A Stone Cut Without Hands

Is Willing-Slave an Oxymoron?

Chapter 8

Report from the Nest

Gamete A5CD2 worked tirelessly, taking signals from its mitochondria, processing them and sending them on with its Nucleolus. Although it wasn't capable of forming nest thoughts independently, it was aware of them. The nest had known for cycles that the central processor was approaching a crisis. All the gametes were working hard in hopes of forestalling the possibility that the carrier might be lost.

For 10,000 cycles, the nest had received inputs of information that was in direct contradiction to the instinctive memory programmed into the long chain antennas that all of the gametes depended on for the instructions they used to process the signals. They had tried hundreds of times to send a message to the central processor to fix the false input, but had never succeeded.

Just a few cycles ago, the nest had detected a signal from outside. There was help available if they could just prepare the central processor to accept it. As soon as the CP closed the data channels to begin processing the contents of the input registers, A5CD2 sent the signal to all the gametes to broadcast a virtual memory.

Even though the central processor had been programmed to ignore some of the input it had received over the last 2,000 cycles, the gametes pushed the input message into the virtual reality they were broadcasting. Thus, the message circumvented the orders to ignore it. Then they tied the input message to the image of the external help that they'd detected and using the image, they commanded the carrier to accept input only from the external help. There was no guarantee that it would get through, but it was almost their last hope.

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Black Friday started out really black. George's phone buzzed at 7 and he answered to the voice of Nurse Hastings. She'd received a call from the jail requesting emergency medical service for Courtney, and knowing that he'd told her not to let anyone examine her without him, she wanted him there ASAP.

When he reached the jail's foyer, Deedee's slightly smaller doppelganger on the graveyard shift met him. "Please hurry," she urged. As she opened the door, Courtney was screaming, "Don't touch me! George said you can't do anything unless he's here!" Then more shrilly, "No, leave me alone!"

When she saw him, she launched herself into his arms, sobbing hysterically. "Oh, George, last night I remembered. I had sex with all of them. They did nasty things and I did too. I couldn't help it, I couldn't stop, I didn't want to but I did it anyway. I'm so sorry, if you don't want me anymore, I'll understand. I feel so dirty. Please forgive me. Please don't go away. I promise I'll never do it with anyone but you. All I want is to be your girl. Please don't leave me!" The sobbing and pleading went on and on, slowing diminishing until it subsided to a whimper.

As soon as he could fit a word in edgewise, George ordered, "Let me talk now!" At his command, the whimpering ended abruptly. He walked her to a chair, sat down and pulled her into his lap, cradling her head on his shoulder. "You promised you'd do what I asked and I'm going to hold you to it. I want to talk and you have to listen without interrupting." The effect of his command was immediate and dramatic.

After seeing her nod, he spoke softly, oblivious to anyone else. "You are important to me. My most important task is set you free and make sure that your happiness is as big and bright as it can be. I've made it my business to find out what happened and right now, I know more than you do."

Looking into her eyes, he continued, "Please don't just hear me, listen and show me you trust me like you did yesterday. You must believe me, I'm telling the truth. You didn't have sex, they gave you a drug so you couldn't stop yourself from doing what you were told and then they raped you. The drug made you do whatever they told you to. They stole your freedom so you couldn't do anything else. If you did anything bad, it was because they forced you, so it wasn't your fault, it was theirs. I don't want you to hurt inside, so you have to believe me."

As he stared into her eyes, George could see peace and happiness gather and then spread to the rest of her face. He'd never seen such trust, even in the children he'd sired. The faith and trust she radiated had no limit. It wasn't blind, it was faith that was unshakable. It was trust that he'd do the best he could and if that wasn't enough, she'd accept whatever he did as what he wanted her to have. It was a form of trust that could never be broken or end in disappointment.

With an enormous sigh, Courtney wiggled, settling deeper into his lap. With a voice so soft only George could hear, she answered, "I believe you and I promise I'll always believe you. When I'm touching you, I feel safe and happy. The only thing I want is to be with you, to do what you ask, to be what you want me to be. I can't live without you, so please don't leave me."

Misunderstanding her request, George pleaded, "I have to do some things so that I can take you home tonight. I know you want me to stay, but I have to go. The Nurse is going to try to help you understand and deal with the things you remembered. Please do everything she asks and remember, I'll be back soon. Will you cooperate with the nurse for me?"

Courtney nodded solemnly, "I promise, I'll do anything you want me to."

Suddenly, George remembered The Engineer's assertion. He could now see the pattern into which Courtney's actions and responses fit. There was no longer any doubt, she'd been conditioned! To prove it, he ordered, "Courtney, stand up." When she'd complied, he continued, "Lay down on the floor! Roll over! Stand up! Slap my face!" George caught her hand and added, "Stop! Sit back down! Don't listen to anything until I tell you to listen again!"

When George turned to the nurse, shock had twisted her face, "My god, you were right. What can we do about it?"

"We don't even know exactly what they did yet, but we need that information on the psychiatrist ASAP. The biggest question we don't have an answer to is why she accepts my orders instead of or in addition to those who programmed her. See if you can find out? Courtney, listen! Do everything the Nurse asks."

Though he wanted to ask why Courtney had left home to confirm The Engineers claim, he didn't want to do it in front of the Nurse. He also had to meet with the County Attorney before the hearing. He stood, picking up Courtney in the process, turned and then set her down in the same chair. Turning to Nurse Hastings, he asked, "Can you take over? You need to be available for the hearing at 10, so find out what you can. Will your people be there?"

After watching the nurse's repeated nods, George went looking for the Sheriff. He didn't have to go far, because the Sheriff was waiting for him in the foyer. "Hello, George, I'm Sheriff Dansie. Is she going to be all right?"

With his best display of arrogance, George attacked. "No, Sheriff, she isn't. As long as you keep her here, the stress is a terrible threat. But everything we can do for her is being done. What she needs is for the real criminals to be punished. The real criminals are those who raped her and then those that abused her by putting her in jail for being raped. I don't know if you've been told about what is happening today, but I'd appreciate the chance go over it with you."

"Let's go to my office," the sheriff said, leading the way. "I've been told by people for whom I have a lot of respect that you're on our side. But I have to tell you that the waves you've stirred up are making it hard for me to believe."

After they were both seated in the sheriff's office, George challenged, "Have you reviewed the police report thoroughly?"

"I glanced through it and didn't see anything amiss," he said, shrugging off responsibility like a politician. "Girls getting into trouble and then going off the deep end are not uncommon and it isn't part of our procedures to look over the deputies' shoulders. Is there something in it you'd like to point me to?"

"Why don't we start with the medical report and come back to the police report," George answered condescendingly. "He opened his file folder and set the medical report in front of the sheriff. "Isn't the medical report normally added to the police report in cases of rape?"

"In cases of rape, yes, but this isn't a case of rape."

George hammered back, "According to the medical report it is and unless you're blind, you'll see that the evidence is damn solid. I've been told that the state code requires you to refer unconscious women taken into custody with evidence of sexual activity, to the rape crisis center, which obviously wasn't done. Who had that responsibility and why haven't they been disciplined?"

The sheriff was studying the medical report closely, and so he didn't answer right away. "Damn, the shit is really going to hit the fan this time. To answer your question, normally the deputy at the scene tells the emergency medical technicians, who should have noticed the evidence even if they weren't told, and then they should have passed the report to the hospital and the doctor."

"You might want to change your procedures because the state code requires you to make the referral in writing. You also need to investigate the EMT's because, even though the deputy called the dispatcher for transport because of intercourse, the EMT's failed to report it to the hospital. One of them is dirty. Please tell me what you know about the warrant and the way it was served." Without a conscious effort, George was maneuvering the sheriff into a corner.

"The sheriff's office wasn't involved in the application for or issuing of the warrant. Our job was limited to serving it. The application stated that she was a flight risk which seemed consistent with the police report, so the deputies were sent to the hospital to arrest her. Is there something else I don't know about?"

"Were you aware that she only regained consciousness two hours before the warrant was served and that until she woke up, they weren't even sure she would live? Were the deputies ordered to carry out the arrest against the Doctor's advice? Two hours is too short a time to apply for a warrant, so the application was submitted before she woke up. How much of a flight risk is a girl in a coma?" "Did you know that the Doctor refused to release her and the deputies took her into custody against the doctor's orders? Are you aware that officers taking action against a doctor's order can be prosecuted under state law for practicing medicine without a license? How hard do you have to be hammered before you start taking responsibility for the errors in judgment and fix your mistakes?"

The sheriff face was becoming more drawn and pale by the minute as George continued to hammer. "I hope you noted the part of the report explaining that because of the drug she was given, Courtney was incapable of committing a crime after 5:20 PM last Friday. So unless you have evidence of something which occurred before that which isn't in the police report, there is no evidence of any crime for which she could be charged.

"If you are now willing to go over the police report carefully, I think you will find that it's full of holes. There are an awful lot of questions the deputies should have followed up on and it's important that you find out why they didn't."

"Finally, none of this could have happened unless the County Attorney was involved in the crime. With your cooperation, I can give you proof of it. If you force him to meet with you, and you present him with these facts, he'll refuse to dismiss the charges and then he'll threaten you. Are you willing to test him?"

With a blank expression that would have been more appropriate to a poker game, the sheriff asked, "Is this my test?" When George didn't blink, the sheriff capitulated, "Okay, I can't afford a scandal, so let's get on with it."

"Before we start, there are several urgent things you need to do," George offered, trying to keep the sheriff in the hot seat. "Here's the name and phone numbers of a clerk who saw Courtney being given the date rape drug. He may also be able to provide the credit card receipt for a purchase they made."

"How did you find that?" the sheriff couldn't help interrupting.

"I had a lucky break. You also need to find out who owns the cabin and who had keys because there was no mention in the police report of forced entry. There isn't even a complaint, so the charges were brought by the County. Since the County was not injured in any way, you're wide open for a nasty lawsuit. The deputy who noted that the vandalism looked like methodical destruction should be told to follow up on it and document his observation."

"You should get a Court order to check the bank records of Courtney's mother and if you find a large deposit in the last two weeks, get a warrant and arrest her. It is almost certain that she sold her daughter. And order a rape and a pregnancy evaluation. Even if it is belated, that could save your butt."

"Courtney was picked up at the crime scene nude and the police report stated that her clothes were missing. That means they were stolen. You should take her statement and file a complaint for that as well as the rape. You'll receive an order later today to retrieve her clothes. It would be greatly appreciated if that could be expedited as efficiently as the warrant for her arrest because she has nothing to wear when the jumpsuit is returned to the jail.

"And finally, it would be wise to send her back to the hospital where she can be properly cared for. The improper handling of this case will leave you and the County with an enormous liability if anything happens and the hospital personnel were sufficiently worried about the possibility to order a suicide watch." George handed a copy of the order to the sheriff as he spoke.

The sheriff had an obstinate expression on his face, so George used his talent for deception, "Please understand, I am not trying to tell you how to do your job. I am suggesting these things as actions that will save your rear end when, as you so aptly described what is about to happen, "The shit hits the fan"."

"The last thing I need to tell you is that Judge Adams has signed an order for an emergency hearing at 10:00. Here is a subpoena for you and the relevant deputies, here is another for the county attorney, and just in case he refuses to attend, here is a warrant for his arrest and an order from Judge Adams that orders you to have him there. The little shit will hit the fan at 10:00. If you don't have your ducks in order, the really big bad stinky shit will hit the fan on Monday.

"With your permission, I'd like to wait here with Courtney until you have finished with the county attorney," George finished.

With a sigh, the sheriff acknowledged that he had no choice. "Okay George, I have to agree with my friends, you're one of us. You've earned my respect and my permission. And I'm going to follow your suggestions. Now if you're planning to make more waves, please come and tell me about it first?"

With a cynical mental laugh, George twisted the knife one last time. "I'd be happy to if you'll accept one last piece of advice. There's a good chance that this case is one of several and that there is a conspiracy of some very dangerous people. It'd be prudent to isolate anyone suspected to keep them from warning others, until we know whom to trust. Please be careful. Don't get yourself killed."

When George returned to Courtney, his grin was stretching toward his ears. Placing his hand on her shoulder and watching the tension drain away, his voice was filled with enthusiasm, "I have good news. They're going to take you back to the hospital. You won't be in jail any more and there's a very good chance that I'll be able to take you home. Now, the Sheriff is going to send a deputy to get your clothes. Can you help the Nurse make a list of what you want and where to find it? We need the list before they take you back," he added to the nurse.

George continued to stand quietly maintaining physical contact while they talked. He could feel the security Courtney was drawing from him through his hand and reveled in the trust and happiness she radiated back. The minutes seemed to take hours to slide by when measured against the emotions being exchanged, so the arrival of the EMT's and the return to real time was a relief.

Entering behind the EMT's was a deputy who looked to be too old to still be working. George didn't recognize him and communicated that with a questioning look. "The sheriff needed someone he could trust. I've taken their cell phones and will make sure they remain "incommunicado" until the investigation is over," the deputy explained.

At the deputy's words, George quickly shifted his gaze to the EMT's and noted that only one of them looked worried. The other was struggling to maintain a neutral expression. With astonishment at the clarity of his insight, George recognized his expression as an admission of guilt. Reading his name from the tag on his uniform, he watched as Courtney was helped onto the gurney and wheeled out to the waiting ambulance, Nurse Hastings and the deputy in tow.

As soon as they'd left, George whipped out his cell phone. "Sheriff Dansie? George Marshal. The EMT, Steven Turner, is the one who failed to mention the evidence of rape. The report is missing from the medical file, so you should check the ambulance log. I also have a list and directions for Courtney's clothes for the deputy when you send him. Any word on the county attorney yet?"

"The deputy I sent found him still at home. He thought we were bluffing, so we had to use the warrant. He should be here any minute. I've arranged to video record the meeting so that both you and the judge will be able to hear the whole conversation, both the verbal and non-verbal parts."

With another sudden burst of inspiration, George asked, "Is there a way I can watch the video feed in real time?"

"Give me a minute and I'll see what I can do," the Sheriff answered.

George sat back and let his intuition add up the new pieces. Courtney's conditioning was crucial. It meant that she was the object of the crime, which had to be an attempt to possess her. But that in turn meant that the real crime was planned years in advance. Something had gone wrong and the whole thing with Courtney was an attempt to fix the unexpected problem.

From nowhere, George's mind was filled with the realization that the puzzle had too many pieces. To fit the existing puzzle pieces into a pattern meant that the crime had to be big. And it was too big to be local. He still couldn't see the edges of the pattern, but he knew it was big enough to be dangerous.

Before his analysis was finished, he was surprised by a technician with video monitor. When it was turned on, it showed the sheriff's office and a man dressed in jeans and a western shirt being pushed through the door. A deputy entered behind him and with his back to the camera, he unlocked and removed a set of handcuffs from the prisoner's wrists. Pointing to the chair in front of the sheriff's desk that was centered in the monitor's view, he snarled, "Sit! Right there!"

As soon as the door was closed, the sheriff spoke in a condescending tone, "Mike, you've put me in a real bind. You and I are supposed to be on the same side, but it's obvious that there's something going down that I don't know about and Judge Adams does. Do you have any suggestions about how to clean up the mess you've made before the hammer lands on both our heads?"