Teresa's Christmas Finale

This story is part of an ongoing series.

The chronological order of my stories is now 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 - Overwhelming Temptation

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Fox Two News!" shouted the lovely redheaded reporterette at 8:00am, Saturday, December 23d, from inside the main Mall in the northwest part of Town. Bettina was wearing a clingy red and green patterned dress for Christmas, and people were behind her as she gave her broadcast.

"Fox Two News has learned that the Town & County Police Force has no new leads on Thomas P. Cook, who was indicted on multiple Federal and State charges, but has avoided arrest and remains at large!" said Bettina. "The FBI has joined the manhunt nationwide, but Fox Two News has learned that they believe Mr. Cook is still in the tri-State area, and may even still be in this County."

"And today is the last real shopping day before Christmas!" Bettina said. "Mall traffic is expected to be fairly heavy for today's last minute shoppers, but it's been a light season overall, as many people are shopping online. SPS Delivery trucks will be working until 10:00pm tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, making last-minute deliveries."

"And finally," said Bettina, "tomorrow's cloud cover should pass through, allowing viewing of the alignment of three planets in spectacular conjugation! Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars will converge and appear as one very bright star in the night skies tomorrow night, giving us a Nativity Star over our Town on Christmas Eve! It should be a wonderful sight..."

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

"No, Billy, you can't drive!" said Becca Larrington as they came out of the bar that was one of many busy places along University Avenue that evening.

"I'm fine." said Billy Russell, a University student along with Becca and her two friends Jennifer and Betsy. "We're not going that far."

"Come on, Becca, stop being such a worrywart." said Betsy, a tall blonde with lustrous, wavy hair.

"No." said Becca, refusing to get into the car. "You're drunk, Billy. I'm not getting in the car with you."

"Suit yourself." said Billy. "Come on, girls." The other girls got into the expensive BMW with Billy. He scratched off as he floored it, and pulled the car out way too fast into the street.

Becca fished her cellphone out of her purse and made a speed-dial call. "Roy, this is Becca." she said to her boyfriend, Vice Detective Roy McGhillie of the TCPD. "I need your help..."

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

The bus carrying the girls of the Girls' Orphanage, where young Amy had been before running away to keep her beloved dog Buddy, came down the drive of University Hospital towards the road. They had attended a very special concert, given by the children of the Cancer Center there.

The sick children had included a fifteen-year-old girl that played the violin beautifully, a fourteen-year-old boy who was pretty darn good with the electric guitar, and a lot of children that sang their voices and their hearts out. Only the bald heads of many of the children gave away that these kids were fighting for their lives every day.

"Wow, that was the Iron Crowbar up front!" one of the girl on the bus said. "He really

is

ten feet tall!"

"No he's not." said another girl. "And his wife was taller than him."

"That's because she was wearing high heels." said another girl, who then added with a sigh. "Isn't she lucky, though? To be the Iron Crowbar's wife?" The other girls giggled.

"And that lady who was Amy's friend was there, too." said one of the older girls. "She------ eeeek!"

The bus had just turned onto University Avenue when a BMV swerved hard from the other side on a collision course, hitting the bus with a sickening

*CRUNCH!*

The bus driver had desperately turned the wheel to avoid the collision, and the bus was not stable. It flipped over onto its side...

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

"One Adam-12," said the Dispatcher, "be advised of an overturned bus in your vicinity, with injuries."

"Roger." said Roy McGhillie. He'd just picked up Becca and was about to head west. "I've gotta check this out." he said as he turned the car east, towards University Avenue.

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

"Oh my God!" said Teresa as she and Todd came up to the overturned bus. Two Police cruisers were there already. "Stop the car!" Todd knew that he should not let Teresa be near this scene, but he stopped anyway, and Teresa flew out of the car. Fire Marshal Zoe Singer was already there; she had attended the concert, as well. The back door of the bus was open, and a child was being passed out of the back of the car.

"I can't get much farther." Roy McGhillie said as he emerged from the back.

"Let me in there!" said Teresa, who was shorter and smaller than the tall Roy McGhillie. She climbed in. It was hard, as the seats were now sideways above and below her, but she worked her way forward. She found two girls in a heap against the side of the bus that was on the ground, and helped one climb up and onto the plastic stretcher that had been slid over the seats behind her. Then she got in a better position and picked up the other girl, depositing her on the next stretcher that slid in...

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

"Okay, that's it." Teresa said. All the girls were out, as well as the driver, who was injured fairly badly, having taken the hit from the car to the driver's side door, and then getting caught up by his seatbelt.

"Great job, Teresa." Zoe said as she triaged the wounded.

One girl was about to be loaded onto the ambulance for the short ride to the Hospital. She looked up at Teresa and said "You were Amy's friend, weren't you?"

Totally shocked, taken aback, Teresa stammered "Yes... I was."

"I was her friend, too." said the girl, who was then loaded onto the ambulance.

Reeling, Teresa turned, and heard the commotion going on on the other side of the bus. "I am telling you!" said a handsome young black-haired man standing next to the crashed BMW, "my father is Senator Samuel Russell, and I am going to have your fucking badge! Now get away from me!"

"Billy, would you shut up?" said one of the girls, a hot blonde. The other girl that had been pulled out of the car was on the ground, being tended to by medics.

"No, you shut up!" shouted Billy. "I'm not drunk, I'm just fine! My father is a U.S. Senator, and these cops are going to get fired-------"

Already reeling from hearing Amy's name, Teresa was now re-living the nightmare of Dean Allen killing a mother and two children... and the memory of her own sister, Alexis. Teresa lost it.

She was not hearing anything. Everything had a red tinge to its edges. Hearing this drunk driver raving and namedropping pushed her over the edge. She felt herself charging, but it really wasn't. She then realized that a hand was on her shoulder, keeping her in its iron grip.

She whirled, looking over her shoulder... into the eyes of Your Iron Crowbar. I was just shaking my head back and forth: 'no'. Teresa got the message, and I felt her relax.

"Go help Zoe tend the wounded." I ordered. Teresa nodded numbly, and went back behind the bus. Now it was my turn.

"Is there a problem here, Sergeant?" I growled in my gravelly voice as I came up to Rudistan, who was squared off with young Billy Russell, not letting him move, but not actively doing anything else.

"Yes sir." said Rudistan, his voice jovial but very cynical. "This young man is saying that his father is an

important

man, sir."

"Is that so?" I growled, turning to face the kid, my red crowbar very visible.

"That's right!" said Billy Russell. "And after my father is done with you, you'll be eating out of cans in the dumpster!"

"Is that the Senator Russell that humiliated your mother by getting caught banging prostitutes?" I asked. Rudistan barely kept from bursting out laughing.

"Why you..." Billy said. He took a swing at me. Oops. Almost before anyone realized it, I guided his arm on around and then grabbed it and twisted it behind his back, slamming his head and chest onto the back of the Patrol cruiser.

"You fucking bastard!" Billy yelled. My right hand had his arm firmly, and my left hand was reaching for cuffs. I quickly affixed them as I recited the perp's many considerable rights to him.

"Where's your car, Sergeant?" I asked.

"Right up front, sir." said Rudistan.

As I jerked Russell up and began walking him to the Police cruiser, I kept whispering into Billy's ear "Be sure to tell your father that

Commander Donald Troy

personally arrested you. That's

Co-mmand-errr Troyyyy

. Make sure you tell your father my name."

"You damn straight, I will!" Billy said loudly.

I deposited him into the Police cruiser. The BATmobile arrived, and the techs took Billy's blood. Then Rudistan drove him to Headquarters for booking.

Going back to the bus, I saw my wife Laura, who'd taken over the triage and treatment from Zoe Singer. I saw Zoe talking to Officers, then saw Teresa sitting on the back of Todd's car, her head bowed low, and Todd trying to comfort her.

"The driver is being taken in to surgery." said Laura. "None of the kids were very badly hurt. We were lucky on that... very lucky."

"Yes. We were." I said, knowing how lucky we truly were, that'd I'd been able to stop something ugly from happening. "Great job, everyone. Zoe, if you'd be kind enough to write up a report and send it to me, I'd appreciate it."

"I will. Tonight." said Zoe. "And Don, Captain Croyle did a really great job, going into the bus and getting the girls out. That will be part of my report."

"Good. Thanks." I said. Excusing myself, I went over to Todd and Teresa. She did not look up at me.

"Todd," I said, "take Teresa to the Police Station, where she will write her Police report and email it to me. Then take her to The Cabin along with you and your kids, where you will be our guests for the next couple of nights." That had been due to happen, anyway, but not for tonight. "I'll talk to you at home, Teresa. And that was a great job, evacuating those kids." Teresa just nodded, and hustled to get in the car, desperate to get out of my sight.

Part 2 - Shame and Sorrow

Dawn, December 24th. The weather was cold, with little gusts of wind and clouds coming in from the west, not to bring weather but to make the day gray and gloomy in spite of the festive Holiday season.

Teresa Croyle sat on her legs, Japanese-style, before the gravestone of her ward Amy, remembering not only finding the girl and her dog Buddy, but of that horrific night nearly two decades ago that claimed her sister Alexis's life and her father's sanity.

It was Christmas Eve.

A whisper of the wind told Teresa to look around. Over her right shoulder she saw him, also sitting on his knees Japanese-style, not moving, just patiently waiting. The silhouette of the Tilley Hat and the trenchcoat gave him away. It was the Iron Crowbar. She waved him over.

I slowly got up and walked up to Teresa. "Please excuse me for disturbing you." I said.

"You're not disturbing me." Teresa said. "Please, join me." I knelt back down next to her on her right side. We contemplated for several moments.

"I'm sorry, sir." she began.

"There's nothing to apologize for." I replied, though we both knew there was.

"I... I lost it last night. Again." Teresa said, her voice cracking. "If you had not have stopped me, I would've..." Then, her voice full of frustration and shame, she said "I'm not getting any better!.. I'm trying, but I can't stay in control... I was going to..." Again, she did not finish. Her head was bowed, her chin on her chest.

"I heard what that girl said to you, and then saw you overhearing that little shit Russell." I said. "Hell, I almost lost it myself, there. And nothing happened, except that I really enjoyed making that particular arrest. That's all the cameras saw."

"I still... I let you down, sir. I didn't keep my temper." Teresa was openly sobbing now. "I failed you, sir."

"No, you didn't." I said. I put my arm around her and pulled her to me. "You went into that bus, that might've caught fire, and pulled out those kids. I'm proud of you for that. Amy and Alexis would've been proud of you, too." I hoped bringing up their names would at least get Teresa thinking about something other than her own near-failure. And it worked.

"Amy... would've been worthy of Clan Troy." said Teresa. "She had such a great Spirit. And she never gave up. Ever."

"Yes." I said. "We never give up. It's never over until it's over. And Alexis's Spirit is with you, watching over you."

"You know," said Teresa, "I've seen what I thought was her ghost, several times. Watching over me. I saw her Spirit at the Saskia Building; that's what led me to finding Amy and Buddy. I guess... that's weird, huh?"

"It's not weird." I said. I had never told Teresa that I had seen Alexis once myself, on the mission Laura and I went on to save Ivy and her family from Michael Burke's thugs. (

Author's note: 'Sting of the Scorpion', Ch. 03.

) And of course I was having 'Slender Man' nightmares, too...

After more moments of contemplation, Teresa said "What am I doing today, sir? Besides desk duty forever..."

I smiled a brief smile. "You can be at The Cabin, helping decorate for tomorrow, and helping get toys ready for Santa to bring." I said. "Or you can be at The Cabin, helping Cindy's mom and my mom cook. Or you can be at The Cabin, petting Buddy and catching up on sleep."

"I'm sensing a pattern, here." Teresa said. I stood up and she stood up alongside me. "Sir, what am I going to do? I can't be trusted..."

"Stop." I said. "You're going to help your Clan celebrate Christmas, and then we will go back to work and keep working on it. One day at a time. One day at a time..."

But I knew that she was right. We had to do something. We had to find a way for Teresa to get over her demons, or she

would

slip again... and next time I might not be there to stop the catastrophe...

Part 3 - Work and Play

After delivering Buddy and Bowser to the Cabin, where Buddy was very happy to see Teresa, I went to Police Headquarters. First Shift was on duty, but at 4:00pm shift change, the 'Holiday Watch' of Officers and Auxiliary Officers would come on duty through Christmas. Most of the Officers that volunteered to work the double-time shifts were Jewish or non-Christian in some other way.

"Okay," I said to Captain Cindy Ross, who was here as well, and was now in the comfortable hot chair in my office, "any word on Thomas P. Cook?"

"Not a peep." said Cindy. "His car was left at his home, as was his cellphone. We're sure he has burners, but we don't know which ones are his. Lindy Linares of Jack Muscone's FBI Team says they believe Cook went over the State Line and is hiding out in Hammondsville or in one of the farmhouses in that area. Norm Chow of the SBI told me he thinks Cook is still here, in this County, lying low."

I nodded. "I tend to agree with that. I've alerted the Police Force to be on watch for him over the Holidays, that he might think he can sneak out of here when everyone is celebrating but no one is watching. Citizens are not happy with the checkpoints we've set up at the County and State lines, but we've gotta do it."

"You really want to get that bastard, don't you?" Cindy asked.

"It would be a great Christmas present to put Thomas P. Cook in jail, and to see him stand in a Courtroom as a Defendant." I said. "Yeah, I really want this one..."

"I just hope one of the charges against him isn't taking a shot at

you

, Don." Cindy said. "He's a desperate man, and he knows it was you that put him in his hopeless situation."

"Yep." I said. "Can't let my guard down, even for the Holidays. And speaking of those Holidays... we'll have presents tomorrow, but let me give you this one now." I extended a long, slim box to Cindy. She opened it to find two bug-killers, one in the form of an ink pen and the other a disc, and two bug-detectors, also in pen and disc forms. The very latest and best technology.

"Awww, thank you." said Cindy, coming around the desk to give me a warm hug. "Well, I don't have anything to give you here and now. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow."

"I'm sure it won't be as nice as the gift you're going to give Callie." I said with a grin. That made Cindy's ice-blue eye sparkle with happiness.

"So, how's Teresa doing?" Cindy said as she headed for the door. When she did not hear an answer, she stopped and looked back.

"She had... a setback... last night." I finally said as I came out of contemplation. "I stopped her from attacking that drunk bastard Billy Russell. But if I hadn't have been there..."

Cindy nodded, her face turning sad. She turned to go, leaving me alone in silence...

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

"Ohhhhh, that feels soooooo good!" Becca Larrington cooed as Roy McGhillie mounted her and began sinking his long, thick nine inch cock into her tight, sopping wet cunt. "Oh yes, fuck me, Roy! Fuck me with that big thing!"

Becca was a college student now, and she and Roy had learned a lot about sex since they began dating. Becca remembered Don Troy popping her cherry and fucking her (

Author's note: "Women's Work", Ch. 02.

), and those memories would make her come even when Roy was plowing her tight furrow. Now she was just trying to concentrate on fucking the stud on top of her, taking his thrusts and pushing up to take him into her.

Roy was nuzzling Becca's neck and whispering his love for her as he pistoned his cock into her again and again. The pleasure of her tight young cunt sheathing his big cock was nothing compared to the intense feelings of coupling with the woman he loved. He groaned as a spasm of pleasure rocked through him, causing him to fuck his girlfriend even harder.

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

"Okay, we're recording." said John Hardwood. He pointed the camera at Thomas P. Cook.

"Okay, its all set up." said Cook. "This ring of eight pallets are wired together, and the chair is in the middle. We'll wire this space after we're done. The device is here to the side."

They were in the now-infamous Ward Harvester warehouse. The offices were at the end of the long east-west building, on the northwest corner. The loading docks and the big bay doors were part of the southside wall. The door to the parking lot and backside of the property was on the north side. The maintenance area where Gor-don and his cohorts had attacked Cindy and Teresa, only to be waxed by the Iron Crowbar and his backups (

Author's note: 'A Tiny Slip', Ch. 01

), was on the west side, not far from the doors to the offices and the western wall of the warehouse.

The ring of pallets of which Cook was speaking was in the middle of the warehouse. More rows of pallets lined the walls of the structure, all wired together.

"This device has a ten second delay." said Cook to Hardwood as the reporter recorded. "And then it sends the charge. There is at least three times as much ammonium nitrate wired up in here as was used to destroy the Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995."

"That could level everything for half a mile." said Hardwood. "No way the Iron Crowbar gets out of this one." The two men laughed, the sounds of their laughter filled with evil.