Goddamn your sorry ass! He cursed his body for its inability to overcome the paralysis. Mind over matter wasn’t about shit! No matter how much he tried to will himself to move, even a twitch, it just wasn’t happening. All that bullshit about The Force … this wasn’t some stupid movie! This was real life, and in real life, people died in situations like this.
The toxic drug had reached the drip chamber of the I.V. system mounted on the hospital bed. He knew he only had a few short minutes left as the red liquid began to slowly drip into the tubing that would transport it into his bloodstream. His eyes grew wide, bulging in frustration as he gave another futile, last-ditch effort to move something, anything! But it was to no avail. Mentally exhausted, he found himself letting hope slip away. He’d lost to this fucking cretin.
“What the fuck is this?” A voice, vaguely familiar, roared as the door burst open. Frost saw a figure clad in a long coat burst through the door, a police-issue laser pistol in hand. Cops! Gideon whirled in surprise. His shocked expression immediately changed to one of fear, as he saw the gun pointed straight at him.
“Whoa! Whoa! Don’t shoot!” he croaked out, throwing his hands up immediately.
In his exasperated state, it took Frost a second or two to recognize the man. Special Inspector Burlington from last night at the Spaceport Inn. He never thought he’d be glad to see his arrogant ass again. Behind the cop, Cee Tee followed anxiously. A female cop, in spandex and battle vest, brought up the rear. She hustled a cuffed, stunned and disoriented Junior Tuttle along with her. Frost thought he remembered her from the Inn too.
“On your knees! Now!” Matt commanded, but Tuttle was already sinking to them before being told. He’d been in this situation so many times before that he already knew the procedure.
“I’m down! I’m down!” Gideon made sure the cop knew he was in full compliance. Frost couldn’t help but smile inwardly. The old fart was already interlocking his fingers behind his head. Yeah, he knew the drill alright!
“What the hell you doing in here, Tuttle?” Matt demanded curtly as he Lectro-Cuffed the old thug.
“Wha— where? Here? Why I reckon I just stumbled into the wrong room,” Gideon whined in his best clueless, country boy voice. “Must’ve been them painkillers the doc gave me.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Matt scoffed. “Those painkillers the reason you had your half-wit boy posted outside for a lookout?”
“Hell? Him a lookout?” Tuttle spat the words out contemptuously as he gave his son the stink eye. “If he’d been any kind of lookout, I would’ve known you were comin’ … right, boy?” Junior’s only response was his jaw falling open, a long stream of drool dangling down almost two feet, as the stun of the laser still had him addled severely. “Worthless piece of shit,” Tuttle muttered resentfully.
Matt hauled him to his feet, pulling him up like some old raggedy scarecrow from bygone days. Realizing he was on the verge of incriminating himself, Gideon quickly added. “Of course, I had no need for a lookout, as I wasn’t doin’ a thang wrong!”
“Yeah, yeah,” Matt said idly, as he studied the bandages on Tuttle’s face. He turned to Cee Tee. “You wouldn’t know anything about this, would you?”
“Never saw that man before in my life,” the merc lied as he turned his attention to his boss. As far as he was concerned, that was the end of the conversation.
“What about you?” Matt looked back to Gideon, realizing he would get nothing more out of the merc. “You gotta beef with these folks?”
“Look like a buncha outta town pussies to me,” Gideon growled, casting a glance in Frost’s direction. The drug was almost there. He would get his revenge yet. “Never seen this man before now.” He gave Frost a sly smile, one only Frost could see, just for a split-second. “And I doubt very seriously I ever see ‘em again.” A twinkle gleamed in the man’s eyes as he relished the laser beams of hatred the incapacitated man shot back at him. It was the only thing Frost could do.
“Get them out of here!” Matt barked at Stella, as he shoved Tuttle her way. Charge these imbeciles and lock them up for the time being.”
“With what?” Stella shot back irritably.
“Whatever you can think of. Try criminal trespassing or criminal mischief for starters.”
Stella was fuming now. She was his Ex Oh, not a patrol jockey. He was still pissed about earlier and giving her guff. Her Irish temper was starting to percolate. She cared not one bit for his attitude and made up her mind right then and there to let him know tonight in the clearest way possible. There were many, many benefits to sleeping with the boss. Expressing your displeasure by cutting his ass off was just one of the few. She bit her lip and angrily led the two Tuttles out of the room.
Matt turned back to Cee Tee. “I dunno what those two have against you. Seems like y’all just have a hard time making friends anywhere you go.”
“We’re not here to make friends, Special Inspector. We’re here to do a job.” Cee Tee wished the cop would quit with the bullshit and just leave. For he had noticed something
