Duval Dirtbag

Murder On The Base

Chapter 39 - A Murder on the Base (If you like Piña Coladas)

The vibrations of Michael’s phone against Linnet’s plasteel bedside table rang him out of his slumber. He was mildly disoriented being awoken in someplace not his room. Then he remembered that the pod was empty. The pack, for the most part, was still in Daytona, with the exception of Finley of course. Finley lay in what he assumed was some form of discomfort somewhere in the on-base prison. There was a word for it, but Michael couldn’t think around the vibrating of his phone ringing on silent against what amounted to a metal table. He picked it up, “Hello?”

“Michael, sorry for calling you so late at night but I’ve got an emergency at work and I need you to take the kids.”

“Oh Jess, you don’t have to wake them. I can head down to the house if you’ll give me a minute.”

“No, no need. I’ve got to get off planet for this so I’ll drop them off on my way to the spaceport.”

“Oh, sure. Whatever works for you.”

“Great. Thanks. We’ll see you soon.”

“Cool. See you soon.”

Michael sat up and looked around the room, wondering what the repercussions of staying in Linnet and Bella’s room would be. Would it be worse if he picked up a little bit? Ought he take a shower? Woof.

***

Finley sat on a cold bare plasteel bench.

It’s not so bad.

Oh? You’re shivering.

Of course I’m shivering. I’m a short hair breed sitting on a metal bench.

But not shivering for the usual reasons?

“No.” They got me. Busted. In the clink. “No reason to hide anymore. I don’t have to HOLD ALL THIS RAGE INSIDE!”

“Hey! Pipe down in there!” A guard yelled from their desk.

Oh stuff it you blue twat.

“Who are you talking to?” The guard growled toward Finley.

“Myself. Leave me alone!”

Anyway, where were we?

In the brig. Not shivering for the usual reasons.

Ah yes. Well we’re here. Why are you here?

Your story isn’t over yet.

Oh?

Not quite.

“Not quite.” Ok. Let me get some rest then.

Best of luck.

***

Michael met Jessica at the gate to the base. He’d borrowed a cart to keep her from having to go through security. He piled their backpacks in the back, put Katherine in the front passenger seat and Doug in his lap. They woke just enough to get out of their car seats.

“I hope everything is ok.” Michael offered.

“Well, it’s not,” Jessica glared at Michael’s dimwittedness, “I’m leaving for an emergency in the middle of the night.”

“Yeah. I get that.” Michael lowered his face toward Jessica, “For you. I mean. I hope you're taking care of yourself.”

“Yeah, sure. I am.” Jessica pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sorry. I’m punchy from lack of sleep and this news. I didn’t know that going off planet in the middle of the night was what I’d signed up for with this new position but it looks like it is.”

“Well, best of luck.”

“Thanks again for taking them on short notice.”

“No problem.” Michael said as he gave Jessica a half hearted wave goodbye. Jessica returned his valediction with a resolute nod and turned back to her car.

Then Jessica left and Michael carted the kids back to his pod. He put Doug in Fala’s bed and Katherine in Harley’s. He went out to the couch in the common room and pretended like he’d be able to go back to sleep.

***

“‘You’re insured,’ what a condescending cunt.” Old White Bill said to the rest of his veteran guerrillas as he put on a black ski mask. He, Jack, and Tex crossed the road from where they parked to the outer wall of the Shil’vati base. They pressed against the wall so that none of the exterior cameras could detect them.

“Ain’t that Michael?” Tex asked Old White Bill.

“That it is. What’s going on?” Old White Bill asked before the answer made itself apparent. “That’s his kids.” He looked at the ground in calculation. He turned back to his crew. “This changes nothing. We continue the operation.”

The others nodded in agreement. They waited for Michael to head back to the interior of the base before sneaking around the guard station in silence.

“Now if I were a brig, where would I be?” Jack pondered.

Tex was already looking around with his binoculars. “They all look funneh. Like not a squahre.”

“Hmm.” Jack pondered.

They saw the lights of Michael’s cart. “So it’s not there. What’s that nearer the center of the base? Does that look right?”

“We won’t know until we find out.” Old White Bill stated John Madden-ingly.

Though they did try to avoid the pivoting of the security camera’s views, their night vision was not so accurate. On more than one occasion, one of them tripped over a drainage grating or a gradient change, causing them to make a loud scuffing noise with their shoes. However, no one was ever the wiser. These bungling banditos were bound to unbind their new brother from the brig.

***

Doug woke up freaking out. Incoherent screaming filled Fala and Harley’s room. Michael sat bolt upright and oriented his head to face that room in the dark via echolocation more than the tiny lights of electronics scattered about the common room.

Michael made his way blindly at first but gathered his footing as he went. “Hey Buddy! What’s up?” He tapped the lights on to show Doug’s desperate crying. Doug had a particular way of crying: he curled his lips over his teeth so that you saw two bleary, tear-filled eyes, rosy red cheeks and a wide, toothless maw. Michael looked over at Harley’s bed to see Katherine rocking her body back and forth like a full body battering ram. This is how she’s always soothed herself but she was rocking in overdrive at Doug’s cries.

Doug wailed, “WaaaaahdonnowwhereIamuuuh!”

Through parental experience or divine intervention, Michael was able to piece together a reply. “I know my dude, this isn’t your room. You’re ok though. Here,” he knelt onto the bed, “I’m here. I got you.” He wrapped his still screaming son into his arms.

Gradually, shudderingly, Doug caught his breath. Michael reassured him, “You’re ok. Dad’s here. Your mom has a thing and had to go so she brought you to me.”

Doug huffed, “This isn’t your room.”

“It isn’t.” Michael looked around at all of Fala’s stuff: pictures and mementos of people and events that Michael couldn’t guess about, but got the impression were notable if you knew what was up. He didn’t. “But I had the opportunity to give you a room to yourself for the night and I thought you’d appreciate that.”

“Oh yeah, thanks Daddy.” Doug lied. “Next time though, can I just stay in your bed?”

Michael caught a smell he recognized. “Maybe.” He lied, knowing that he’d rather Doug pee in Fala’s bed than his own. “You can move over to my bed if you want.” He fumbled around to find Doug’s backpack. “Is there anything in here you’d be willing to change into, Bud?” Katherine’s rocking dwindled but did not subside in Doug’s transition from crying and wet into calm and new clothes. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

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***

Old White Bill leaned into the punch that laid the Shil’vati who was guarding Finley’s cell out. He chuckled to himself, “Still got it.”

“Nice’n.” Tex winked at Old White Bill. Bill reciprocated with a thumbs up.

Jack grinned, “With her out of the way, we can figure out how to get this door open.”

Old White Bill rifled through the guard’s pockets. “Nothing in her pockets. No carabiner either.”

Tex sidled down at the guard’s desk. “I’m going to see if there’s a way to open up a menu or a computer screen or something.”

Jack poked a finger through the eyehole of his mask to scratch at his temple. “I hated technology before, I can’t tell heads from tails with this Shil’vanti bullshit.”

Old White Bill stood straight up with the guard at his feet and planted his fists on his hips. He allowed himself a therapeutic hula hooping motion to stretch himself out; it’d been a while since he’d been out this late.

Tex’s fumbling, pressing and eventually pounding at the guard’s desk got Finley’s attention. He sniffled drowsily and stretched his legs out to their full extension, toes splayed in his boots. He started to speak gravelly, but cleared his throat and called out to the trio, “Try the wall. Is there a light on the wall?”

“Oh thank the Lord, Finley.” Jack called, then started to scan the wall. “We were getting nowhere fast.” After a few moments he saw a big neon red English text on the wall: LOCKED. To the right of that was a big neon blue symbol that looked like a closed lock. Jack turned to the others and said, “I might’ve found something.”

Tex practically burst up from where he was seated and pushed Jack away from where he stood. “Don’t touch nothin’, ya fool!” Jack recovered without falling but clambored back to stand beside Tex. Tex adjusted his glasses in frustration, “I can’t quite make this out. What’d you say this thing says?”

Jack straightened out his black turtleneck, “I’m no expert, but it looks like it might could open up the cell.”

Finley rolled his eyes and huffed at what he imagined was happening.

“No time for a debate.” Old White Bill juked his way between Tex and Jack to press two fingers against the blue lock symbol on the wall. “Let’s just go.”

The bars to Finley’s cell clacked loudly. He stepped forward and gingerly pushed them away from one wall. They slid easily. A little too easily, Finley thought. He darted his eyes to every corner before stepping out.

“That’s our boy!” Old White Bill clapped Finley on the back. “Now let’s get out of here.”

Finley’s eyes didn’t stop searching. What’s the hitch? Where’s the guards? Do they think I’m so little of a threat?

The masked men moved Finley out of the building and maneuvered their way toward the gate. Finley ended up grabbing each of the three men in turn before they knocked over anything too loud. They left much more stealthily than they’d arrived thanks to Finley’s guidance. They managed to sneak past the gate and on to the blue Buick Enclave with disabled veteran plates.

Finley didn’t shake outwardly, but that didn’t stop his internal unease. Hmmm.

***

Katherine’s rumpled and knotted hair was the first thing Michael noticed when she came out to the common room. “Hey hon!” He smiled sleepily at her from the couch. “How’re you doin’?”

Katherine’s grimace knitted her face with horizontal lines. “Where’s Linnet? Where’s Bel’a? Where’s everybody?” She walked over to Michael and heaped herself into a bundle nestling at his side.

Michael wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “They had some business out of town. They’re entitled to have some time away.”

Katherine harrumphed with her whole body. “Do you know what’s going on with mom?”

“Work?” Michael answered as best he could. Katherine’s face knitted up again and she shook her head. “Yeah, I know.” Work was Jessica’s top priority. “Hey, you wanna come with me to the mess and get some grub?”

Katherine shrugged sleepily, “I guess.”

Michael cracked the door to his and Bill’s room. Doug was snoozing soundly. Bill stirred enough to pry an eye open at Michael. Michael pointed to his bed so that Bill saw Doug; then he gave a questioning thumbs up. Bill gave a sleepy thumbs up. Michael shut the door, grabbed Katherine by the hand and headed to the Mess.

When they arrived, Katherine’s mouth was agape. There were tall, busty Shil’vati marines. There were shiny-scaled busty Helkam marines. There were a handful of other Rakiri marines who were also busty. Seeing the diversity of the Imperium in one place had become old hat to Michael.

After they’d picked up trays of foods that satisfied both of them, they sought out a table. Michael couldn’t help but see that Joph’rena was waving them over to her table. A month ago, that would have rankled him, but since his Pack had practically forsaken him, he would have to endeavor onward into the future. Who know who he might meet in the future?

“Hey Michael!” Joph’rena greeted, “and who is this?”

Michael tried not to think about how much Joph’rena probably already knew about him, his life, his kids, but she was willing to play the game to keep up the charade. Plus civility didn’t allow for an almost twelve year old to know that people could just know about her. “This is Katherine.” He turned to his daughter, “This is Joph’rena. She’s kind of my boss.” He said with eyes narrowed.

“Oh heavens no! I’m not your boss. We are all but servants of the Empress.” Joph’rena smiled placatingly. “We do work together.” She crossed her arms under her bosoms, placed her elbows on the table between herself and her own breakfast tray, cleaving herself more fully. “Closely together.”

Joph’rena’s display did not go unnoticed by Katherine, who tried not to look for too long and instead picked at the waxen folds of her milk carton. Michael also did his best to appear oblivious, “What do you have going on this morning?”

Joph’rena leaned forward, accentuating herself further, “You’re friend, Finley, has escaped.”

Michael scalded his tongue and throat on his coffee, “HE WHAT?”

“No worries, Michael, no worries!” Joph’rena smiled glowingly. “We are aware and are taking steps to take care of the issue.”

Michael looked around making sure that anyone within earshot wouldn’t hear him, then hissed, “Taking care of it? Sounds like this could have been taken care of by not letting him escape!”

Joph’rena drew her eyes to Katherine, though Katherine did not get her eyes far enough up to make contact with Joph’rena’s. “Is your father always this dramatic?”

Katherine drank her milk anxiously, “He can be.”

“From the mouths of babes!” Joph’rena chided. “Michael, we could have easily prevented his recovery, but when we saw who we were dealing with, we felt it would be more efficient to let him go.”

“Letting him go would be easier?”

“Michael, you will come to see that this is the right decision.” Joph’rena lifted her arm to twist her tusk, jiggling herself distractingly. “I think your people have a phrase about flies and honey, but we have our own using Turox shit instead. You’ll find it a bit more effective.”

Michael took a recovery sip of his coffee. “Ok, well, there’s not anything I can do about it. So, best of luck?”

Joph’rena beamed at his acceptance. She looked over at Katherine and back to Michael, “It is so nice to see a father who knows his place.”

Michael cocked his head to the side in a mannerism he’d seen on the Shil’vati. “My place?”

Joph’rena gave him a wink, “Taking care of the children. Of course.”

Michael got defensive, “Are you saying that my place is rearing the children?”

“It’s not in battle,” Joph’rena looked away and forked politely at her food, “that’s for sure.”

Katherine chuckled under her breath.

Michael was getting offended, “I can push a button from an orbital station as easily as anyone else.”

“Oh ho!” Joph’rena smiled toward Katherine, “He is feisty this morning!”

Michael huffed. “I don’t even know why I’m upset. I don’t even want to be in battle.”

“Maybe not,” Joph’rena winked at him, “But you may end up helping us win a war.”

Michael had had enough. “Ok. Will I see you in the office?”

“No. Take the day. Hopefully, Jessica will be on her way.” Joph’rena grinned, “Though from the looks of things, I’d say you’ve got it handled.”

Michael wasn’t sure how to take these compliments and her overt flirting. He chose to overlook it. “Hey hon,” he said to Katherine, “What do you think your brother would want for breakfast?”

Katherine cast a furtive glance at her father, “Beets and snails?”

Michael straightened up, “Oh? Escargot to go?”

Joph’rena looked to the distance wistfully, “We had them. Not long ago. It seems so long ago though.”

Michael and Katherine giggled to themselves and walked away to get a box for Doug. Michael gave Joph’rena a congenial nod, “Thank you. See you later.”

When they arrived back at their pod, Doug was awake and had happily taken the PlayStation on the TV in the common room. Michael hoped Doug would eat before the food got colder.

Katherine looked around sadly, “It’s so empty in here. Where’d everyone go?”

Michael thought quickish, “They are in Daytona. They have the right to take a vacation.”

Bill spoke from a cocoon of blankets on the section of couch perpendicular from Doug. “R & R.”

Michael attempted to interpret this comment, “Rail and Road?”

Bill’s blankets rumbled, “Rest and Relaxation. They’ll be back later in the week.” Then, under his breath he added, “Hopefully.”

“Agreed.” Michael said while reaching for his vibrating phone. It was Jessica. “Hello? How’s things?”

“Hey, I was going to ask you the same thing.” Jessica responded without answering the question.

“We’re good.” Michael turned away from the kids, “Doug had another overnight accident.”

“Hmm.” Jessica replied. “Can I talk to the kids?”

“Sure. Doug is playing but Katherine is right here.” Michael said before handing Katherine his phone.

“Mommy!” Katherine squealed. Jessica spoke from the other side of the phone. “Oh, no I slept alright, but someone got busted outta jail here last night! So that’s exciting.”

Bill’s cocooned figure blossomed into a fully in-shock flower of Bill. Michael reached for his phone. “Hey! Um, hey Jessica, sorry about that.”

“Did she just say that someone broke out of jail on the base?” Jessica repeated.

Michael pinched the bridge of his nose. “Clearly, this was not something that I could have anticipated. This is all poor timing.”

“Who would be in prison on a military base?” Jessica asked.

“We uh, had a-“ Michael saw Bill stand up, shaking his head No and waving his arms accordingly, but was already saying the words, “A murder on the base…”

Jessica screeched loud enough to be heard clearly from Michael’s end of the phone line, “You’ve had my kids on base with some murderer!?”

There it was. The damage was done. No going back now. “To be fair, it is a very recent development.” Michael tried to repair it in vain. Bill’s hands fell to his face to hide his eyes. He slunk down to retrieve his blankets and folded himself back into a burrito on the couch.

Jessica continued on for a bit longer than was comfortable but the gist of what she said was that she was coming back as soon as possible.