Rust Bucket (19 page)

      He returned my salute and then said, "Sit down. Smoke if you want. I suppose you know the dilemma you're in?"

      "Yes sir," I replied although I knew it was he who was really caught in the dilemma.

      He said, "You'll have your choice of legal representation. The trial will be tomorrow unless that's not enough time. I can grant you an additional forty-eight hours if you need the time. I must say, although you produced results, you're not sitting in a very good situation. Had the other two ships already been destroyed, this proceeding wouldn't be happening. I'd be congratulating you for extraordinary initiative. However, your squadron commander was still in charge. What you did can be construed by others as leading to his death and the death of the men and women aboard those other two ships."

      I replied, "Yes sir. I understand that. I'm just grateful that I'm the only one being charged. It was on my order alone that my ship left the formation. No one else knew about it ahead of time."

      "I believe you. I've done some research on you with people who know you. If nothing else, they tell me that you're honest. Did you have this in mind before you left port?" he asked.

      I replied, "I'm sorry, sir, but I can't answer that type of question until I speak with my legal representative."

      He said, "You are the sharp one. I hope we don't convict you. I'd like to have another dozen officers like you out there."

      I said, "Well, sir, there's six more on my ship now. They weren't much to speak of before, but they are now."

      He replied, "Really? Superb! You won't mind then if I spread them among some other select ships?"

      I answered, "No sir. I just hope that being associated with me doesn't hurt their careers. By the way, Lieutenant Remm is actually ready to command a ship. I recommend just that. If I'm not convicted, I'll put it in writing since it won't hurt her chances then."

      "I'll remember that. But, we're getting away from you, son. Do you have anyone in mind whom you would like to represent you at trial?" he said.

      I replied, "No sir. I'll take my punishment if it's due. I'm not going to wiggle out, even if some of the charges are bogus."

      He said, "If I weren't the Fleet Admiral, I'd represent you myself, but then everyone else would be accusing me of influencing the trial judges."

      "I appreciate your feelings, sir, and your confidence," I responded.

      He said, "Okay, then let's at least grant you the forty-eight hours continuance. I want you to think it over some more. See if you can get some legal representation. I'd rather have you out there instead of in a stockade. If nothing else, go get yourself laid and relax. You earned it. I'll feel a little better if you are convicted in knowing that you received some minor consideration. As of now, the trial will commence at 0900 three days from now. Dismissed."

      I got up and saluted sharply, receiving a salute just as sharp from the old man. Then I turned around and left his office. I really didn't expect that anyone could get me off the charges, whatever the final tally of charges turned out to be. The only things I could claim were that I kept alive most of my crew, brought in three prisoners which I found out shortly afterwards that no one else had done yet, and destroyed more ships than any other warship in our Navy had. That was hardly the kind of evidence to enter against the charges they were sure to bring up. As I walked out of the Headquarters building, the officers and crew of the
Thurman
were waiting outside for me.

      Majel came up and asked, "Well, what's going to happen?"

      I answered, "I'm to appear before a court-martial in three days at 0900. Until then, I'm free to roam about the base and keep my weapons in case of an attack. No one else is going to be charged since it was on my orders that the ship left the squadron formation."

      "That's not fair!" she said. "I ought to go inside there and give them back my commission if they're going to railroad you."

      "No!" I said firmly. "You are needed by the Navy. I wouldn't be surprised if you found yourself in command of a ship real soon. I think the rest of the officers are going to find themselves in demand soon as well. You're among the best in the Navy now and they need you while this war is on. I'd hate to think that I put all that effort into helping you achieve that only to have you throw it away. I'd be real disappointed if you did."

      "Who's representing you?" asked Mason.

      I answered, "No one."

      "Now, who's throwing away a career?" he asked.

      I felt shocked for a moment, but his words rang true. I was giving up instead of fighting, even though I knew I was guilty. I had premeditatedly planned to leave the squadron. I couldn't admit that even if I didn't intend on doing it when I did. I had planned on doing it a little later, but the circumstances forced me to do it then or see us all probably die. "Do you have a suggestion, Mason, about someone to represent me?" I asked.

      "Yes sir. I will," Mason replied.

      "You know what this can do to your career if they find me guilty anyway?" I asked.

      He said, "I know what will happen to both of us if I lose. But, I haven't lost any trials yet."

      "How many have you handled?" I asked.

      He answered, "None, so my record is riding on you."

      I had to laugh along with the others who picked up on his joke.

***

Mason, Frank, and I, along with others who wrote out their sworn affidavits, in case they had to ship out before the trial, began putting my case together. If nothing else, we had lots of bridge and combat recordings to present as evidence on my behalf. Because they used Tamp-a-pruf video tape, they were fully admissible as evidence.

      Majel came to me and made her offer once more. "Dave, now that we're back and you've got some free time, you want to take me up on that offer I keep making?"

      I surprised her. "Yes, right now I'd very much like to accept your offer. Who knows? In a few more days, I may be behind bars for a ten-year sentence."

      "It's only five," she answered.

      "Ten in wartime," I reminded her.

      Majel asked, "When do you want me? We could go to your quarters now, if you'd like."

      "Sure. That sounds good to me," I said as I accepted her hand in mine while we walked to my quarters.

      We arrived at my quarters a few minutes later and started taking off our equipment and clothing. As I looked down at her shoulder pack, which seemed new, I noticed a hidden holster with an automatic pistol in it.

      "I see that you've been shopping," I remarked as I pointed at the shoulder pack.

      She said, "Yes, he was such a nice man. He thought some sergeant had sent me to him. I explained to him that you had one and it saved your life against an electrical animal. You were right. He made me test fire it, take it apart, clean it, and then reassemble it before I could leave the store. He even traded me shoulder packs even up. This is a much better model than what I had, so I gave him a kiss for being so nice. He said it was the first kiss he had in years and wished me good luck and long life. When I walked out, Kyle was walking in. I guess I know what he went after, too."

      "I guess so."

      She asked, "Who's the sergeant? The old man said that you were sent to him by a sergeant."

      I answered, "Sergeant Clark at the Academy."

      Majel exclaimed, "Oh! I remember him! So, he sent you. By the way, where did you get the marker and notepad? Shirley told me how you used one."

      "You didn't get those while you were in the surplus store?" I asked.

      She said, "You mean the same old man? Great! I'll go by again and get those. I'll even give him another kiss."

      Then Majel was kissing me as we fell onto the bed as a prelude to making passionate love to each other.

***

We were lying in bed, smoking a cigarette after some of the greatest sex I'd had in a long time, when we heard a knock at the door. Before I could get up and put something on, Majel said loudly, "Come on in!"

      Kyle opened the door to see us both naked on the bed. He turned to leave and close the door, but Majel called him back. She exclaimed, "Oh, get your ass back in here! You've seen me and Dave naked before. Besides, we're not doing anything now!

      He said, "Well, I didn't want to intrude. Anyway, I was going to look for you next anyway. I found out that you didn't get a marker and notepad, so I picked up one of each for you when I got mine."

      She said, "Oh poo! I was going to go back and give the old man another kiss for being so nice."

      He said, "Yeah, well, the old man told me that Sergeant Clark at the Academy was the one who sent Dave there and I really came to see Dave. Sergeant Clark wants to appear as a witness or as your legal representation if you don't have any yet. Since Dave has a representative already, I thought he'd like to know that the sergeant and some other folks from the Academy are going to appear as witnesses for him."

      I said, "Thanks, Kyle. I appreciate that, but I don't think they'll do much good. All they can testify to is my character. I hardly think that will matter much. By the way, did you get your projectile weapon?"

      Kyle smiled as he pulled his shoulder pack forward slightly to show the handle portion of his new weapon snugly fitted into his holster. "I've got to go back to see him again when the rest of the bandages come off to do the cleaning. He trusted me on that."

      I replied, "Good. I know you will."

      "I also picked up some more ammunition for your pistol. It was the least I could do," said Kyle as he brought over a small box of bullets that I knew cost quite a bit. Then he pulled out the notepad and marker and handed them over to Majel who stuck her tongue out at him.

      "Majel, you can still go back and visit him. Just buy something different." I leaned over to my shoulder pack and pulled out the old list that the Sarge gave me before turning back to her. "If you don't have some of these items, then buy one of them. These are the items that the Sarge recommended that I buy." I handed her the list and she started looking through it.

      Then she smiled as she reached an item that I figured she didn't have. "Thanks, Dave," she said before she leaned over and kissed me soundly on the lips.

      "Gee, I'll have to get some more lists if this is the attention I get," I replied. I deserved the smack on the ass that she gave me a moment later.

I showed up promptly outside the court room at 0845 on the morning of my trial. Lieutenant Grade was beside me. We were both in our uniforms with our decorations in place. He was a bit surprised to see how many I had already.

      "It's not fair to put you on trial. You've got more decorations than ten other officers," he said.

      I replied, "I broke the rules. At least, they think I did as you keep drilling into me."

      He said, "That's right. Remember, you're innocent until proven guilty. That applies even in the military and they can't make you testify against yourself. Just answer the questions that I don't object to. You'll be okay then."

      The rest of the crew was also behind us in their best uniforms with their decorations on. Many of them had a number of decorations, a few as many as I had. Of course, those were usually Pennyweight Shipping personnel. Just as Mason and I walked into the courtroom, some other people arrived who I didn't know about yet.

      The trial started promptly at 0900 and stopped at 0920 when a messenger arrived from Headquarters. He delivered a message to the senior officer convening the court-martial. The senior officer showed the message to the other two officers, then ordered the charges dismissed, and stated that the trial was adjourned.

      Mason and I were both shocked to hear the charges dismissed suddenly, seemingly without reason. However, neither of us was going to argue with the results regardless of how it came to be. We got up as the trial judges left the courtroom and then turned around to leave.

      I was astonished to see Sarge, Penny, and a few other people were sitting behind us the whole time. I gladly shook their hands and walked out of the courtroom with them.

      "Any idea why they dismissed the charges?" I asked Sarge.

      Sarge said, "Could be that the enemy convinced them not to convict you. I heard some rumors this morning that one of the prisoners finally broke. He talked about everything. I'm not sure how they broke the prisoner. Frankly, it wouldn't surprise me if they threatened to put the two of you in the same locked room."

      His remark got a laugh from just about everyone there, except me. I was still anxious to know why the charges were dismissed.

      Sergeant Clark said, "Look Dave, just accept it as a gift from heaven or whatever. Obviously someone in the right place recognizes talent and knows that the Navy needs officers like you. You've weathered some of the worst that you'll have to go through. Someday, you might learn why the charges were dismissed. If you do, you'll understand why by then. You'll probably also be high enough in rank then to do the same thing when it's called for in someone else's case. Well, I've got to get Mr. Cunningham back to his store."

      Suddenly, I realized that the old man from the surplus store was also standing there. He was old and stooped over and easily hidden behind some of the other people standing around me. When the Sarge stood aside to help the old man, I noticed that Mr. Cunningham, as I now knew him, wasn't just an old man. He was wearing an admiral's uniform. I promptly saluted at which point he returned my salute before saying, "I'm retired and still entitled to wear this. Thank you for the salute. You've turned out exactly as my son-in-law said you would. I'm proud of you."