Titanium Texicans (18 page)

Gordo laughed. “Bet me twenty credits?” Rodriguez nodded. “Good. Ask Tasso. He was there and heard the whole thing. Tell him Tasso. Tell him that I have a date tonight with the prettiest blonde on the ship.”

Tasso shook his head. “I’m sorry to disagree, Gordo. You do have a date with Cherry Chisholm, but you have to see her store partner Ain to judge who is the prettiest.”

Rodriguez looked surprised. “You’ve met the Hidden One?”

Tasso nodded. He wasn’t in the mood to talk. He was sure he was in trouble with the captain. He was already delayed beyond politeness and getting into more trouble by the minute.

Gordo said, “You heard Tasso, Rodriguez. I do have a date with Cherry Chisholm tonight, so you can kiss your report—”

Sergeant Rodriguez held up a finger to silence Gordo. He put his hand over his ear and listened to a call only he could hear. Finally, he said, “Okay, I just got my short hairs caught in the wringer. Captain’s office called and ordered us to locate Tasso Menzies and deliver him to A-0015, on the double.”

Gordo said, “So …?” He let the question tail off.

“So, I’m going to take him up there myself. We don’t have time to get these handcuffs off, so he goes with them on.”

Tasso thought Rodriguez had more to say, but the man stuffed him into an elevator and hit the button for Deck A.

“Now is the time to keep your cornbread intake conduit clamped shut and only speak when spoken to.”

Tasso said nothing.

“You understand me?”

Tasso said, “I’m not saying anything.”

“Good boy,” Rodriguez said as he half hustled, half-dragged Tasso out of the elevator and down the hall.

The door to A-0015 appeared too quickly as Tasso wasn’t sure he was ready for whatever or whoever was behind the door. He would have hesitated to knock if he’d been alone, but Rodriguez knocked once and opened the door. The security sergeant put the flat of his foot on Tasso’s backsides and booted the boy into the office.

CHAPTER 16

TASSO BARELY kept his balance as he crashed into Purser William Rojo’s chair. The captain and the FO had their heads together discussing some report. He was distressed to see Anisa standing behind the captain. The girl had a length of white ribbon with the red and gold ship’s crest on it. She was interweaving the ribbon into the braid running down the woman’s back. As she braided, she twisted the hair to braid it back up the captain’s head.

“Sorry, sir,” Tasso said to Bill Rojo. “For some reason, I seem to be especially clumsy today.” He saw Anisa turn about and glance at him as he spoke. She blushed a bright red before turning back to her work.

Bill Rojo laughed. “I remember going through a clumsy stage myself. Dad told me it has something to do with growth spurts and the brain trying to catch up to the body. If I remember correctly, Rodriguez, you went through much the same phase just when the Junior Rodeo Finals started at Picket Wire.”

The Security sergeant nodded. “Yeah, thanks for reminding me. I was the top seed in bull riding but only took third place that year. I couldn’t walk without stumbling over my own feet.”

Tasso stared at the two men. He had no idea what a rodeo was. He knew a bull was a male cow, but why anyone would try to ride one was beyond him. He wanted to ask, but he was determined to keep his mouth shut unless asked a direct question.

Rojo looked up at Tasso from his seated position. “I do think you’ve grown four or five inches taller since you came on board.”

Tasso didn’t say anything, since the purser hadn’t asked him a direct question. He didn’t see how he could’ve grown. His coveralls still fit as well today as the first day he had put one on.

Sergeant Rodriguez turned to go, but Bill Rojo stopped him “I think you better stick around.”

The sergeant glanced at the captain. Her head was still buried in reports. He shook his head. “I’d rather not, sir. I can wait in the corridor.”

“I’d rather not be here either, Rodriguez. The mood the captain is in today doesn’t bode well for anyone in this office. Plus, from the looks of your young friend here, I do think you may have some explaining to do.”

The captain turned around, “Explain what—good god, Sergeant Rodriguez! What did you do to this boy? I said to find him and bring him here. I didn’t say to arrest him, handcuff him, and beat him bloody.”

Rodriguez looked stricken. “Honest, Captain, we didn’t beat him.”

Tasso glanced down at the front of his coveralls. He hadn’t realized it, but his coveralls had blood splattered all over them. He almost grinned. He knew the blood wasn’t his.

“But you did arrest and handcuff him,” she stated. It wasn’t quite a question, but it was apparent to everyone in the room that she expected an answer.

“Yes, Captain,” Rodriguez said. “He was under arrest and handcuffed before Security received the call to bring him up here.”

The office was silent. No one wanted to speak until the captain stopped looking daggers at everyone in the room. Her gaze finally settled on Tasso. “Señor Menzies, I’m beginning to think you are more of a problem than you’re worth. Maybe I should put you in a shipping crate and send you back to your uncle.”

Tasso didn’t say anything. He kept his face as passive as he could, but he realized he wasn’t quite ready to go home. He didn’t trust Bruce Menzies. Going back now would still leave Bruce with too much control over him. Still, the captain said that was what she should do, not what she would do. She didn’t ask him a direct question.

Captain Rojo took a deep breath and sighed. “Okay, everybody grab a chair. Let’s get everything on the table and see if we can make some sense of this. You too, Rodriguez. I could call Security Commander Tyler Shanklin, but you’re already here. Record any relevant issues for your supervisor to review as necessary.”

Anisa started to leave, but the captain stopped her. “I think Trainee Menzies should have a friend in support. Go sit down, Anisa.”

“Yes, Aunt Lil … I mean, Captain Rojo,” Anisa said.

First Officer Graham said, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Captain. We may need to discuss some issues that shouldn’t become gossip for the ship’s crew.”

The captain motioned Anisa to sit. “Anisa, you’ll keep everything said here confidential. Do you understand me, young lady?”

Tasso tried to sit in a chair against the far wall. The captain shook her head and crooked a finger at him to move closer. Tasso tried to scoot the chair forward, but with his hands in handcuffs behind his back, he couldn’t move quickly or with much range of motion. He tried to drag the chair forward with one foot while hopping on the other foot, but that didn’t work any better than scooting.

Rodriguez came to his aid, dragging his chair closer to the group. The captain shook her head and pointed at a spot directly in front of her. Rodriguez picked up the chair and set it down, front and center. He helped Tasso sit.

Tasso couldn’t lean back with his hands bound behind him, so he sat upright. He didn’t feel like relaxing, anyway. He didn’t remember ever having been more nervous. He picked and stared at a bare spot on the desk to avoid making eye contact with anyone. He wanted to glance at Anisa, but he didn’t look up. He decided he’d rather be sitting on Saronno in the dark waiting for Ol’ Ben to eat his face than sitting here.

The captain said, “Is everyone comfy? Drinks? Snacks?”

Tasso was not overly familiar with the wide range of human communications, but even he could hear the sarcasm in Captain Rojo’s voice. He hadn’t eaten since sometime yesterday, but he wasn’t going to bring it up now.

She nodded and looked thoughtful when nobody spoke. “Dang it if I ain’t hungry, though. Billy, order us up something, nothing too spicy. I don’t want our guest of honor to have to spit it out again. Pizza would be good and sweet tea all around. Yes, I know you prefer your tea unsweetened, but this a business meeting and not a cocktail party.”

She didn’t wait while Bill made a call on his dataport. “Security Sergeant Rodriguez, please explain the blood and handcuffs.”

“Captain,” Rodriguez said, “I don’t have the whole story yet. I had Menzies under arrest and in handcuffs just before we got your call to bring him up here. These cuffs are locked and can’t be unlocked outside of the Security Office.”

“Do you think Menzies is dangerous?” She asked the question in all seriousness.

Rodriguez shook his head. “I do not, Captain. However, it’s standard operating procedure in a violent felony accusation case. Before you ask, those accusations haven’t been proven, but the handcuffs are prudent just the same.”

The captain nodded. “Go ahead.”

“Security got a call from a crew member about an altercation near the promenade. I responded with a small team. The altercation was over by the time we got there. Trainee Armando Cruz was injured. Actually, Cruz was on the deck, bloody and struggling to get up. Trainee Menzies was in the custody of an adult who had intervened and stopped the altercation. Menzies admitted attacking and beating Cruz. It is my belief the blood on Menzies belongs to Cruz, although we haven’t run DNA tests.”

The captain said, “Trainee Menzies, this is a serious accusation. You have the right to have your supervisor present to … crap. I can’t bring Tio Gabe in on this. Rosa, can you sub for Tio Gabe?”

The FO nodded. “Captain, as his advocate, I have to point out this is an accusation only. The security team hasn’t completed their investigation. As captain, you’ll undoubtedly be called to act as judge should this come to trial. Your involvement at this time would definitely constitute prior knowledge.”

Rojo nodded. “I’ll recuse myself if and or when this comes to a trial, but as captain I cannot allow someone to be called to my office and have them show up handcuffed and bloody. This is a freighter, not some pirate ship.”

The FO turned to Tasso. “Do you know what’s going on here?”

Tasso shrugged. “I gather I got myself in trouble and you’re going to determine what do to with me.”

Anisa shouted, “No! That isn’t right. He didn’t do anything, and you have him on trial—”

“Not now, Anisa,” the captain interrupted. “We aren’t doing a summary court. I’m trying to find out what’s going on around here. However, you do make a good point. If you’re not really following, then Trainee Menzies isn’t either. Rosa, I suggest you talk to Menzies before we proceed.”

Tasso said, “Captain, there’s no need to delay.” The FO began waving her hands to get him to be quiet. He ignored her. “I did attack Cruz. I know my actions have consequences. I’d prefer to get this over.”

Graham said, “Everyone is to address their questions to me and not to Trainee Menzies. Tasso, keep quiet unless I ask you a question, okay?”

Tasso grinned and said, “Honest, I told myself the same thing when I came into this room and Sergeant Rodriguez told me that times before we got here. So, all I can say is, I’ll try, but it doesn’t look like I’m good at it.”

Graham said, “Sergeant Rodriguez, do we have any details on this alleged altercation?”

Tasso wanted to ask why the altercation was alleged. He already admitted to hitting Cruz. However, he hadn’t understood ‘recuse’ or ‘prior knowledge’ either, so he kept his mouth shut. He wanted to turn and stare at Anisa. He decided that wasn’t much better than saying anything at this point as she made him as nervous as anyone else in the room.

Rodriguez said, “We only have a preliminary review of the events. One of the boys at the altercation …” He checked his dataport. “Trainee Eber Rojo stated Trainee Menzies followed them to a remote location and attacked them without provocation.”

Anisa jumped up. “That can’t be true. I was with Tasso at Cherry’s Lingerie Shop. He works there. He was making us hair ribbons. He made the ribbon you’re wearing, Captain. He wouldn’t have had time to follow them anywhere.”

Rodriguez sighed, “I really wish material witnesses wouldn’t blurt out what they know until they have given a complete and official statement to an investigator.”

The captain said, “Thank you, Anisa. Sit down. Didn’t I already tell you to sit and be quiet unless you had something relevant to say?”

Bill said, “No, Lil. You didn’t tell her to be quiet. You told Tasso to be quiet.”

Graham said, “No, she didn’t. I told Tasso to be quiet. And I think Anisa’s comment was quite relevant at this point.”

The captain said, “Okay, okay, okay. All of this and we still haven’t even gotten close to my list of things I wanted to talk about. Sergeant Rodriguez, do you think this altercation is retaliation by Trainee Menzies for this morning’s,” she looked pointedly at FO Graham and spoke slowly, “for this morning’s alleged altercation?”

Rodriguez said, “I don’t know at this point, Captain. I’ve retrieved the file from La Dueña Dunstan’s security camera vid of Tasso attacking Cruz. Excuse me, FO, of his alleged attack.”

Bill said, “Put it on the big monitor. Wait, if Anisa might be called as a witness in any later court, she should be excused.”

Rodriguez shrugged, “I won’t have any trouble getting other witnesses if Menzies was in Cherry’s. Her place has been packed all day.” He pressed a button and the video began playing on a big wall monitor.

The video started with Cruz, Ivan, and Flacco leaning up against a wall. It appeared they were waiting for an elevator, but a couple of cars came and went without the boys moving. Eber joined them and nodded. He didn’t say anything, but all four stood away from the wall, forming a line blocking the corridor.

Everyone in the office watched Tasso turn the corner, hurrying to the elevator. Everyone saw the four boys block his way. Everyone heard Cruz promise to make Tasso sorry. FO Graham made a note of the threat. Everyone saw Ivan bring out the broom handle weapon. Anisa gasped at the sight. FO Graham made another note.

When Cruz dropped his voice to a whisper, the captain had Rodriguez stop the video and enhance the sound.

Rodriguez chuckled and said, “It’s amazing how many people think we can’t pick up a whisper. We can pick out the sound of a single fart at a chili eating contest.”

The video started again. Everyone heard Cruz whisper, “I also told you to stay off the promenade and to keep away from my girlfriend.”

All eyes turned to look at Anisa when they got to the part where Flacco said, “Everyone knows Anisa Rojo-Graham is his girlfriend.”

She jumped up. “Bullpucky! Bull, lies, and not only no, but eeeeewwww!” She looked at Tasso. “And that was when you hit him, right? Good for you!”

Tasso shook his head. Rodriguez started the video again. Everyone clearly heard Cruz whisper, “Come on, faggot. Let’s do this.”

FO Graham said, “So you hit him. Good. It doesn’t sound like an unprovoked attack to me.”

Tasso shook his head again. “I’m sorry, no. I don’t know what he meant.”

Rodriguez started the video once again. FO Graham began taking notes furiously as Cruz cursed at Tasso. Everyone saw Tasso stand there passively listening to insults that would anger a grown man. No one interrupted the video.

Tasso blushed when everyone heard him say in a whisper, “And I’ll stay away from Anisa when she tells me to, not you?”

There were a few gasps when Cruz spat out, “Your mother is a frakking whore—” but no one interrupted until the video stopped with Rodriguez dragging Tasso onto the elevator.