Second Chance:

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 38 CONTINUED

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

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 38



“We need to head over to Johnson City and pick up some things for the cat,” said Charlie. He had planned to make the trip the day prior, but had gotten caught up with some accounting issues, getting Cindy’s schoolwork and the delivery truck for his farm goods. Plus Cindy was already hard at work on her homework the previous evening, getting a lot of it knocked out the first night. Charlie checked over her work and found everything was correct as far as he could tell.

“I thought we were going to the vet with him,” said Cindy.

“We are, but we don’t have a carrier or anything to take him in,” said Charlie.

“Yeah, forgot about that point,” said Cindy.

“Besides, we need food, a litter box and a scratching post. But if he starts attacking my furniture, he stays outside,” said Charlie.

“You would make him sleep in the cold?” asked Cindy with big eyes.

“He’s doing okay as it is,” said Charlie.

“I’ll make sure he’s a good cat,” said Cindy.

“Cats have a mind of their own. Trust me,” laughed Charlie.

“Thank you for letting me take him in,” said Cindy.

“Let’s go check on the little varmint,” said Charlie as they finished the simple breakfast of cereal. After heading out to the barn, they found the kitten right where they left it and it came after hearing Cindy’s voice. He wasn’t used to Charlie just yet and gave him a long look before decided the large human might not be a threat and going to Cindy. She fed him his breakfast of another can of tuna and played with him for a couple of minutes before heading back in and getting showered up. The trip was quick to Johnson City where they picked up the normal assortment of kitty supplies and headed back to the farm. Once they arrived, Charlie called the local vet and scheduled an appointment for the still unnamed cat. The spot was set for the afternoon and the two started working around the farm to get some things done before then

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

“This is the last time I pull your butt out of the wringer,” said Harley Waters to his cousin. Steven had come over to his house unexpectedly on Saturday to find out what all was happening in the case at the government level.

“What’s going on anyway?” asked Steven Waters, taking the admonishment in stride.

“The Governor isn’t taking this as seriously as he needs to. But I’ve got a plan for that. I’ve made some informal contacts in Washington and they will be willing to help,” said Harley.

“And?” asked Steven.

“And the press will be helping out. It’s all about what message gets conveyed to them,” said Harley.

“You sure about that?” asked Steven.

“Pretty sure. It’s all about the spin as well as the proper agencies to release it to. Trust me, there will be some that will not go along with us, but we shut them out by yelling the first and the loudest,” said Harley.

“When?” asked Steven.

“Not sure yet, but when the time is right. We have to consider the political angles here as well,” said Harley.

“I wish I had a decent photo with her on it,” said Steven. “Something for the sympathy factor.”

“Do you think her story is true?” asked Harley.

“No,” said Steven immediately.

“Okay, we’re cousins and I’m sticking out my neck for you. Give me the truth,” ordered Harley.

“I think there might be some merits to the abuse side of it. The whole forced marriage thing is probably not true or she is imagining it…” said Steven, suddenly coming into an idea.

“You stopped what you were about to say,” said Harley.

“Maybe, just maybe we could play some sort of mental disorder into the mix. Like schizophrenia or something,” said Steven.

“Maybe…that’s too easy to disprove though,” said Harley.

“But you said the first that yells and the loudest,” said Steven.

“It’s something to consider,” said Harley, thinking the idea had some merit, but wasn’t entirely convinced yet. “Let me think on that.”

“I know a few doctors that owe me a favor or two,” said Steven.

“Put out some feelers,” said Harley. “How often does it affect teenagers?”

“Couldn’t tell you. I can ask,” said Steven.

“That would make the story more plausible,” said Harley.

“And give us the sympathy card to get her back to her loving parents that can take care of her,” said Steven.

“But again, it can be disproved,” said Harley.

“Name me two psychologists that ever agree on anything,” said Steven.

“Okay, I give you that,” said Harley with a chuckle.

“So the matter we could throw at the press or even our own esteemed politicians could be the delusional factor. She’s paranoid of the situation because of the different culture of the Muslims there and in turn has caused the schizophrenia to emerge. I think that’s a valid card we could play,” said Steven.

“Muddies the waters to get public opinion thinking of our side of the coin here. Certain news agencies will still scream about the Islamic angle, but it does give us a chance to nab her,” said Harley.

“And once we get her back, the story goes away in a couple of days,” said Steven.

“You sure you don’t want a job in politics?” laughed Harley, glad his cousin had started thinking on a strategic level.

“No, I’m happy here for the moment,” said Steven. “What do I need to do now?”

“Lie low for the time being and let the investigation roll along. And for crying out loud, don’t be accepting bribes,” said Harley.

“There’s nothing they can prove,” said Steven.

“Except the people who bribed you if they have an axe to grind,” said Harley.

“There is that,” said Steven.

“Get back to Rochester and start talking to some doctors. I’ll be in touch,” said Harley as he turned back to his day to day work.

As Steven left, he started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in his situation. He was fairly certain when everything blew up he was looking at guaranteed prison time, but for the first time, he was starting to see there were other option to consider. He would talk to some doctors about the medical condition; maybe even fabricate some of the evidence and psychological profiling of Cindy. And hopefully it would give Tennessee pause for thought to stop their obstinate line and release her. And after that, events would certainly change in his favor and let the remainder of the investigation go his way.

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

“What’s going to be the name of your kitten?” asked the Vet Tech at the Unicoi Animal Hospital after finishing up with the battery of shots and check up of the new member of the Gray farm.

“I still haven’t decided,” said Cindy as she looked over the kitten once again. She reached down to scratch his ears and was rewarded with a purr as she did so. But after several scratches, he went back into play mode and reached up to bite and scratch at her playfully. “He’s seriously a spaz!”

“Well, there you go. You just named your kitten,” smiled the veterinarian as she was making annotation to the chart.

“What? Spaz?” asked Cindy.

“Sure, why not?” asked the veterinarian. “Plenty of other names out there, but that’s kind of unique and cute.”

“Spaz huh?” asked Cindy. “But let’s make it even more unique. Add another Z onto the end of that.”

“Spazz with two Z’s. We can do that,” laughed the Vet Tech as she took down the new name of the kitten. “Well Spazz Gray, you are a healthy kitten that needs little more than some love, kitty food and play time. We’ve got some recommended foods for kittens if you want the list.”

“We already picked up some food in Johnson City for kittens,” said Charlie.

“Want to run a tab on this or go ahead and pay out?” asked the Vet Tech.

“I’ll go ahead and pay out. Easier than running a bill,” said Charlie.

“When the time comes, are you going to have him neutered and declawed?” asked the veterinarian.

“Yes on the neutering part, but probably no on the claws. We haven’t decided whether he’ll be an indoor or outdoor kitty yet, but want him to have some kind of defenses” said Charlie.

“Give it a little while. He’s still a little fella and needs more time to grow. You thinking of a barnyard cat?” asked the veterinarian.

“Maybe. It’s been a while since I had a cat clearing the mice, but I have this funny feeling this little guys already been at work,” said Charlie.

“Well, if you do decide to keep him outdoors, let him keep his claws. He’ll need some defenses,” said the veterinarian.

“Okay, anything else?” asked Charlie.

“No, just bring him back for a checkup. The front desk will let you know when,” said the veterinarian.

“Grab your kitty and get him back into the carrier,” said Charlie.

“Can I hold him while you’re paying the bill?” asked Cindy.

“Yes, but when we leave he needs to go back into the carrier. He didn’t mind it in there already,” said Charlie.

“Weird, he just jumped right in,” said Cindy.

“I bet I have a box at the house he might like,” said Charlie.

“Why do cats like boxes?” she asked.

“I honestly have no idea,” said Charlie.

“Just wondering because he took right to the box I brought out to the barn,” said Cindy as Charlie paid the bill and took the medicine for him. Spazz was waiting patiently in her arms looking at the large calico cat sitting on the top of the counter in the main waiting area. Somewhat of a fixation around the clinic, Charlie petted the cat and was rewarded with a deep purr from her as he handed over his debit card. Cindy ended up putting the kitten back into his carrier where he thought she was playing once again and bit her on the hand. She scolded him and wagged her finger, but apparently this was more play time for him as he swatted at her finger. She closed up the box and he went straight to the front and a small paw came out still attempting to play. Even though her finger hurt, she giggled at the sight and poked at the holes in the front, watching him as he tried to grab at her finger. They departed the vet and headed back to the farm where she would have to cat proof the house somewhat. Luckily enough, Charlie didn’t have any plants indoors for her to worry about, but some of the new drapes and curtains would have to be secured since a new kitten would be fairly curious about such things and attempt to climb them. And Erica would have a hissy fit if “her” new curtains suddenly had pinholes created by a climbing cat.

It was the first time Spazz was in the house and he immediately took to prowling around and seeing his new world. Cindy followed him around for several minutes until she was called off by Charlie.

“Let him discover the house by himself. Cats are curious types and need to be able to prowl around. Go ahead and get his litter box started and put some of that dry food out,” said Charlie.

“But I’m worried about him wandering around in here!” objected Cindy.

“He’ll be fine,” said Charlie.

“But what if he gets lost?” she asked.

“He won’t. There aren’t any open windows or anything and just make sure the basement door is closed. Let him explore,” said Charlie patiently.

“Where are we putting his litter box?” asked Cindy.

“In the laundry room I think,” said Charlie.

“How do I do it?” she asked.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” said Charlie as he grabbed one of the bags of litter and the new box. He showed her the proper place as well as how much litter to put in. He had researched the matter the previous night after Cindy had gone to sleep and found a new type of litter that was made from pine as opposed to the clay. And being made from pine shavings, it would work better on the farm as it could be mixed in with the other biodegradable materials and put in the compost heap. However, the litter would have to be put in a separate pile since the internet seemed to indicate the litter couldn’t be used for mulch afterwards. But Erica had mentioned some flower beds and this might work great for that instead.

After getting the litter box all in order, they turned to see a curious kitten peeking around the corner at them. Spazz was watching what they were doing with interest and came into the room and sniffed at the box before hopping right in and scratching at the litter in the bottom.

“I’m surprised he went in so quickly,” said Cindy.

“Sometimes cats have an inbred sense as to where they are supposed to potty. Spazz seems to have picked it up right away,” he replied.

“He’s such a cutie,” she said as she heard the litter being moved around after he was all finished up.

“He also probably needs some food put out,” said Charlie. “And the rest of it being put in the cabinet.”

“Which one?” she asked.

“Probably the upper one. Less chance of him getting into it,” he said after thinking of it for a moment.

Cindy went away to pick out a can of moist food and some of the dry food. Charlie provided two dishes for him and found a bowl suitable for water. She opened the can and spooned out about half the food onto one of the plates and set it in the floor. Spazz sniffed at it before starting to lick at the gravy it came with and eventually taking small bites. She had filled the dry food plate and set it beside the other two. Charlie was busy making room for the cat food while Cindy was busy petting the cat and speaking softly to him. He purred in return and continued until it was more time for discovery. She followed him through the house for several moments before coming back to the kitchen and putting the remainder of the food into the fridge.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent cleaning the house and getting some laundry out of the way. Spazz would pop his head into the rooms they happened to be in every so often, but he was exploring his new home for the most part. Eventually Charlie found him cuddled up asleep on top of a load of laundry that had come out of the drier. Giving a smile and a sigh at the situation, he made a small kitty bed out of a small box and an old towel, figuring he would retrieve the other from the barn the next day. Picking up the limp form of the kitten, he placed him in the box without waking him and continued to fold the laundry.

A car was heard in the driveway and Charlie peeked out to see Erica coming by for an unannounced visit. He wasn’t opposed to the informal visit and opened the door for her and got a hello kiss in return. Cindy appeared out of nowhere behind them, excited to show off her new kitten to anyone who would look at him.

“Come here!” she said after greeting Erica.

“What?” asked Erica.

“Come and look!” said Cindy excitedly.

“What am I looking at?” asked Erica.

“Cindy has a new pet,” said Charlie.

Erica walked into the living room where Spazz was still asleep in his kitty nap. She cooed over the small kitten, but didn’t disturb him as he was still asleep.

“When did you get her a kitten?” asked Erica as they walked through the house.

“I didn’t. She adopted him without me knowing,” said Charlie as he went on to explain how the kitten came to live with them.

“You’re such a mean old codger,” said Erica with a twinkle.

“I laid down the ground rules already. It’s her cat, her responsibility,” said Charlie.

“And I bet you won’t ever feed him or play with him or take care of him,” said Erica with the same smile.

“And I’ll make sure to beat him daily and make him mean,” he winked in return.

“I bet,” laughed Erica as they headed out to make a small walk around the farm just talking. As they rounded the area near the small family cemetery, Charlie noticed something was out of place. He couldn’t tell what exactly, but something didn’t seem right to him. He looked around and didn’t see anything out of place, but something just seemed wrong to him. A subtle difference in something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. He scanned the area more intently, but still couldn’t place what was giving him the feelings he was having. After they returned to the house, Erica was invited to stay for dinner and started helping Cindy get everything ready. Charlie still couldn’t shake the feeling he got and ended up acting on it instead of just waiting around.

He went to the gun safe and collected a full sized pistol as well as a rifle after looking through several options. He also grabbed the pistol belt with the drop leg holster and ammo pouches before strapping them on. He had a decent amount of firepower now in case he ran into something and wanted to be prepared just in case. Cindy and Erica were chatting away in the kitchen and he decided not to disturb them as he headed out on a large circle of the farm and wooded areas. He readjusted the rig slightly and headed off into the woods near the driveway, his AR-15 held at a low ready as he moved silently in the underbrush.

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

“That was close,” whispered Abdul.

“Way to close for my tastes,” whispered Mohammed who was fairly nervous over the situation. The man with the rifle had walked right past them only a hundred feet away while walking through the woods. They had laid silently and prayed he didn’t see them as he walked past. Eventually they started breathing again and saw the danger had passed them by without detecting them. The camouflage they wore blended them into the undergrowth especially well as long as they weren’t moving.

“Maybe it’s time to find another hide,” suggested Mohammed.

“No, we will wait here until he comes back just in case he is watching behind him,” said Abdul.

Mohammed didn’t argue the point as he knew Abdul was better at the infantry tactics than he was, having constantly honed his skills as the main security advisor for the community. He had also taken quite a few courses in tactics from schools around the country and was very good at the craft. So they waited while the man was still away from the house, patiently and for the time to react.

[Manoos]

Woot! I have finally found you Grand! Took me a while to find another place to read this story, was totally bummed I wouldn't be able to finish it but now I can!

[barfife]

good work. Keep it up, I'm hooked.

[RunAndGun]

Thank you!

Good stuff!

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 37



Wednesday afternoon


“Charles Gray?” asked the voice over the phone.

“Speaking,” he said.

“Mister Gray, this is Hugh Parkman from the High School. I’m one of the guidance counselors,” said the man on the other end of the phone.

“Please, call me Charlie,” he said. “How can I help you?”

“This is about your niece, Cindy Gray, you brought up to be tested the other day,” said Parkman.

“Okay,” said Charlie.

“Well, she did exceptionally well, especially in the math and sciences,” said Parkman.

“How exceptional is exceptional well?” asked Charlie.

“She could probably be taking college level classes right now and passing them if she wanted to,” said Parkman.

“That good?” asked Charlie.

“More than good. If she was enrolled in classes, she would be in the top five in the school easily, more than likely the top two or three. Maybe even number one,” said Parkman. “Based on last year’s GPA’s she would have been at number two in the class.”

“That is exceptional,” said Charlie with a little pride.

“Do you want her tested at a higher level?” asked Parkman.

“How high can you go?” asked Charlie.

“She could take some entrance level college exams. Like CLEPs to get some of the basics out of the way,” said Parkman. “But what I would like to do is get her into a SAT and ACT test.”

“Okay,” said Charlie.

“When can she be available?” asked Parkman.

“Whenever the test is. No big deal,” said Charlie.

“Is she going to be enrolled?” asked Parkman.

“No, I’m going to home school her,” said Charlie.

“Well, whatever it is you are doing, keep up the good work. She is very intelligent,” said Parkman. “Okay, we have an ACT test coming up in three weeks and an SAT in six. Want me to put her down?”

“Yes, absolutely,” said Charlie.

“Can you come by and pay the fees?” asked Parkman.

“Will tomorrow be okay?” asked Charlie.

“Yes, of course,” said Parkman. “Now what about her schooling?”

“I’d like to see her enrolled in the typical classes someone of her age would be taking. I’ll let you figure out what they need to be,” said Charlie. “I’m new to the home school thing.”

“They will more than likely be the advanced placement classes. Heavy on the English which was her worst score if there is such a thing on her scores along with advanced math and sciences. Electives?” asked Parkman.

“What’s available?” asked Charlie.

“Things like home-ec, art history, computer science, classes like that,” said Parkman.

“Nah, I can work those from here,” said Charlie.

“Okay, she can take the semester tests and get a passing grade if that’s how you want to work it,” said Parkman.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” said Charlie.

“Anything else we can help you with today?” asked Parkman, hoping he would enroll her as her test scores were outstanding and could bring additional looks from higher level colleges at his programs.

“No, for now I think we’re good,” said Charlie.

“See you tomorrow then,” said Parkman as he hung up the phone. Charlie went through the house to see Cindy behind the computer looking at something history related.

“Did you know the decline of the Roman Empire took over three hundred years?” she asked.

“I knew it took a while,” said Charlie. “But not that long.”

“Yeah, kind of weird it took that long,” said Cindy.

“You’re pretty smart,” he said. “You knew this already though didn’t you?”

“I’m not that smart,” said Cindy.

“I have one Hugh Parkman from Unicoi County High School that seems to say otherwise,” said Charlie.

“What? The tests?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Charlie.

“That bad?” she asked and a dejected look came across her face.

“No, that good. He said you would be at the top of your class,” said Charlie.

“What? Really?” she asked and turned away from the computer.

“Yes really. He said you should be scheduled for advanced placement classes and possibly even college level tests,” said Charlie.

“No way,” she said. “He had to have marked the tests wrong or something.”

“I didn’t ask. Why don’t you give yourself a little credit?” he asked.

“Because I’m not that smart,” she said and looked at the floor.

“Yes you are and I’ll have words with anyone who says otherwise,” said Charlie.

“I’ve been told I wasn’t that smart and women aren’t as smart as men,” she said, still looking at the floor.

“Cindy, you are smart. You have common sense and book smarts as well. And anyone that says otherwise is an idiot,” said Charlie as he took her by the shoulders.

“Dad kept telling me it was useless for me to get educated. I wasn’t smart enough to get by in the world,” she said, thinking back to several conversations she had with her father.

“Then he’s a fool,” said Charlie. “Look at me.”

She lifted her eyes away from the floor and looked in his eyes.

“You are very smart and these tests proved it. You are far smarter than he thinks you are and I think you can do anything in this world you put your mind to. Trust me on this. All you need to do is keep telling yourself every day you are smart and guess what?” he said.

“What?” she asked.

“Pretty soon you’ll start to believe it,” he said with a smile.

“But I don’t know if I’m that smart,” she said.

“I know you’re that smart. Mister Parkman from the high school thinks you’re that smart. Erica thinks you’re that smart. Mitch and Sarah would agree as well. When are you going to start believing in yourself for a change?” he asked with a smile.

“I just…I’ve always believed I wasn’t book smart,” said Cindy.

“You said you like learning, right?” he asked.

“Well, yeah,” she said.

“You think you might be good at something you like?” he asked.

“I guess,” she said.

“Well, you are good at learning,” he said, trying to pick up her confidence a little.

“You think?” she asked.

“I know,” he said. “Cindy, you are a very special young woman who will do great things in the world someday.”

“You believe that?” she said, still not confident of her own learning abilities.

“Do you?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she said and looked at the floor again.

“Yes, you are special. In more ways than you possibly know. And yes, you will do great things someday. I actually think you’ve started doing great things already,” said Charlie with a smile.

“Like what?” she asked.

“Well, getting me back into dating. You’ve changed my life in that regard,” he said. “And the fact you learn new things quickly. That’s a trait I wish I had.”

“But you’re smart!” she objected, still looking at the floor.

“Not so much. I’ve got a good head on my shoulders with common sense, but you? You are far more intelligent than I am,” he said, giving her ego a little more boost.

“Really?” she asked.

“Positively,” he said.

She looked back up and wondered if everything she had been told the past few years was a lie. She hadn’t done well in school when she actually attended, but seemed to have an increased desire for learning in the past few years. She craved knowledge and actually studied the items others found boring or avoided. Maybe Charlie was right and she was more intelligent than she thought of herself. She still didn’t believe she did as well on the tests, but for the moment she figured she would give the school thing a try and see how it turned out.

“If I suck, you can’t say I didn’t warn you,” she said with half a grin.

“If you aren’t an honor student, I’ll be surprised,” he said.

“I’ll try really hard,” she said, determined not to let him down.

“All you can do is try,” said Charlie. “We’ll go by tomorrow and pick up your school books.”

“I get home schooled?” she asked.

“I think that would be best,” he said. “And schedule you for additional tests.”

“What tests?” she asked.

“The SAT and ACT…I don’t remember what they stand for, but it’s for college,” said Charlie.

“College?!” she exclaimed.

“Yes, some day you are going to college on a full academic scholarship,” he said.

“No way!” she exclaimed.

“Bet you a month of washing dishes I’m right,” he said with a laugh.

“I wash the dishes anyway!” she objected and added with a grin “how about fifty bucks instead?”

“Okay, if you qualify for a potential academic scholarship on the tests, I’ll give you a fifty dollar bill,” he said.

“And wash the dishes for a month,” she grinned, getting back into form.

“And wash dishes for a month,” he agreed.

“Can I type that into a contract?” she grinned, being a little more positive and getting back her sass just a little.

“No, just take my word for it,” he grinned in return and headed off through the house to let her think about the conversation they just had. He went to the pantry to check to see what items needed to be brought up from the basement and looked over the shelves. He looked at the stacks of tuna cans and noticed something was missing. He knew he had a can a couple of days ago and she had shared in that, which should have left eleven on the shelves. He was a creature of habit and knew once he took one down it was immediately replaced. But in looking at the stacks, there were only seven left on the shelf. He figured Cindy had been eating at it and hadn’t told him since she might have been afraid. Afraid of what, he didn’t know, but sometimes she was silly about certain things. He would casually mention to her she could eat whatever she wanted without worrying about it as long as she put it on his list of items to buy at the store later.

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

The man watched the property from a distance, taking in small details casual observers might have missed. This wasn’t the first time he had done something like this before, but the circumstances were unusual to say the least. He had plenty of practice doing such jobs in Afghanistan and Iraq at one point, watching and taking notes as to what happened. The security wasn’t tight at all on the objective and he could see visitors coming and going throughout the day. He was patient and knew this job would take a little longer to guarantee success. He pulled out a pack of sunflower seeds and put a handful in his mouth. He took a sip of water as he did so, hoping the subtle movements wouldn’t attract attention. But for the most part, the occupants of his objective were not really looking around like they should have been.

Had he been in charge of the security and the situation was as it was, he would have had folks out looking around from time to time. Especially in light of the recent developments in the situation of Cindy Grant/Haseena Hassan. He especially would have been looking for those watching him and making every effort to thwart their plans. But the occupants didn’t seem all that concerned as life was apparently going on. So he continued to watch and learn a few more things here and there, making notes and getting the plans ready.

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

“So at are we looking at?” asked Anderson.

“Financial records of the investigator, records of the community in question. Did you know her father is on the terrorist watch list?” asked the TBI Agent.

“No, really?” asked Anderson.

“Yes, we saw that ourselves,” said Mitch who was in Nashville for the meeting.

“And they still didn’t find any reason to keep her out of that house? This has to be the most slipshod case I’ve seen in a long time,” said Anderson.

“I reviewed the case file sent over by New York before they decided we weren’t worthy of seeing their investigative notes. I have some serious doubts about the file in question,” said the representative from the Social Services.

“How so?” asked Mitch.

“Well, let’s face it. Two weeks is not nearly enough time to investigate something so complex. We would probably be digging for at least a month or more,” said the social worker.

“Have cases been solved in that amount of time?” asked Anderson.

“Some have, but generally it’s because the evidence points right at the abuser in particular. Sometimes things are clear cut enough to get a conviction in the first day in the home. Least amount of time was three hours when a mother started slapping around her child right in front of the investigator. Longest was close to three months I think before we finally cleared the family,” said the social worker.

“So two weeks isn’t nearly long enough to investigate?” asked Anderson.

“Not even close,” said the social worker.

“What can I tell the Governor?” asked Anderson.

“The truth, New York blew off this investigation,” said the social worker.

“And we are still investigating this Waters character along with his boss who signed the report,” said the TBI Agent.

“We have an update on that,” said another investigator.

“Which is?” asked Anderson.

“The supervisor of Steven Waters was a man named Kurt Lyons. He was murdered a couple of days ago in a robbery,” said the investigator.

“If that isn’t convenient I don’t know what is,” said Anderson.

“Far too convenient,” said the investigator.

“And now?” asked Anderson.

“Rochester PD is investigating. Apparently there have been several muggings with the same M-O over the past week or so,” said the investigator.

“So he’s a dead end?” asked Anderson. “No pun intended.”

“Pretty much,” said the investigator.

“Okay, I’ll meet with the Governor and let him know we aren’t ready for a full fledged briefing. We still have a lot of work to do folks, but we need to cover every angle on this,” said Anderson. “Mitch, you mind sticking around after this is over?”

“Sure,” he said as the others headed out of the room. “What’s up?”

“How well is she protected?” asked Anderson.

“Pretty well. The place she is staying at is secluded and the family she is with has plenty of firepower around. Plus the deputies and local police are somewhat in the loop. If there’s trouble, we can take care of it,” said Mitch.

“I’d feel more comfortable is she was moving around. Sitting in one spot makes me nervous,” said Anderson.

“Never been in a small town have you?” asked Mitch. “We keep secrets pretty well.”

“No, I’ve always been a city boy. But it only takes one pair of loose lips to sink this ship,” said Anderson.

“Folks don’t talk to outsiders about things that they don’t need to know about,” said Mitch.

“I’m just a worrywart,” said Anderson.

“We’ll be fine, but the mayor has authorized me to deputize some additional folks and form a posse if we need it,” said Mitch.

“And you have several spots to be filling in your department anyway from what I understand,” said Anderson.

“Yeah, there’s that too,” said Mitch.

“Just make sure she’s protected. I don’t trust those crazies from New York as far as I could throw them,” said Anderson.

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

Charlie woke to the soft creaking of the stairs and Cindy attempting to tiptoe through the house well after bedtime. Had she not been wearing her shoes, he might not have noticed, but as it was, she was making a little more noise than she should have. He quietly followed her downstairs and heard her rummaging around in the kitchen and pantry before he heard the can opener opening up a can. Something was heard being scraped out into a dish and sink was heard running to wash out the can and lid. He was about to round the corner and confront her when the back door was heard slowly opening. His curiosity grew when he rounded the corner and saw her crossing the yard and heading towards the barn. He could smell the can of tuna she had emptied, but the can wasn’t in the kitchen or in the sink. He slipped on the pair of tennis shoes at the door and walked out after her.

Charlie could see her in the barn with a flashlight and heading towards one of the corners he didn’t use that much. A soft sound was heard and he saw her crouch down and set the plate on the ground. He could hear her speaking softly at a pile of hay and towards the corner. A small kitten, maybe ten weeks old at best was seen coming out of a small hidey hole in the hay. It’s meowing was heard and she led it over to the plate and petted it as it ate at the fish on the plate. He had no idea why she would hide the fact she was keeping a cat except the fact he never said he owned a cat. But he was curious enough to ask why right then and there.

“Any reason you forgot to tell me we had a new occupant on the farm?” he asked softly from behind.

She jumped at the voice behind her, slightly scaring the kitten. But it quickly returned to its meal as she stood up slowly and faced him.

“I didn’t know if you would approve. I mean, you don’t have any animals besides your chickens,” she said timidly.

“You think I would have a problem with it?” asked Charlie.

“I don’t know…do you?” she asked timidly.

Charlie shook his head with a half a smile and went over to the kitten who was still eating away at the tuna. It wasn’t necessarily the best food for one at such a young age, but chomped away like mad at the plate. He petted its head and heard it start to purr as it continued to chew hard on the tough food. He pulled it away slightly and looked at it in its face as it looked at him, licking at its mouth. It still purred as he scratched behind its ears and on the side of its face. It was a gray tabby with a white patch on its throat with green eyes. Turning it over, it squirmed trying not to get on its back, but he managed to get its tail moved enough to figure out what kind of cat it was.

“You name your boy cat yet?” he asked as he flipped him back over and scratched at his head. The kitten took on a playful note and attempted to bite at him and swatted halfheartedly with one of its paws.

“No, just comes when I say kitty,” she said, still worrying Charlie might make her give it away.

“When did you find him?” he asked as he set the kitten back down and let him continue eating.

“A few days ago near the barn. He looked hungry so I brought him a can of tuna. I’ve been feeding it ever since, twice a day,” she said quietly.

“Feeding it what?” he asked.

“Tuna, leftovers from the kitchen, whatever I could try to sneak past you,” she said.

“Pretty tame, I don’t think it’s feral,” said Charlie as he watched it finish up and look around its big world. It saw a nearby shadow and got ready to pounce on the unsuspecting target.

“Feral means they are wild, right?” she asked.

“Yes, this one was probably out of a litter of a housecat. Folks turn them out around here from time to time,” he said. “This one is tame.”

“He seems like a nice kitten,” she said, timidly again, but not asking the obvious question.

“You think I’m going to make you give up your first pet?” he asked with a chuckle as he petted the kitten once again after it figured out the shadow had escaped its clutches.

“I can keep him?” she asked, her voice rising slightly.

“I’ve had old barn cats out here for years. They come and go, but I’ve never taken any of them in. They tend to keep the mice and rat population under control though,” he said.

“Is that a yes?” she asked more excitedly.

“Yes, as long as you keep up with his litter box, food and water, you can keep him,” said Charlie with a sigh. “You’ve already showed you can care for him. But he’s your responsibility.”

“Thank you!” she exclaimed and grabbed him in a hug from behind. It was surprising, but he also remembered his first pet and how excited he was to be keeping it. As long as she held up her end of the bargain, he was okay with it. But he also knew he would be helping take care of the new kitten as well so it worked out okay in the long run.

“We’ll get him to the vet tomorrow and go and get a proper litter box and food. You should have just asked me you know?” he said.

“I wasn’t sure how you would react. I’m still kind of a guest out here,” she said, petting the small kitten who was getting into a playful mood. He swatted at her hand and jumped trying to latch on. She giggled at the attempts before he went back to another victim to pounce on, a blade of hay that was coming back up after being bent by a footstep. She giggled more as his uncoordinated attack ended up in him rolling over after he landed from his pounce. The valiant hunter figured his prey could wait and went back over to be petted more.

“So what’s his name going to be?” asked Charlie.

“I don’t know. I’ve never named a cat before,” she said. “You ever name a pet?”

“Just one, a dog. And you can’t very well name a boy cat Blondie,” he chuckled as she continued to pet the kitten and earn his affection.

“I don’t know what to name him,” she said, watching him as he went off to find something else to stalk.

“I’m sure something will come to you,” said Charlie. “Now how much time do you typically spend with him out here?”

“I feed him and play with him a little. Maybe a half an hour,” said Cindy.

“Well, probably time to head back in then,” said Charlie.

“Are we going to leave him out here tonight?” she asked.

“You made a bed for him didn’t you?” asked Charlie.

“Yes, how did you know?” she asked.

“I didn’t, but you just confirmed it,” Charlie chuckled.

“You play your mind games on me a lot. Yes, I found an empty box and an old towel. Right over here,” she said and pointed at the area she had prepared for him. Loose hay covered the box completely and a small tunnel was seen leading into a hole cut into the side of the box. Charlie shined the flashlight into the box and saw a towel was folded neatly on the bottom. All in all, it was a nice place for a barn cat to sleep, at least for the night.

“I think one more night won’t hurt him. He isn’t house trained yet, so we’ll let him stay out here tonight,” said Charlie.

“But it might not be safe for him,” she protested.

“He has been fine every other night,” said Charlie.

“But…” she started and saw how foolish her argument was going to be. The kitten would be okay for one more night. “So tomorrow we can bring him in?”

“As long as he had a name by then, sure,” said Charlie.

“I’ll try to come up with something,” she said. She picked him up and nuzzled his face once again, hearing another purring coming from him. She set him back down by the small tunnel towards his bed and tried to get him to go in. But apparently he was in a playful mood and didn’t want to go to bed yet. He swatted at her hand once again playfully before she scratched at his ears. He seemed to realize she needed to go back inside and left her alone for the moment before turning into his own bed for the night.

“How come you just let me keep him without any thought?” she asked after the kitten went into his small home.

“Because everyone needs a pet growing up. You haven’t had one before now and you’ve already shown the compassion to take care of him. Besides, kittens are a lot of fun and cats make good farm animals,” said Charlie.

“How do they make good farm animals? Aren’t you worried about your chickens?” she asked.

“Cindy, if that cat gets into the chicken coops, they will tear him apart, especially at his age. You’ve seen how they act around other predators. Now imagine if they were to see that kitten in the run?” he asked.

“Yeah, good point,” she said as they walked back to the house.

“You should have just told me instead of sneaking around,” he said.

“I…I know,” she said.

“Cindy, have I given you a reason to believe I would be so heartless as to throw a kitten out in the cold? Especially one you’ve already been taking care of,” he chuckled.

“Well, no, but you could have been allergic or something,” she said.

“Which means he could still stay outside when he gets old enough,” said Charlie. “And I’m not allergic.”

“Well, I didn’t know,” she replied, not finding an argument worth mentioning.

“Best be thinking of a name for him,” he chuckled as they went back to the house. Charlie had kept cats off and on for a while, feeding them at the barn and keeping the mice population under control. They came and went, but none had ever stayed around that long. Something told him this one would be around for a while. Just like other occupants that had showed up at the farm, he thought as they retired for the night once again.

[DustMusher]

Wow! This story just keeps getting better and better. Time for Cindy to visit Erica for a few days, seems for a good time for the girls to bond, and Charlie to check out his deer blinds, or Jeff and family to plan staking out some 'poaching' around Charlie's.

Hope the TN undercover guy gets wind of the murder and puts 2+2 together. Thanks Grand.

DM

[RunAndGun]

Wow!

Way cool and thank you!

.....RunAndGun

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 36 CONTINUED

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

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 36



Monday


“Okay, everything is set with the high school. Cindy goes up on Wednesday at nine and takes her placement tests. The guidance counselor knows to keep his mouth shut about her,” said Mitch.

“Okay,” said Charlie.

“Other than that, we are still working with the State to get a resolution to this matter,” said Mitch.

“An outcome that we all can be happy with?” asked Charlie.

“Absolutely. Apparently the Governor got a demanding phone call from New York. Some threats were made, but he stood his ground,” said Mitch.

“Nice to know he is working with us on this,” said Charlie.

“Yeah, Anderson said he was pretty adamant about not letting her go back until things worked out in her favor,” said Mitch.

“So she is safe for the moment?” asked Charlie.

“For the moment. They are trying to keep it close hold in Nashville, but more folks know than I care about,” said Mitch.

“Hopefully they keep their yap shut about it,” said Charlie.

“Anderson assured me the only ones that need to know about her know about her. But let’s face it; the fact is we have to get more folks involved to get results. Social Services are starting to ask questions,” said Mitch.

“And of course the obligatory home inspection,” said Charlie.

“Yep. Have you got that planned out yet?” asked Mitch.

“I have a partner in crime willing to help out as long as they don’t pry to deep,” said Charlie.

“Who?” asked Mitch, knowing the answer in advance.

“Erica said she would be willing to help,” said Charlie. “Even redecorated the house for me to give it a female perspective.”

“Sarah did the same thing when she moved in,” laughed Mitch. “Said I was uncultured.”

“Actually the quote was ‘missing a woman’s touch.’ She and Cindy went a little hog wild with the credit card,” laughed Charlie.

“You can afford it,” said Mitch.

“I know, but you know I’m fairly frugal as it is,” said Charlie with a smile.

“You know, that whole marriage thing could be real with a certain doctor,” said Mitch with a grin.

“I already got into Cindy about that, I don’t need any relationship advice or prods from you either,” said Charlie with a shake of his head.

“I’m allowed! It’s part of the contract between friends,” laughed Mitch.

“Funny, I don’t remember signing anything,” said Charlie.

“No big deal, you just let that pretty thing go her own way,” said Mitch.

“Nah, we’re doing okay. Talking more, texting back and forth…all sorts of relationship stuff,” said Charlie.

“You know how to text? I wasn’t aware you had become that technologically advanced,” laughed Mitch.

“I’m still not up on everything, but enough to know how to do something like that,” said Charlie with another shake of his head.

“Let’s face it, we’re both old fashioned,” said Mitch.

“True enough,” said Charlie. “Anything else?”

“Nah, Anderson called a meeting for later this week so I’m heading out to Nashville,” said Mitch.

“Does Cindy need to come along?” asked Charlie.

“No, not for now,” said Mitch.

“Okay, I’ve got to get back on these rifle stocks. We’ll talk to you later,” said Charlie.

Mitch departed and Charlie went back into the barn where Cindy was busy sanding at one of the stocks. She was getting into it a lot more and getting more technically skilled at the fine woodwork as she went along. The stocks were getting into pretty good shape and he let her continue while he left to work on the car engine. He started putting pieces he had cleaned back together and into the motor, but knew before long he would have to lift it by his crane and lower it into the body of the vehicle. It was coming along nicely, but he didn’t know how long it would be before then. He hoped to have it together by the time the cold weather came around so he wouldn’t be forced to work in the cold barn during the winter. Plus with harvest coming up, he surely didn’t want to waste any time before then as he knew he would be plenty busy around that time.

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

“We are being investigated!” whispered Kurt after he closed the door.

“By who?” asked Waters.

“The State I think! I got a call from a friend and they said they were looking into us!” he exclaimed in a whisper.

“There is nothing to be worried about unless you went out and bought a new car or something,” said Waters. “This has happened before. Just stick to the story and everything will be okay.”

“I can’t go to jail over this and I surely can’t lose my job! I’ve got bills to pay!” said Kurt.

“Take it easy Kurt, we’ll be fine. I have friends in high places that can help out,” said Waters.

“Listen, if it comes down to it, I’m not comfortable with this whole situation!” exclaimed Kurt.

“We both go to jail, remember that. But with my influences, my sentence might be lighter than yours,” said Waters.

“Are you threatening me?” asked Kurt.

“No, just letting you know the realities of the situation,” said Waters.

“I’ll come clean if I have to. I’ll give the money up and everything,” said Kurt.

“No, just give it time. This will blow over,” said Waters. He was starting to see his supervisor might be becoming a liability.

“For how long though?” asked Kurt.

“These investigations rarely turn up anything. Trust me, I’ve been thought enough to know that much,” said Waters. “Just keep your mouth shut about it and it will go away.”

“I’m not comfortable with the arrangements you made,” said Kurt.

“But you willingly went along with them,” said Waters. “You could have stopped it at any time.”

“And I’ve been beating myself up ever since then,” said Kurt.

“Just stick to the plan and everything will be okay. I promise you that. Think of your family for crying out loud,” said Waters.

“I am and that’s the only reason I haven’t said anything until now,” said Kurt.

“It will be fine,” said Waters as he left the office and Kurt to continue thinking of what a bad idea the bribe was overall. After Waters got out of the office, he called the number he was instructed to if things weren’t going to plan. The voice answered after several rings.

“Hello,” said Abdul.

“The other individual might be a problem,” said Waters.

“How so?” asked Abdul.

“He has reservations about our arrangements. It might take more to convince him otherwise,” said Waters.

“You have plenty of convincing to spread around,” said Abdul.

“I do, but I’m not sure if he will hold up,” said Waters.

“Convince him otherwise,” said Abdul and ended the call. He was busy shopping around for camouflage suits to be able to blend into the environment at the farm. They had the address and location, but saw it was secluded enough to where the surveillance from a vehicle was impossible. So they would have to take turns watching from the nearby forest and making their notes from there. Their typical civilian clothing would stick out like a sore thumb and they needed some concealment before attempting any kind of recon of the farm. They would begin on Thursday or Friday after going over the maps once again and finalizing their plan of action. This was the first time in the “field” for Mohammed Hassan, but he was coming along nicely. They had spent the previous day at a local range getting his weapons skills up to par although he had basic instruction before coming to Tennessee with them.

The supervisor situation was nagging at Abdul as he absentmindedly looked at different suits. H knew there was always the potential for a problem, but also knew Waters would keep his mouth shut. But the boss was a different matter entirely. As he came to a decision in his mind, he dialed another number.

“Yes?” asked the voice.

“Take care of the supervisor problem,” he said.

“We’ve already laid the ground work,” said the voice.

“Just get it done,” said Abdul and ended the call.

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

Tuesday


Kurt was in working very late at the office that evening. He was taking Waters’ advice for the moment and letting things fall as they may, but the fact there was another investigation was always in the back of his mind. He was finishing up some other case files and preparing for the worst just in case things didn’t turn out so well. But for the moment, he was playing everything else by the book in case they started researching his other cases. And some of the money had been put to good use so far just in case. The cleaning crew had departed about a half hour prior and Kurt was the last to leave the building. He wasn’t used to leaving at 10:30 at night, but he had managed to clear just about everything on his plate.

As he left the building, he started walking towards his vehicle in the parking lot. It was darker in the parking lot as the halogen lamp was out for some reason. Looking around, he also noticed two of the streetlights were out as well. He would speak to the building manager in the morning about getting them replaced and contacting the city about the others. He was lucky in the fact Rochester was somewhat of a tame town and the area they were in wasn’t that bad anyway. But as he reached his car and put the briefcase in the truck, he was surprised when a man came from around the front of the vehicle.

“Wallet and keys!” he demanded in a hushed voice. He was wearing a ski mask which Kurt thought was fairly theatrical for the situation. But the pistol he held was far from theatrical.

“Take it easy bud,” said Kurt as he held his hands out.

“Wallet, cell phone and keys now!” demanded the masked man.

Kurt reached into his back pocket and handed over his wallet with a shaking hand. The man snatched it away before demanding the keys and phone once again. Kurt handed over the keys and phone as well, almost dropping them on the ground before they were also snatched away.

“Move around the side of the building!” demanded the masked man.

“Listen, you have my wallet and keys, leave me alone,” pleaded Kurt.

“Move, now!” said the man with a jerk of the pistol. They walked to the side where the dumpsters were located. Several bags of trash were sitting outside the dumpster and Kurt knew the cleaning crew was typically tidier than this. As he came to a stop, the man told him to remove his shoes.

“Why?” he asked and started to turn. The hit from the butt of the pistol on the side of his head was a reminder of who was in charge right then. He slipped off his shoes and left them sitting on the ground.

“Get inside the dumpster!” ordered the man.

“Listen, just go. I won’t tell anyone about this,” said Kurt.

“Yeah right, get into the dumpster now,” said the man and prodded at him with the pistol. Kurt did as instructed and got inside the smelly container. He heard a sound behind him that sounded like metal scraping on metal. Or something metal being screwed onto something else. He almost turned when he was struck once again by the butt of the weapon.

“Eyes forward!” ordered the man.

“Just leave me alone,” said Kurt.

“I would be clich

[barfife]

Thoroughly enjoying the saga. Find myself checking quite often for new chapters. You really are talented. Thank you for sharing your gift.
Barfife

[OR Medic]

Yet another great chapter, Grand!

Waiting (somewhat) patiently for the next installment.

Thank you!

Jim

[RunAndGun]

Thank You!

Great Chapter!

......RunAndGun

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 35



“Sir? It’s the governor from New York calling,” said the secretary over the phone to the Governor of Tennessee.

“Have the Attorney General and the Lieutenant Governor join me for this call,” said the Governor and paused before taking the call. The two States had already worked out the time for the call in advance and the two others were waiting nearby. He was joined by one of the two before putting it on speaker phone. “Good afternoon Governor.”

“And a good afternoon to you. I’m not inconveniencing you in any way am I?” asked the Governor of New York.

“No, I just got done with a budget meeting,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“Then you are probably happy for the interruption,” laughed the Governor of New York.

“Indeed,” laughed the Governor of Tennessee politely and got down to business. “How can I help you today?”

“It seems we have a problem between two of our State’s Agencies that is probably going to need our involvement to get resolved,” said the Governor of New York.

“Which is?” he asked.

“A matter of Haseena Hassan, also known as Cindy Grant,” said the Governor of New York.

“Yes, she approached one of our State Agencies. Did you receive our request for further investigation into her family and community as well as the person responsible for doing the suspected child abuse and sexual assault?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“We did,” said the Governor of New York.

“And?” he asked.

“We will be initiating a conduct board to determine the reliability of the CPS Agent in charge of the investigation,” said the Governor of New York.

“And the family?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“We feel the information gathered on the initial investigation is sufficient to allow her to be rejoined with her family. An additional investigation is in the works, but we feel she needs to be released back to the custody of her parents in the meantime,” said the Governor of New York.

“Even with the claims of physical and emotional abuse? Along with the fact she was to be forcibly wed to a man thirty years older than she was where she will probably be raped? Along with the transcripts of the conversation between Miss Grant, the CPS Agent and her father?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“We are still reviewing the transcripts at this time and rest assured, if there is any foul play involved, we will take action,” said the Governor of New York. He was somewhat surprised, but didn’t show it since this was the first time he had heard about the transcripts of the conversation.

“If you have read the transcripts, you can see there is already foul play,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“I haven’t been able to read them yet. They are still being reviewed by our State Police,” said the Governor of New York.

“I see…” said the Governor of Tennessee as his voice trailed off. The Lieutenant Governor quietly entered the room.

“If we could work out arrangements for one of our State Agencies to come retrieve her and put this matter behind us?” asked the Governor of New York.

“I’m not sure if I feel comfortable releasing her from the custody of Tennessee to New York without assurances she will not be going back into that situation. We already have done this once Governor and I don’t think we need to do it again,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“You will not voluntarily give up control of her to our State?” asked the Governor of New York.

“I didn’t say that. I said I wasn’t comfortable with releasing her until your State has completed an in depth investigation into the conduct of the Agent in question, a reinvestigation of the family and community and your personal assurance she will not be released until justice is administered,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“Trust me on the fact we will see justice served if it needs to be as well as another investigation,” said the Governor of New York.

“But in the meantime, you feel the child can be released back to her family?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“We feel there is a slight risk involved in doing so,” said the Governor of New York.

“We would feel better if there were no risk involved,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“Okay, so there is no risk involved. Does that make you feel better?” asked the Governor of New York.

“I don’t care to be patronized,” said the Governor of Tennessee with a tone.

“Nor do I care for the fact you are holding the daughter of one of my citizens and making conditional demands on her release,” said the Governor of New York in the same tone.

“And again, we do not feel comfortable releasing her until we get the matter of her home life resolved. Put your own daughter into this situation and see how you might react,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“If your daughter was in New York and you requested her to be sent back, I would do so immediately,” said the Governor of New York.

“Even knowing she might be going back into a bad situation?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“If I received assurances from another Governor that justice would be served, I would take him at his word,” said the Governor of New York.

“But it seems that you are letting this one slip by and not taking further action. You have to look at the overall situation,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“Which my agencies have assured me they are doing,” said the Governor of New York.

“But again, we aren’t comfortable releasing her until action is taken. What’s to say she will be safe upon her return and this won’t happen again?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“The original report stated the chances of doing so are minimal,” said the Governor of New York. “Additionally, holding that child is causing tension between our State and yours.”

“I don’t know of any tension,” said the Governor of Tennessee as he saw the Attorney General scribbling on a notepad.

“You won’t release her, you haven’t allowed our investigators to talk to her much less revealed her location and you are demanding further conditions prior to release. Do you know what my police are telling em about this?” asked the Governor of New York.

Before he answered, the Attorney General tapped the notepad and slid it across the desk. He’s baiting you and will pull the kidnapping card, the note said. “No, what are your police telling you?” asked the Governor of Tennessee after nodding at the Attorney General.

“These are the classic signs of a kidnapping case. Now this is obviously different since Haseena is in your custody, but overall, the situations are eerily similar,” said the Governor of New York.

“Who is Haseena again?” asked the Governor of Tennessee as the Attorney General scribbled more notes. Sliding the pad across, the Governor saw the new note and nodded.

“Haseena is the name of Cindy Grant now. Her father had it legally changed some years ago in accordance with their religious beliefs,” said the Governor of New York.

“The same religious beliefs that could be causing the problems to begin with?” asked the Governor of Tennessee.

“Our investigators don’t believe there are any problems, only the lies of a fifteen year old girl,” said the Governor of New York.

“And we have the report of three psychologists that say she isn’t lying,” growled the Governor of Tennessee.

“Which our own mental health personnel cannot confirm since you have refused to allow access to her,” said the Governor of New York.

“We have not refused access. There have been no requests made to our State to meet with her,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

The phone was silent for a moment before the Governor of New York answered. “Would you allow access to Haseena Hassan in a neutral location to be interviewed?”

“Define neutral location,” requested the Governor of Tennessee.

“Preferably in our State or another of our choosing,” said the Governor of New York.

“So you want us to bring her up to your State in a supposed neutral environment to be interviewed? And afterwards she gets packed up and sent back to her family?” asked the Governor of Tennessee. “We aren’t simpletons down here.”

“That wouldn’t be the case if we found anything in our investigation,” said the Governor of New York.

“You should have already found something! Corruption in your child agencies, turning a blind eye to abuse and sexual assault and forced marriages! How can you sit there and say nothing has come up so far!” exclaimed the Governor of Tennessee. Both the Attorney General and the Lieutenant Governor were both signaling with their hands to ease up. However, the Governor was fairly passionate about this and was on a roll.

“Which, again, we found the contents of the original report valid. They were confirmed by the Rochester Child Services,” said the Governor of New York, knowing he was holding the upper hand since the Governor of Tennessee was getting emotional.

“Then reinvestigate with another city! Use New York or Albany or Buffalo or any number of other cities!” exclaimed the Governor of Tennessee running out of major cities he remembered from New York.

“I don’t question your investigators when they do their jobs, why are you questioning our investigative methods?” asked the Governor of New York.

“Because we have that right! Cindy Grant came to us for help and by God we are going to give it to her! Now you listen to me; your investigators made a complete mess out of that situation and you refuse to look at what happened! The State of Tennessee will not, I repeat NOT release that child until an independent investigation is completed, charges are filed and that home is safe for her to return to! You better bet on that mister!” exclaimed the Governor of Tennessee, looking at the open mouths of the Attorney General and the Lieutenant Governor. And in that little announcement, he had just made policy for the State of Tennessee and furthermore, drawn the proverbial line in the sand for the State of New York.

“You realize this could be turned over to the Federal Government and we could bring the State of Tennessee up on claims of kidnapping?” asked the Governor of New York.

“No, she came to us, we are helping her. She is within our State custody and frankly, will remain there until your State has the guts to actually do a satisfactory investigation and finish it,” said the Governor of Tennessee, calming somewhat.

“Satisfactory to whom?” asked the Governor of New York.

“To me, the State of Tennessee and most of all, to Cindy Grant!” he exclaimed.

“Again, we would like the opportunity to interview her in a neutral location,” said the Governor of New York after being prompted to do so by his own counsel.

“The only neutral location I will approve will be here in my State. If your investigators want to interview her, they will have to come here,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“This is not acceptable to the State of New York,” said the Governor of New York.

“And your conduct in the investigation of the home of Cindy Grant is not acceptable to the State of Tennessee,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“And here we have our quandary,” said the Governor of New York.

“Only of your own making. Have your people do another investigation. It shouldn’t take long to complete. Then we talk about what to do,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“Release Haseena Hassan and we will provide you complete access to our investigation including interviews and visits to the home,” offered the Governor of New York.

“Unacceptable until such time as that home is declared safe,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“I will declare it safe right now as my investigators have already done so,” said the Governor of New York.

“Not acceptable,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“Then we are finished here. We will take up other means to resolve this situation,” said the Governor of New York.

“And we will not release custody until such time as we have deemed it safe,” said the Governor of Tennessee.

“It won’t end well for your State,” said the Governor of New York.

“And far worse for yours,” said the Governor of Tennessee and hung up the phone before he could get another word in edgewise. He was upset to say the least as the Governor had all but blown him off during the whole situation. “How is that investigation going?”

“I haven’t heard yet from Anderson. I do know his undercover guy left recently,” said the Attorney General.

“I want another meeting of the key players including the sheriff of the county where she happens to be at,” said the Governor.

“Anything else?” asked the Lieutenant Governor.

“Make sure she is protected and hidden away. I don’t like the way this is going,” said the Governor with a sigh, knowing there was a long road ahead.

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

“Should we start contacting the federal government?” asked the New York Attorney General.

“No, let’s give this a chance to work out. Maybe we both got too passionate during our talk. I’ll give it a couple of days to cool off and give him another call,” said the Governor.

“The longer we wait, the harder it will be to get her out,” said Harley Waters.

“I understand, but I’m not going to get into a dispute with another State before we have exhausted all other means. I will see this through and get the girl back, but I want to do it without having to go through the FBI or the Department of Justice,” said the Governor.

“I just hope we have the time,” said Waters.

“What of this investigator? What do we do with him?” asked the Attorney General.

“Go ahead and start a conduct board and review his case. Did the section head or whatever at the Rochester branch sign off on the report?” asked the Governor.

“As far as I know, yes, he did,” said the Attorney General.

“What’s his batting average like?” asked the Governor.

“I couldn’t tell you, but the head of the Child Services seemed to think highly of him,” said the Attorney General.

“And the investigator?” asked the Governor. Waters stood silently since he knew they were talking about his cousin and didn’t want or need to get involved just yet.

“I know he’s experienced. He worked in New York and now in Rochester. Promoted I guess,” said the Attorney General.

“Any reason to think this is all being made up?” asked the Governor.

“Not to my knowledge. I skimmed over the report and saw everything appeared to be in order with the exception of the girl’s statement. As for this supposed transcript, I’ll have to check with the State Police about that,” said the Attorney General.

“I was wondering about that too,” said the Governor.

“From what I understand, the girl supposedly recorded a conversation between herself, her father and the CPS Agent on the case. The conversation was less than what she imagined,” said the Attorney General.

“Overall bearing on the case?” asked the Governor.

“It could mean we need to reinvestigate the case. Nothing more though,” said the Attorney General.

“Public stance if it comes up?” asked the Governor.

“I would take the side that Tennessee is not really following established procedures by not allowing us to do our jobs. They are withholding a witness and withholding information we require to complete our investigation. I wouldn’t go with the kidnapping terminology yet, but maybe that will shake them up in the long run if needed. But for the moment, I think letting everything calm down might be the best option,” said the Attorney general.

“Sir, I disagree. I believe the family is being put under undue mental anguish by them not releasing that child. The father and mother are extremely worried about the situation and want their child back. We should be pressing this to the fullest extent possible and getting her back,” said Waters.

“And risk turning this into a media circus?” asked the Attorney General.

“If that’s what it takes, absolutely,” said Waters.

“I would advise against that. For now it’s not in the media and we have no idea how this will turn out if it does hit the media. I believe we should be careful about putting this out there,” said the Attorney General.

“Why?” asked the Governor.

“Because the family in question is Muslim,” said the Attorney General as if that explained everything.

“And that’s an issue because?” asked Waters.

“Remember how that ground zero mosque thing in New York City blew up in our face? The same thing could happen here as well,” said the Attorney General.

“Not if we get the press on our side,” said Waters.

“I’d rather not take that chance. The media is like a cat and will go with the general consensus of the public. They will turn and scratch us if we don’t play this one right. This can blow up on us just like the ground zero mosque did,” said the Attorney General.

“For now, we’ll let it sit for a couple of days,” said the Governor to Waters. “I understand your position, but let this thing play out a bit. Maybe we can find something to offer to Tennessee in the meantime.”

“I understand,” said Waters, but making plans of his own.

“Anything else gentlemen?” asked the Governor.

None had anything further and the meeting was adjourned. Waters went out and placed an innocent phone call to his cousin, telling him to watch himself and what had been decided at the meeting. He also told him he was planning on doing some things of his own and for him to lie low for the moment. But Steven Waters was under orders to report anything and everything to the community. After he finished his phone call, he headed out to the community to let them know in person. After arriving, he was showed to the Imam’s office.

“Trouble brewing,” said Steven Waters.

“How so?” asked the Imam.

“The Governor isn’t pressing this issue really. He gave an ultimatum to Tennessee, but didn’t back it up like he should,” said Waters.

“Oh?” asked the Imam.

“Yes, he wants to let it sit for a couple of days,” said Waters.

“We are currently working a lead. Sometimes we can get information you cannot. It seems there is a possibility of us knowing where Haseena is located. Abdul is checking that out right now,” said the Imam.

“Where at?” asked Waters.

“In a small town in Tennessee, or rather outside of a small town,” said the Imam.

“What kind of information did you gather?” asked Waters.

“The local sheriff has placed the girl in a protective state and hidden her away from the public view. She was reportedly the victim of child abuse and possible sexual assault. And she is from New York originally,” said the Imam.

“That’s great!” said Waters. “When will we know?”

“Soon enough. Abdul is checking the information out now,” said the Imam.

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

“And this place, this farm is where she is being kept at?” asked Abdul.

“Yes,” said the Social Worker.

“And you know this for a fact?” asked Abdul.

“I saw the report with my own eyes,” said the Social Worker. “I wasn’t supposed to see it I think, but the facts meet the criteria you are looking for.”

“Do you have the address?” asked Abdul.

The Social Worker passed over the address to Abdul after writing it down. She had no idea why he was looking for the runaway in question, but knew the money she was being paid to provide the information was good even though she only got half up front. “It’s not going to be easy to find. The east part of the State isn’t easy to navigate around.”

“We’ll manage,” said Abdul.

“And the rest of my money?” asked the Social Worker.

“When we retrieve her and get her back to her family, you will be paid the remainder of the sum we agreed on,” said Abdul.

“I’m taking a huge risk here,” said the Social Worker.

“We understand and the risks are big for both of us,” said Abdul.

“Maybe something else might be in order?” asked the Social Worker.

“If the information turns out to be correct, we will take that under consideration,” said Abdul as he made mental plans to scout the location along with Mohammed Hassan and the other man he had brought along from New York. With surprise, the three of them could easily overpower some simple farmer and retrieve Haseena. Then they would no longer have a need for Waters, his boss or the money. He already had plans in his mind for that as well. His cell phone rang as he was departing the fast food restaurant. “Hello.”

“Our little weasel brings some information,” said the Imam.

“Oh?” asked Abdul.

“Yes, it seems there may be further investigation,” said the Imam.

“Do we need to advance our plans?” asked Abdul.

“Possibly so. The weasel can still be valuable with his contacts, but the superior might present a problem,” said the Imam.

“I will take care of that,” said Abdul.

“Be careful, this is not going the way we planned,” said the Imam.

“It never does, but Insha’Allah, we can make additional arrangements,” said Abdul.

“And the reason you are there?” asked the Imam.

“I believe we might have a real lead,” said Abdul.

“If she is returned before the remainder of this plays out, it would be in our best interest,” said the Imam.

“We will take care of the problems,” said Abdul and ended the call. He placed another call to the community and set some plans in motion before looking at the map of Tennessee. The Social Worker was correct, the place was not easy to find or get to, but this worked best for them as well as the police couldn’t respond in a timely manner or at least before they were able to retrieve Haseena and return her to New York. By the time they had started their initial investigation, they would be out of Tennessee and into another jurisdiction. And this worked well for him since the political battle was between the two States so far and none had jumped onto the bandwagon. But if they got her back to New York, they would hold the upper hand and whatever Tennessee complained about would fall on deaf ears.

He collected the other two and set off in the vehicle, heading towards East Tennessee on I-40. The time spent in Nashville was worth it since, like any other State Government, they tended to collect massive amounts of data and keep a close eye on certain situations. And this situation was far too large to keep a secret forever. The Social Worker was one of the faithful, although greedy, and had been bribed to quietly check into the situation. And after two days, she had called back and let them know about the lead. Hassan was fairly happy about the situation and was ready to exact his revenge in restoring his honor. And they carried the instruments to do just that in the trunk of the vehicle. While the rifles were not the original select fire AKM he would have preferred, the civilian equivalent would kill a man just as easily and was far easier to explain if they were pulled over.

As they traveled along, Abdul started making plans to survey the farm for at least a day or two then decide on a plan of action. It was risky, but for his brother sitting in the back seat, he would take the risks without even thinking twice.

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

Cindy was looking out the back of the house when she noticed something near the barn. It was unusual to say the least and she went outside to see what it was. Charlie was busy upstairs fixing a leaky faucet and she had finished cleaning everything up and was preparing to go help him. But the sight made her go outside to take a look and figure out if she had seen what she thought she saw. After heading out towards the barn, she went inside and looked around. She didn’t see anything until she was about to leave and saw the same sight once again. Heading over to the spot, she saw a small kitten looking around the barn. She knew Charlie didn’t own cats but had no idea where this one was from. The kitten saw her and darted away into a pile of hay, hiding from her. It seemed hungry, but was scared of the human coming towards it. But it sensed she wasn’t a threat and came out softly meowing at her. She wondered how old it was and furthermore, if it had eaten.

Cindy went back into the house and looked in the pantry for anything to feed a kitten. She saw a can of tuna and decided it was probably going to be the best choice. Opening it up, she thought about telling Charlie, but was worried he might not agree to it and take the kitten to the local animal shelter. Since she was a guest here, she didn’t know if he would allow her to feed the kitten until it was large enough to feed itself. So she made a decision in her mind to conceal the fact the farm had a new resident for the time being. After opening and putting the tuna onto a Styrofoam container, she headed back into the barn where the kitten was still roaming around. It got scared once again and darted away, but the smells of the fish on the plate must have enticed it to come back out of where it was hiding. It smelled at the tray before attacking it and grabbing large bites. It was still somewhat afraid of her, but let her pet it on the head, calming somewhat.

She would bring up the subject to him at some point in the near future and see what he thought about the kitten. She had never had a pet before besides the chicken that followed her around the coops when she went in (which she also realized most of the older chickens that didn’t lay as well as the others were gone except for that one in particular), but never a pet that could come inside or one she could play with. She felt sorry for the poor animal and wanted to make sure it was taken care of. So she decided to keep it a secret from Charlie until the time was right to bring the subject up.

After the kitten was finished eating, it must have decided Cindy wasn’t all that bad and came over to play with her shoestrings. Cindy giggled at the kitten before it went off back into the hay and hid once again. She put the empty can in the steel recycling container and went back into the house to wash the Styrofoam container. Just as she was finishing, Charlie came back downstairs.

“Finish up already?” he asked.

“Sure did,” she said.

“I’m thinking of getting you tested for school,” said Charlie.

“How come?” she asked.

“Well, Mitch brought it to my attention you should be educated while you are here,” said Charlie.

“Okay, I can understand that, but school?” asked Cindy.

“I could home school you if we know what grade level you are at,” said Charlie.

“I think that might be a better plan,” she said.

“Why?” he asked.

“I’m not sure if I would fit in the high school. Remember my last little run in with girls my age?” she asked.

“True enough, but it’s part of the growing experience,” he said.

“I know,” she sighed. “I wouldn’t mind getting home schooled though. You’re a pretty good teacher. Plus the whole thing of me moving back if it happens…better to just home school me for the moment. Plus I can pace myself here at home.”

“I’ll take that into consideration. School started this week and Mitch is going to get back to me on when to bring you to see your placement,” said Charlie.

“I’m not sure how well I will do,” she said.

“You’ll be fine,” he said with a reassuring tone.

“You sure? I mean, I don’t think I’m that smart plus I’ve been out of school for a while now,” said Cindy.

“I have this feeling you will be just fine,” he said reassuringly.

“Okay,” she said and got a little more self confidence about her. He didn’t know she had been told over the past three years that women were inferior to men and their intelligence levels weren’t the same. And being told this over and over again started to sink into her mind and she actually started to believe it. But Charlie had started in the opposite direction and she started to doubt her own feelings. She had a long road of recovery ahead of her and he was helping her take the first steps into becoming a full human being once again.

[RunAndGun]

Still on the edge of my seat!

Thank you for the Chapter!

RunAndGun