Chapter 5


Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Gloria coming to now. Ms. Howard had moved to her side and was crouching down next to her. She looked up at the military police officers and said firmly, "She's going to be alright." They didn't seem all that concerned, but Ms. Howard spoke in a way that let them know that not only was she concerned for Gloria's welfare, but they should be too. She helped Gloria prop herself up into an upright position, and then Ms. Howard stood up.

One of the MPs waved her away from Gloria. "Please stand aside, ma'am. We're going to need to question your friend there."

Ms. Howard hesitated, but then she brushed off her white coat, and did as they told her to. I thought I saw her deftly maneuver the vial I had given her underneath her blouse. Even with my gaze on the soldiers I could feel her watching me, but I couldn't tell if it was anything more than suspicion at that point. If the soldiers noticed her little move, they didn't let on.

I picked up my fedora and dusted it off with a good whack against my leg and then addressed the soldiers. "Well, fellas, that was a close one..." I raised my hat to put it back on my head, but one of the MPs knocked it out of my hand and back into the sand.

"Hands up mister," the kid shouted at me. His face was grimy with dirt and sweat and his voice was shaky. I couldn't blame him for having the shakes, after what we'd just been through.

I complied, lifting my arms up, and suddenly remembered I was supposed to be acting like I was sauced. I gave him a lazy smile. "You okay, after that close shave, sonny?"

The older soldier poked me in the chest with the butt of his rifle and kept it there. "Listen here, stranger, he ain't your sonny, and we'll ask the questions, not you."

I shrugged. "Okay, go ahead and ask away then. By the way… have you guys seen my friend, Larry?"

The older MP apparently had had enough of my games by then and grabbed me by the shirt collar and shook me. "I said, shut up, smart guy! Now we ain't seen nobody named Larry around here, so drop the subject! Anyway, how do we know you didn't send that car over here to shoot up the base?"

I frowned. "No, sir, I was just passing through. I was at this bar you see, and...and I guess maybe I had one drink too many and-"

"And then you just happened to wander on to an Army base and within minutes a car came through and tried to gun us all down?" The one in charge pressed.

"Sarge, maybe he's telling the truth," said the younger MP.

"Quiet, Jones. Now you go back to the jeep and put in a call to command."

"Yes-sir," Jones replied hurrying away. And there went the voice of reason.

The sergeant turned his attention back to me with a scowl. "We'll figure this out, bucko, and if you're involved in it, I'll make sure you rot in jail." He pushed me in the chest again.

Doctor Howard took a step forward. "Now there's no need for any more violence," she emphasized.

The MP shrugged off her concern. "Give it a rest, lady," he said. "This guy showed up right before we got sprayed with bullets and you don't think he's involved?"

Ms. Howard put her hands on her hips. "I didn't say that," she allowed.

Obviously the first impression I had made back in the café wasn't too grand, if she thought I was in with organized crime. And yet here she was, on the receiving end of a drug deal. Seemed a little hypocritical, but as you can imagine, I was willing to forgive her. I turned my head to look at her. "I'd be happy to answer any questions you have for me, Miss…once we get out of this mess," I added.

She just stared at me.

"Don't talk to her," the MP ordered and gave me an insulting little slap across my face, which in my mind would never be forgotten.

"Sergeant, haven't you ever heard of a coincidence?" Gloria piped in, still sitting on the ground. My cousin looked a little dizzy, but for all I knew it was an act.

The Sarge gaped at her, looking like the yuck that he was.

"You know," she continued. "When something looks like it's been planned out, but it's really just an accident—a chance happening," said Gloria.

"No more lip outta you either," he yelled at her. "You're talking a lot of fancy language, but as far as I'm concerned you're both suspects."

"Well, look at it this way...do you think I was trying to get myself killed too?" I asked him incredulously. "Kind of a complicated way to commit suicide, don't you think?"

Sarge wasn't happy with that comment. "Oh you're a big shot, smart guy, aren't you? And you ain't no drunk either. You take me for an idiot?"

I stared at him with a blank expression. "Is that a trick question?"

Before I could drop my fists to defend, he hauled off and punched me in the side of the head.

I staggered back but then to my surprise, Ms. Howard jumped between us. "Wait, stop!" She shouted at the MP. "Leave him alone, it's not his fault," she protested, putting her hands up.

I stared at her, but she kept her stern gaze focused on the MP. If it was possible to be both flattered and embarrassed, that was me in that moment. It had been a long time since anyone had even attempted to defend me. I couldn't help but give Gloria a little wink.

The sergeant's blue eyes narrowed as Ms. Howard faced him down. I could tell he was afraid of her, but of course he wasn't the type to ever admit it. "Do you even know this dope?" he asked her suspiciously, nodding toward me.

I wasn't bleeding, but I knew my forehead was bruised and I didn't like to be made a fool of. First a slap and now a sucker punch? Unforgivable, where I come from. But I couldn't very well do anything while Ms. Howard was between us, so I waited to see what would happen next.

She glanced at me and I gave her the tiniest shake of my head. "No, I don't know him," she said to the MP indignantly. "But that doesn't mean it's alright for you to hit him like that."

The sergeant laughed. "He smells like he fell in a barrel of whiskey, he's dressed like a bum and he's as big a jerk as they come...and you're defending him? He's not exactly one of your high society types now is he?" He laughed again.

I clenched my fist at my side, really wishing now that she would step out of the way.

She glanced at me again as though she was seriously considering his words. "All of that may be true…."

Ouch, I thought, but then it got worse.

She lifted her chin. "But judging by the look of him he's hardly capable of getting dressed in the morning, let alone planning an attack on this base," she continued. "I think you should just let him go," she added with professional disinterest. And then I saw that as much as she seemed to enjoy insulting me, she was really trying to help me out.

The MP smiled down at her, but his tone was hardly friendly. "You might be some kind of fancy doctor inside the base with your top secret project, lady, but out here you don't give me orders. Understand?"

I stepped in between them. "Hey, why don't you pick on someone your own size?" I demanded of the sergeant.

He raised his hand as though carefully measuring my height. "I think she might actually be a little taller than you," he said slowly.

Without thinking, I slugged him really hard in the nose, not bothering to hold back. Looking back it would have been nobler if I had been defending her honor, but really I was defending my own. Either way, he wasn't having it, and swung the butt of his rifle into my gut. Of course, that was it for me, and I sunk to my knees with a groan.

The sergeant, still holding his bleeding nose, grabbed Ms. Howard by the arm before she could come to my aid. Come to think of it, I'm not certain she was going to help me at all, but looking back it's much nicer to remember it that way, isn't it?

Cousin Gloria however, was right by my side. She put her arm around my shoulders. I thought she was going to express her concern for my busted insides, but instead she whispered, "Where's the vial, Dixon?" as she squeezed her arm tighter around my neck. I said nothing, but my eyes rose to Ms. Howard, who was standing above me looking down at me wordlessly, and with an odd expression on her face. Mostly she looked unimpressed.

Despite my pain, I smiled up at the Doctor, enjoying from my seat on the ground, the view of her blouse, which would have been an even more glorious sight had I not been about to lose my lunch. Gloria followed my gaze and then seemed to get my meaning. Her arm relaxed around my neck, as she realized the drug was safe and sound inside Doctor Howard's brassiere.

The sergeant turned his rifle on Gloria and me then. "These two are going into custody," he declared gruffly.


Just then the gate behind us opened and another truck sped out. It skidded to a stop nearby and several more soldiers leaped out. Behind them, a tall dark haired man wearing a general's uniform and hat, slid out of the back of the jeep, taking his time. He walked forward, and that was when I noticed he looked awfully young to be a four star general. And as I studied him, I noticed he also looked awfully familiar, but for the moment I couldn't place his smug face.

I got to my feet pulling Gloria with me, as the General walked closer and he seemed to be sizing us up. His uniform was covered in medals. My eyes rested on his embroidered name tag for a moment. "General Q." I read silently.