He shrugged. “That’s it. Paperwork.”
“Take another minute and think about it, Rod. Make sure there isn’t something else rattling around in that old melon of yours. Sometimes it takes a few for the cobwebs to clear. You just had surgery, after all.”
He raised an eyebrow, looking as though he appreciated the extra time. He scrunched his face, then shook his head. “That’s all I know. Just doing desk work. Why, what happened? Who bit me?”
“Not a who. A what. As in Sergeant Barkley.”
“That fleabag?”
“Yep. Apparently, you called Simms into your office for a meeting, while he was out walking the dog. Then, for no reason at all, you pulled a gun and told Simms to strangle Sergeant Barkley. Right then and there. Just kill him with his bare hands. That’s when the dog got loose and tore into your neck.”
“What? Why would I ever do that? Doesn’t make sense.”
“That’s pretty much what I thought, too, but Liz said the teeth marks match the dog’s and Barkley had blood all over him. So we know it happened. Just not sure of the why or how.”
Zimmer sighed, his eyes thin. “Well, I wish I could remember more.”
“Me too, because right now it’s Simms’ word against yours.”
“Simms told you all this?”
“Roger that. He said you pulled a gun and threatened to kill him, and that the dog was just acting in self-defense. Like any of us would.”
Zimmer’s face turned a ghostly white. “That’s total horseshit. There’s no way any of that happened. I promise you, I would never do that. Ever.”
“I know you wouldn’t, but I still have to ask. It’s my job as Security Chief. Somebody is lying here, and Summer is relying on me to figure out who.”
He balled both of his fists, wrapping his fingers in the sheet covering the bed. “Well, it ain’t me. What I told you is what happened.”
Krista flared an eyebrow, switching to her most sarcastic voice. “As far as you can remember.”
“Yes, but I know myself and I’m telling you, I would never do what Simms is claiming I did. That’s just insanity. No respectable Southern gentleman would ever demand that an animal be killed in cold blood. Unless, of course, one was out hunting for the daily meat.”
“I hope not, Rod, because Liz, Summer, and I would have to take action and that’s the last thing any of us wants to do. You’ve been a good friend.”
Zimmer let go of the sheet and raised his right hand, bringing his fingers together, much like a witness preparing to take an oath on the Bible in a court of law. “I swear, I didn’t do any of this. You have to believe me.”
She grabbed his hand and brought it down. Not so much because he needed to rest. It was more along the lines of not wanting anyone to see what her gut was already telling her—that her oldest friend was lying through his teeth and swearing to the contrary. “And if the facts don’t back up what you are saying, then what am I supposed to do?”
“They don’t back up what I’m saying?”
“I said if.”
“So you’re still not sure, despite what I’m telling you.”
“I have to be fair and impartial, Rod. It’s the only way to find the truth,” Krista said, desperate to stop the next sentence from leaving her lips. Unfortunately, the solider inside her wouldn’t allow her to suppress it. “If it turns out you did this, then sanctions will result and you know what that means.”
“It means I’m history.”
“Yes. It’s either you, the dog, or Simms. One of you isn’t being truthful. That much is clear.”
“Well, it’s not like the dog can tell you anything.”
“Of course, but someone is at fault here and justice must prevail. It’s how I roll, Rod. The rules are the rules.”
“I understand. In fact, I would expect nothing less.”
“I’m glad you feel that way because you know better than anyone that I will keep digging until I find the truth, wherever it leads me.”
“Then please, by all means, keep digging. Because right now, you’re barking up the wrong tree, so to speak.”
“Interesting choice of words, my friend.”
“Words aside, you understand what I’m saying. I need you to clear my good name. Trust me, it’s in everyone’s best interest to keep me around. Simms is the one who needs to go. Or that dog. Not me. Please, I beg you. Keep investigating.”
“I will, but it’ll have to wait a bit,” Krista said. “We’ve got a mission to attend to first.”
“Fletcher?”
“No, need to deal with the E.O.D. situation.”
“You’re meeting with them, aren’t you? Blackstone?”
She nodded. “Yeah, we really can’t wait. Need to acquire all new seed and some chemicals to deal with the bacteria problem. That’s why we’re heading out soon.”
“Who’s going?”
“Me, Summer, Lipton and a few support personnel.”
“That’s a bit thin.”
“All we can spare, with Wicks out on mission.”
“He and Nomad aren’t back yet?”
“No, but they should be anytime now.”
“Where’s the Blackstone meet?”
“Northeast.”
“How far?”
“Two days. Maybe three.”
“We don’t have the fuel for that. Not after what happened at the Trading Post. We needed that restock.”
“I’m well aware, Rod. That’s why we’re taking the trucks Edison had retrofitted.”
“The gasifiers?” he asked. “That’ll take twice as long.”
“But we can burn whatever we find along the way for fuel. Flexibility for speed seems like a worthy tradeoff. Plus, we avoid using up our diesel reserves.”
“Makes sense. I’m just not sure about your choice to have Summer along.”
“She’ll be fine. Plus, she insisted.”
“Damn Rules of Succession.”
“But you have my word. I’ll get back on investigating the whole situation with Simms and the dog the minute I return.”
“Okay, I wish it were sooner, but I can live with that. It’s not like I’m going anywhere. My gut tells me that Liz plans to keep me cooped up here for the duration.”
“You gotta rest and give it time. You’re not a spring chicken anymore.”
“Thanks for reminding me.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for.”
CHAPTER 24
“Okay, it’s 21:50 Zulu, let’s fire it up, Cueball,” Destiny told her radio operator.
“Actually, it’s Shotgun now. Got tired of the other name,” he replied, pulling out the chair and planting his rear end in the seat. He scooted it forward, bringing his knees under the table.
“That’s the third time you’ve changed it Fred. Hard to keep up.”
“I know, sorry. But I wanted something that fits, since you don’t want any of us to go by our real names. I used to go by Gantry, given my last name and all. It fit perfectly when I worked that lift in steel mill back in the day.”