Jade putting her logic to use.

Fifty Nine

Despite the lingering stench, and the clutter of tools and materials everywhere, Jade found the ship much more appealing with most of the workers off of it. Now that twilight was in the offing the oppressive heat had dissipated and as she strode through the central atrium she could see signs that all the work were having some kind of effect at least.

The floors had been mostly redone, and bright rounds of carpet were inlaid between circles of newly polished marble. The railings had been resurfaced with a new coating of brass and the curved reception desks deported handsome teak inlays.

Jade started up the center steps, feeling just a touch better about the project. Their systems were in, the staff was working well, all she needed was to keep the momentum going. She looked around as she climbed upward, seeing only one or two of the workmen heading quietly in the other direction.

By the time she reached the deck where the ship's bridgewas, she was quite alone. All the hammering and noise of construction had stopped and as she walked along the plastic covered carpet Jade could see a slow, grudging veneer of modernity creeping over the aged surfaces.

It was like an eighty year old woman getting a radical facelift.

That threw Jade's mind onto a different track, and she pondered over it as she walked down the long corridor that would eventually take her to the front of the ship, and the bridge. Elle had revealed to them all at their last meeting that she was taking a few weeks off to go get herself 'done.'

Everyone had accepted this, and congratulated her, exceptfor Jade, who had been a bit puzzled as to why the woman would want to spend tenor fifteen thousand dollars to have invasive surgery just to look like someone had stretched saran wrap over her face.

She just didn't get it. So then, Elle had, with some justified exasperated snarkiness reminded her that as the youngest person in the room, she'd just please shut up until it was her turn to be ancient.

So that brought her to thinking about what she'd do when she did become ancient. Would she take Elle's route and get 'done'? Outside her immediate laughter at the thought, she'd found a touch of insecurity in wondering if Tori would want her to.. would want them to try to hang on to youth with tenacious claws right up until they qualified for Medicare.

Logically, she didn't think so. Jade continued down the corridor, glancing ahead to where the walls started to narrow as she approached the front of the ship. But you never knew, really, how people would change over the years. Maybe Tori's thoughts would change. Maybe hers would.

Jade's nose wrinkled in displeasure.

She didn't really think hers would. Just the thought of her parents reaction to her getting a facelift was enough to make her run in the other direction, hollering like a banshee. But, she decided, as she got to the end of the hall and faced the door to the bridge. If Tori decided she wanted to do something like that, and it was important to her..

Well, then, she'd at least think about it.

Jade tested the door latch, finding it locked. She knocked on it lightly, rapping her knuckles against the metal surface.

Hopefully, neither of them would turn into vain harridans as they got older though. Jade sighed,and knocked again. Hopefully they'd just enjoy a long life together and take life's changes as they came.

The door opened, and she was faced with a man in a starched white uniform and a very unfortunate toupee. "Yes?" He asked, in a gruff tone.

"I'd like to speak with the captain, please." Jade decided to mind her manners., at least for now.

The man glared briefly at her, then, surprisingly, he backed up and opened the door all the way. "Come in."

Jade availed herself of the permission, and stepped bridge was relatively small, but probably twenty degrees cooler than the hallway and there were several men inside enjoying that fact. They turned and looked at her as she entered, watching her curiously.

Jade returned the attention, picking out the oldest guy with the most stuff on his sleeves and walking over to him. "Captain?"

He was, perhaps, sixty years old, with silver gray hair and shrewd eyes. "Yes?" He responded politely. "What can I do for you madame?"

Madame? "I'd Like to discuss your plans for this evening.' Jade said.

Several of the other men chuckled, as the captain raised his eyebrows at her. "I am sorry, madame, do I know you?" He inquired. "I do not believe we have met."

"We haven't." Jade turned and pointed at the air conditioning unit. "But I own that."

The smiles disappeared from the officers faces, to be replaced by apprehension.

"So, can we talk?" Jade turned again to the captain, easing her words with a smile. "I solved a problem for you, maybe you can do the same for me."

The captain looked doubtful, but he stood and gestured towards a small office at the rear of the bridge. "By all means." He waited for her to precede him. "But it will have to be done quickly, as we are preparing to remove the gangways and you must be off the ship."

The door to the bridge opened as they got to the office, and the staff captain entered. He took one look at Jade and his eyes started to emit sparks, but she stepped past him and the captain closed the door to the office before he could speak.

Probably a good thing. Jade found herself inside a closet just about smaller than the head in the Dixie. The captain seated himself behind his desk, and she took the rickety chair in front of it, turning it around and sitting on it with her arms resting on the back.

They looked at each other in silence for a moment. The captain steepled his fingers. "Madame, I don't know what it is you think I can do for you, but please, be quick in asking." He said. "We have little time."

Jade glanced around. "We're the ones with little time, Captain. You've got plenty of it, since you're not going anywhere."

A faint smile crossed his face. "But you are wrong. We are going somewhere. We are leaving, casting the lines, and removing ourselves from this port."

Jade blinked. "Now?"

"Exactly now." The man nodded. "So as you can see, we really cannot help you. I would.. " He cleared his throat. "Like to thank you with all my heart for the loan of your piece of machinery. It has made it so comfortable for us today."

"I thought you weren't leaving until Friday." Jade tapped her thumbs on the chair. "So this is over? The renovations?"

The captain lifted his hand. "Not exactly. We are leaving, yes." He admitted. "But we will be coming back, it is just that the government people, the.. " He cleared his throat again. "They insist we move away so they can examine the water. The damage, or so they say."

"Ah."

"Is that all?" The captain asked. "I do really have many things to do."

Damn, damn, damn. Jade thought fast. "What would it take to get you to let us go with you?" She asked. "My crew."

The man blinked at her. "It is impossible."

"Why?"

"You are not authorized to sail on the vessel." The captain spluttered. "I cannot be responsible for how many of you are on the ship…it's insanity."

Jade leaned forward a trifle, her eyes narrowing a bit and the more feral part of her personality flexing its paws and extending sharp claws just the tiniest amount. "What would it take, Captain." She held his gaze with hers. "Name your price."

For a moment, he merely looked at her. "You insult me, madame." He responded stiffly, then hesitated just enough. "I do not even know who you are."

Jade removed her wallet, opened it, and retrieved one of her business cards. She tossed it on his desk. "That's who I am." She fished in the wallet and removed something else. "And I'm not a stranger to the water." She tossed over a small square of well laminated cardboard, her captain's license with its surprisingly hoary issuing date.

The man picked both up and examined them.

"Look." Jade said. "That blowout yesterday put us behind. I just need the time to catch up. My people need to get things onto this ship, put them in places, and make sure they work. It's better for us to do it without the rest of the circus onboard, and I'm willing to pay for the privilege."

The captain tapped both cards on his desk. "All right." He said. "I will accept your offer, but this is what I want." He slapped his hand on the desktop. "You cannot buy me, woman. I am not for sale."

Jade waited.

"But my people on this ship, they have been screwed by these people. We have had nothing but canned garbage since we have gotten here." He stood. "You bring on to this ship a meal, some good drinks, some comforts for my crew, you can stay."

It was absurd. Jade almost felt like crying. It was like finding a clean spot in the middle of a garbage heap. "No problem." She managed to say. "Give me an hour."

"An hour?"

"An hour." Jade stood also and extended her hand. "Deal?"

The captain reached over and took her hand, squeezing it powerfully. "We have a deal." He said. "You have how many people?"

"Thirty… one." Jade mentally counted. "You?"

"Two hundred."

"Done deal." Jade released his hand. "See you in an hour. "She turned and opened the door, drawing it back and gracefully gesturing for him to go first. Then she followed him outside and headed for the door, not forgetting to give the staff captain a smile as she passed.

"We're going to what?" Tori stared at Jade's back, as she trotted past on the stairwell. "Jade!" She turned and bolted after her partner, catching up to her and grabbing the back of her jeans. "Whoa!"

Jade halted and turned around. "Yeees?" Her eyes twinkled mischievously. "C'mon, Tor. You wanted to ride on the thing, didn'cha?"

"Are you serious?" Tori asked. "The ship's really leaving?"

Jade nodded. "EPA's asking them to move so they can review the water." She explained. "So they're taking off, that's why they kicked everyone out." Tugging Tori's Belt loop, she started to move down the steps again. "I got the captain to agree to let us stay on, but we've got a ton of prep to do and only an hour left to do it in."

"So, we're going."

Jade gave her a sideways glance. "We're going."

"On the ship."

Jade stopped. "Tor, you need a cup of expresso or something? "She asked curiously. "You're not usually this slow."

Tori gave her a poke. "YOU are the woman who chased me down on this thing the first day and wanted to carry me off over your shoulder because you were afraid it would sink. Now you want to sail on it?"

Had she done that? Jade frowned, then her brows lifted. She had. "Well, they've had time to stuff silly putty in the holes." She temporized. "Anyway, they're not going that far."

They both started down the steps together. "All the staff?" Tori asked.

"Yeah." Jade nodded again. "But the price was, I've got to get the catering guys in here and feed the crew." She pulled out her cell. "Hope they're up for it."

"The crew?"

"The caterers." Jade punched a number in. "Get our guys ready to start moving everything in sight onto the ship. Just dump it in the hold and we'll hump it upstairs later."

"Hm." Tori skipped a few steps to keep up with Jade's Powerful strides. "Think your dad wants to come along? I think he can carry a few pc's in each hand."

"He might have left already."

They got to the bottom of the steps and entered the shipping hold, stopping as the spotted James seated on a crate, kicking his heels against it. "Guess not." Jade said. "Hi, dad."

"Howdy, Gigi." James greeted her amiably. "Whatcha up to?"

"Hey dad." Tori went right up to him and put her hands on his knees. "Guess what?"

"Wall." Jim considered. "I guess that this here boat is fixing to leave." He said. "Heard them kicking over those mules back there." He thrust his thumb over his shoulder. "Thought they were staying till Friday."

"They're making them leave to check the oil leak." Jade explained.

"Ah." Her father nodded. "Figgured."

"Was that mom's idea too?"

James scratches his jaw, and gave his daughter a mildly sheepish look. "Ah do not believe she had anything to do with that this time. "He said. "So you all going home?"

"Nope." Tori smiled. "We're going on the ship."

James stared at her, then looked past her to where Jade was lounging against the wall. "Ya'll are joshin' me."

Jade shook her head. "No. We're behind the rest of them. This was the only way we could catch up. All of us are going." She watched her father's face. "Wanna come with us?"

"Hell yes." James snorted. "If you think I'm letting your kids out on this here crate by yourselfs you have lost your minds."

Tori leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You're so sweet." She grinned, then headed for the gangway. "I'll get the guys going, Jade. I'm glad they all brought a change today."

Jade's cell phone rang, and she answered it. "Steven?" She listened. "Yeah, it's Jade West. Listen, I've Got a very big job for you, I'll pay premium for it, but it's got to happenin' less than an hour." She listened again. "I am nuts, but I want it anyway."

James pulled out his own phone and studied it, then selected a sequence of numbers with studied precision.

"Okay, here's what it is." Jade said. "I need a class A dinner, the works, with alcohol, for two hundred and fifty people, delivered to the pier."

"Cec?" Jim spoke into the phone. "You ain't gonna believe this here."

"Steven, don't give me bullshit. Either you can do it, or I'll Find someone who can." Jade was perfectly well aware of the fact that she couldn't find a caterer in under an hour and she knew their regular guy knew that as well. "Hell, I'll get Hooters to cater it if you can't. They're close, and Ibet their serving staff's cuter than yours."

"Yeap, ah surely am." James half listened to Jade. "Ain't noway… huh?"

"Okay." Jade felt relieved. "Don't skimp, Steve. Some of these guys have been living on Spam for three weeks. They deserve it."

"Cec.."

"Tell me about it. I've been kicking a timeclock in the ass all week." Jade argued. "Look…"

"Now, you just hold on there a minute, ma'am!" Jamessounded slightly exasperated. "Ah don't.."

"Full bar. Not that jug wine crap you brought to the office."

"Ceci, you cannot just walk in this here place."

"Mine? I don't… wait… yeah, make sure you have Corona, and a case of limes. We set?"

"Yes, ma'am, ah will be here." James sighed, and closed his cellphone.

"Thanks." Jade folded her phone, at the same time as her father did. They looked at each other. "This is gonna be a circus. We're going to end up with Kentucky FriedChicken and a keg of Budweiser."

"Your mama's headed this way." James said. "So ah do hope that there chicken comes with them little cartons of cole slaw of she's gonna starve to death."

Jade chuckled wearily, limping over to the crate and taking a seat next to her father. "Wonder when the dancing bear shows up." Tori could more than handle getting the troops together, she reasoned. No sense in both of them stirring up trouble.

James chuckled softly. "You figure t'get this all squared away tonight?"

Jade exhaled. "Well, we'll get further than we would if we didn't try it." She admitted. "There's still so much construction going on it's hard to say how far we'll get, but.. hey. Gotta try."

"Damn straight." Her father agreed.

"Speak for yourself." Jade answered dryly.

James looked at her, then he chuckled again. "How's that foot?" He nudged Jade's calf.

"Eh." Jade regarded her sneaker encased extremity. "I think it's getting better. Hurts less."She glanced out the open gangway door, where she could already see a cluster of people and boxes starting to head their way at a double march. "You wouldn't believe the crazy assstories those people came up with as to how it happened, though."

"Yeah?"

"Mm." Jade shook her head. "I tell one person I got bit by a fish running after a frisbee at the cabin, and the last I heard I'd gotten it savingTori from a shark."

James laughed. "Jungle talking. Always does it."

"Jesus."

Tori jogged up the gangway and into the hold. "Okay,everyone's with the program." She announced. "And would you believe it, Jade?They're all excited as kids." She came over to where they were sitting. "I told them they had to work all night, and go out on this tub and it was like I'dannounced the quarter bonuses." She rested her hand on Jade's thigh. "Just weird."

"For them it's an adventure." Jade smiled.

"For us it's an adventure too." Tori retorted. "Jade, do you know how much work we have to do tonight?"

Jade nodded. "I know." She circled Tori's waist with her left arm.

"Ah can help." James offered. "I got me some books on all these things you brought in here."

"On our stuff?" Tori asked.

"Yeap."

"And you read them?" Jade looked at her father. "Jesus, dad…six pages and I'm snoozing with those damn things."

James waggled his hand, and managed a lopsided grin.

"Well, that's probably more experience than some people we've hired." Tori headed for the gangway as the first load of gear started up it. "C'mon Guys.. we don't want the ship to sail without us, right?"

"Right." The chorus of voices answered her.

Jade sat back and watched as the line of people and boxes started to stream onto the ship. Eyes moved in her direction, and she saw the hesitant grins appear before the techs went to drop their boxes off near the far wall and head back for the next load. "You guys ready for this?" She asked.

"You bet, ma'am." Carlos replied, with a bright smile. "This Is gonna be cool."

Oh yeah. Jadefound herself smiling back, almost unconsciously. Cool. It was going to be a mess. It was going to be annoying, and aggravating, and frustrating….

"Ah do believe that feller might be correct." Her father commented. "Ah do like this sorta mess to get fixed up."

And very possibly her angle to success. "You got it." Jade got up off the crate and gathered up her energy. "Let's do this thing." She walked to the edge of the gangway and looked out, craning her head around and peering down at the ship Telegenics was outfitting.

She spotted Michelle and Shari on the dock, talking with Quest. Shari was moving her arms a lot, andeven from where she was, Jade could sense the heated nature of the discussion.

Would they notice the steady stream of equipment heading other ship? Jade started down the gangway. "Be right back." Shecalled over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Tori yelled after her.

"To make some trouble." Jade replied, hopping off the end of the ramp and heading down the dock. "Keep my crate warm!"

"Uh oh." Tori drummed her fingers against the rusted steel plate. Torn, she half turned as one of the techs called out to her, asking a question. She stared at him, then held up one finger. "Hold that thought."

"Ma'am?" The tech queried, watching as his boss disappeared down the ramp at a high rate of scamper. "Hey.. where's she going?"

"T'where she belongs." James got up and went over to him. "Here,put that thing there, and that other box sideways, son. Ain't no way that's gonna fit otherwise."

"Uh.."

James cocked an eyebrow at him. "Y'all ain't' gonna make me mad, are you?"

"No, sir." The tech scurried to do as he'd been told.

"Damn straight." James leaned against the wall, with a satisfied expression.

"Jade!" Tori scrambled off the gangway just as another group of techs reached it. She pointed up, then went after the dark haired woman, catching up to her a few strides across the pavement. "Hey."

"Hey." Jade replied. "Thought I told you to keep my crate warm."

"You seriously thought I was going to stay there?" Tori asked incredulously.

"Not really, no." Jade admitted.

"Well, okay then." Tori settled down at her side and they walked along the pier towards their erstwhile enemies. She'd started putting Quest into that category lately, andbased on the glare he gave them as they walked up, she suspected she was dead on right. "Evening." She greeted them cordially.

"Ms. Vega." Quest responded, in a brief tone.

Jade strolled around them and stopped to their east, forcing them to turn to keep her in view. "Another challenge you tossed us, Mr. Quest?" She asked.'At this rate, I figure the bomb squad to show up next."

Surprisingly, Michelle chimed right in. "Just exactly what I was saying. You can't expect to keep changing the rules, and have us pay for it."

"Right." Shari said.

"They aren't my rules!" Quest lifted his hands. "I can't do anything about these damn government people! I told you that."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Shari asked, her hand indicatingJade and Tori as well as herself and Michelle. "You get in government trouble,and we have to pay for it? Hell no."

Jade and Tori exchanged somewhat bemused glances.

Behind them all, the techs had started toting in cartloads of monitors, terminals, and boxes of the various accoutrements computers require.

"Ah.. that's right." Tori spoke up. "Mr. Quest, we really can't be expected to be penalized because of all these external factors. It's not fair."

"Right." Michelle agreed.

Having nothing else to add to the conversation, Jade decided to just folds her arms across her chest and listen.

"Well, I can't be held responsible either!" Quest argued. "A deal's a deal. You want the contract? Then fulfill your part of the deal."

He turned and stalked off, heading for the gate in the fence that would take him outside of the pier area. Outside the wire, three men were waiting, and as Jade looked at them, one turned away and almost triggered a sense of familiarity in her.

"Well." Michelle exhaled. "So much for that." She eyed Jade andTori. "Not that it would have helped you much anyway. Bad luck, huh?"

Jade shrugged one shoulder. "Happens."

Shari looked at her. "What drugs are you on today?"

Tori felt herself bristle, and wondered if it was a visible reaction. Did her hair fluff out like a cats, maybe? Certainly, Michelle edged away from her, so something must have shown.

"Drugs?" Jade asked. "Tetracycline,why?" She unfolded her arms and stuck her hands in her pockets instead. Curiously, Shari's taunting didn't even bother her in the slightest.

"Because for someone who's going to lose big, you're too damn relaxed." Shari said bluntly. "Give up already? Going through the motions, Jade?"

From the corner of her eye, Jade watched as Sinjin led a group of six other techs out the door to the terminal, steering a huge flatbed covered in gear. "Yeah, maybe." She drawled. "Can't Fight fate all the time, can ya?'

Tori patted her arm comfortingly.

"Well." Michelle ran a hand through her hair. "Not like we can say much at the moment either. I can't believe they made us stop work. It's just not fair."

Shari snorted. "At Least we know no one's getting an advantage." She looked at Jade pointedly.

Jade produced one of her best, most innocent smiles, as the last of the gear trundled past behind their backs and went up the gangway. "Nope."

"Doesn't that bug you?" Shari persisted. "Not having an angle?"

Michelle took Shari by the arm and simply turned and started walking. "Come on. I'm not listening to this crap again." She sounded angry. "I've had enough already."

"Hey!" Shari protested, pulling on her hand.

"Either come with me, or stay here and act like a jackass, again."Michelle turned and spat at her. "Make up your mind." She released Shari's arm and started marching for the gate again.

Shari looked at her, then turned and looked at Jade and Tori.

Never one not to take an advantage when she saw it, Jade draped an arm over Tori's shoulders and gave her a kiss on the head. She winked atShari, and smiled.

Without a further word, Shari turned and followed Michelle.

"Mm." Tori grunted contentedly. "Nice."

"Yeah." Jade turned them both around and pointed. "Nice timing. I don't think they even noticed us taking half the domestic inventory of Computers R Us On board."

"Couldn't care less about that part." Tori put her arms around Jadeand hugged her tightly.

Puzzled, but not unhappy, Jade returned the hug. "You want to grab your bags?" She asked. "Might as well get on there and make sure it's all getting to the right places."

"Sure." Tori released her, and patted her side. "I'll have the security guys clear the front doors for the caterers, too. I bet they'll come in here on screaming tires."

"Bet you're right." Jade lifted her hand and waved as Tori madetracks for the terminal. Shefondly watched her partner's determined little swagger, then she retreated back to the ship's gangway and climbed up it, noting the angle had increased a little as the tide came in.

The sun had come out too, and it was preparing to grace them with a decently photogenic sunset. Jade gazed benevolently at it, as she ducked inside the hold and found her father organizing the troops. Around them, the ship's crew went about their tasks, giving the techs skeptical looks, but staying out of their way as they dogged down hatches and prepared the ship for sea.

Jade knew those sounds. She'd gotten to sail one or two times on Jim's Ships, illicit adventures where the crew would hide her when they went out fora day cruise, or when the ship was repositioning from one pier to the scent of diesel was the same, and the sounds of metal doors being rolled closed and locked was the same.

She wondered if her father found it nostalgic.

"Hey. You're there." James suddenly raised his voice. "Get that boxout from that doorway, son. Doors gonna close there and make that a pancake."

"Yes, sir." The tech in question started tugging the box out of the way. "Sorry, I thought this was open space."

"Ain't no open space on a ship." Jim said. "Every little inch's got someone's claim on it."

Jade walked over and joined him, watching the boxes line up against the back wall. "Lot of stuff."

"Ain't that the truth." Her father agreed. "Y'know I can remember when the most techno thing we had on one of these here things was a water fountain." He reminisced. "And wasn't that a six day wonder when they put that in."

"I remember that." Jade recalled, with some surprise. "I brought you a bag of shirts from mom that day. I remember wondering why everyone was staring at that damn fountain like it was a television set."

James chuckled. "Cause sucking that there stuff from the commodesink just was not a whole lot of fun, Gigi." He reminded her. "Not everybody liked getting a drink from the hose, neither, like you did."

Jade licked her lips in memory, and produced a grin. "I ever tell you about the first time Tori took a drink of hose water?"

"Heh." James glanced around at the cramped ship hold. " You know what, Jade?"

"What?"

"It's a hell of a lot better to be the skipper of the damn boat." He said. "I would not go back to doing this if they paid me all the dollar bills in the Navy."

"Hm." Jade remembered those stolid seamen who suffered the cramped spaces and shared their hoarded candy bars with the scruffy child she'd been. "I'm damn glad you'll never have to."

James looked at her. Then he chuckled. "Jaden good thing you went after the computer things, ain't it? Or we'd all be having crackers and peanut butter stew down there in Stiltsville." He clapped her on the shoulder. "Got all the stuff you all need?"

Jade nodded.

"Got a pair of jammies?"

"We don't wear them." Jade replied absently, then she shot her father a look as the silence lengthened. "Hey, you asked."

James pointed at the techs. "Got some pills for them fellers?"

Jade peered at them. "Dad, we're just going offshore."

James lifted his grizzled eyebrows.

"I'll go get some." Jade sighed, and headed for the gangway. "Nosense in wasting good roast beef."