Porter Island Chapter Ten (standard:action, 4115 words)
Author: Brian Cross	Added: Apr 07 2025	Views/Reads: 23/3	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Super-strong agent Betty McCloud is coaxed out of retirement for her most challenging assignment yet.

Chapter Ten 

Betty sat in the windowless interview room hardly bigger than a closet,
fuming at being regarded as little more than a criminal and suspecting 
that accusing Castleford of being behind her kidnapping was the reason. 
Yet there was another reason. Shriver, she thought, doubted her as much 
as she doubted him. Two hours later, with Betty's ire peaking, Sheriff 
Dale Shriver sauntered into the room. “Ms. Thornton ...” Shriver 
paused, slipped into the chair behind his desk, and steepling his 
fingers, said, “You appear to be something of a mystery woman.” Betty, 
her dark brows lowering, said, “Excuse me?” 

“Well, we seem to be able to find precious little information on you,
Ms. Thornton.” 

Betty shook her head, placing both forearms on the desk and interlocking
her fingers. “Sheriff Shriver, let me get this straight. I've been 
abducted by three men who would most likely have killed me if I hadn't 
broken free, have named bank president Castleford as being the 
instigator, and yet you have busied yourself with checking out my 
identity.” 

“Ms. Thornton, always assuming that is, of course, your true identity,
Mr. Castleford utterly refutes any accusations of his involvement in 
your ... kidnapping, as you claim.” Shriver leaned back in his chair,  
twiddled with his pen, and met Betty's blazing gaze. 

“It would seem you have had the misfortune to have been accosted by
three of our down and outs,  of which, admittedly, we have plenty. Men 
who have no connection with Mr. Castleford whatsoever, merely having 
used his name when you managed to overpower them. Which prompts me to 
ask ...” Shriver dropped his pen on the desk, his expression gaining 
severity, “why were you in the records office – why were you at the 
nursing home, and how did you manage to overpower three thugs after 
apparently having been sedated by them, and according to Logan, ripping 
the ropes binding you to shreds. In addition to this ...” Shriver 
produced the ruins of the gun and slammed it on the table ... “we have 
what once appeared to be a weapon, having been reduced to scrap metal 
by what we are told were your bare hands.” 

“Hand,” Sheriff Shriver.” 

“What?” 

“I used one hand, Sheriff. I crushed it in one hand.” 

Shriver let out a heavy breath. “So what we have by all accounts is an
extremely powerful woman, far stronger than the average male, who 
seemingly materializes on Porter Island, claiming to be the companion 
of an equally hitherto unknown woman named Stapleton.  One might almost 
assume you to be ghosts. 

“Thus, you will understand, Ms. Thornton, why I need to question you.
Beginning with the records office and then the old folks' home if you 
please.” 

Betty rose to her feet, pressed her fists on Shriver's desk, her triceps
bulging in her sleeveless arms. “I tell you what, Sheriff Shriver, if 
you can find something to charge me with, then by all means, I'll hang 
around here as your unwilling detainee. However, I think we both know 
that's not the case, so I'm returning to my place of employment. Betty 
raised her fists from the desk, crossed her arms, and glowered down at 
Shriver. “In the meantime, I'd advise you to up your game. Porter 
Island is a shambles.” 

Shriver rose to his feet, face red with anger. “Are you threatening me?”
Betty smiled. “Go figure.” 

“You haven't answered a single question,” Shriver shouted as Betty
reached his office door. “I could have you detained ...” 

Betty stopped and turned, her dark eyes searing into Shriver. “You
haven't enough men in the station for that, Sheriff, I assure you.” 

She saw a nerve in Shriver's neck twitch, swung around, and exited the


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