Book Two: Part Four - Binding Evil - Chapter Seven
Tuesday – September 4th Tuesday
Captain Todd’s Office – 8:01 a.m.
“Baker, Manning, you both know the Mayor, Brian Larson.” Turning to the Mayor he said, “They are two of my very best.”
“Yes, I know. I have read their service records. Impressive.
“But what I have discussed with Todd here, is far more impressive.
“Monday, September 24th, at 11:00 a.m. sharp; there is going to be a political fundraiser at the Montie Arena. I’m sure you have already been briefed on this.”
“We have,” stated Baker. “Senator Warren Samuels is running for a third term and is touring the state.”
“Correct. But there has been an unexpected wrench thrown into the mix. There will be added security as the FBI and Secret Service will be in town as well.”
Manning, who was semi-reclining in a plush leather chair, suddenly became erect.
“Oh-my-mother-of-heaven. That would mean the president’s coming here.”
“Correct again. All I am asking of you and your team, as well as the rest of the Twenty-Second, is to keep the outer perimeters clear, and let the big boys handle the rest.
Basically, I want an area of five to seven blocks swept constantly until the President leaves.
“He’s expected to make a brief speech and put his full support for Samuels. As it stands, he’s only supposed to be in Montie no longer than thirty minutes. His plane arrives at 10:30 and he’s scheduled to leave at 11:10.
“From here, he goes to Albany, Buffalo, New York City, then further north into Providence and Boston, but my concern is here, and only here.
“I am instructing you to implement a course of action that will both assure me and the FBI and the Secret Service, that, well, putting it bluntly; that we have our shit together,
“I hope I have made things clear. You have until the fourteenth to submit the scope of our protection that I can fax to Washington. I trust that will give you ample time.”
Baker nodded that she understood.
“In our meeting this morning, I’ll address this to my team, but I’m sure we can implement something acceptable, even if it means overtime for everyone, no matter the shift. I might even come up with something even more formidable than even they could think up.”
“Good enough, then.” Mayor Larson stood, shook hands with everyone and left Captain Todd’s office.
“Do you think you can pull this off without a hitch, Baker?”
“Captain, if my team and I can’t, personally, no one can. It will either be in the frying pan cooking like crazy, or in the fire burned to a crisp.”
Rim Road Pass – 10:18 a.m.
11 miles from Montie
Both Ronald and Alexandria set up practice targets from varying distances. The furthest being 4,000 yards away, and the nearest, 1,500 yards, with two other targets in between.
The first hour was spent assembling their weapons, loading, and placing the stationery lay tracks to get more stability to the weapons range and accuracy. The most compelling designed added to this rather unique rifle, was the site. It was a side mail with a dial arm and zoom lens. The site was 10 inches around. The dial would focus to within cross hairs, and the zoom could magnify the target up to 50 times its size based on distance.
The only thing it couldn’t account for was mother nature. Rain and wind.
Both brought 100 rounds each and had 20 targets disbursed randomly from 4,000, 3,000, 2,500, and then 1,500 yards. 200 spent cartridges lay in disarray at their feet.
They both checked all their targets. At the long range, Alexandria didn’t fare so well. Ronald: 19, Alexandria: 13. She showed modest improvement the further in they checked, and Ronald was almost certain she would excel at the lower level. He was correct.
Both he and Alexandria were a perfect 20.
This was something they would do every day until they would take up their final stationery point the day the American president made his appearance.
They would, or rather, he would, have but two opportunities before the president was rushed inside the building and back outside to a waiting bulletproof car. Twelve seconds going in. Eight seconds coming out. He opted for the eight seconds.
He enjoyed Alexandria’s company, but business was business.
West Park Sports & Rehab Clinic – 6:05 p.m.
Baker, once again, sat in her car in the parking lot, waiting for Stevie to emerge from this therapy session.
Since school started, she had changes made to their free time at which wasn't a problem. Mrs. Peterson wasn’t bothered a bit with change.
“Lieutenant Baker,” she said, “it just does my hard good to see the progress he’s making.
Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if one day he doesn’t try out for track and field, or maybe football. Stevie is a very determined young man.”
How well she knew.
Her eyes went to the front doors and usual, Stevie stepped out into a semi-lit evening. His crutches underneath him, as he made his way down two sets of four steps.
When he came to the second set; he stopped, waved at her, and then pitched the crutches to the side and walked the rest of the way to the car.
He was halfway when Baker jumped from the driver seat and started toward him. All he said to her was, “Don’t help me, mom.”
She backed off to as Stevie walked the remaining 50 feet unaided by human hands and metal crutches.
Baker couldn’t help herself. She smiled, as she watched a boy fast becoming a man.
Oh, and the crutches; Baker retrieved them and put them in the back seat of the car and would later put them in her storage area. Neither her, Ed, and especially Stevie, ever looked at them again, or at least they hoped they wouldn’t.
The two had a nice quiet dinner together. Ed would have joined them, but he was at the station house filling out paperwork on an arrest he made an hour before. A speeder in a Honda Civic, with Florida tags, headed north, with 60 kilos of that “wacky tabacky,” as Ed put it.
The rest of the night was just her and Stevie, watching and Adam Sandler movie and munching popcorn before she heard the faint sound of Stevie breathing change.
He fell asleep against her arm.
She didn’t move him, and before long, she was in slumber land right along with him.