Reichenbach Ch. 05

The chronological order of my stories is as follows:

Todd & Melina series, Interludes 1-5, Sperm Wars series, Russian Roulette series, Case of the Murdered Lovers series, Case of the Murdered Chessplayer series, The Swap series, Interludes 6-10, The Murdered Football Player Series, Case of the Black Widow series, Teresa's Christmas Story, The Case of the Black Badge series, A Case of Revenge series, Teresa's Summer Race, The Trilogy series, Dark Side Of The Force series, Caught In The Act series, The Phyllis Files 1-2, Case of the Murdered Bride series, The Credit Card Caper series, The Phyllis Files 3, The Hot Wives Investment Club series, Seriously Inconvenienced series, Case of the Paper Trail series, Christmas Mystery Theater, The Porno Set Mystery series, The Medical Murder Mystery series, The Eightfold Fence series, The Phyllis Files 4, Pale Morning Light series, Silverfish series, Cold As Ice series, Secrets of Apple Grove series, Sting of the Scorpion series.

Reichenbach, Ch. 01-05.

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 19 - Chopper Chase

Jack Muscone's dark, beady eyes turned onto me as I approached him, my hand under my jacket. I pulled out my hand, in the shape of a "L" with the index finger pointed at him and the thumb pointed up, and jabbed it at him.

"Bang!" I said out loud. Looking back towards the door, I saw Cindy Ross come in. "Did you get him?" I called out. She shook her head.

Just then I saw a movement in the door leading to the back kitchen areas. "This way!" I yelled, tearing off after the person, who'd bolted. Cindy was right behind me, leaving a stunned audience, definitely including FBI Special Agent in Charge Jack Muscone.

Cindy was barely keeping up as I tore down the back passageway towards an exit door, which the perp had just gone through. I'd had enough of a glimpse of him to see that he was Henry R. Wargrave.

As we got outside, I heard the roar of a helicopter. "The football field!" I yelled, slowing down and stopping. Cindy was about to tear off after the fast-running figure of Wargrave, who had a huge head start, but I stopped her.

"Come on, this way, let's go!" I yelled. Cindy actually did not argue, and followed me as I ran to a golf cart that was to one side of the Conference Center... which I myself had placed there earlier in the evening.

"Where are we going?" Cindy asked as we tore down the sidewalks in the cart.

"The Hospital." I said. I heard the helicopter with Wargrave lift off, then saw it come up to our right. It flew south as it gained altitude, then curled left around the end of the mountain finger upon which my home The Cabin was built, going east.

"We lost him!" Cindy said.

"Not by a longshot!" I yelled. I pulled up at University Hospital, grabbed a linen bag of items, and told Cindy to follow me. We ran into the Hospital and into the Emergency Room areas, then to the elevators. No one from the Hospital stopped us. We took the elevator that led to the roof.

"The helicopter on the roof is on loan to us." I said. "Laura had the Hospital's Life-Flight helicopter park County Airport in case it's needed." I said as we ascended. "Did you see who was calling me? He was watching me when he called, as I figured he would."

"Sure looked like Gor-don's backside." said Cindy. "But he got away. Damn, he was fast."

"So was Wargrave." I said as the elevator doors opened. We ran out onto the roof, where the four-seater helicopter's engines were revved to full, and the bird ready to take off. To my surprise, we had another passenger along with the pilot: my ex-wife Melina.

We got in the helicopter, put on the headphone-microphone sets, and the pilot took off. "Go to the City!" I said. I saw the twinkling lights of Wargrave's helicopter in the distance. "Follow that other chopper to the City."

As we flew along, I asked Melina "Why are you here?"

"You're going to need help." said Melina. "Laura had me come with you. If they start shooting at you, guess who gets to wax them?"

"Just don't shoot the chopper down." I said. "If it crashes in the City, it could kill people."

"Darn... you're right. That's a good thought." Melina said. She was sitting to my left in the backseat. Cindy was up front by the pilot... who was the guy teaching me helicopter flying lessons, John Tower.

"How's this guy learning to fly, Mr. Tower?" Cindy asked into her headset.

"He's getting there." said Tower. "Just needs some hours in the air."

I chose not to consider how my wife knew to send Melina along with us, but I realized Laura must've known all about what I'd done. Instead, I decided to watch the scenery. I could see lights below as we flew. In the distance to the right, I saw twin clusters of light. "That must be the Twin Cities, Westphalia and Eastphalia." I said.

Pilot John Tower confirmed it. "We have to fly south and then turn up into the City, to avoid City Airport's airspace." he said.

The lights became more frequent as we were approaching the City, the buildings getting taller. "The other chopper is landing on the roof of the Cannon Building." said Tower. That was the building that housed Wargrave's office, I knew.

"Put us down right on the roof." I said. "Melina, if they shoot at us..."

"I'm all over it." Melina said.

We approached the roof, where the other chopper had just landed on the pad. "We're going to land on the roof, but I'm going to keep it revved so we don't put weight down." said Tower. You might have to jump down." Cindy and I got ready.

Sure enough as we approached the roof's edge, someone from the other helicopter pulled out a gun. He got it aimed but did not get off a shot... Melina had fired her auto-pistol out the window already, and the man fell backwards, hit in the dead center of the chest. The other helicopter quickly lifted off, leaving him behind.

Tower came in on the now-vacated pad and put the chopper down. Cindy and I quickly jumped out, with me carrying my linen bag. A quick check of the man Melina had shot showed that he was dead. We then ran for the door, and entered. Steps led downward. I led the way, cautiously, knowing this was a direct passage to Henry Wargrave's penthouse office.

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

"Something's going on up there." said Austin Murphy, scrambling to put papers into his briefcase. He was hearing all the helicopter noise, not realizing there were two of them. Wargrave looked up and around, then listened intently.

"Austin, go." said Wargrave, stopping his task of trying to fill a briefcase with papers. "Run. Just get out of here. Don't even look back, or you'll become a pillar of salt." He had seen the second helicopter come up, and knew what it meant.

"But Hank..." said Murphy.

"Go, Austin, save yourself!" Wargrave said. "You'll continue the work after me, and you'll avenge me. Take out the bastard that betrayed me, then the Iron Crowbar and his wife! Go!"

Austin R. Murphy stepped over to Wargrave. They exchanged a handshake and a brief hug, then Murphy ran out the door to the elevator to take him to the lobby, 30 floors below.

As Wargrave finished stuffing the briefcase full of papers, he heard a noise behind him. He turned around to see two people: a man holding a red crowbar, and a platinum blonde woman in all black, with a helicopter headset helmet on, holding a blue crowbar... and a black crowbar.

Cindy Ross stepped forward and hurled the black crowbar onto the ground in front of Wargrave. "Henry Wargrave!" she called out. "Would you like a shot... at the title?"

Part 20 - The Reichenbach Falls

Wargrave reached down and picked up the black crowbar.

"Don't mind if I do." he said, moving forward.

I just watched, knowing this was dumb, but it was what Cindy wanted to do. I took the final item out of the linen bag as Wargrave attacked, and Cindy easily parried the blow. The clang of iron filled the darkened office, lit mostly by the lights of the City coming through the windows. Wargrave swung for Cindy's head and missed, and Cindy delivered a solid backhand to Wargrave's exposed ribs. He gasped in pain.

More blows and counter-blows. Wargrave was very experienced in personal combat, and had needed that experience and training on some of his smuggling operations to save his life. But now he was facing a two-time black belt with experience... and a mission. Cindy would have vengeance upon the man whose illegal weapons had nearly cost her her life. And she would have it.

Wargrave thrust and appeared to stumble. Cindy acted like she was going for the easy kill, but as Wargrave pulled back, ready to strike, Cindy also pulled back, having understood Wargrave's ruse and not falling for it. The Blue Crowbar was good, I thought happily. She was on top of it.

They were both tiring as they circled each other, occasionally thrusting and having their blows met and parried. Wargrave feinted a forehand swing, then suddenly drew back and changed to a two-handed backhand thrust which caught Cindy in the ribs, right where she had been wounded. I cringed as I heard the smack of the crowbar, then realized she had her bulletproof vest on... thank goodness!

Still, the blow hurt. Cindy gasped in pain but did not let down her guard. As Wargrave swung, trying to follow up, Cindy parried it... and suddenly planted her leg and delivered a staggering kick to Wargrave's chest. It knocked him back.

As he tried to recover, he was swarmed. Cindy landed a blow on his hand holding his crowbar, and he screamed in pain as he dropped the metal rod to the floor. Cindy showed no mercy. A powerful blow to the chest with her fist, followed by a two hand jab to the face with the crowbar which connected solidly with Wargrave's nose. He staggered, covering his face and body with his arms in rope-a-dope style, which did him little good. Cindy swung hard at his head, smashing the back of his hand covering his ear. Another blow to his ribs, then another uppercut to the side of his head. Wargrave collapsed, almost unconscious.

Cindy quickly pulled Wargrave's arms behind him, securing his hands behind his back with a plastic zip-tie. Then she pulled him up to his knees to watch me.

"Do you know who Tesla was, Mr. Wargrave?" I asked, my voice seeming to echo in the tense silence of the room.

"Of course." said Wargrave as he watched me attach two little metal rods to the window right behind his desk, secured by suction devices. It was the device Barry Oliver had loaned me. Another chain attached to Wargrave's desk would keep it from going anywhere.

"This device, when turned on," I said, "will shatter this window. It's a long way down, Mr. Wargrave... a long, long, long way down. And unlike the tall tales, you will not lose consciousness, you will have time to contemplate as you fall to the earth below. It is neither the Empty House nor the Reichenbach Falls, Colonel Moran... but it's the best I can do under the circumstances."

"Why don't you just shoot me?" said Wargrave. "Or at least beat me to death with the crowbar?"

I reached into my pocket and pulled out an ancient coin, now in a protective plastic sleeve. "Do you know what this is?" I asked. "It is the only thing my great-grandmother was able to take out of Nazi Germany with her. She was helped out of Germany and certain death... by Professor Heinz."

Understanding in Wargrave's eyes was instantly visible to me.

"Yes." I said. "My partner is here to whip your ass for supplying the firepower that nearly killed her. But me... I'm here to avenge the old man that you murdered. The man you forced to drink hemlock, and denied him the dignity of dying amongst the friends who loved him. Now you will die alone, with no one with you. I want you to think about that on your way to the ground."

"If that old Jew saving your ancestor made your existence possible," snarled Wargrave, "then I'm glad I killed him... for that reason alone."

Cindy walloped Wargrave on the back of the head. "Shut up, fuckhead." she said.

"That wasn't the worst of it." I said. "Your pathetic little attempt to brainwash me, to make me kill my wife?" I said. "It didn't work, did it? But you can think about that failure, too, as the concrete comes rushing up to meet your face, Wargrave. I'll be sleeping with my very much alive wife tonight, while your wife will be mourning your death. I protected my wife, you've left yours to defend herself alone."

Wargrave swore unprintable curses at me.

I smiled. "And I'll spit on the stain on the concrete that will be all that's left of you for trying to hurt my wife. Goodbye, Colonel Moran, and may the living God have mercy upon your soul. Ready, Crowbar 2?"

"Ready, Crowbar 1." Cindy said, the scissors ready.

With that I activated the device. A high pitched whine emitted, going higher and higher into silence. A second later it found the resonating frequency. Cracks appeared in the bulletproof glass. As the cracks spread, I picked up Wargrave's chair and hurled it through the window, shattering the glass. I pulled the chain holding the Tesla Tuning Fork, keeping it inside.

"I hope nobody's down there where the chair is going to hit." I said as Cindy cut the zip-tie. Before he could react or act, we both grabbed Wargrave and pulled him to the window... and then picked him up and hurled him outside!

Cindy tried to watch, but I pulled her back lest the air rushing out try to take her with it. We quickly put the zip-tie, scissors, Tesla Tuning Fork and such stuff into our pockets, then I folded the linen bag and secured it in my Tilley hat on my head. Grabbing the crowbars, we went out the door towards the elevators.

"This way." I said, leading Cindy into a side door. It was a stairwell, which led down. As we descended, an alarm went off, and a message to secure the building was broadcast over the speakers that normally broadcast muzak. Undeterred, we went down all thirty floors, then out a side door to the street. The door was not yet locked, as it was a fire escape door.

"Think any cameras caught us?" Cindy said.

"No." I said. I showed her the other device in my pocket, the well-used audio-visual jamming device, but this on a new-and-improved model. "Nothing like the best in CIA technology. By the way, how are you feeling? You took a couple of shots, there."

"I'm fine." said Cindy. "Kinda disappointed. He wasn't as good as I'd expected him to be."

"You won't hear me complaining." I said. "If he'd won, I'd've waxed him, but I didn't want to carry your dead hardbody ass down all those stairs." Cindy laughed.

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

Going around to the other side of the building, we saw the commotion. As I'd surmised from previously scouting the building, the ground directly below Wargrave's office was not accessible to the public. Therefore, the chair had not hit anyone, and Wargrave's body didn't hit anyone either. He was now half-liquid on that concrete path that went around the side of the hotel. Police were just coming up.

A few minutes later, Detective Sapper Warren came up. Cindy and I came over, flashing our badges, which was enough for the City Police to let us inside the cordon.

"Hi Sapper." I said. "What happened here?"

"Well, hi Commander, Captain." said Detective Sapper Warren. "What brings you two to the City?"

"FBI business." I said. "Somebody jumped?"

"Looks like it." said Sapper. "That's Henry Wargrave, from what this ID in his wallet says. The FBI's been after him. I guess he took the easy way out, huh?"

"Sure looks like it." I said. "Well, unless you'd like our help, I think we'll get out of your way and head back home."

"This one looks self-evident." said Sapper. "If you don't mind, call your FBI friends and let them know they won't be arresting Mr. Wargrave today."

I did so, calling Jack Muscone with the news. As the crime scene became an ant bed of CSIs and police officers, Cindy and I quietly left the scene.

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

We walked down the street towards the Hyatt City Center Hotel. In the parking lot there was a silver Town & County Police SUV. "That car looks familiar." I said.

"Oh my goodness." Cindy said, recognizing it as my Police SUV. Melina was behind the wheel.

"Where to?" my ex-wife asked, pulling out. "I'm driving. I like this car."

"Sure." I said, letting Cindy ride shotgun while I stretched out in the backseat. "By the way, when we get to Nextdoor County, take State 142 toward Buford, then Coltrane County Road 98 West."

"The Vision?" Melina asked, understanding.

"The Vision." I said. "Captain Ross wants to know why she was promoted. I think it's time we tell her, don't you think?" Cindy whirled to look back at me, but I would not let my face nor words give away anything.

Part 21 - Troy Family Values, The Saga Continues

When we pulled up to The Vision's front gate, we were immediately allowed in. As we parked in front, at least twenty young Vision people came out. The women were wearing blue shirts, the men red shirts, all of them wearing blacks slacks. Many of them wore various runes, just as Melina was wearing her Fourth Rune, contrasting nicely against her black shirt.

The Vision acolytes were cheering and applauding as we got out of the SUV and waded through them to the front doors. They knew what had happened in the Therapy Room, and that I'd still defeated the Enemy in spite of it. "You did it, Iron Crowbar! You beat them!" some of them were calling out among the cheers. I acknowledged the accolades with a smile and waves.

Young Tommy met us at the door, asking us to come with him to see Dr. Eckhart. More people were inside, including one of Eckhart's trainers, Dennis Cole. They also applauded and high-fived us as Tommy led us to the elevator. Once inside, he punched in the code, which I immediately committed to memory, and hopped back before the doors closed. As we ascended in silence, I steeled myself and put myself mentally 'into the zone', eagerly anticipating what was to come.

Eckhart's office was dark as we entered, the only lights coming from little decorative lights low in the walls. Some moonlight would be good, I thought to myself.

"Oh my goodness." said Cindy, totally surprised. "Look at who all is here."

I looked around. The two large, semi-circular sofas faced each other, one facing Eckhart's desk, the other facing the opposite side to the east. Eckhart was seated on a loveseat at the head of the circle (south as the crow flies), and there were three chairs on the other (north) side.

Cindy was bidden to sit on the sofa to the left, on the end near Eckhart. Next to her was Jenna Stiles, then Teresa Croyle. Melina sat down on the edge of the sofa next to Teresa... and her husband. Daniel Allgood was in the left-side chair on my end. And in the middle chair on my end was Chief Griswold.

On the right side, next to Eckhart, was Molly Ross Evans, pregnant with my child. Next to her was Laura, and to Laura's left was my mother Phyllis, who I observed to be anything but totally happy being here.

"Ah, there you are!" said P. Harvey Eckhart. "Wonderful job, young man. It's on the radio that Mr. Wargrave has committed suicide, having jumped to his death from 30 floors up. Can't say I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me, either." I said. "Hi, Chief, I'm glad you could make it." I said as I sat down in the right side chair next to Chief Griswold.