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a cup of coffee would you?” asked the Governor.

“I’ll start a pot,” said Charlie.

“Have a seat Charlie, I can get it. He came to see you and Cindy,” said Mitch.

“Good crop this year?” asked the Governor, coving the pleasantries before getting down to business.

“Pretty good sir. The rains helped out a lot,” said Charlie.

“Are you off the grid here?” asked the Governor.

“As much as I can be sir,” said Charlie.

“I noticed your solar panels while we were driving up. Nice to see someone who isn’t entirely reliant on the system,” said the Governor.

“Best to be prepared for emergencies sir. Plus it cuts down on the electric bill considerably,” said Charlie.

“Sensible,” said the Governor. “And how are you doing Miss Grant? Or may I call you Cindy?”

“Cindy will be fine sir,” she said, being very proper for the unexpected visitor. “And I’m doing okay.”

“Just okay?” he asked with his same camera smile.

“I’m doing well sir,” she said.

“Not working you to death on the farm is he?” laughed the Governor.

“Oh no sir! I keep bugging him for things to do. I like getting my hands dirty,” she said.

“Tomboy?” he asked with a laugh.

“Not an official diagnosis, but I think that pretty much fits me,” said Cindy.

The Governor laughed along with Charlie and settled into their seats. They covered some further small talk before Mitch reappeared with the coffee pot and the nice cups. It was a nice break for the Governor, no press, no cameras, no pointed questions. Just relaxing to sit back, have a cup of coffee and talk to real people for a change. But he had business to conduct and since he was in the local area, decided to pay these two a visit.

“Are you in school?” asked the Governor.

“Charlie is home schooling me,” said Cindy.

“Doing okay?” asked the Governor.

“She rarely needs my help. She’s a smart young lady,” said Charlie.

“So I heard,” said the Governor. “I’ll get down to why I’m here since I’m on a tight schedule. This was an unplanned stop for me and there could be pointed questions asked if I’m away for too long.”

“We understand sir,” said Charlie.

“I just wanted to come by and talk with Cindy and let her know she has the full backing of the State of Tennessee in her situation. We are not going to let New York continue on their current path until an acceptable outcome for you is established. I know you’ve already heard it before from others, but straight from the horse’s mouth is always good to hear,” said the Governor.

“Thank you sir,” said Cindy.

“But rest assured, we will not be sending you back until it is positively safe for us to do so,” said the Governor.

“And the rest of my family?” asked Cindy.

“And them as well. There will be some difficult times ahead, but in the end, we will come out on top,” said the Governor.

“I can’t thank you enough,” said Cindy.

“No, it’s us who need to thank you. By your coming forward, you have exposed a dangerous situation and put a stop to it. The violators need to be dealt with and your testimony will be crucial in making that happen,” said the Governor.

“All I did was run away,” said Cindy.

“No, you ran to justice,” said the Governor. “And we won’t quit until justice is served.”

“Thank you sir,” said Cindy, slightly blushing up.

“But again, we will do everything in our power as a State to make sure this wrong is made right,” said the Governor.

“And what steps are being taken to guarantee that?” asked Charlie.

“We are working the issue with the Department of Justice and the Circuit Court. The Circuit Court is firmly behind our position,” said the Governor.

“And the Justice Department?” asked Charlie.

“We haven’t discussed the matter at length yet,” said the Governor. But he didn’t say they didn’t like the discussion so far. The political angles were starting to sway away from Tennessee in the Federal Government.

“And the matter of the investigation of the New York Child Protective Services?” asked Charlie.

“We are running an independent investigation,” said the Governor and left it at that. Charlie took that as to mean they were running the investigation since New York had failed to do so. It was easy to read between the lines of politicians when you knew what you were looking for. Erica’s vehicle was seen speeding up the driveway then. “You were expecting another visitor?”

“That’s Erica,” said Charlie.

“Oh,” said the Governor and stood as Erica got out and started rushing towards the porch.

“I came as soon as Mitch called, but he didn’t say what-oh! Hello sir!” she exclaimed as she saw the Governor.

“Doctor Chase, a pleasure,” said the Governor as he shook her hand.

“Sheriff Brewer called me and said I needed to get home soonest,” said Erica.

“I hope I didn’t pull you away from anything,” said the Governor.

“No sir, I was about to go on lunch break,” said Erica.

“Please Doctor Chase, have a seat,” said the Governor as he motioned towards the chairs.

“It’s Erica,” she said, slightly blushing at the formal attitude of the Governor.

“We were discussing Cindy’s situation,” said the Governor.

“I can bring you up to speed later,” said Charlie.

“Is it being resolved and does she have the support of your office in the matter?” asked Erica directly.

“Absolutely on both accounts. I will not let her go back to that situation until it’s resolved,” said the Governor adamantly.

“Cindy is a special girl and needs to see this come out in her favor,” said Erica.

“From what I’m told, she is a very special young lady. And we are making sure she continues to get the treatment she rightfully deserves,” said the Governor. “Is there anything I can do to help out?”

“Nothing I can think of,” said Charlie. “Just stay on top of the situation.”

“Oh trust me, this is not a back burner issue for me. It started boiling the moment I got briefed in by Agent Anderson,” said the Governor.

“Cindy can you excuse us for a moment?” asked Charlie. She got up immediately and knew the talk would turn to matters she probably didn’t need to hear right then. She went back in to talk to Mitch for a few minutes until they finished “tall talk.”

“Governor, I didn’t get the warm fuzzy feeling from your statements,” said Charlie.

“Which ones in particular?” asked the Governor.

“Specifically what New York is not doing. I can read between the lines,” said Charlie.

“Basically New York isn’t taking the matter seriously enough for my tastes. We asked for a reinvestigation into the family, but were told the original investigation still stands. Hence, we are running our own investigation,” said the Governor.

“And federal involvement?” asked Charlie.

“Leaning towards New York’s side of the investigation. We have only had informal contacts with the Justice Department, but for the most part, they seem to be trying to stand in the middle of the road. However, they unofficial stance is they would go with the original investigation or call for a new one and leave it at that,” said the Governor.

“So they aren’t taking it seriously?” asked Charlie.

“Not enough for my liking,” said the Governor.

“And if political pressure is put on the State?” asked Erica.

“We won’t cave in,” said the Governor. “Plans are already in the works for when and if that happens.”

“Care to enlighten us?” asked Charlie.

“Honestly, you don’t need to know the details,” said the Governor.

“The care of Cindy is my principle concern here. It does affect me knowing Tennessee will stand up for what is right,” said Charlie.

“The State of Tennessee and furthermore I fully support Cindy in this matter. We won’t cave in to Washington no matter how high the political pressure goes,” said the Governor. “If I have to, I’ll strap on a badge and gun myself and start arresting people myself. I don’t like the historical examples of what the Federal Government does when something like this happens.”

“You think that will happen?” asked Erica. “The Feds coming in to take her away?”

“It probably won’t come to that, but again, we have that scenario in mind already,” said the Governor.

“And her safety here?” asked Charlie.

“Less than a dozen people including myself in the State Government know her location. For all intents and purposes, it’s in ‘East Tennessee’ and we left it at that,” said the Governor.

“Still a dozen folks that can give up her location,” said Charlie.

“And each of them have families and furthermore daughters. They aren’t happy about what is happening any more than I am,” said the Governor. “They can keep a secret.”

“Good to hear,” said Charlie, not discussing their plans to move Cindy around if it came down to it. If he thought for a moment her location had been compromised, she would be gone in less than fifteen minutes.

“What else can I do?” asked the Governor.

“Just keep the pressure going on New York. She needs to be back with her family even though her father should be going to jail. They deserve a second shot at having a normal life,” said Charlie.

“I will do everything in my power to see this through to the end,” said the Governor. “Up to and including a request for political asylum as she originally requested or a home of record status where she can fall under our jurisdiction in this matter.”

“Is that legal?” asked Erica.

“I have the Attorney General researching it right now,” said the Governor.

“We appreciate you taking a personal interest in this matter,” said Charlie.

“It’s my pleasure,” said the Governor. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to be going.”

Charlie called for Cindy to come back out and say goodbye. The Governor again promised not to let her down and do everything possible to protect her until the situation resolved itself. He further thanked Charlie and Erica for their hospitality in taking in Cindy and their dedication to seeing things set right. After the handshakes, he got into the car with Anderson and departed for his regular scheduled event in Elizabethton.

“Nice to know the Governor is on board,” said Charlie. “Mitch?”

“Listen, I was called by Anderson right before they got to Unicoi. I happened to be on this end of the county when he called,” said Mitch defensively.

“I wasn’t pointing the finger at you, these things happen,” said Charlie.

“Just making sure,” said Mitch.

“But other than that, how’s the rest of the thing going?” asked Charlie.

“Pretty well, the State is running an independent investigation into the matter, but of course, going over State lines is not easy to do; so there is that,” said Mitch.

“But we are keeping on top of it?” asked Charlie.

“For certain,” said Mitch as he finished the conversation. “Nice weather we’re having.”

“Sure is. Nice camping weather,” said Charlie.

“That’s a pretty decent idea,” said Mitch.

“Camping?” asked Erica.

“Sure, you ever camp?” asked Charlie.

“No, not in a long time,” said Erica, who’s experience with camping consisted of 4-H camp as a child.

“So you aren’t objecting?” asked Charlie.

“It would be kind of fun I think,” said Erica.

“Cindy, what do you think?” asked Charlie.

“Sure, as long as you don’t get us lost again,” she grinned.

“Charlie got lost?” asked Mitch.

“Sure did!” she exclaimed.

“I did nothing of the sort. I turned off the GPS so she could find our way back home using some knowledge she learned,” said Charlie.

“I think you got us lost,” said Cindy with a grin.

“And how long did it take me to tell you how far from home we were that next morning?” asked Charlie.

“Before or after I figured out where we were?” she said with a grin.

“You aren’t winning this one brother,” laughed Mitch.

“Guess not,” laughed Charlie.

“You want to plan something for next weekend?” asked Mitch. “It’s Labor Day and all.”

“I’ve wanted to get back up to Lost Cove for a while now,” said Charlie.

“A while? I think the last time we were up there we were teenagers,” laughed Mitch.

“Yeah, it has been a while,” laughed Charlie in return.

“It’s settled then. I’ll call Sarah and let her know,” said Mitch.

“I’ll invite the Reynolds as well,” said Charlie.

“Am I invited?” asked Erica.

“Absolutely,” said Charlie.

“I mean, I don’t have camping gear or anything,” said Erica.

“I figure Charlie can help out in that department, seeing that you’re married and all,” Mitch chuckled.

“I certainly can,” said Charlie. “I can arrange for transportation to Poplar.”

“I can set up the rafts,” said Mitch.

“And the property owner?” asked Charlie.

“I’ve got a friend that knows him,” said Mitch. “No problem.”

“Sounds like a plan,” said Charlie. “I’ll call Mack this afternoon.”

“And the poor orphan girl?” asked Cindy.

“The poor orphan girl can go along as well,” said Charlie with a roll of his eyes.

“Cool!” exclaimed Cindy.

“So next weekend?” asked Erica.

“Yes, we can leave out Thursday afternoon and come back on Monday. Maybe earlier if you take a couple of days of vacation Erica,” said Charlie.

“Just a day and a half,” she observed.

“Yeah, but getting everything together and heading out. Might want to plan on two days,” said Charlie.

“I never take vacation so the hospital will probably be glad to get rid of me for a while,” laughed Erica.

“Mitch? You think you and Sarah can tear yourself away for that long?” asked Charlie.

“More than likely,” said Mitch. “I’ll have to check with Sarah, but I think she’ll be good.”

“It’s settled then. As long as the monkey girl gets caught up with her school work before then,” said Charlie.

“I’ll be a week ahead by tomorrow and by this weekend, probably two weeks,” said Cindy.

“Told you she was a smart one,” said Charlie as Cindy beamed with pride.

“That she is,” said Mitch. “I’ll be heading out so you can get back to doing whatever you were doing before I got here.”

“Okay, see you later,” said Charlie. Erica hung around for several more minutes and grabbed a quick bite to eat before getting a goodbye kiss from Charlie and heading back to work. She had come up with a decent excuse as to being pulled away so suddenly and going to Charlie’s. She was looking forward to getting away for the weekend even though she hadn’t really been camping. Plus it would give her a little more time to get closer to him in his “environment” so to speak. Charlie was an outdoorsman and she needed to understand that environment to understand him as well.

“Well, come on monkey girl. We need to get finished up with these things in the yard,” said Charlie.

“We’ve got plenty of daylight left,” said Cindy.

“We do, but I’d like the chance to go over your homework before supper,” said Charlie.

“Okay, what else needs to be done after I get done with the raking?” asked Cindy as she grabbed the rake and continued her chore.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent getting caught up on the weekly chores around the yard and checking her homework which was found to be in perfect order. Charlie would be taking up her schoolwork and turning it in before receiving her new assignments for the coming two weeks since they had planned a camping trip. Erica came back after she got off work and helped out in the yard, preparing the flower beds even though late in the season. Some of the flower she wanted to plant would be able to sit over the winter and bloom in the spring, hopefully after she had moved in completely if she had her way.

Cindy cooked up supper that night, trying a roast for the first time and getting it mostly right. She took his constructive criticism in stride and vowed to perfect the dish the next time she made it. Her evening was spent studying more on the math in her textbook and diving into the world history book and cross referencing it with internet sources since the textbooks were slightly out of date. Erica took a turn assisting her with her studies and letting Charlie have somewhat of a break for the evening. Charlie got out his old laptop and continued on his new book, glad to be back in the saddle somewhat on his writing skills.

He paused and looked around the room, seeing Erica and Cindy sitting at the dining room table working on her English studies amidst the new d

[barfife]

thanks as always

[Gwynmael]

WooHoo! New chapter.
Dang! Another cliffhanger.

Thanks Grand & welcome Home!

[RunAndGun]

Thank you for the new chapter!

You are an awesome writer sir!

[Ozarks Lady]

Thanks for the treat of a new chapter.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 45




After the crash was heard outside the house, Charlie was up in a heartbeat and already grabbing at a pair of pants sitting on the rocking chair in the bedroom. He could see headlights from his window and could see the remains of his fence in the driveway. But apparently the car had hit the large stump of the ash tree he had cut two years prior and destroyed the front end of the older Honda fairly efficiently. He grabbed his jacket and the shotgun out of the closet since he had no idea who it was or what was going on. He met Cindy in the hallway on his way out.

“Call the police and tell them someone just crashed into the fence. Red Honda, but can’t see anything else,” he said.

“What do I do after that?” she asked with fear in her voice.

“Stay on the line and watch my back,” he ordered and bounded down the stairs. Before going outside, he checked just in case there was something else amiss in his front yard. He could see the driver outside the vehicle staggering around and looking at the fence. It appeared to be a drunk driver who had gotten extremely lost. Charlie went onto the front porch with the shotgun in both hands at a high port position.

“Stop right there!” he ordered at the figure who looked to be trying to figure out a way of getting the car off the stump. Charlie could see now the motor was on top of the stump as well as the front end being destroyed.

“Hey mister, I’m kinda lost and think I hit something,” slurred the man as he turned to see Charlie on the porch.

“Yeah bud, you are a little lost. Why don’t you just lean up against your car right there and hold on ‘til help arrives,” said Charlie.

“I can get my car off this and get out of here. I gotta get home,” slurred the man and staggered over to the front of the car. He pushed at it, but ended up slipping on the grass and falling face first.

“Come on now bud. I’ll get you some help out here and get your car moved,” said Charlie in a calm voice.

“Don’t need any help! Just need to get my car off this durned stump,” said the man and attempted to push it again.

“Let’s just remain calm, okay? Your engine is stuck on that stump and you can’t get it off without a tow truck,” said Charlie calmly.

“Don’t need no tow truck, you’ve got a truck, just hook me up and yank my car off it,” said the man.

“Might hurt your car more if we do that. Why don’t we just wait for the tow truck,” suggested Charlie in a friendly voice.

“I’ve got to get home, my wife’s gonna kill me for being out so late,” slurred the man. “Come on dude, give me a hand here.”

“I already called for a truck, just lean up against your car and it will be here in no time,” said Charlie, trying to remain calm.

“You called the cops didn’t you?” slurred the man, turning towards Charlie.

“Nope, just called for someone to help you,” said Charlie in a calm voice.

“You called in the cops! You’re gonna get me arrested!” yelled the man and started taking steps towards the porch.

“Now just hold it right there. I don’t want any trouble,” said Charlie and swinging the shotgun down slightly. The man couldn’t see the weapon because of the dark and his intoxication level.

“Well, you got trouble comin! Callin the cops on me!” he slurred and took additional steps towards the porch.

“You stop right there!” ordered Charlie in an authoritative voice and racked the slide on the shotgun. It gave the man pause for thought since he knew what the sound he heard was, but the alcohol was affecting the higher levels of his brain. He figured he could dash the distance between the two and take the weapon away from this rude farmer.

As the man began his dash, Charlie swung the shotgun towards him and fired off the first round in the barrel, a slug round, into the ground near the man’s feet. The loud blast along with the fire produced by the shot stopped the man in his tracks just as efficiently as if he had been hit with the slug. Charlie immediately followed up the shot by racking the slide again, pointing it right at him and activating the flashlight mounted on the fore end of the weapon.

“Now you listen good, bud. You’re on my property in the middle of the night. You threatened me and charged me. You take another step and I’ll bury you out in my back forty and nobody will ever know what happened to you. The next shot will kill you, understand?” he growled in a low voice.

“Yes sir,” said the man timidly.

“Now you are going to lie down on your stomach, put your hands out to your sides and we are going to wait for the police. Am I being perfectly clear?” asked Charlie in the same growl.

“Yes sir,” the man said timidly again.

“I told you to get down, don’t make me put you down,” said Charlie as a warning.

The man started getting to his knees, but in his drunken state, he fell onto his side. But he did remember the simple instructions given by the mean farmer and rolled over onto his stomach and stretched his arms out. Charlie still had the shotgun pointed in his direction, keeping the flashlight on him as he waited for the Deputies to arrive.

“Charlie? Is everything okay?” Cindy asked from inside the house, sounding fairly scared since she heard a gunshot, but not much afterwards.

“Yeah, they tell you when they will get here?” asked Charlie over his shoulder, but not looking.

“When are they going to get here?” asked Cindy into the telephone. She received her answer and relayed the message. “She said less than ten minutes.”

“Tell them I have the man subdued in my front yard. I’m armed and will be waiting for them,” said Charlie over his shoulder again. “You! Do! Not! Move!”

The man had been trying to lift his head to look at the man to his front. But Charlie’s new orders made him put his head down once again. He heard Cindy telling the dispatcher his message and also informing them he had already fired a shot. Charlie wanted to avoid that part as the dispatcher might relay the shots fired call and generate a lot of panic to the responding patrolmen.

“The dispatcher wants to know if you hit him,” asked Cindy.

“Tell them no. Tell her not to relay there were shots fired,” said Charlie.

Cindy relayed the new message to the dispatcher and was told the Deputies were less than five minutes away now. Time seemed to stand still before the rotating lights on the cruiser were seen through the trees coming up to his house. The car pulled up behind the Honda and one spotlight was put on Charlie and the other on the man on the ground. Charlie relaxed slightly and slung the shotgun over his shoulder after putting on the safety.

“Charlie? You okay?” asked the deputy from behind the car.

“Yeah Dale, I’m okay,” he replied.

“What happened here?” asked the Deputy.

“Drunk wandered down my driveway, went through the fence and hit that ash stump,” said Charlie.

The other deputy was busy applying the handcuffs to the man on the ground and patting him down. He withdrew his head after getting a whiff of the odor of whiskey on the man.

“Whew! He was doing something serious tonight,” said the second deputy as he waved for his partner to help him lift the man to be put in the back of the patrol car.

“Charlie? You want us to call a tow truck?” asked the first as he grabbed one arm of the man. After he was on his feet, they did a quick pat down and found nothing out of the ordinary.

“If you boys don’t mind,” said Charlie.

“I’ve still got the dispatcher on the phone,” said Cindy.

“Ask her to send out a tow truck,” said the first deputy as they walked the man over to the car. His stagger would typically have been comical, but in this case, it wasn’t funny at all. Cindy relayed the request over the telephone and ended the call.

“Looks like he took out a bunch of your fence,” observed the second deputy as he swept his flashlight over the damaged fence.

“Better the fence than the house,” said Charlie.

“Well, that’s one way of looking at it,” laughed the first. “You want to make your statement tonight or come by in the morning?”

“Might as well get it over with tonight,” said Charlie. “You can go on back to bed.”

“After all this?” asked Cindy. She was amazed at the calmness of Charlie after a drunk had run over the fence and threatened him.

“I’m going to just be writing a statement, that’s all,” he said.

“I’ll put on a pot of coffee,” she said and went into the kitchen to start a pot for Charlie and the deputies. The second was out administering a portable breath tester to the man in the back seat. The normal assortment of field sobriety tests were out of the question as the man was clearly not able to perform them.

“So give me the fifteen second version of what happened,” requested the deputy. Charlie started from the time he heard the crash until the time the deputies arrived, telling them everything that happened.

“You mean he charged you?” asked the deputy as another cruiser showed up. “They’re going to take him back to town to process him.”

“Yeah, but a bark from shotgun gave him pause for thought,” said Charlie.

“We can add on assault as well, or attempted assault,” said the deputy.

“Nah, not a big deal Dale. I talked him out of it,” said Charlie as he poured a cup of coffee for the deputy.

“Surprised he’s still alive. Folks out here might not have called us,” laughed the deputy, taking the mug. “You know I picked up your niece a few weeks ago at the gas station?”

“I heard. Not specifically it was you, but I heard about it,” said Charlie.

“Had some boy dropping her off and he split like he didn’t want to be there. Figured it might be in my best interest to give her a ride home,” said Dale.

“I appreciate it,” said Charlie.

“She was going to try to walk home, but I wouldn’t let her,” said Dale.

“She’s stubborn like that,” said Charlie.

“What was she doing out so late anyway?” asked Dale.

“Late date. I already got into her about that,” lied Charlie.

“I shoulda had a talk with the boy about that. Bringing back your niece that late,” said Dale.

“Trust me, already accomplished,” said Charlie with a wave of his hand.

“I’ll keep an eye out on her from now on and if I see him wandering around, I’ll chase him off,” said Dale.

“Appreciate it,” said Charlie as he started writing out the statement after being given the piece of paper by the Deputy. He write out what he knew and went to the time the deputies had arrived on scene and taken over the suspect. After finishing up, he reviewed it before handing over the paper to the deputy. After further review, the deputy clarified a couple of points and had Charlie add them into his statement.

“Where’s he from anyway?” asked Charlie as he finished the answers.

“Johnson City and way lost. He’s part of the transplant community over near Buffalo Mountain and got turned around as best as we can guess. Won’t be driving for a while from now on though,” said Dale.

“No kidding. And I have to replace the fence!” exclaimed Charlie.

“I can ask the sheriff if he wants to put him to work on fixing yours up,” said Dale.

“Don’t bother. I need it fixed sooner rather than later,” said Charlie.

“Something to keep in mind while he’s serving his time with us,” said Dale. “Anything else we can do for you?”

“No, I think we’re okay for the moment,” said Charlie and showed the deputy to the door. After shaking his hand he went back in to find Cindy asleep in his recliner with Spazz on her lap once again. Somewhat of a permanent partner in crime, he tended to follow her around the house when she was doing things and slept on her bed at night. He brought a throw blanket over and attempted to cover her up without disturbing the kitten, but waking him up in the process anyway. He stretched out and looked up at Charlie as the blanket was dangling in front of him. The knotted edging was quickly batted at even though he had just woken up as he figured Charlie had brought him something to play with. Charlie managed to pull him up before he woke Cindy and got her covered up by putting the kitten on his shoulders. Spazz attempted to balance as best as he could before sinking in his claws slightly into Charlie’s shoulders. But Charlie managed to get the blanket on before the pain was too bad and got the kitten back on her lap. He playfully swatted once again at Charlie before purring and knitting on the soft blanket and curling back up to go to sleep. Charlie gave him a good scratching on the head before he went back to sleep.

He headed into the kitchen to turn off the coffee pot and would catch a quick nap himself before starting the day. The adrenaline had finally worn off entirely from the situation earlier and he was crashing back to where his body was supposed to be at. Heading upstairs, he decided a nap might be in order before the morning and set the alarm for an hour and a half from then. As he peeled off his pants, he worried again about Cindy’s safety at the farm and made further plans for places she could bug out to. And in that, he wanted safety in numbers as well as defensive depth. He had someone in mind, but would need to run that by Mitch before acting on it.

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

“Morning sleepy head,” said Charlie as Cindy stomped into the kitchen after waking on the recliner. She had her early morning grump look and sat down at the table. Spazz peeked around the corner as he evidently was up and ready to play. He had followed Charlie into the kitchen earlier, but had resumed his perch on her lap after he figured Charlie wasn’t going to play with him that early in the morning.

“Morning,” she said with a yawn.

“Exciting night last night,” he observed as he flipped the eggs.

“Just a little,” she remarked before heading over to get Spazz his breakfast as well. Play time could wait until he finished eating. Charlie finished up breakfast and served it up while she finished getting Spazz his breakfast and grabbing the milk from the fridge. After the breakfast, they both dug in and started eating in silence. Charlie could see she had something on her mind, but didn’t ask just yet. Finally, she got the nerve up to say something.

“You uhh, you think you could give me some shooting lessons?” asked Cindy quietly.

“You think you’re ready to handle that?” asked Charlie.

“Well, last night I kind of felt like the fifth wheel. I mean, I felt helpless about the whole situation and didn’t know what to do. I want to be able to protect myself,” said Cindy.

“I think we can arrange something. You caught up on your schoolwork?” he asked.

“For the next week,” she grinned.

“That’s my girl,” he said. “Tell you what. With your photographic memory, I’m going to give you a book to read. You read it cover to cover and answer my questions about it and I’ll start your lessons. Deal?”

“Okay, what’s the book?” she asked.

He went over to the bookshelf in the study and looked over the second shelf until he came across The Field & Stream Firearms Safety Handbook. Taking it down, he handed it over to her.

“There is a lot of good information in there about the safe handling of firearms. Remember the rules of firearms and you’ll be good to go. Now, the shooting lessons will be different, but gun safety rules won’t change no matter what kind of weapon you are using,” he said.

“So this afternoon then?” she asked.

“You think it’s only going to take you one morning to read all that?” he asked.

She gave him the look she typically did when he thought she couldn’t do what she wanted. “Whatcha doing this morning?”

“Going to size up the fence I have to replace and figure out what materials I’ll need,” he said.

“Need help?” she asked.

“Nope, I’ll make the mental list and see what I have already instead of buying more,” he said.

“Sensible. What do I need to do?” she asked.

“Read about firearms safety,” he said.

“Besides that,” she said.

“Just that for the morning. Not a whole lot you can do while I’m looking around,” said Charlie. “You sure you can finish that book before lunch?”

“Ever see me not accomplish something I set my mind to?” she asked, getting more confident by the day.

“Okay, just checking. Pop quiz at lunch then,” he said, hoping he remembered everything in the book as well. He knew she could and would call him out if his information was incorrect. After she walked out scanning the first few pages, he grabbed a second copy to skim over himself. It never hurt to brush up on his own knowledge base.

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

“So always treat all firearms?” he asked over lunch. He had supplemented the book knowledge with some other lessons that would assist her.

“As if they are loaded,” she said.

“Keep your finger?” he asked.

“Off the trigger until you are ready to fire,” she said with a mouthful of chips.

“When clearing a firearm, you do what?” asked Charlie.

“Safety, magazine, chamber, safety again,” she said. “But why check the safety twice?”

“Some weapons can’t be put on safe until the hammer is reset. Like my AR15 for example. I store it in the ‘rack safe’ condition which means I pulled the trigger on an empty chamber. The safety won’t go on until I pull the bolt to the rear,” he said.

“So you check the safety twice just in case it wouldn’t go on the first time. Makes sense,” she said.

“How do you store firearms?” he asked.

“Firearms should be stored unloaded…but do you keep them that way?” she asked.

“I keep a round out of the chamber, but loaded otherwise. Since it’s typically just me out here, I don’t worry too much about others finding my guns loaded. But it’s something I should have thought about since I’ve had you around. My mistake,” said Charlie. He knew there were serious issues with having an unloaded weapon you relied on for defense. But the difference in storing a firearm and keeping one readily available was huge. He would have to explain that fact to her another time as he wanted to imprint the basic rules of firearms safety to her right then.

“Can’t enforce the rules on me if you don’t follow them as well,” she chided him, thinking she caught him short for once.

“Yeah, you got me there,” he said and continued with his lessons. “Remember your target and what’s?”

“Behind your target,” she said.

“Now why is that?” he asked.

“Because if you miss, you could hit something else,” she said.

“And what other reason?” he asked.

“I…just because if you miss right?” asked Cindy, thinking he might be trying to trick her.

“Well, that too, but for another reason not really in the book. High powered rifle bullets aren’t like the movies. They can and will zip right through an animal and hit what’s behind them. Some bullets are specifically designed to go through body armor and normal flesh and bones won’t slow them down as much. So you need to be mindful of what load you are using when you are shooting at a person or an animal,” said Charlie.

“I’ve got a lot to learn I see,” she said.

“Not really. You’re a quick learner and will be able to pick this stuff up quick,” he said.

“How bad is the recoil? I mean, it’s one thing in the movies and another in real life,” she asked.

“I won’t start you out on anything harsh, I promise. It’ll be something gentle starting out, a .22 rifle, a .410 shotgun and probably a .32 pistol. We’ll figure out what you like along the way,” he said.

“You kind of lost me,” she said.

“Different calibers for different weapons,” he said.

“Got it,” she said.

“You want to learn one in particular first?” asked Charlie.

“Which one’s the hardest?” she asked.

“None are harder than the others, just different skills to apply each,” said Charlie.

“So which one would take the longest to learn?” asked Cindy.

“Again, some folks pick up on it quicker,” said Charlie.

“Okay, which one kicks the hardest?” asked Cindy.

“Probably the shotgun, but I’ll be starting you off with some mild loads,” said Charlie.

“I want to learn the shotgun first then,” she said.

“It’s not easy to start with a shotgun,” warned Charlie.

“Better to learn the hard ones first, right?” she asked.

“Well, all three are challenging. Different kinds of firing for different kinds of systems. Rifle, pistol and shotgun are all slightly different when you shoot them. Same fundamentals, but different ways of pulling the trigger,” he said.

“You’ve lost me again,” said Cindy.

“Okay, shooting a shotgun and leading a target. You’ve got a larger spread on the shot pattern, right? It’s not like leading a target with a rifle. A rifle is one bullet as opposed to a cloud of smaller bullets from a shotgun,” said Charlie.

“Okay, I understand,” said Cindy.

“Again, I’ll start you off easy and work you up to something larger when you get comfortable with it,” said Charlie.

“You have enough ammo to teach me?” she asked.

“More than enough,” said Charlie. “But a quick learner like you shouldn’t need a whole lot of ammo right?”

“Of course not. I’ll be a sniper before you know it,” she laughed.

“Only with your mouth,” he laughed.

“Not fair! I’ve not been sassy in a long time,” she said.

“Okay, I’ll give you that,” said Charlie. “You get your daily chores done and I’ll dig out the stuff.”

“We’re starting today?” she asked.

“No reason to wait. Might as well put your newfound knowledge to work,” he said.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 45 CONTINUED

[Metal]

Thank you Grand, for another great chapter.

[Ozarks Lady]

Thanks agai Grand.

Hope your settled in soon. Are you on US soil now?

[barfife]

I enjoy your story writting

[Grand58742]

Thanks agai Grand.

Hope your settled in soon. Are you on US soil now?

Not yet, soon though

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 46



Abdul Ali and Mohammed Hassan went through the Redding California Airport to retrieve their bags from the claims area. The trip had not been easy as they both had been thoroughly searched at their departure in Rochester and Hassan once again in San Francisco. But both had endured the searches as well as knowing their baggage had been thoroughly searched prior to it going onto the plane. It was merely a fact of life for those on the domestic terrorist watch list.