Swamp Frogs Ch. 01

"I... I'm sorry, sir, I'm not being professional..." Helena replied, trying to regain her composure.

"Hey." I said, making her look up at me. "It's going to be okay. Let not your heart be troubled; neither let it be afraid."

Helen again tried to regain her composure and was failing. So I went on into my office and exercised its best feature: I closed the door.

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

"I'll be in the Chief Conference Room." Cindy said to Lauren as she looked into the anteroom. She continued into the Chief's suite anteroom and went into the Conference Room, followed by a procession of Angels. Chief Moynahan and Chief Griswold were already there.

"Y'all not with Don?" growled Griswold.

"He said he wanted no one with him." Cindy said quietly. Teresa nodded soberly in agreement.

"Well, ladies," said Moynahan, "this is it." He pointed the remote at the monitor and turned it to 'TV'...

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

"All right, let's watch some TV." said Mitt Bain Willis as he settled into his chair in his plush office. In the room with him were U.S. Senator Samuel Russell, State Senator Cain Mitchell, State Rep. and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Wilson Hammonds, and BigRoadAndRailCorp's CEO Curtis Meigs.

In another location, Lieutenant Governor Graham Collins, State Attorney General Karl Handel, ISE attorney Brafford Bacon, and David Smigelski, former aide to the Governor, were gathered.

Democrats were also gathering in the office of State Senator Katherine Woodburn at the State Capitol Office Building. Guests included State Senator Richard Langdon, State Rep. Elijah McKinney of Southport, State Rep. Justin Madoff of the City, and many-time-losing-candidate for various offices Zack Millner.

All of them were glued to their televisions, eager to hear the news that was about to break as the clocks moved inexorably towards 9:00am...

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

Police patrols were finding places to park, their radios tuned to KXTC awaiting the news. Indeed, the whole Town & County seemed to slow down a little bit, a pall in the warm summer morning air, as they waited.

MCD was standing-room-only full of Detectives and Uniformed Officers, as well as Personnel & Records Officers. The tension in the room could be cut with a katana, as they all contemplated the ramifications of the decision of fifteen people...

As for me, I was seated in my 'Command Chair' in my office, alone. I wanted it that way; I would endure my shame and my pain without others to see my dishonor. I looked around, mentally thinking of what to pack in what boxes. Then I picked up the remote and turned on the television to learn what my future would be.

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg!" the reporterette said excitedly as she broke into the 'Point Taken' show. "The Independent State Counsel's Special Grand Jury's decisions are being released right now!..."

To be continued.