This story is part of an ongoing series.
The chronological order of my stories is listed in WifeWatchman's biography.
Feedback and
constructive
criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.
This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.
Part 1 - Prologue
"Saturday night I was downtown
Working for my FBI
Sittin' in a nest of bad men
Whiskey bottles piling high...
Bootlegging boozer on the west side
Full of people who are doing wrong..."
------ The Hollies, 'Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress'
7:00pm, Friday, June 14th. Callie Carrington, Cindy Ross, and Teresa Croyle were sitting on the outside deck of the Irish Pub, a.k.a. the 'Cop Bar', at the back table (nearest the 'command room' wing of the building), having beef nachos and beer. Teresa was at the side nearest the door, with Callie and Cindy sitting with their backs to the window of the building, Callie between Cindy and Teresa, looking out over the deck and the parking lot beyond it.
"Just think," Cindy said, "we were planning on being married this Sunday."
"Good thing we postponed." said Callie. "Your dad can't walk you up the aisle, since he's in Malaysia right now."
Teresa asked "So how does that work? Who is going to be the bride, and who is going to be the groom? Or are you both going to be brides?"
Callie said "Well, I'm normally the passive one, and Cindy fucks me with the strap-on that Laura made for her. And I originally was going to be the bride, and Cindy the groom. But we talked about it, and it made more sense for Cindy to be the bride, and for her father to walk her down the aisle, since I have no one to walk me down the aisle."
"Don would do it for you, just as he walked Teresa down the aisle." Cindy said. Teresa nodded vigorously in agreement.
"Yes, I know he would." Callie said. "But I can have a 'Best Woman' if I'm the groom."
"Speaking of that strap-on," Teresa said with a straight (pun not intended) face, "did Laura make it in Todd's likeness?" Cindy and Callie began giggling.
Callie said "Laura told me she made it to the thickness of Don's dick, and an inch or so longer. And it's pretty damn thick!" More giggling.
"And iron hard?" Teresa asked.
"Just like the real thing." Callie said. Then she peered at Teresa and said "But you've never tried it, have you?"
"No." Teresa said. "If Don wanted to fuck me, I'd spread my legs for him and give him the best sex he's ever had. But he's never tried anything with me, and I think I understand why. It would be... strange. We're
too
close, in a way. Like brother and sister."
"Oh hell." Cindy said. "Brothers and sisters are banging all over the place around these parts. Like Cal and Dru Romano."
"All right, that's supposed to be a secret we agreed to keep." Teresa said.
"Yeah, you're right." Cindy said, remembering the pact made in the 'Soap Opera' case. "Well, I haven't banged him, either------"
"Hello everyone!" said a cheerful voice from behind Teresa. It was FBI Team Lazarus coming out, led by Julius Jefferson, with Martin Nash, Lindy Linares, and Tim Jenkins following. "Mind if we join you?"
"With that pitcher of beer in your hand? Of course you can join us." said Cindy. "Have a seat." The FBI Agents, especially Lindy, maneuvered so that Tim Jenkins was sitting at the other end of the table... next to Cindy. Teresa noted the gleam in her BFF's ice blue eyes when Tim had appeared... and the look of 'disapproval' in Callie's eyes.
"Jack is going to meet Tanya, and they'll come here in her van." said Martin Nash. "She's driving, so he might be too seasick to drink." Everyone laughed.
"She drives that van like she drives her wheelchairs." said Teresa. "Faster than Cindy drives the Black Beauty." Cindy nodded vigorously in agreement.
"So what brings all of Team Lazarus here tonight?" asked Cindy. "And you, Tim?"
"A couple of things." said Lindy Linares. "First, we came over to help in the search for Trent Ridge. And second, we have a huge pow-wow at the Federal Building tomorrow."
"I stayed up here to help with the search for Trent Ridge." said Jenkins. "And I was invited to the meeting tomorrow, too."
"What's it about?" asked Teresa.
"No idea." said Lindy. "But Jack expensed us at the University Hotel for the night, so it's big."
"Yeah it is." said Jack Muscone's voice as he came out the door, then held it open for Tanya to drive through in her regular wheelchair. Room was made for them to sit down... which pushed Tim right next to Cindy. Neither of them seemed to mind, but Callie was even less amused than before.
"Where's Melina?" asked Teresa.
"On assignment." said Muscone. "And to be honest, she has never considered herself to be part of Team Lazarus. She's her own team, based out of here instead of the City like the rest of us."
"And she prefers to go home to her husband and children." Lindy Linares said. Teresa said nothing, as she was now the legal mother of a child Melina had essentially abandoned.
More beef nachos were brought out, and Teresa asked for pitchers of Cherry Coke Zero; she was cutting it off so that she could drive. Martin Nash also confined himself to drinking Cherry Coke Zero.
"Don coming over tonight?" Muscone asked.
"No, he's taking Laura out to dinner at the Chop House, then they're staying at the Mountain Nest tonight." Cindy said. "The kids, including Betsy, and the dogs are at The Cabin, so I suspect Don and Laura are having some 'alone' time."
Callie chimed in: "And Laura is using some of her... 'professional' skills on him this evening." Everyone laughed.
"They deserve it." Lindy said. "It's been a tough couple of months for them, with Molly being wounded and then the threats to their kids."
"It's been tough on you, too, Cindy." said Tanya. "And Teresa, too. Tell our Federal friends how Molly and Todd are doing."
"Molly is already going back to work." said Cindy. "I don't think she's doing much more than sitting and supervising, but she wanted to get back into it. And that reminds me... mark down July 1st on your calendars. That's the NCPD's Promotions and Medals Day, and someone is going to get a Medal."
"And Todd is doing better." Teresa said. "His injuries are healing up slowly, but I can tell he feels better because he keeps cracking bad jokes."
"You guys said Don and Laura were spending alone time together?" Martin Nash suddenly asked. "They're not with the kids? With Trent Ridge out there?" The FBI Agents noticed that Crowbar's Angels suddenly became... quiet.
"What is it?" asked Jack.
Cindy said "So far there's been no sign of Trent Ridge. What's odd is that yesterday and today, Don has acted almost... uninterested. He was more interested in discussing the Police structure with me for the Charter Commission than he was about Trent."
Teresa added "And when I went into his office today to give a progress report on Trent, he had me sit down and discuss replacements for Precinct Captain Carswell and..." her voice lowered as she willed herself to finish: "... and Lieutenant Irwin."
"Think he knows something we don't?" asked Martin Nash.
"Wouldn't be the first time." Cindy replied. "Of course, there's really nothing he can do, so he's carrying on with business he needs to get done. But I got a vibe that he's...unconcerned about it all. So yeah... he knows something."
"Think he found Trent?" Muscone asked.
"If he did," Teresa astutely said, "then none of us will ever see Trent again." After a pause, she barely audibly whispered "
Ever
again..."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
They talked and ate and drank for hours. Teresa talked mostly to Callie and Julius Jefferson, and she noticed that Tim Jenkins and Cindy were talking a lot. Cindy had even turned her chair slightly towards Tim... which had the effect of blocking off Callie.
Teresa asked Julius, Lindy, and Martin about Sandra Speer. Julius shrugged his shoulders, and Lindy said "Sandra has been on the East Coast for months now. New York City, trips to D.C. and to Pennsylvania. Her things are still on her desk in our City office, but Cardigan told me that he believes she's going to be transferred to New York, permanently."
"But why?" Teresa asked. "Julius, did you scare her off?"
"No." said Julius, taking her question seriously. "We'd ended our relationship, and there were no problems between us. I don't think it's me she's trying to get away from."
Teresa said "I know she has family in New England, but you guys are like her family, too. And Don is Greta's father... oh."
"Yes, I think that's it." Lindy said. "Look, just between us, I'll tell you this: there's something of a joke in Team Lazarus that Don is like a sheik with a 'harem' of women, and while it's good that he loves his kids and wants to take care of them, Sandra doesn't really want to have any part of all that. And she sees it more like Don wanting control over her through Greta."
"Paulina Patterson once thought like that." Teresa said. "But she came around. All I can tell you is that Don isn't like that. He does want to see more of Greta, of course, but that's not a control thing."
