Second Chance:

[RunAndGun]

Wow!

Way cool and thank you!

.....RunAndGun

[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

[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.

[RunAndGun]

Thank you!

Good stuff!

[barfife]

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

[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!

[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.

[Grand58742]

CHAPTER 38 CONTINUED

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

[Gwynmael]

NO! No no no no no! Cindy's just having a nightmare, right Grand? Right?!!
Completely did not see that coming! It has to be Cindy's subconscious picking up on what Charlie picked up on. Has to be!

Oh brother, I sure hope you have the next chapter ready to go & are just playing with us.

However it turns out I thank you profusely for sharing your talent. I check at least twice a day for updates.

[eeyore]

NO! No no no no no! Cindy's just having a nightmare, right Grand? Right?!!
Completely did not see that coming! It has to be Cindy's subconscious picking up on what Charlie picked up on. Has to be!

Oh brother, I sure hope you have the next chapter ready to go & are just playing with us.

However it turns out I thank you profusely for sharing your talent. I check at least twice a day for updates.

Hope you had planned to post this on April first, but i have a feeling that is not the case. You have a talent for telling a story. I was hoping he would have killed the three of them, first.

[Ozarks Lady]

Just when I was getting to be relaxed about reading another chapter here we go again with the over the top excitment.
Wheeeeeeeewwwwoooo buddy!

I'm thinking dream too. Please??

[barfife]

Been waiting all this time for Charlie to level the playing field.....don't leave us hanging. good job

[WiseOwl]

NO GRAND NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :P

[OR Medic]

Another chapter worthy of praise, Grand! Well done!

If a dream, this would be more like a nightmare!

Thank you, looking eagerly for the next installment.

Jim

[RunAndGun]

This is "Scary Movie" suspense!

Really looking forward to hanging off the edge of my seat more!

Thank you for sharing your talent.

........RunAndGun