A Quiet Strength - Paying the Piper
by Anon Allsop

-Part Two-

-Six-

Max sat in the Intensive Care Unit's waiting area, a tall young doctor approached. "Mr. Augustus?" Max nodded, the doctor took a seat beside him on the couch. "Your daughter is resting now, Elise is pretty severely injured. She has bleeding on her brain, and for now, we're keeping her in a medically induced coma."

"Will she live, Doc?" Max asked without looking up.

The Doctor inhaled deeply, "There are no guarantees, Mr. Augustus. Any brain injury is life threatening, there is always a danger when it involves the brain. Your daughter has had some serious trauma, the next 72 hours will tell us quite a bit. Go on home, sir, get some rest, we'll let you know if anything changes.

Max rose as the Doctor stood up, he shook his hand and thanked him. As the doctor walked away, Max watched him until he disappeared behind the doors in the ICU. Max removed his communicator from his pocket and scrolled through his contacts screen. He hesitated for a moment and then he pressed his thumb to the screen.

"Travis? Max here... I've got a job for you. Give me a call when you get this message." Max ended his call and slowly put it into his pocket, he was pretty certain that he knew who did this to his daughter. Standing, he moved toward a window where he looked out over the crafts hovering in the parking lot, his jaw flexing and pulsing with anger.

Max sat in his craft outside his stunning apartment, his mind still on what he would like to do to Parker Stockwell. His com buzzing in his pocket caused him to return to his senses. Breathing a sigh of relief, he accepted the call, it was from Detective Tate.

"Max here..." He pulled it from his ear and pressed the speaker button.

"Max, we were able to get prints from both boys, we ran them with the several we have from Elise's com. We already had you and Elise's on file, but there was a thumb print that did not match any of you. Going off the hunch you had, we ran it in our data base and it came up with a name. We then cross referenced it with the military database and, bam."

"Bam?" Max repeated.

"Yeah, bam. It came back as Parker Stockwell, dishonorably discharged First Officer in the service. He was kicked out, right after that he beat the holy hell out of Elise and she put the restraining order on him."

Mike continued, "The guy is a real piece of work, Max, used to be a exemplary officer but he snapped just over a year ago and his life has been crap ever since. He has no real back history..parents are both gone. He's a real loser in more ways then one."

"I told you I thought as much." Max said, feeling vindicated, although he wanted to tear apart Parker, more now than ever.

"Look Max, I have a bad feeling about this. I want to put this dirt bag in prison just as much as you do..and if you interfere with our investigation, security will come directly after you." He paused for effect, "Any harm comes to that asshole, and you will be the one to ultimately pay."

"Damn it Mike, what the hell am I supposed to do? That bastard beat the hell out of my little girl and he has got to pay for it!" Max shouted into the com in frustration.

"Look Max, you're my friend. The law will make him pay, let us do our job. Stay out of this, keep yourself clean.
We'll put this punk away for a long, long time."

"Alright, alright, I'll make sure that asshole stays alive...but you make damn sure that he pays, and pays dearly. Max rubbed at his temples as his voice began to calm. "He's smacked her around before...several times...it's just that this one has put her in the hospital." He rubbed his eyes, still maintaining control.

"Have you heard anything about Elise?" Mike asked with true concern, "Did the hospital say whether she'll be okay?"

"They don't know anything, or not saying for sure, she's in a medically induced coma. If she lives past the next three days, she'll have a decent chance." Max's voice trembled as he spoke, the Detective could tell that he was on the verge of losing it. "There's a fear of brain damage..."

"She's a strong kid, Max. She'll pull through this with no problem...I'm sure of that." Detective Tate grew quiet, "Max, I know you way better than you think. I know you have connections that know how to circumvent the legal system. Call your contact back and just play it cool for now, don't throw it away...Elise will need you when she is better."

Max looked at the floor of his car, slowly nodding at his friends sound advice. After several seconds he sighed deeply, "He's supposed to call me..."

"I thought so. Just tell him to keep an eye on him, don't let anything happen to him while he's on the street. Let the prisons have him when we're through."

"Okay Mike. But after he's on the inside, all bets are off." Max slowly smiled, it was almost like a plan was
already formulating in his mind.

"I don't want to know what you're thinking...it's best to leave it to legal to settle this." Mike responded with worry.

"I will make sure he gets into prison where he belongs..."

"Keep me informed on Elise, will ya?"

Suddenly Max's com-waiting beep started, "Mike, I have another ping coming in. I'll keep you posted on how Elise is doing. Thanks buddy for the ping...and the advice. I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Max... just make sure you take it, okay buddy? I'll talk to you later, good bye."

"Bye Mike." Max sought out his 'accept ping' button and pressed it. "Max here."

It's Travis sir, I'm returning your ping." The voice on the other end replied.

"Travis, I'm going to send you some information, I want you to keep an eye on the guy who is listed. Don't let him know he is being observed, but I want to know everything about him that you can possibly find out." It frustrated him that he couldn't just end it all with him during that conversation...but Mike had been right and he must bide his time.

"Got it sir, I'll be looking for your information." He paused, "Was that all, sir?"

"That's it Travis, just let me know if this asshole even farts sideways, I want to know everything about him."

"Will do sir." With that, the conversation had ended. Max opened his door and slowly walked up the steps to his apartment, and let himself in.

-Seven-

Six months later Max walked down the courthouse steps with his daughter, at the bottom he shook hands with Detective Tate. "Thanks for everything, Mike."

The Detective shook his hand and briefly glanced over at Elise who was staring at the shadows she and her father cast upon the ground. She had a vacant look in her eyes. Max saw the look from his friend, "She has some minor brain damage, the doctors think she will eventually be alright but it will take some time for her to get back. Most likely years."

"Damn, I'm sorry, Max." He sadly shook his head, "At least Stockwell won't be free anytime soon, that has to mean something."

"It does, but I would rather have my Elise back to normal. I could give a red rats ass for the bastard that did this to her." He looked lovingly at his daughter, she was busy watching a bird on the white steps. "Promise me Mike, that this asshole Parker isn't going to be out until he's an old man..."

Mike smiled and winked at his friend. "You won't be seeing him anymore...Judge Norton, who will be handling Parker's sentencing is a very close friend of mine. Parker is going to be incarcerated for a very long time." He smiled and touched his lip while smirking, "He's going to have company while he is there."

"Oh? Who else will be in the prison with him?" Max asked, his curiosity piqued.

"His commander has been also removed from military service, he too will spend the remainder of his life in jail." Mike smiled. "His own daughter came up missing and when questioned, they could tell that he was lying but he wouldn't com clean. They charged him for her disappearance."

"He's in prison for only that?"

"No, they hooked him to an algorithm that is supposed to be fail proof, it proved he was lying but without tangible proof, they went ahead and charged him with her murder. That's what got him thrown into prison!" Mike laughed.

"Did he do something to her...What do you think?" Max looked at Elise, "You should arrange some down time with the two of them, I'm sure they have quite a lot to catch up on."

"I think the sick son of a bitch killed her, it was common knowledge that he didn't trust her." Mike laughed aloud after thinking about is earlier question, "You know Max, that's not a bad idea...not a bad idea at all! Perhaps if we get those two together, the old man will slip up and spill the beans about the girl!"

Max furrowed his brow as if deep in thought, "You said earlier that the sentencing Judge was named Norton? Have I heard of him?" Max asked.

Mike smiled slowly, "Her?" He put his sunglasses on and grinned even wider, "She has a very low opinion of assholes that rape and beat on women." Mike took a step down and turned, "Have you ever heard of Legal's 'MT' program?"

Max slowly shook his head, "Should I?"

Mike raised his shoulders and shrugged, "When you get near a computer, look it up. You may have to do some searching for it though. It has been outlawed for practical reasons.. but that doesn't mean it still isn't being used."

Max nodded curiously, "I'll do that...for now, I'll leave that asshole for you, just make sure he is never released." He turned toward his daughter, looking lovely with her dark flowing hair caught in the breeze. "Come on honey, lets get you home."

The two slowly made their way to their car, Elise's lumbering gate causing them to walk very slowly. "It's okay honey, we're almost to daddy's car."

The girl beside him nodded, her foot sliding awkwardly with each step. Max sighed inwardly, the doctors told him that she may never get back to 100%, she may be this way for the rest of her life due to her damaged brain. Yet the thought that since she was young, she had a good shot at a nearly full recovery.

Max pursed his lips and steadied his daughter as she waited for him to open up the passenger hatch. "Tt..tthhank...youu, dda...ddyy.."

"You're welcome, honey. Sit down...that's a girl, lets swing your legs inside." He buckled her in and closed the hatch. As he stepped away from the car, he watched Parker being removed from the courthouse in shackles, still struggling to get free from the burly security officers.

Max watched him until Parker was placed into the back seat of the police cruiser. "I hope somewhere you find a hell that is befitting garbage like you." He whispered under his breath as he made his way around his own craft.

-Eight-

Late that night, after he had put Elise to bed, he was in the kitchen pouring himself a stiff drink. He was
thinking about what Mike had said. Looking toward his computer he slowly walked up to it and spoke. "Computer, on."

The black screen suddenly came to life. "Computer what can you tell me of the Legal's 'MT' program?

What he read on the screen caused him to pause in mid swallow, the alcohol just sitting there, began to burn the inside of his mouth. Quickly swallowing, he sat his drink down and began to reread the monitor, a slow smile grew into a toothy grin at what he saw on the screen.

***

A great metallic hatch slid shut with a bang, locking the pretty female inside. A stalwart prisoner was inside, he leered at her nakedness as she fell further into the room. Quickly scrambling to the hatch she pleaded through the opening for her release until it too was slammed shut.

Turning to face the towering male figure before her, she began to cry and hide her eyes. The powerful man was eager to accept his prize for good behavior, his thick penis was already swelling, straining upward at the mere sight of the offered female.

The empty hallway, at the end of an abandoned wing was a room that all prisoners coveted being inside. For many who still remained heterosexual, it was their only opportunity to enjoy the company of a woman within the walls of an all male prison. It was a new program, and it was 'quite' popular.

Down the hall, the guard opened the outside hatch and stepped through, behind him, deep within the halls of the prison the beautiful girl screamed. He smiled as he closed the door which separated he and the hall. It would be twenty-four hours before the large prisoner was to be released from his prize. He grinned and laughed to himself. He knew that the pretty woman had once been a man. All of them that were incarcerated in 'E' block had once been; and every single one would end up pregnant. It has always been what has happened. Usually they were exchanged with lesbians who wanted to live life as a male, but always resulted as the altered 'woman' who ended with the short end of the stick. He mused to himself, and grinned while thinking that the inmate he left her with, was far from having a 'short stick'.

He laughed aloud as he pressed in the code that secured the hatch and returned to his office. The offspring of these trysts were promptly removed once born, and sent to family's who truly loved and accepted them. Perhaps tomorrow, he would take the inmate back to his cell early, for without timepieces, the big man would never truly know...and allow himself an hour or two with the beauty.

Already he could feel himself stir with eager anticipation as he tossed his pass card upon the table. "Big Jim with the girl?" A guard behind a desk asked as his coworker entered.

"He is. Big guy is eager and hungry for her." The first guard said with a laugh. He picked up the schedule and flipped to another page. "I thought the old man was scheduled again for tomorrow?"

"Well, he would have been, but sometime after he and the girl had...well...coupled. The old fool went back to his cell and killed himself." The guard shook his head and removed his beret.

"That's crazy. Why would the old man kill himself after getting a sweet piece of ass like that honey!" He sat at his own desk and leaned back in his chair.

"Did anyone tell the girl? She may think it's sweet that she was the last female that the old fart got to poke." He laughed and poured himself a cup of steaming coffee.

"You going to take Jim back early? Have yourself a little turn at her?" The second officer asked. "Maybe you should tell her about the old man.

"I think I will, can't hurt if she knows he's dead. It may actually make her feel a bit better!" He said thoughtfully.