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The True Measure

Chapter 5

Now back to Sgt. Moore updating John about the new information on the kidnappers. 

John asks, “How did you get all of this information Sgt. Moore?  Has it been confirmed?”  

Sgt. Moore hesitates initially but decides it’s better to show John who confirmed the information because then John will know that the information is sound and can’t be refuted so he simply says, 

“We have a witness in lockup who confirms the information.  It will be best if you just come with me and you can ask your questions of them.”  

Just as John and Sgt. Moore make their way to lockup Dr. Michael McBain arrives.  Sgt. Moore asks Michael to join them because the person who requested him is in lockup.  

John is totally beside himself now and angrily asks Sgt. Moore, 

“Since when do we allow folks in lockup personal requests for doctors?  If they are injured or sick don’t we usually take them to the hospital?”  

Not to be deterred Sgt. Moore calmly replies, “There are extenuating circumstances.”  

He continues before John can ask any more questions, “Lieutenant McBain I know that this is not normal procedures but please bear with me and all will be explained.”  

By that time they arrive at the isolation area and Officer Cerutti allows them to enter the cell area.

Stopping outside of the cell two (2) of the three (3) men stand there aghast.  

Sgt. Moore looks over at the McBain brothers and says, “Now does this answer all of your questions?”  

Lying asleep on the bed in the cell is Evangeline Williamson.  Michael moves past John, who stands there in a daze.  Michael starts to take Evangeline’s pulse but when he takes her hand she jerks back and pulls away from him.  Slowly she realizes where she is and looks up and sees Michael and sits up and hugs him.  Looking over her shoulder she sees Sgt. Moore and John.  She thanks Sgt. Moore for contacting Michael but says nothing to John.  Michael asks John and Sgt. Moore to leave so that he can adequately examine her and they step outside to the corridor.

John feels sad that Evangeline doesn’t say anything to him but he turns his focus to Sgt. Moore and asks why Evangeline is in a jail cell and not at the hospital.  Sgt. Moore noticed that Ms. Williamson didn’t even acknowledge John’s presence and everyone knows that at one time they were a couple so her ignoring him had to have hurt him.  With that in mind Sgt. Moore decides to soften his responses to John because all that has happened has to have affected the Lieutenant no matter how hard he tries to hide it.  

“Lt. McBain, that young lady in there has been through hell.  Let me tell you what she has done since being taken from the Love Center:

-She fashioned a garrote out of the strings from her sneakers and choked the kidnapper while he drove.  That made him stop.  She then jumped out of the car and ran into the woods with him chasing her.

-She used a tree branch to hit the kidnapper as he passed her hiding place, rendered him unconscious and had the presence of mind to hit him in the knees and ankles to prevent him from chasing after her.

-She ran back to the car and prepared to drive away but noticed an approaching car and thinking it was the second kidnapper ‘played chicken’ with the driver and faked ramming it head on and at the last minute turned on the high beams which caused the other driver to swerve and run off the road which gave her time to turn her car around and drive back to town.

-She remembered seeing a map in the storage area behind the driver’s seat and used that to find her way off the mountain and was able to pinpoint the location of the downed kidnapper and the second car.

-She requested that we lock her in a cell so that no one can get to her. She knows the officers who serve as guards and no one has permission in this area unless I approve it.  She wants to stay in this area until the kidnappers are apprehended.”

John stands in awe as Sgt. Moore recounts all that Evangeline has done in the last few hours.  John already knows that Evangeline is an amazing woman and he has never met anyone like her but what she did today is almost unbelievable.  Sgt. Moore sees John’s eyes glaze over and he knows that the Lieutenant is slowly consciously processing all that has happened.  He knows that John is a good man but very guarded.  He will have to work his way through all of this and find his balance but the important thing now is to find the kidnappers and make everyone safe.