(Thanks to PokingFun for her editing on both this and last chapter - sorry PF)
(Thanks also to Bryan, Charles and John for help with feedback and ideas and this and last chapter)
*The Titanic was sunk by snowflakes that fell long before mankind first forged iron*
*Yes*
I had made the pledge to abandon my society. The message deleted itself.
"Who was it?" Angle mumbled. I couldn't tell her the truth. She was still a cop.
"Wrong number," I yawned. I double-checked my call log and, as promised, there was no record I could access of the call ever coming in.
The fantastic nature of it all allowed me to go to sleep within seconds. The betrayal of my tiny group of 'friends' didn't bother me. I was hardly making their lives better. If I had meant anything in their lives, they would treat the next man they came across with the same sense of respect and understanding they'd shown me. If not...
The doorbell went off a bit past seven in the morning. I flicked on the monitor to see who was there while Angel sat up muttering various expletives. I didn't recognize the two women but I was becoming familiar with the clothes emporium the gang used.
"Good morning," I yawned.
"Mr. Jensen, Detectives Riga and Kwan of the GED," they introduced themselves. Angel snatched the remote from my hand.
"Po, this is Angel," she spoke up. "Make a note that I am on premises."
"Sure thing Angel - duly noted," Detective Kwan grinned.
"Kwan is a friend," Angel gave me a tired smile. Her friend maybe, but as her partner Seneca had proved, being a friend of Angel didn't seem to transfer over to me. Kristi took her badge and gun from beside the bed and headed out to the door. I heard her activate it and the two cops come in. Me - I was more concerned about a dozen things including my little text message that was only a few hours cold.
I slipped on some jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt before going out to my 'guests'. Our exchange was curt. I was tired and tired of cops. I didn't warrant civility from their perspective.
"What is this about?" Angel inquired.
"It is a 3307," Detective Riga responded. That was rude.
"Under-age sex?" Angel seemed confused. "I'd like to watch over this one, if that's okay?" It was odd to hear a cop requesting something from a woman that wasn't a request. Riga was resisting.
"Sure," Kwan nodded. "You are his ghost after all." I assumed that 'ghost' meant the minder the Metropolitan police had placed on me.
"Let me get some fresh clothes on and I'll be right back," Kristi told them.
"Sure," Kwan agreed.
"What's he like?" Regina smirked as Angel passed her. Angel jerked to a halt and I could sense the tension boil up inside her. "You haven't posted any reviews yet."
"Have you ever considered how demeaning that is for him?" Angel turned on Riga. Their faces were only inches apart. "We are all in the same room and you are treating him like a piece of furniture or a slab of meat."
"Back off," Riga glared. "All the guys have them. It is no big deal." Angel laughed.
"No big deal?" Angel snorted. "How many did we lose last night?" Riga balked.
"Eight," Kwan revealed softly. I wasn't shocked - I was past caring. I did smile.
"Shit," Angel muttered.
"What are you smiling about?" Kwan glanced my way.
"I hate you - cops that is," I grinned. "Every loss for you is a victory for mankind in my book. Detective Riga, I'm sure if you come home this evening and find that someone broke into your home and stole your TV, you'll miss the TV more than any of the nameless men that are no more than a case file on your computer."
"Your attitude was noted in your file too," Kwan sighed.
"I'll be right back. Israel...try to not start anymore fires," Angel groaned. She departed for her condo across the hall.
"My distain and distrust for police is in my file?" I kept grinning.
"Good, I'd hate for us to get off on the wrong foot," I said. "I'll tell you right now, I'm going to be as little help as possible because I have zero belief you have my best interest at heart. If you'll let me, I'll get some socks and shoes on. Then I'm going to call my lawyer. I'm pretty sure that at 7:15 on a Sunday morning, she's got nothing better to do." I started heading for my bedroom.
"Jerk, you need to be adjusted," Riga growled. I turned around and walked right at the two GED detectives. Their hands gravitated to their Tasers.
"Back off," Kwan cautioned me. I stopped, staring into Riga's eyes.
"You're pathetic," I sneered. She popped me in the ribs. It was an automatic response to having her authority mocked.
It wasn't particularly hard. The blow was meant to shock me and erode my willingness to resist. I gritted my teeth and fell over - all the way over. The two cops stared down at me.
"Oh come on," Riga chuckled. "I didn't hit you that hard, you wimp." I came back with a feral grin. I forced myself painfully back to my feet.
"A pathetic, evil, brutal thug who would rather beat up a defenseless man than save a life," I ground out. Riga looked to Kwan in confusion. "Come on Cop, your partner will never report your abuse. Why are you stopping now?"
"What is your problem?" Riga studied me.
"You punched me for giving you a poor job review," I grunted, "and you are asking what my problem is?"
"Go get your shoes, Mr. Jensen," Detective Kwan commanded. I retreated, making the call to Capri O'Hara, my Public Defender lawyer, once I was there.
She didn't ask. It was clear that I'd woken her up and she was a bit cranky about it, but she agreed to meet me at the GED offices. Angel was coming in from the front door, looking a bit disheveled, when I came from the back.
"He's really annoying," Riga commented. "I don't know how you put up with him."
My most recent bout of pain must have shown on my face.
"Israel, are you okay?" Angel studied me.
"We had to tune him up," Kwan answered. "He got in our faces." Angel flinched.
"Who hit him?" Angel asked in a low growl.
"It is not worth it," I begged her.
"I hardly touched him," Riga confessed.
"You hardly touched him," Angel repeated, still looking at me. "Israel, lift your shirt."
"No," I sighed.
"Israel, they'll never learn if you don't try," Angel pleaded with me. I lifted my shirt.
"Mother-fucker," Kwan whispered. "What happened to him?"
"There was no report on this," Riga added. My torso was a roadmap of pain.
"You still think he's mouthy?" Angel grumbled.
"He's not jerking your chain," she glared at her fellow cops. "He really hates us and he has no faith in any level of professionalism from those in our occupation. After spending a few days with him, I have to agree. We treat men like shit. No one cares and by the way you are looking at me, like I've lost my mind, I can tell you don't understand."
"Damn it Angel, I told you to take this to therapy," Kwan intervened. "This guy is screwed up, but your reaction is normal. You want to protect him, but this isn't the way. He needs professional help. Write him up." That was terribly chilling.
"Po, he never crossed the line. You know that," Angel said with a level of disbelief.
"Angel, I think we are back to why I don't trust any of these bitches," I tried to sound defiant.
"Mr. Jensen - Israel - I believe you were raped in college by forty-one women. You never received treatment for that tragic event, but you clearly need it," Po Kwan regarded me. "You need help." I laughed. It hurt, but I had to.
"No crime so this is not your jurisdiction," I stared back. "If there is a crime, draw up warrants for the rapists and the security personnel who covered it up. Start making some arrests. Those women are hardly master criminals." Kwan didn't immediately respond. "You are not going to do that which leaves you with a dilemma."
"You can't legally commit me because you women cover for each other," my face twisted in distain. "You may think I'm nuts, but without admitting the root cause, the police are powerless to act on that information. My lawyer will bust open your ovaries if you try to put me away illegally and I won't voluntarily commit myself."
"Angel, help me out here," Kwan urged.
"I think we are back to why I don't trust any of those bitches," Angle parroted me. "Po, you can't get a sexual exemption without a criminal charge to present to a judge. We both know that. That means you are willing to drug him, basically wiping out the man he is."
"You didn't used to be like that," Angel bashed her friend. "You are supposed to be a freaking expert on Male Rape and Recovery. I brought Israel's case to you because you used to consider the man in the equation. Now you are coming across as a flesh peddler."
"That's not fair. There are mounting pressures to get results," Kwan replied.
"Results? Israel has been operating above and beyond code," Angel countered. She was referring to how often I was having sex.
"Did you listen to your boy on Thursday?" Riga rejoined the clamber.