Chewing Rocks by Alan Black Read Free Book Online Page A

don’t know if it is true, but the word is Randy and Jim both signed complaints against you. You’ve dug yourself a nice little hole if these screw ups also file a complaint. Maybe Willem made a mistake letting you take martial arts training and low gravity ballet at the same time and maybe not. But, you won’t lift ship again for a long time if Sheriff Bob decides he wants to investigate.”
    Sno protested, “That isn’t right, he can’t pull my ship or my captain’s papers.”
    Mario shook his head, “No. He can’t. However, Randy and Jim are his nephews and he can delay inquiries and hold you in town for questioning until every rock in the system is peeled down to dust. You are out of time. Get. Now. Before the police get here and if I was you, I would undock fast and stay gone for awhile.”
     
    Chapter 5.0
    “Come on, Dad. Get a move on with the download. I am running out of time her e.” Sno called out over the Sedona’s ship-to-dock comms, staring at her father’s face. She realized he was looking younger and more relaxed than he had in the last few years, even though the grey hair was creeping around to encircle his ever-expanding bald spot.
    Willem replied from the Whyte’s dock side office, “It doesn’t go any faster than it goes. If we rush it, then you won’t get the applications configured to the computer core in the proper sequence. Besides, Larry from Wright Logistics and Service is still pumping recycle juice through your sewage system and running diagnostics on your mechanicals. Larry is the best tech-head on Ceres, but you can’t rush him anymore than you can rush the apps n’ core upgrade.”
    “I know. Boy howdy, do I know. But, I still need to undock.” Sno re-read the text message she had gotten just moments before from Johnson and Spanky detailing the Sheriff’s Department handling of the mess at Mario’s. Everyone, including the sheriff, thought the whole thing was a hoot until someone mentioned Sno by name. Then Sheriff Bob’s face went purple and he stormed out of Mario’s. Sno viewed the video and snapped off her personal comms so no one could trace her signal.
    “Oh, by the way, daughter, Vittie just sent me the most amusing vid-mail from the office. It seems the sheriff dropped by for a rather spectacularly vocal visit.”
    “Oh, crap!”
    “Oh, crap indeed, young lady. You might try to remember your actions can have repercussions throughout our whole business, not to mention how it reflects on your dear ol’ dad.”
    “Look, Dad, these guys -”
    Willem interrupted. “Chastity Snowden Whyte ! Don’t you dare try to justify yourself with me. You may be taller than I am and probably able to kick my fanny six ways from Sunday, but you are still my little princess. Bar room brawls are not acceptable princess behavior.”
    Sno smiled in spite of herself, “Yeah, I know. But, really, Mario’s isn’t so much a bar as it is a multi-functional family-style feeding facility.”
    “That is not what I meant and you know it.” Willem snorted into the comms, but Sno could see the smile trying to creep through.
    “ Yeah, I don’t know why, but it seems my anger tank is topped off lately. Any extra anger seems to get slopped around on everyone else,” Sno confessed.
    “Let’s get you out of here and give everyone a chance to cool off. Then later we can see if we can talk about that, okay?”
    Sno said, “Okay, but there really isn’t much to talk about.”
    “There never is, Princess. But, I want you to think about talking about it. I also want you to think about changing your attitude toward Vittie. I know you aren’t getting along with her, but she is here to stay as long as I want her to stay. I like her and she likes me. That should be enough for you, but just in case it isn’t, she is good for the business. Besides, take a look at the video she sent of the sheriff. Vittie handled him so well he didn’t even know he was being handled. Then, even though Vittie