Chapter 32

"Don't let the dispatcher hang up!" Cal said sharply to Robin. She looked at him in confusion for a moment, the set her face and began speaking.

"Listen, this situation is already screwed up. Let's get out of it without any more foul-ups, OK? Now, you patch me through to the two nearest patrol cars, and..." Robin paused, obviously waiting out the dispatcher's objections. When she resumed speaking, her voice was steady, but had an authoritative crack to it. "We've got a dozen thirteen-year-old girls and three carloads of gang members who were bragging about what they were going to do to the girls. We're in three cars heading for the mall, and they just pulled out to follow us. Does that sound like reason enough? Now, get your supervisor's approval or whatever you need, but do it NOW!" Cal could tell that she was holding back from making threats, and he was again struck by her composure under fire.

There was little time for Cal to spend admiring Robin's composure, though. The three cars had come up quickly behind them, and he was faced with an impossible conundrum: how could he screen off three cars with his van, while not endangering his own passengers?

The road past the ball diamond was a normal residential street, and they would follow it for about three miles to a main four-lane arterial. With cars parked along the sides, there were almost no places where three cars abreast would fit. In the distance, Cal could see two stop signs, and he hoped against hope that the two coaches ahead of him would ignore them. The chance of cross traffic in that residential area was minimal.

Cal's biggest hope was that the boys would just give up the chase. He thought that was the most likely scenario. They must know the kind of trouble that would would come down on them if they did anything serious.

The end of the chase came much more quickly than Cal could have expected. The first pursuing car accelerated from twenty or thirty yards back in an obvious attempt to pass the van and cut it off from the others. Cal saw the old pickup parked facing them, and his tactical instincts saw it as the way to stop the pursuer. Part of his mind was probably repelled by the certain injury or worse that he would be causing the boys, but his protective instincts were focused on his own passengers and the girls in the cars ahead.

Perhaps influenced by some instinctive concern for the boys, Cal swerved into the passing compact car as soon it was alongside. The crunch of metal against metal was accompanied by screams from all of his passengers. He knew that he could not release contact as long as there was any chance of the car regaining control and completing its intended pass. There was no predicting what the enraged pursuers might do in that circumstance.

The driver had some skill and good reflexes. Seeing the pickup blocking the only part of the road open to him, and knowing that his compact car had no chance of moving the van, he turned hard to the left, hoping to jump the curb. It was an older part of town with sidewalks and boulevards lining the street, but a fairly high curb that the small wheels could not get over. Braking hard and cranking left on the wheel, the panicked driver caught a small break when a driveway allowed him to turn enough to avoid the truck.

Unfortunately, there was a stately old tree just on the far side of the driveway. The car sideswiped the tree hard, sending it spinning down the sidewalk. Cal's heart almost stopped when he thought of what might have happened if there had been anyone on the sidewalk or in the nearby yards, though his quick scan had shown no one around.

Preventing the car from passing had been a defensive move that Cal had considered absolutely necessary. His next ethical dilemma was even tougher. It was likely that there were serious injuries among the car's occupants, and he should have rendered aid. But there were two more cars of gang members, quite likely enraged at that point. From considering stopping to render aid, Cal's thoughts quickly turned to hoping that the other two cars would stop to help their buddies and give up the chase.

The dispatcher had evidently heard the screaming and the noise of contact over the cell connection, and Robin quickly recovered and began explaining. "One of the gang cars has crashed. Send an ambulance to..." she paused to check addresses and relayed the location to the dispatcher.

"No, we are not stopping!" Robin said quite sharply. Then after a pause, "Leaving the scene of an accident is not the issue now. The safety of all of these girls is the issue! We are continuing to the Wendy's at the mall, unless we meet a patrol before then." Looking back, she informed the dispatcher "The other two cars stopped to help their friends. They are no longer chasing us." There was another pause, then "Stop here? In sight of those creeps?! You've got to be kidding!! Just have a patrol meet us at Wendy's. There's only one thing that matters right now, got it?" She looked over at Cal in frustration, but he told her to keep the connection open.

For a few days, it looked like Cal's plans to go off to college with Cheryl might be derailed. Just the questioning and the taking and retaking of statements went on for days. Then there was the hassle over getting the side of the van repaired. The insurance company balked because the damage was intentional, and not truly an accident.

Of course, the boys all insisted that they were just trying to pass the three vehicles because they were moving too slowly. They claimed they just enjoyed watching the girls practice. Two of the boys in the wrecked car were injured quite badly, and an enterprising attorney filed a civil suit on their behalf.

It was Cal's word against four boys as to what had been said in the bleachers before the other cars arrived. It was hard to argue that he had heard incorrectly because the others had actually driven up.

There were two big things in Cal's and Robin's favor. On was the testimony of all of the girls and the coaches. Every one of them had watched the confrontation between Cal and Robin and the four. Every one testified that the boys had tried to stop them from getting to the van.

The other big piece of evidence was the switchblade, which had been left on the field. Cal thought of it immediately when the first patrol arrived at Wendy's, and a car dispatched to the field found it right where it had been dropped. Fingerprints from the knife matched those of the potential attacker, which were already on file.

The recordings of the 911 calls were also strong evidence. It turned out that the dispatcher was not even qualified to be on duty, but several problems had left a serious shortage of coverage that evening. Nor was the fault entirely his. The main coverage car for that sector was tied up with a serious domestic situation, while the Beta and Charlie cars were both dealing with an injury auto accident. The patrol sergeant on duty had to grab a car and meet the ambulance at the crash site, and a car from a different precinct was ordered to the mall to meet Cal and his little caravan.

At first, the DA considered charging Cal with vehicular assault and leaving the scene of an accident, under pressure from agitators from the Hispanic community. It took an entire morning of more questioning and discussion before that idea was given up. Over and over, Cal described the problem he had faced. If one car had passed him and forced him to stop, there would have been ten or eleven boys attacking the van and the girls inside.

Once more, Cal was in the news, and he did not like it any more than the other times. As it turned out, three of the girls on the team that Cal had 'rescued' had very influential parents. Two were prominent attorneys, and one mother was president of the school board. The civil suits were overwhelmed by a veritable flood of counter-suits, and within a week, all such actions were dropped. The van was fixed free of charge without any impact on the insurance rates.

On a more personal level, Robin suddenly had no trouble being accepted as the coach. Not that Cal was forgotten, but a female hero seemed to resonate in a special way for all of the girls. Shelley would miss Cal when he went off with Cheryl, but Robin now had her full loyalty.

The league found a donor to fund an extra duty police officer, complete with patrol car, and the practice sessions did not have to be discontinued. The little collaboration between Ken and Robin quickly got more serious as several of the coaches and mothers expressed interest in self-defense training.

Ken had been brought up learning the classical Oriental martial arts forms. From his military service, though, he had become much more of a pragmatist. To the 'pure' forms, he added everything from Queensbury boxing to the deadly 'dirty' tricks taught to military experts. Thus, he did not consider it a step down to work with Robin on courses well-suited to the womens' needs and interests. After a lot of discussion, they jointly decided to keep using the old dojo. Robin and Amelia did collaborate on some improved locker and bathroom facilities.

At the next practice after the gang incident, Cal was sitting in the bleachers watching a game scrimmage when Darlene sat down beside him. That was not entirely unprecedented, but something in her manner told Cal it was different. "I guess you think we're a pretty strange family," Darlene said after over a minute of silence.

There were a lot of things Cal could have said in reply, but among the things he had learned about women was not to talk just for the sake of conversation. Right then, he did not even know what he thought about her statement, much less what a good response would be.

"Prom night was a while ago, but it was... um... eye-opening," she finally stammered.

"Mom and Dad were very glad you came to their party," Cal answered, thinking that was a polite, safe thing to say in his puzzlement.

"I guess... I guess I can see why Cheryl got so upset with us... why she did the things she did." Darlene shuddered visibly after that admission. Cal could only think of silence in response, again.

"I really am proud of her, you know," Darlene said softly. "I'm... I'm just... I can't..."

"You're afraid to tell her, you mean?" Cal said, taking a big chance. Her response was quite a surprise.

"You and Cheryl think of me and Hal as children, don't you?" It was not said angrily, but with a sense of shame. "You treat Matt and Shelley more like adults than you do us, the parents."

Whew! This from Darlene! Who would have thought? 'Julia, Help!' ran through Cal's mind right then. "Does that make you angry?" he finally was able to ask.

"Angry? Um... a little, I guess," she admitted. "Mostly, it makes me feel, uh, um, small... like a... a failure."

Wow! Impulsively, Cal took Darlene's hand and held it firmly. "Darlene, you've raised three wonderful children. That's certainly not failure."

"But they don't want to be with me! They don't share with me! I know that Shelley goes to Cheryl with everything important. And Cheryl... if she didn't have you... ! I feel so bad about how Hal treats Matt, but I... I don't know what to do about it. Now Cheryl is leaving, and we've never even been... been friends. I saw your mother and your sister... and the other mothers and daughters prom night." She was not sobbing, but tears were running freely down her cheeks.

Cal's regard for Robin was already high, but she took another big jump right then. She had apparently been keeping and eye on Cal and Darlene and their conversation. She suddenly broke up the scrimmage by shooing the girls to right field, as far from the distraught woman as the field would allow.

Cal's mind was spinning with ideas about what to say. He sensed that Darlene was at a critical point in her life, and he really wanted to help. Just as he was about to open his mouth, though, common sense took over. he was not a psychologist or psychiatrist. What little Cheryl had been able to get out of Julia indicated same very deep-seated issues with Darlene.

"Darlene," he said after a pause, "I've ordered you to do things several times, haven't I?" She nodded, tearful and puzzled. "Well, I promise I won't do that any more." Her only reaction was more tears.

"But I... but I..." she tried to say.

"I know. You think you need to be ordered, don't you?" His question was met with a tentative nod. "Well, I want to ask you to do some things. Just ask, OK?" Another tearful nod.

"Would you invite Cheryl to the club with you in the short time before we leave?" After a brief flash of puzzlement, Darlene's face brightened and her nod was much more enthusiastic.

"Would you also sign up with Robin for her women's self-defense class?" That surprised Darlene, but she nodded again. "And will you start seeing Dr. Waxman again?"

"Oh, I don't think Hal would let me. And I don't really need..."

"Darlene, I've been seeing Dr. Waxman. Cheryl is seeing her. Robin just started." He did not like revealing the personal facts about Cheryl and Robin, but he needed to make an impact, and he was quite sure they would not mind.

Clearly surprised at that news, Darlene was left speechless. When he saw her about to respond, he quickly added "Cheryl will pay, and you can go when Hal is at work." She looked dejected, but she finally nodded.

"And one last thing," Cal said, once again shooting from the hip without much forethought. "Will you and Matt and Shelley drive to college with us? You can stay several days, and we'll fly you home." He hope he would survive when he told Cheryl about that offer. She should be happy for any chance to improve relations within that family.

"But Hal would be alone..." she protested. Just then, Cal realized that Hal had always had Darlene to take care of him. He wondered what had happened when the children were born.

"If I can arrange something for Hal, will you go? Even if he doesn't like it?" Cal asked, taking a big risk with that last question.

"Ooooh!" was all Darlene could say.

Now Cal had to go into selling mode. "You said you really are proud of Cheryl. What better way to show it? The apartment has two bedrooms. It would be tight, but I think we would all have a good time."

Seeing fear in her eyes, he pushed harder, turning to face her and taking both of her hands in his. "If you want to tell Cheryl how you really feel, this is the perfect way. I know it will be difficult, but you just need to tell Hal you are going. Don't ask him if you can, just tell him and ignore his objections. It will work. I'm sure of it."

He really did not want to order her, but he knew it would work, and the more he thought about the trip, the more he was convinced of its importance to Cheryl.

"I've never... I always ask Hal... I don't know if..." she stammered.

"Just like a child, right?" he blurted without thinking. Seeing the shock and a little bit anger in her eyes, he decided to go for it.

"Dammit, Darlene! You are not a child. You are a beautiful woman who has raised three great kids. You are starting to take charge of your life for the first time. I don't know if things can ever be like my family between you and Cheryl, but here is one big chance to make them a lot better. But you have to stand up for yourself and make it happen. Isn't it worth it? Don't you want things to be better?"

He hoped he had not pushed too hard. He certainly had gone farther than he had intended, but he did not like the kind of second-class existence that the woman had lived. Her six months of workouts had changed her appearance dramatically. If only she could become a true, independent adult, she would be worthy of Cheryl.

For the first time that he could remember, Darlene looked him straight in the eye and held his gaze. He felt that he had said enough, so he just returned her stare, trying to convey acceptance and support. Finally, she spoke. "I am so happy for Cheryl. I see why she loves you so much. I... it may be hard, but I'll do it. I want to do it."

The incident with the gang had been another in a series of watershed events for Robin. During her time with Greg, she had acted with a strength and a determination she did not know she had. It had helped her self-confidence, but at the same time, it had built a large reservoir of guilt. Her strength had come from hatred and from anger. Greg's death, which she could not help feeling partly responsible for, had grown her guilt exponentially.

After Greg died, she had been thrown together with some men that did not at all fit the male image she had harbored since her rape. Martin was the first, vocalizing the feelings of all of those assembled at the little 'memorial' gathering. Her respect for him only increased the more time she spent at the Banner house.

Then she met Ken Yokata, and started a business relationship with him. Once again, he seemed like a different species from her rapist, from Greg, and from most of the men she had encountered in the intervening years. Ken was so manly that she could not deny the physical sensations she felt in his presence. Now, there were two women she was unavoidable envious of - Elaine and Amelia.

Actually, now there were three - Robin was as envious of Cheryl as of the other two. She had sensed from the first that Cal was a great guy, but after the gang incident, she had to control her thoughts about him. The biggest thing was that he had treated her as an equal in a danger situation. He had depended on her, fully expecting that she would do her part. After all of the police questioning, she had gone home as horny as she could ever remember. She could not get Cal's image out of her mind as she went through her entire selection of toys, trying to reduce her arousal enough to allow her to sleep.

Of course, Cal belonged to Cheryl, and Robin would never do anything to disturb their relationship. Actually, what would she do anyway? Aroused as she was, the idea of sex with any man was still frightening to her - disgusting, even. The sessions with Julia were already starting to help, but it seemed hopeless to think that sex could ever be something she looked forward to.

Many times, Robin cursed her lack of interest in other women. It would make things so much easier. She was not repulsed by the thought of mutual pleasure with a woman, but it brought no excitement. Every time she followed that line of thought she ended up angry with the rapist who had stolen so much of her life.

As Julia had pointed out in their second session, though, Robin had to admit that there were good men. For her, that was a significant concession, and a major step toward her emotional recovery.

Cal's next scheduled session with Julia was two days after his conversation with Darlene. She knew him too well, and led off with "What are you feeling guilty about this time?"

Their relationship being what it was, he felt free to laugh before answering seriously. "Two of the boys were injured pretty badly. I didn't want that."

"Have you talked to Ken? What did he say about your tactical decisions?"

"Are you guys ganging up on me? He heard about it and he called me last night. I met him half way and we talked."

"And?"

"He said that I had to keep that car from cutting us off. He said I had to assume the worst about their intentions. The fact that they gave chase meant that they intended harm."

"Did that make you feel any better?" she asked.

"I guess. The police told me the same thing. There had been two or three other similar situations with that gang. If the patrol hadn't arrived when it did, one of the times a girl would have been raped."

"So, can I assume this won't add to your guilt problem?" she pushed.

"I'm OK. You know, the other incidents never made the news. Now, a couple of those punks get injured and its all you hear about. Nothing about the poor girl who's been in treatment ever since."

"I would think that with all of your interaction with the press, that you wouldn't have to even ask why," she needled him.

"Maybe if I just quit football and basketball, I'll never see my name in print again, or on TV," he grumbled.

"Nope! Not an option! Against doctor's orders," she said, not really joking. "Face it, Cal. There's an old saying - 'Those that can, do'. You can help and protect people. Situations just seem to find you. You developed your abilities on purpose and for a very good reason. Don't ever wish you didn't have them. And don't ever apologize for using them when you have to."

"Hey, I got you another patient," he said brightly, eager to change the focus of the session.

"Guess I can find a spot in October," she joked. "Maybe."

"So you can't fit Darlene Carson in?" he asked with mock consternation.

"Well, I have you pencilled in for five more sessions. Since you're going away and you seem fairly sane now, why don't I give those to her?" she replied, trying to maintain the same light-hearted tone. He explained how Darlene was going to school with them for several days, and they worked out when she could start.